Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1859-02-10

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sula of Idsu. The path (for it could no
be called road was narrow, and il
many places was formed by cutting
steps in the Jufa rocks, and sometime
1t ran over mountains 1000 feet high
On the second day reached UgasimS
and as l emerged from the gorges o
Mt. Agami, had my first view of"Fus
Yama," the Matchless Mountain."-
The sightwas grand beyond description
AS viewed from the Temple at Ugasi
ma, the mountain appears to be entire
ly isolated, and shoots up in a glorious
cone 10000 feet high! 1t was covered
with snow, and in the bright sunlight i
gllttered like frosted silver. In its ma
jestic solitude it struck me as being
even more grand and imposing than thu
celebrated Dwhalgiri of the Himmal,
mountains. For the first two nights
was lodged in temples, which had beer
lifted up for me, with new bath rooms
and other appliances to contribute tc
my comfort. On the evening of the
third day l arrived at Messima, towr
on the To-ky-do, or great East read
and for thence to Yed0 the road is wide
and good. On the great roads of ia
pan, nice buildings are erected for the
accommodation of the princes when
they travel; they are called Howiin
and it was in them l had my quarters
for the remainder of my journey.
THE DIFFERENCE OF RANK IN JAPAN
On my arrival at one of these build.
lngs the vice governor would hasten to
compliment me on my arrival, and ask
after my health. On one occasion ]
asked him to come into the house, but
ne shook his head, and said he dared
not do it, as only those of "exaIted
rank" could enter howjin; yet this
man has received some thirty steps OF
promotion, wears the Imperial arms ON
his sleeve, and is the "Leader of One
Thousand Stars'-i. g., the commander
of one thousand soldiers.
My first days journey on the To-ky-
do was over the mountain Hacone.
which is some $500 feet high. After
had passed the crest of the mountain,
and had descended about one-third of
the way, l came to perfect 6ijou of a
rest house. Everything was in NINA
ture. The house was new, and nothing
could exceed its neatness. A miniature
garden adorned the rear; the trees were
dwarfed to the smallest of possible sizes.
Here were ivy temples and grottoes, and
bridges so petit that nothing heavier
than fairy could walk over them. A
canal and fish pond, paved with snow
white pebbles, were filled with water of
crystal clearness the gold and silver
fish, however, were of enormous size,
some being two feet long, and gray
headed old carp appeared to be the pa
triarch of the fnny family.
The passage of the Hacone was not
completed until after nightfall; but
did not regret being belated, as it af-
forded me the novel sight of my train
brilliantly lighted by large number of
bamboo torches. AS the train twisted
and turned among the descents of the
mountain it looked like the tail of a huge
fiery dragon. On reaching the train
was met by the authorities of the city of
Odowara and a whole army of all i'm
aginable sizes and colors, each being
decorated with the arms of its owner,
and the whole forming an ensemble that
was lively and pleasing. I passed Sun
day the 29th of November, at Kawasa
This is the town that Chaplain Bitten
ger reached when he made his celebra-
ted dash at Yedo. (See Com. Perry's
journal of the Japan expedition.) From
my first arrival in Japan up to the pres
ent day | have always refused to trans
act any business on Sunday. l soon
got the Japanese to understand my mo-
tive, and am sure it has increased their
respect for me.
SWEEPING THE RoADs-RRsPRCT OF THE
PRoPLE.
The roads were all repaired and clean
ly swept on the whole of my route be-
fore l passed; bridges we're put in or
der, and many new ones built all travel
on tho road was stopped, SO that l did
not see those crowds Of travellers, priests,
nuns, &c, described by Kempfer; the
shops in all the towns and villages were
closed, Except cook shops and tea
houses) and the inhabitants, clad in
their holiday suits, knelt on mats spread
in front of their house, not q sound was
heard, nor gesture indicative Of curl
oslty seen; all was respectful silence.
The people were ordered to cast down
their eyes as | passed, as l was too high
even to be looked at; but this order
was only partially cbeyed, for the dear
daughters of Eve would have a peep,
regardless of the consequences. The
authorities of the towns and villages
met me at their boundaries, and saluted
me by kneeling and knocking heads;"
they then led the way through their lit
tie jurisdictions, and took leave by SIM
liar prostrations.
To you that know me so we'll, I trust
| need not say that these ceremonies
and slavish observances but i'll agreed
with my simple habits, and that they
were utterly repugnant to my sincere
republican principles. But what could
do? | knew that the ultimate success
of the real object of my mission to Yedo
did, in fact, very much depend on the
state and ceremony which was observed
on my journey, and which would attend
my entry into Yedo. Such being my
feelings and opinions, 1 did not on the
one hand, demand any of these honors,
nor, on the other, refuse them when they
were offered to me.
THE AMERICAN CoNsUL's ENTRY INTO
YEDO.
On Monday, the Soth of November,
| made my entry into Yedo. My fol-
lowers put on their camissimos, or dress
es of ceremony, decorated with any
quantity of eagles.
lshould not have known when passed
the line which separates Sinagana from
edo had the guide not pointed it out
TO me, as the houses formed eontinu-