Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-06-15

no as wen as Nagasakl and pupils who
have studied the latest mechanical and
scientific inventions at the latter place
under the Dutch, come to the capital as
teachers. Thus they are competent to
manage their own steam engines, and to
navigate their own ships. working their
course by observation. They are ex-
tremely sensitive of being supposed in
capable of acquiring any branch of
knowledge which is possessed by others,
and have very high estimate of their
powers in this respect. This was anu
singly illustrated in discussion which
took place as to the language which
should hereafter be the medium of Off
cial correspondence. "Oh!" said one
of the commissioners. "you had better
make English the official language; there
is no telling how long it will be before
you will be able to write dispatch in
japanese; but give us five years, and we
shall be quite competent to correspond
with you in English"
LANGUAGE IN JAPAN.
The japanese language is one of ex-
ceeding difficulty to learn, aud more com
plicated even than the Chinese. This
difficulty arises from the fact that in adj
dition 20 written and spoken of their
own pollysyllabic, they make use of the
Chinese, which, spoken with peculiar
Japanese pronunciation, suppressing the
nasal and softening the consouant, is in
general use as learned tongue. Chi
nese characters are also used to express
ideas, though not in the original CHI
nese sense. As the Jopanese use all
these four forms inditferently, it involves
the learning of maze of such confu-
sion that all attempts hitherto made to
reduce to order the principles of the Ian
guage-to write a grammar--have total
ly failed. Rev Henry Wood, chaplain
to the Powhatan, has recently stated as
his opinion, based upon what he has been
able to observe, both in his own case and
that of others, that under the most IA
vorable circumstances years are necessa.
ry to acquire even superficial knowl
edge of this most complicated tongue. -
The higher the pretensions Of Japan
csc writer, the more Chinese he inter
miDgIes, and hence to read their book
a knowledge of both would seem necessa
ry. But the difficulty does not rest here
Many of these Chinese characters hav,
an entirely Japanese Specification. Thi
mixed sort Of writing seems to be easl,
understood aud mastered by the Japan
ese themselves, among whom book print
ing from wooden plates, and the art o
reading have been common from our ear
liest knowledge of them 1t however
puts an almost insuporable obstacle il
the way Of learners from abroad, an;
gave rise to tho saying among the Je
suits, "that it had been invented by tn,
devil himself, on purpose to impede tn
spread of the gospel"
AMUSEMENT IN JAPAN.
The Japanese are greatly addicted t,
gaming and play at cards and dice Will
great zest, Disputes often arise at thcs,
games, and not unfrequeutly the deatl
Of one Of the parties is the consequence
Owing to this, cards are prohibited b.
law, but this difficulty is avoided by in
ereasing the number in the pack, beyond
that specified in the law, as in our game
of nine pins, which being played will
ten instead of nine pins, eyades the lega
enactment against it.
The cards are fat pieces Of horn, ivor,
or bone, about an incL aud two-thrd
long and about an inch wide. They ar,
forty-nine in number and marked b,
three different colors, blue, red and white
TO indicate the different suits, and ais
by signs and dots to signify the value o
the piece These arc used in variou
games like our cards, and are shuttle,
and cut in the same way. Another gam
is played similar to Lotto, with black an,
white stones. They also have a gam
analogous to chess, played by two per
sons with forty pieces on checker boar,
Of eighty-One squares. 1t admits 0
many aud highly interesting compiled
tons and FROM the problems stated by DR.
Green, who mastered the game, is no
unworthy Of being ranked among til
higher games of intellect and skill.
Wrestling and gladiatoriol games TAX
the place among the amnscments Of til
upper rank, that korse-rocing and exhi
billions Of boxing and ring-fghting d
with u.s. Athlete trained to immcns
size and strength are kept in greater 0
less numbers by the princes aud dignita
ries, who match them against each otbe
in regular ring. They wreslle anc
fight, not with fists, but with their heads
batlering each other and attempting 4
knock each other over by running thei
heads full tilt against their opponents. =
These huge monsters of flesh arc mucl
gratied at praise for fine points, anC
have each cognomen setting forth theil
peculiar prowess or claims-such as tho
{" Dragon Of the North" &c.
The PoLYGAMY Bill AMONG THE Mon.
MoNs.--The Mormons Of Salt Lake dc
not like the idea of Congress mcddllDg
with their domestic affairs, and limiting
the number Of their wives Orson Pratt
is particularly severe in his deuunciation
of the polygamy bill, aud, while predict
ing awful and everlasting destruction 70
the Union, says there is nothing that
the Mormons could do but to stand by
the constitution and maintain the rights
that their forefathcrs had secured TO them
by their LIES blood" Did their fore
fathers indulge in plurality Of wives
/ IF they did not, we do not see how their
lecherous descendants can claim more
than we're lawfully due to their progeni-
l fore