St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-06-07
aNistrIlanp.
A JAPANESE LETTER.

some Gays ago INC artlSI accolNpa-
nying the Japan Embassy lost his
sketch book, and the supposition at
the time was that one Of the artists
in the employ Of Frank Leslie had
stolen it, This however was promptly
denied, and the New York Times of
the 2jth contains the intelligence that
the lost book was found in one of the
carriages which had been employed
to "totc" the Embassy about the
Federal Capital. The Times says
the carriage-drivcr who found the doc
umcnt showed it to an officer who had
accompanied Commodore Perry in his
visit to Japan, and thinking it would
be no breach Of trust, that officer
took the liberty of examining it.
Finding an interesting letter therein,
written by the Japanese artist, giving
his ideas of the American sights he
had seen, the officer asked permission
of its author, Mooragakc, to translate
it, The answer was : "Do as thou
wilt, oh Tysash-kami. NaAIoO IDa-
dr." The letter is very long, but we
copy a portion Of it. As many as
please, may believe it genuine. 1t is
iAAe sca.scrpentish, but readable,
nevertheless :
Unlike the practice in Niphon,
where every man shakcth his own
hand, it is here the custom to shake
his ncighbor's, and also to shake the
hands Of servants and varlct children,
according to the teachings of Democ-
racy. Nor is there any law compel
ling the people to wash before prac-
ticing this ceremony. For this rea-
son we did not know why they called
this city WASHING ton, until it was cx-
planned that that was the name of Il
great mandarin who discovered the
country, and killed the former Tycoon
who was called Tc-cum. sch. The
image Of this Washington, and of
another great mandarin, jackson, arc
set up in public place that the pco-
pie may worship. They are mounted
on horses, and from the manner in
which they sit, we learn that though
great mandarins they were very bad
horsemcn, but their countrymen should
have hidden this fact. Nor are their
horses such stccds Of beauty as one
would expect TO see under men who
are loved by the sky and upon whom
the moon had raincd wisdom, for the
one carries his tail between his legs
like Niphon dog, and the other walks
upon his hind legs, which cannot be
comfortable to the rider-wc have
better horses in Jcdlo.
1--WE have bowed to the Tycoon of
this land. 1t will interest thee to
know, oh, son of Frum, that, like the
Grand Lama of our country, he is for
hidden to marry, and yet women are
permitted to come into his presence,
even women of surprising beauty,
which must be to him source of great
grief And likewise the women arc
permitted to talk in the palace, which
is unlike to the practice in Jcddo
The Tycoon has similitudc to an Ori-
entail. Like our people he is reserved
and talkcth not much ; his manner is
like that of Simmc-Buzcn.no.K Kami, but
his totshi (this people call them tro,c-
seTs) do not fit 50 well as our Ambas-
sador's, nor does he bow with the
graceful ease of a Niphonese, which
is pity, for he then might pass for
great Mandarin. The people call
him Old.Buck, but -Scott-K ami
said we would find him a Grcat-Borc,
\ buck has two horns and is of higher
caste than a man of two swords. But
the people incline not to their Tycoon,
and shortly since summoned Con-
vcn-tion to meet in newl y discovered
country, South.kar.o-li-no, Ga place as
distant from the United States as Ia |
kamat-su is from O-saka) for the
purpose of choosing another. But the
soul of Buchanan grew sick, and in
fear that he would commit harri karr.,
the Convention did nothing, and now
he will be Tycoon until he dies, which
happy dispatch ," will fill the land
with joy. But, ola, son of Frum, thou
knowest that we do these things bet
ter in Niphon. Ndmoo Amadi.
"Will it surprise thee to know that
our Embassy is received with such
distinguished favor because of the
darkness of our complexion? For it
is fact that this people love those
whose skins arc FURNISHED 10y the sun