The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-09-12
NEW SERIES. VOL. 7,sNo.. 5aasiss aas 500
The Japanese.

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entitled, Narrative Of ihe Earl Of EIQin's
Mission to Chins and Japan, in the years
1867, s6s. 80" The work Is from the sbls
pep Of hsuieacs 0liphant Esq, ptivats Sec.
rehry Of Lord EIgin. The coinmsfcisl
treaties recently entered into between these
nations and our country are opening new
worlds 70 the investigation of the, traveller. j
rHE coUEciE OF srtrk: ss A44
There is a body of men who possess
great influence IL the State 3 these are the
princes Of the blood. Should the Tycoon
and his council differ upon any weig6ty mat.
ter Of state government, the question is re.
ierred for arbitration to .tribunil composed
cfthree Of these roysI princes. Should they
confirm the opinion Of the council; the Ty.
coon, to whom is denied the privilege Of ha.
israskirs, 0Fthe ssistps diib6lehsss hss No
alternative but to abdicate incootnently in
favor Of his nearest heira Should, on the
other hand, the umpires agree with their
Iroyal relatiye, which in oil paobsbility they
do, unless public opinion is too strong against
them, then the whole Of the, council are
bound, without farther ceremony, at one, to
dispatch themselves, in the happy manner
pecuiiarIsoi Japan, to those Elysian fields,
where they willoprobably become distin.
guished as canonized kamis, and the patron
saints Of many Japsaese- household. This
notorious method Of suicide, the only Japan
ese custom with which the western world
has long been familiar, has Of late years as
sumed somewhat modified form, and no
longer consists IN that Unpleasant process
Of abdomen ripping, which must have been
almost as disagreeable an operation to wit.
ness as to perform. My friend Higo,no.ka.
mi presented me withraaknife proper to be
used under the old system--ane exceediogI Iy
business. like weapon. about ten inches long,
sharp as rIz,r, and made OF steel of the
highest temper. Now this knife is only used
TO make slight incision, significant of the
intention OF the victim to put an end to him
self. He has collected his wife and family
to see how aahero can die ;his dearest friend,
he who in our country would have been his
best man at his wedding, stands over him
with drawn sword, and when he tcom mmen-
ces TO make the aforesaid incision, the sword
descends, and the head rolls at the feet Of
his disconsolats family.
JAPANESE AcQAINTAEcEs.
There were lwotgs ntlemen. Otto Bungo-
no.kami and another, whose scquAintance
we were now about so,mske. Our morning
had been 90 much occupied in the lacker snd
elk shops that it+wSs late in the afternoon
before we started on I'VE mile journey to
the official residence Of these digDitsries,
which was iust inside the father gate Of the
citadel. Our way, as usual , led US down. the
main street. made my irstexperience Of
norimon ntthis occasion, and obtained a
view OF the crowd in squatting posture /;
for, while the train OF ten norimons was
passing, the people sat on their heels to,eb..
tain view OF the occuPsnts.J As some Of
,bese. were nayal officers in full. uniform.
ihev exhibi,ed signs Of upiyerssl ! s.tisla ctiop.
10 order not TO dirty the. mats Of our hosts,
ve were each orovided with : pair Of slio.
ners IN which 10 shuttle across the ward. for
ior it is not-etiqdette in Japan for any bu, the
owner of the house to go beyond the outer
,h,eshhold Il his noriron. l eii A,ah.t noin,
All g,es,s ara mt dow down. y and dit walk 10 4. the
0ert entrance. ,9,aNs'al;,
rup war
h,o.dl s,,se, .i,ail., - those IN tho
,,incea. o,,,,e, la ~ 70 . handsome o.,e.
nav ,his on one acco.nt a, al eyan,s we
wars ~, ss,i,,,s ~ ,,avea s,o tinssw.. our
;on,ne IA 5, ~ inosfSrs ~ d,,r;ns n bour
sna !. h.lf h,d hsap : ,rvinr ana for p rl,ish
is.. Ems,a;no f,o, sIo,,rs 8 IL ,,o.ye
.n.o. ws ,hntlsd ,,,e, Mo,iv,ma.I ~, ,s,,bso M, u,s
.lw,vs !, bis no., Ascepdino so,,,ae stems
T. the ton Of which we relinuuisbed Cur sin.
nara wa n..sed ,hrouon 4 ssriss ,1eds of ante.
ch,mhe,. with walla 81 n.nsr ssrasns s,,aa, until
80 were u.hered Gn.llvi ihto an oblonp
s..,,msn, - ,hs farther and 81 ,shieh slIL, on
~ ,ef,.h.nd sida si.a a.,noa IA I've ~ listers
s.h,nd ,go lono .on.re ,sbls,sI nd III. wax
ssaa,s. q .;naia s,.nas a. I, v,sbs mi,
,,ms .svsn p ~ E..c,lv facing ,,iSS, Them
.s,s ,.h,a. ana s,t ma mara 1cnaeaalas. behind
~h,oh hi 81 ,ooL M onr no.i,ioD. Nh. .some
time We an remained standing. and the u.u.