Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1860-05-10
4opular 4faaing.
STRANGE CUSTOMS.

" The japanese are aqueer people, and nave
some strange customs. The method of re-
senting and settling disputes is to say the
least, peculiar, as will appear from the fol-
lowing, which we take from the correspon.
dence of New York paper:
In the land of Brahma, when two people
quarrel about piece of ground, he who
has the most malignity, as well as fondness
for his family, in him, takes knife, walks
deliberately to his neighbor's house, and
planting himself right before his door, ma
liciously cuts his own throat What, you
may ask, does he gain by this? He gains
his lawsuit, for the disputedland inevitably
becomes the property of his family. A
similar alteration Of intellect pevails in the
japanese. Upon the least provocation, a
gentleman will seize upon his own sword,
and rip uphis own bowels. Very frequent
ly, whole families are ordered by the gov.
ernment to do this deed upon themselves,
and they obey at once. -Thepoor Japanese,
If any one chooses to offer him an indignity,
must sacrifice himself wherever he may
happen to be, or else consent to live among
his suicide-courtrymen a disgraced and
lost man.
With party proceeding one day on ar
excursion into the country, we were follow
ed by two officers of the government, wht
performed this duty under strict compul
sion. Our American friends were thrown
into savage mood by the occurrence, and
one of these turned back and closely con
fronted these officials, and took hold of one
of them by the shoulders, turned his face
towards the bamboo edi6ce, and gave him 6
slight push in that direction. The two Jap
anese persisted in coming on; the Yankee
took his man again by the shoulders, and
performed with his heavy expedition boo
a violent ceremony, which is usually con
sidered anything but fattering or agreeable
throughout the rest of the world, but il
Japan was an insult that, we might safely
aver, had never been committed before, anc
which could only be avenged by death
Without, therefore, making the slightes
attempt at retaliation on the body of his ad
versary, he unsheathed his chief sword
which, beautifully FURNISHED, flashed for ar
instant in the sunlight. The Yankee, mean
while, extricated his revolver from its hi
ding place. 1t was needless, for at two
strokes-two gentle slashes of that keen
edged weapon, performed in an instant, one
across the other, like the letter X-he had
disemboweled himself, and fell a swiftly
dying man. AS he reached the ground, he
cast up his eyes at his adversary, and see
ing him standing near, apparently with nj
intention of following his example, he ex
pressed the most fearful agony We had eve
beheld. We were filled with dismay a
this strange event, while the brother oficia
surveyed US with threatning looks of the
most intense horror. eHe expects you t
kill yourself in like manner, and with tht
same sword said the Sandwich Islander
The American muttered out something K
the effect that he was not such fool
Meanwhile, the distortions of the dying mar
were painful! to look upon the other Officer
motioned US away, and went down upon his
knees beside the wounded body, and be-
fore he rose, few seconds afterwards, the
man was dead. >