, 1860-01-19
A New York Lady at u Japanese Fcst1.
Yal and OlNneF Party.

a New York Lady at Japanese Fcst1.
val and Dlnner Parry.
fEx,r.et OF letter dated Nasasakl, Oct, 10 ls.91
We we're fortunate in arriving here (Nagasa-
xii lust before the greatest national festival,
which lasted three days, during which work
was at stand etill and frolicking the order Of
the day. The whole of Tuesday morning was
devoted to kind oi procession and theatrical
entertainment performed by children in the
streets, there were great many different small
companies, each one carrying its own Stage,
scenery and dresses; and from this fact you
NAV Judge it was not very elaborate but most
amusing, and some Of the children performed
extremely well, throwing into their looks and
gestures so much expression, that although we
could not ,iuderatand the language we could
tnake out the plot BY some Of their antics.
We witnessed the performances from tenn
inodation Of the foreigners, and each lit
tie company came and performed its respec-
tive piece 6efore us, which gare us also an op-
purtunity of seeing fair sample crowd Of ia
rapese men and women and l don't know
Whether was more interested in their appear
ancc than ther were in mine, for they have not
yet seen sufficient number Of foreign ladies
for our attraction to hare worn Oh. On the
afternoon uf the same day we took a walk
through the cit:, accompanied By the captains
consignees, two very agreeable young Holland
crs, but was the cyuosure, nnd collected
crowd wherever went; the boys sometimes
running ahead and then turning round to hare
y good look, and if we stopped q lew minutes
to examine anything novel we were soon
,,emmed in BIZ staring audience. At one place
where NE made halt. q young Japanese girl
gave me thorough scrutiny, and after exam
ming skin, hands, fingers, rings, bracelets,
brooch, &c., gave it as her opinion that the cap
tain was lucky man in having. me for wife;
the hoops puzzled hes, and had not put d stop
10 the proceedings do not know how minute
her investigation might hare been; brt must
say ofthem that, although very curious. they are
not rude and are readily checked il too familiar.
Ne had another rare frolic ca Thursday, We
were invited into a merchants house, where q
regular feast Was set on. There we're also pres
ent several Americans; and here we had IN op-
portunfty Of seeing the Japanese at home; and,
1ao,ecye-, the gentlemen informed me 1hati was
probably the lirst foreign lady Qor here We
must call ourselves fore'gners) who Ind visited
= Japanese merchants house; for our host is
oae or the first merchants IL this place, holding
among his countrymen position equivalent 10
Russell 4 Co. in Chira. There syasu great Ear1-
ety Of edibles; some Of the dishes were strange
ones to our palate; md as the only implements
we had to take lesson in using them, aud from
our experience Of the feast Will not be inclined
to adopt Japanese cooking. Their was neither
table nor chai1s, the food beng distributed
about the floor in dishes and bowls, and eaten
from small cups and plates. By the br. there
were few chairs, bct The Japanese 4, rot nee
them, as they always sit on the floor. The
house was beautifully clean and neat, and the
people truly kind aud good hearted. l under
went good examination here, also, and even
the hoops were not forgotten mantilla, bonnet.
bracelets, all we're scrutinized. and the gues-
tion was asked, what l might be sold for.
Ibis was 1ich. You must imagine the whole
H. F.... AVID I'm {%iA EH
seemed mutual, fer they were apparently
as pleased in entertaining as we in being enter
tained-and so unexpected, as we did not know
where we were going when We went on shore.
Some Of the girls have rer5 pleasing faces. but
generally the eyes hayc the very pointed shape
peculiar to the Chinese. The dress Of the wo-
men seems to differ from the other *ex only in
the sash being much troader and differently ar.
ranged at the back. The city itself presents 10
beauty Of appearance, the houses being ordinary
cooking frame buildings, but, at the same time,
very neat and clean inside, and generally i
pretty little garden in the rear. The country
about Sagasaki Is truly beautiful, being noun
tainous and finely wooded; great deal Of The
laud is horticulturatly cultivated In fact, the
scenery is grand, and abonnds in lovely sites
for villas but although this charm is wanting,
it is lovely to behold as it is, and believe is
green all the rear, US tho winter in this part Of
Japaa is not severe.
Very different from ShlpEhae,. Hherc the
winters are very cold, and We shall probably
get taste Of it, as We will probably bs running
between these places nil winter; for by the
captain's uniform kindness to his passengers be
has fairly got into the good graces ofthe China
men WHO are trading here. and they seem anx.
ious to keep him hele. Yon will be surprised
when l tell you that our last cargo was princi-
pally owned by the Chinese deck passengers; );
but, strange us this may seem, they do not think
Of travelling in any other way. There nre many
things to be bought here, and will Try to pro-
cure something pleasing to send you. Tae
porcelain and lacquer ware is finished most ex-
quisite,y, but 4 good purse is necessary, Us the
manufactures have much advanced since the
admission OF foreigners, Dy the way, when
speaking Of the japan women, I forgot to mem
tion thut they hare Il very strange way Of ar
ranging their hair; it appears to be stit1enel in
some way. aud there is frame work which
hulds it OF from the head, secured ut the back
[this discovered ut the house we were visiting
on Thursday, and then it is made up into bows
and dressed with hair pins and ornaments.
After marriage they blacken their teeth to a
je..blackness, and their mills are sometimes
colo1ed pink, &c.