The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-01-14
A New York Lady 1t = Japanese Festival
and Dinner Party.

and Dinner Party.
Extract Of q letter aatcd Nagasaki Oct TO- 1887
We were fortunate 10 arriving hero agasak) just
before their greatest national festival which lasted three
days, during which work At . stand still and frohck
ing the order Of the day The whole Of Tuesday morning
was devoted 70 kind of PROCESSION and theatrical
tainmsnt performed by children in the streets; uDre
were great many different small companies, each ono
carrying its own stage, scenery and dresses and from
THIS fact you may Judge not very elaborate but
most amusing and some Of the children performed
Iemely wen, throwing into their gestures and looks
much expression that although could aersraud
the language could make out the plot by Of their
antics We Witnessed tho performances from Temporal
ry booth stand erected for the accommodation OF the
foreigners and each little company and peror
its respective piece before us, which gave also op
porunity OF seeing fair sample crowd OF Japanese men
and women and don't know whether was more inter-
estcd in their appearance than they in mne for
they have not yet 4 sufficient number of foreign
ladies for attraction 10 have of On the after
of the same day took walk through the city
able young Hoanders, but was the cynosure, col
iected crowd wherever ] went; the boys sometimes
running ahead and then turning round 10 bavc good
Ook; and II we stopped few minutes 10 examine any
thing novel we soon Lemmcd Ia staring audience.
girl gave me a thoNugh scrutiny, aud after examn-
ing skn hsnds fingers, rings, bracelets, brooch, &c
gave II as her opinion that tho captain was lucky
man IN having me for wife; the hoops puzzled her,
and bad ] not put stop the proceedings
do not know how minute her investigation might have
been but must say OF them that although very curious
they not rude and readily checked too familiar
We bad another rare lQ,ic on Thursday. We were in
ved into merchants house, where regular feast
pet on There were also present several Americans and
here had opportunity OF seeing the Japanese at
home, and, moreover, the gentlemen informed that
was probably the first foreign lady or here we must call
ourselves foreigners) who had visited japanese
chants house; for host is Of the rs, merchants in
this place holding among his countTymen position equiv
alent to Rssol Co in China There was great varie.
ty OF edoles OF the dishes strange
palate ana as the only implements 10 work with
chop sticks you may imagine we had to take lesson in
using them and from experience OF the feast will not
be inclined To adopt Japanese cooking There neither
table chairs food being distributed about the floor
in dishes and bowls, and eaten from small cups and
plates By the bye, there few Chairs, bu. the Japa
do not them they always Sit The floor The
house beautifully clean and neat, and the people
truly kind and good hearted underwent. q good ex-
animation here aso, and the hoops forgot
ten manta, bonnet bracelets, all were sc1unized and
the question asked-what might be sold for. This
rich. You must imagine the whole tine fun for us
and the pleasure seemed mutual for they
ly pleased entertaining in being entertained
and 50 unexpected, we did not know where We were
going when we went on Shore Some Of the girls have
very pleasing faces but generally the eyes have the
pointed shape peculiar the Chinese The dress OF the
seems TO differ from the other only the sash
being much broader and differently arranged the back
houses being ordinary looking frame buildings, but at the
time, very neat and clean inside, aud generally
pretty little garden in the rear The country about Maya
sak is truly beautiful being mountainous and finely
Wooded great deal of the land Is hort.culturay cult
waited In fact the scenery grand and abounds in love-
ly sites for Villas but although this charm wanting, IL
il lovely to behold as it is and believe is green all the
year. the winter in this part OF japan is not
Very different from shanghae where the winters arc
very cod and shall probably get taste of it, as
will probably be running between these places all winter;
for by the captains uniform kindness TO his passengers
he has fairly got into the good graces Of the Cinnamon
who trading here, and they seem anxious 10 keep
him here You will be surprised when tell you
that our last cargo was principally owned by the
Chinese deck passengers but, strange az this
may seem, they do not think of travelling in any
other way. There many pretty things TO be
bought here, and will try 70 procure something pleas
ing to send you The porcelain aud lacquer finish
ed most exquitey, but good purse is necessary the
manufactures have much adv since the admission OF
foreigners By the hen speaking Of the Japan women
forgot to mention that they havo very strange way OF
arranging their hair; appears 10 be stfened in
way, and there is frame work which holds it Of from
the head, secured at the back hs discovered at the
house visiting Thursday, and then it is made
up into bows and dressed with hair pins and ornaments.
After marriage they backen their teeth to like black
ness and their nails sometimes coored pink, &c.