The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1860-02-02
Letter from Japan.
e ~ Ooea..onaI Cerre.ponaen.l

HAKoDADI, Japan, Oct. n, 1859.
since my last, there have been three or four ship
wrecks between here and the AMOR, Of which no
doubt you will have had full accounts ere this reaches
you; including the los of the FsnHiaOrs Coopsr, by
going ashore in Teis Bay ia a hurricane on the u
inst On the sth Of September, a large FIRE occurred
here, which burned the ~ship-yarI building. and ap-
p1rteuances for repairing vessels, excepting only the
ways. The fire was accidental, yet one o. the men
employed about the establishment vas decapitsted,
the government apparently thinking that something
must be done 10 mark is disapproval Of the Are The
whole has teen rebuilt and now the facilities for ship
repairing are greater than before.
We had a hearty shake (Of the earth) on the night
Of September Is, which lasted about seven minutes,
1 guess, for the time stood still. The clock, which
was one Of sam. R4ws0n's fancy bust ones, which
carries the time on it, aldermanic corporation and
winks to the tick, stopped its winking and looked
straight ahead with a most astonished expression.
No damage WAS done, but the sensation was rather
awful and suggested the idea that HakJdadi was
about 70 be sunk for its sins The japanese however,
put quite n different construction on the affair. 1t
was at the close Of one Of their heather saturnalias Of
three days duration. during which the efhgies Of their
gods had been dragged through the streets by the
populace followed by the priests and nobility, with
music-if a deafening cOuglomeratiOn OF sounds with
out regard to time or tune may be graced with that
appellItion. The gods were expressing their high
appreciation Of the honors just done them, by thus
lifting up and putting down terra tirmd.
There are many curious and interesting Il .ngs
connected with the religion of this people, which 1
may at some future time write down for your inform
alton. The gods of the fishes appear here to be held
in the greatest consideration. Their public worship
is performed with inyOcations, feasts and holidays.
A season Is set apart for the public invocation of the
god Of some particular species Of fish, and forty-eight
hours after they commence the orgies, immense shoals
Of that partcula- fish appear along the coast. This
always happens, TO the very hour, and thus the god
and the priests gain great credit with the ignorant
species of fish invariably make their appearance in
shoals in a certain month, and at a certain time Of
the neon, and at no other. The same phenomenon,
according to Wilkes, appears at the Fejee Islands, in
the South Pacific. Thus the willy priests turn nature
to account il leading the people by The nose. This,
however, Is but a small sample of their shrewdness.
Our lonely half year Of winter is about setting in,
and we shall have dull times till the whalers make
their appearance. The supply of potatoes will be
abundant next spring, and all other supplies will be
plenty and Of much better quality than asst year.
We need more artisans. n good tailor and n boot
and shoemaker would DO we!i-the frstOn the ground
of course, has the best chance. At present leases for
long periods and on good terms are easily obtaInable,
but q purchase Of land in fee simple can't be made.
| have no doubt n small printing officer would pay
well here. The Commercial -7dreTtiSeT meets "A
hearty welcome, whenever a copy comes along, and
Is handed about from one 10 another until worn out.
Yours, &c,