Daily national Democrat., 1861-03-14

THE PLEAsURE-SEEKER IN JAPAN-A cor
respondent of the New York World states
that the British Minister at Yeddo, Ruther-
ford Alcock, Esq has lately made an excur-
sion of a hundred miles or so, to Fuzi Yama,
the beautiful mountain that is the glory of
our western landscape He was accompanied
by party Of six gentlemen, including the
attaches of the British Legation, and two or
three other gentlemen. lie also had the COM
pnny of one Of the Vice Governors of Yeddo.
The trains of the two dignitaries made an
imposing retinue, and as they started off from
this place, the people, rs in duty bound, pros
trated themselves before their excellencies as
they passed along the Tokaido, or great road
leading from Yeddo southwark. The coun-
try through which they passed is described
by one of the party as being of extraordinary
beauty, and Judging by sketches taken Ey
the same informant, who was the artist ofthe
excursion, it can scarcely be surpassed in this
respect by any scenery in the world. The
height of the mountain was ascertained by
measurement to be 1877 feet above the
level of the sea. There is crater upon the
summit of the great cone, which is estimated
to be l 100 yards long, GOO wide, and 25O
deep. There are no signs of recent activity
in the volcano. Indeed the japanese say it
has been extinct for three hundred years past.
The day on which we visited the mountain
was a fine one, the sky cloudless even to the
base of the mountain, and from the top they
enjoyed magnificent panorama of the land
and sea. There is no vegetation upon the
upper part Of the mountain for 1000 feet
from the summit, but all is bleak and barren
rock. AT the top there is a small mia or
shrine to the Gods Of Japan, kept by one or
two attendants during the midsummer
months, when the thousands of pilgrims re-
sort to the sacred mountain. have counted
seventy of these pilgrims on the Tokaido,
within distance OF two miles, all clad in
white robes, and each having small bell at
tached to his girdle. The women of Japan
are not allowed to make this pilgrimage, ex-
cept on the first year of each cycle of sixty,
and this being such year, large numbers of
them have avaied themselves of the rare
privilege. The japanese say that no bad
man can climb to the top of Fuza Yima. He
halts halfway up, and his wicked legs refuse
to carry him any further.
On the return of Mr.. Alcocks party, they
NlSlJcu MOUNT lIakOHe, WHICH Is some lOItN
miles distant from this place. and whereon
there is lake of rare beauty, 6O00 feet
above the level of the sea. They tried to get
a boat to sound the depth Of the lake, but
could not; the people seeming to have a
supersttious fear to allow such an intrusion
upon the sacredness of its waters
After leaving Hakone the party went to
the springs at Atani, watering place of
prpat resort nm thn ooaSt a fnu u,ilas uorth nf
Cape Idz. These hot springs are very co.
pous, the water rushing forth from large
oritices in the rocks but a few rods from the
sea-shore. The force Of the jets is greater at
certain hours of the day than at others. but
the cloud of fsteam is visible for some miles off
at sea. Many princes, and Others of the
higher class of people, visit these springs in
the warm season, for recreation and health
The water is strongly impregnated with sui
phur, but am not aware that it has ever
been accurately analVzed.