The Shasta courier., 1859-12-31
SHASTA COURIER.
The Empire of Japan.

Rev. Mr. Goble recently delivered lecture
on Japan in San Francisco. From the Heralds
synopsis we quote the following paragraphs:
The empire is composed of about three thou
sand eight hundred and fifty islands they are
in the immense circle of volcanic developments
which surround the Pacific from Terra del Fue-
go around to the Moluccas. The Empire is di-
yided into Japan proper and the dependent is
lands japan proper is composed of Niphon
Jesse, kioosioo and Sikoke, and some smaller
islands, comprising an area of about loo, 900
square miles. The port of Nagasaki is the
island of Koosioo. and there the Dutch have
their trading establishments. and have for two
hundred years submitted to Imprisonment on an
artificial island in the harbor, and other humil-
iatng indignilies for the paltry privilege of
freighting, yearly, two small vessels with curl
osities. Jeddo, the capital, is on the island of
Niphon, the largest of the group. Hakodadi is
on the island of Jesse, the second in size. 1t
was there that Capt. Golownin of the Russian
navy was imprisoned for two years.
The climate of Japan, said the speaker, is one
of the most delightful in the world. Some win
tiers are without frost or snow the heat in sum-
mer rises as high as go Fahrenheit. The rains
are more abundant during June and July, but
are frequent all the year round.
No part of the ocean is subject 10 heavier
gales than the sea around Japan. The hurri-
canes are terrific and thunderstorms, attended
by earthquakes, are not rare and whole towns
are frequently destroyed. There are many re-
hgions in Japan. The Government seems to
take no cognizance of religion in any form, and
the largest religious liberty is permitted. The
The original national religion is called a Sim
sioo," from " sin," the gods, and 4" sioo," faith.
The Sintoos, though they worship the great
God of heaven, and have no idols in their houses
or temples, have vast number ofinferior deites
called Kam, who are chiefly canonized or del
fed men.
An opinion has prevailed that Japan was first
settled by the Chinese, and this idea has partly
been drawn from supposed similarity of lam
guages ;but those best acquainted with both
languages say that the only similarity is in the
manner of writing and reading downward. Ger
tain Chinese words have found their way into
japanese books, il is true; and the educated
classes of Japan can read the Chinese books
and, in order to show their learning, they some
times mix the languages, some of our learned
mix their English with bad Latin-but the lam
guages are entirely dissimiar. The Japanese
are much superior to the Chinese in every re-
spect Among the higher glasses he had seen
some who were almost white, and many women
of no ordinary beauty. They are an industrious
and ingenious people, and unsurpassed in the
science OF agriculture. The sides of their hills
and mountains and the little islets in their har-
bors and rivers are all cultivated and yield in
abundance.
One of the great sights in Japan is the Beau
tiful Mountain whose cone-like form rises H.
600 feet above the level of the sea, and is cap
ped with eternal snow.
The japanese are particularly skIful in the
manufacture of mermaids A fisherman once
conirived to unite the upper part of a monkey
with the lower part OF fish so neat as to defy
ordinary inspection. After exhibiting it for
some time and making considerable money out
OF 1t. he announced that during the short life of
the animal it had spoken to him and had pre-
dicted few years of remarkable fertility to be
followed by fatal epidemic and that the only
protection against the terrible malady would
be the possession of likeness of itself Pic
lures of the mermaid were Immediately in great
demand. and met with great sale. That IA
nous mermaid is now in California;