The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-11-16
VERY INTERESTING FROM JAPAN.


II.
sHoRE-A STEAM PUMP AND SCREW WAR STEAMER
STROLL THROUGH THE cITY-AsTONIsHING SOCIAL
ELEVATION OF THE PE0PLE-LAWs AND MANUFAC-
TlTREs-MAKING JOSS sTicKs-EAruRAL HISTORY,
As READ IN THE sTREETs-vIsIT OF JAPAEEsE OF
FICIALs TO THE UNITED STATES SHIP P0wHATAN-
THEIR OPINION or OUR FEMALE FASHIONS-A
HEARTY DRINK AND LEAVE TAEING-TRIP TO 81
MODA-C0NsUL GENERAL HARRIS AND THE NEW
TREATY-STEAMTNG FOR JEDDo--yISIT OF A NATIVE
WAR vEssEL-THE TWO EApERoRs-rHE COAL
MINES or THE EiPIRE-RUN TO sHANGHAE-MEET-
ING WRECK-MovEAENTs OF THE RUSSIANS, ENG
LIsH AND FRENCH ETC. ETC.
UNITED STATES SHP PowHATAS, l
| SHAsGHAE, China, Sept 3, 1858
When wrvte you from the -Ho river were on
the II sailing for Japan, and promised 70 send you
another letter should there meet with anything Of
interest," and am going 10 keep that promise, for we
have both and heard strange and important things
| since that time.
Along the interesting and almost unknown shores of
that long isolated country strange lights beginning TO
awaken the sIeepof ages What think for instance
Of there being pump at work one of the shores
Of the harbor ofNagasak of there being japanese screw
steamer -owar anchored it, and Of our having
| been visited, while lying in the bay of Jeddo, by
two Japanese Princes, who down from
Jeddo in sidewheel steamer, manned entirely by
Japanese officers engineers, fremen and salorsS ask
such things these do not sound strange when
lated Of people who have long been placed upon foot
| ing with the retrograding ChincseS
We left the Pie Ho the 9th u and after pleasant
run of FIVE days let 60 anchor in the perfectly pro-
tected and surfess harbor Of Nagasaki One cannot
imagine beautiful expanse Cor the eye 10 wander
than that which il encounters here nor more va
red interesting objects than those which cross your
path after you have landed suppose that have been
ina fourth of the peopled harbors Of the world, but
before anything like this. In the first place
! its mouth s sprinklod with the most beautiful
Islands, that they form perfect breakwater, and
thus render the surface Of the harbor itself smooth
mountain lake. Then there is little or no love land in
seh-noihng but the blue sky overhead, the highly cu
yated hill sides around you and the smooth blue water
under your ship. Its form oblong it ike very
wide and deep canal running from the up into noun
tain valley than anything else. Then again, every hill
in sight laid Beautifully terraoed patches of Cult
From the edge Of the water TO their very crests
you but wide spread garden Here and there,
deed you may discover little villages snugy slowed away
in the ravines and upon OF the hills and the
elevated peaks the forest trees have been allowed 70 stand
but, general rule, the entire country is composed a
succession Of gardens the rising above the other like
the Of vast amphitheatre II is most refreshing
sight 10 look upon after long weeks fabsence from the land
This harbor is about mile wide and three miles deep
and at its very bottom is situated the city of Nagasaki
that city and around which pcrlshed many native
Christians the years lo2o-30 We looked upon
the Of peaceful beauty which seemed TO exhale from
every object and found hard 70 believe the history OF
\ bygone prosecutions.
As We steamed up toward the anchorage the FIRST thing
that attracted attention the smoke pipe az the
| steam pump already referred TO. We subsequently
learned that this pump had been imported from Holland
within the last months for the purpose Of ccvaing
\ water from the ncighboring coal mines; but that
| when tho prince who owned thom found that II
| would be necessary for the batch engineers TO
| attend IN person 10 putting u M, he hesitated
about allowing foreigners thus 70 penetrate the country
and he stn hcsItatng while there. IN the
meantime Mr Hardis, the Dutch engineer, received
| order TO erect most extensive machine shors, black
smih shops, foundry, &C, &c, for the Emperor, and
being in want Of pump keep the foundations dry, this
one was called requsiton Oar Chief Engineer and
several Of visited the spot by invitation from Mr. Har
dis ana were surprised the magnitude of the under
taking "In year shall be ready to repair tho hea
West accident which hefs steamer remarked
our host and the Chief Engineer subsequently remarked
| that the establishment, when completed, would be
superior four Iihs OF it's Kind IN The United states
We anchored the works, and onciourth OF a mile
| from Sagssski.
Let us nov croes 10 the other side or the harbor land
| upon the artificial island of Dcsma, 10 which the Duoh
| merchants were so long United pass the bridge
which connects with Nagssas and take walk through
that city II The first visit have made ia this direc
ton though officers % the United States Mis-
| sissipri which arrived a few days ahead of us,
| already able 10 act as guides.
Aswe enter this city or eighty thousand souls We arr
struck by the perfect Cleanliness o The streets the
eeptonable soatncss of the houses, the remarkably
Rolioe amounting absolute ndeocncy or the costume
Of the inhabitants of both sexos, and by the lively
curiosity which they mspifest to "get good look al
| u.s. One of the Dutch gentlemen Of Desima, who
also accompanies us, known % every They
csn out his werass along, and ho with
interesting anecdotes which he has picked mp during his
residence q tho last fourteen months among them lie
has resided Dcsma for fourteen years but until very
lately they have been bound down 20 that particular
spot they might almos, well have been Holland
far seeing anything Of the country and people
concerned
"You see very little c anything that magn,aocn, in
japan he remarked VIC walked along "but neither
do you see anything Of wan, q starvation Bcgears
there are here as well other countries but viii ven
urc 10 say that we shall walk for hours viihou
meeting of them. Then " IL scarcely right 20 stamp
them a. bcggsrs Cor they suffer rom want of food
and are treated with the greatest and ndncss
by their more fortunate counrymcn. If We do happen
with any q thcm, you viii that they bog from
sheer necessity. II twiii either be docFcpd cid
or woman who los the chldrcg tina, were growing
~ around them W unfortunate cripple who cannot
work You viii ro,cc that They hobble along with bag
or basket n their hand and that every whom they
apply gives something Here u IS few tseny, there
handful of rice again bunch of vegetables. Japan is
country q general plenty and q universal industry IN
| which IS allowed TO want The government
copdosccnds 70 insure against starvation I person
prove, for instance, that he or she is unable 10
| work, the government allows his her family
certain amount IN payment for supporting them.
4 n AFTER this they found begging, The allowance
on and they left 10 themselves Every japanese
allowed one legal wife, bot he may have many second
/ wives his will admit Of The manner 10 which
they obtain their second wives regulated by law Il
must rst be proved that the girls relatives unable
support her, and then she may-bccome a second wife,
in order 10 avoid begging The ctdren are all adopted
by the legal se and thus you find hundreds Japanese
who do not know their mothers You wero wonder.