The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-01-06
Correspondence of the n 7. Commercial
Interesting Incidents In japan.


Interesting Incidents In Japan.
o. s. SmP MumssorA,
EAuoAsAKI; Isle OF kNsu, JAfAN.
September lst, 1885,
We have been three weeks at this
place, and am delighted with the ia
panese. 1t is very pleasant to see such
clean, intellectual looking fellows after
spending SO much time among the dis
gusting Cinnamon and their country,
too, is beautiful-high land, covered
with fine forests and terraced fields,
surrounds US on all sides, and back in
q pleasant valley lies the next city Of
Naugaski. We arrived here on the
llth Of August, and found the Powhat-
tan had arrived few hours before us
from Simoda.
The Japanese seem to me the happi.
est race Of people in the world. It is
treat for us to walk through the clean
streets of Naugaski, and look in the
shops, and on their bright and intellec-
tual faces. Thepretty little halfdressed
children run out, hold out their hands
for "bonton cassi' (give me button,)
and when they get one they seem SO de-
lighted, ,and laugh 80 much like home
children, that feel disposed to cut of
all the buttons of my coat to give them.
And their bazzars are wonderful. Such
a profusion of rich japanese work that
one cannot decide what to buy.
send you a specimen of their pa
per money which was issued for the
use of foreigners. Their gold and sill.
yer coins are exceedingly hard to get
hold Of The enclosed piece of paper
is worth about two cents. It surprises
me to find how much foreign inter-
course has already improved the Ja-
panese. They are certainly learning
very fast. In the harbor is lying q ia
panese man-ofwar steamer presented
to the government by the Dutch, but
manned and worked at sea by the na-
tives alone. And on the interior lake
, 1 understand there is steam vessel
! built by the Japanese throughout, in
. cluding the machinery.
: At the Dutch machine shop ct Nau-
gasaki, the natives are the best work.
q men, and am told that their quick
! ness and skill are wonderful. They
readily acquire all the new improve
y ments in the art of war. showed .
fellow who came on board, SharPA
rifle, thinking Of course that it would
liza subject of great curiosity and
1fiSss %o56s 70 hin he looked at it and e1.
amined it very cfosery y-.,'sfalsi s.a inquired #
, that was Mimic rifle. thefssusslloxe:. ):
/ him patent musket; he examinssssdass. q
critically as before, and then went
through the whole manuel of arms as
perfectly and solderly as any of our
marine guard could have done.
: I must not forget to tell you some-
r thing about the ''Feast Of Lanterns"
r which we were fortunate enough to
witness. 1t is feast in honor of the
s dead. For three days all business 10
g suspended. In the evenings all the
) graveyards on the hillsides are illumina-
e ted by candles in different colored Ian.
s. terms, hung by thousands on the shrubs
n and trees. The graveyards are the
Y. most beautiful parts of the city, and
g very extensive, reaching from the ter.
i. mination of the city to the hillsides
n nearly to the SUBMITS. In the evening
/ of the feast just as the moon was rais-
J. ing above the hills to northward, the
S, sides of the hills to the southwark
S, were in soft glow of fire, and now and
it then rocket would shoot up from the
TO midst, producing beautiful effect.
The second day seemed to be the
in principal one of the feast. On the
al evening of that day small fanciful deco
m rated boats were pathed off from the
" shore, each containing one or more
m lanterns, a small quantity of choice
g, food, bottle of "sakee," and slip OF
;e paper with the sailing directions of the
p vessels. Of the number of these boats
: thus sent out alone upon the waters,
of cannot attempt to make an estimate
I'd though I know there must have been
thousands.
,r, These boats are expected to meet
al the debarted friends in some unknown
he place and supply them with food fol
he their long journey to some land o.
" bliss. One of these messengers cam'
o. floating so near our ship that we picket
to it up to satisfy our curiosity. 1t wa
lin made of closely bound straw, and in !
IN were pretty little porcelain dishes fillet
ch with presents, &C., and bottle of "sa
en- kee." On a paper was written tn
so name of the deceased, and "Steer Il
the southwark" After reading tn
he sailing directions we immediatel,
St launched the little craft again for fea
ite the poor fellow might be pining for he
by arrival. But fear many lost on
Ter tainted on his long journey, if he de
-as pended only on his vessels cargo, 70
lily the next morning the harbor was GOV
in cred with wrecked boats.
RS, The simple faith which can thu
he send gifts of love to departed friend
trusting in some unseen power to guild
us them safely over the waters to thei
ne mysterious destination, and the lovin
"a, which adorns the graves of the deat
DO show, think that the minds and th
alo hearts of the people are far abov
ed those of the Chinese who as gene
1 al thing manifest little regard for the
~ dead, throwing them in the river jul
- as they die, or burying them carelessl
he just below the surface of the ground.