Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-02-09

- 10y 1919 b~lAJ PtAhtCd Al Vic OlsdiCt VI W
lumbia.
LECTURE Last night, Mr.. Williams gave the
last Of bis course Of lectures on China and japan
Japanese among Asiatic nations. and we have
but short time since been visited by distn-
euished representatives Of this singular and hith-
erto unkno1sn race, peculiar interest was at
Before entering upon bis subject, he desired to
dlsahuse the minds Of the people Of the mistaken
embsssy in Prkiu, China, In 1919. It was gen.
eral belief. throughout the civilized world that
they were treated very rudely, but on the con-
frary, after fierce battle, In which many OF the
French and English vessels were sunk and near.
1v go men driven back by the Chinese az soon
as tie nature Of their visit was made known thew
Were received with great courtesy and respect,
and bad proper explanations been made hen the
squadron FIRST entered the Peiho no collision
would have occurred. They were escorted in
great syle across the country, and instead of be-
Chinese, they rode In a conveyance exactly siu-
liar to the prime minister who received them
and were entertained in the capital at an expense
to the Chinese government Of $500 per day for
Japan is composed of four large islands, with
several small ones Of but little importance. The
the japanese, who have but little intercourse
with them. The whole of Japan is about
loo OOJ square miles or about large the State
OF Californis; but Japan proper only comprises
large as Texas The population has been very
Duch overrated. some authors asserting Ii to be as
Ligh as ~ coo Coo; but this Is not the case, as
their territory would not accommodate that num-
Der. IL is probable that the number Of inhabi-
tants IL eighteen or twenty millions. Yeddo
iwIongly pronounced by some, Jeddo) is the cap
ital, containing about 10000 inhabitants, and
Is in about the latitude Of Raleigh, N. C. The
climate II exceedingly pleasant, the soil fertile.
and the scenery unrivalled- large number of
volcanoes exists in the country as well as hot and
sulphur springs. The people are principally en-
gagged in agriculture, but no animals are "a sed
that require land to support them, and uent-
iy they have no meadows nor pasture. II being
very mountainous In many sections, terraces are
formed one above the other, ike a series of gi-
gantic steps, upon which they live and till the
land, and these are so numerous that from one
point the lecturer counted over three thousand
The principal agricultural products are wheat,
barley, buckwheat, rice, and milet and the
wages Of iaoorers and mechanics is about IL cents
per day. The people do MOTIVE in villages exclu-
sively like the Chinese, but scattered all over
the country like the people in the western coun-
tries. In their manners they are extremely polite
and obseo uious, but they characterized as be-
ing proUd. irascible, vindictive, and exceedingly
ilceAtous. Their government is not as demo-
cratic as that Of China, but is a sort Of Federal
ohgarchy Their government was founded about
6OO wears before the Christian era, and has had
since that time I26 nonarchs, some Of whom were
females They have two Emperors, one of whom
is supreme in rank, but the other exercises the
power. There are quite number Of mobiles and
dignitaries " no compose sort Of court
TheGovsrnment Is administered by council Of
thiIeen members, each Of whom is a spy upon
the rest. Whenever any enactment is passed by
the council, IL Is referred to the Emperor, who
generally acQuiesces in IL, and IL at once becomes
law: But If he should be opposed to it, he
refers IL to three Of his relations of whom is
generally the heir apparent to the throne Ii they
s1stai the Emperor in his decision, the council
are degraded and commit suicide. H. on the
contrary, the decision Is against the Emperor and
for the enactment, the Emperor terminates his
own existence or abdicates the throne This
responsibility Is an e-ctual check upon the intro
ductlon Of any radical reform, and will render Ii
difficult 10 carry into operation many Of the salu-
tary influences Of civilization at present. com.
piete system OF espionage Is maintained by every
individual, and every town and hamlet Is but
collection of treacherous and ever-watchful spies
There are about sixty-six princes, differing in
rank and power, but who are comparative weak
undsr this peculiar system, and who have been
much reduced In the last few years. This system
has been In operation about a century and a half,
and pervades the whole machinery Of heir social
and political organizations. The Governors vf the
various districts remain half the year at home and
the other half at Yeddo, so that any plot which
might be devised would soon be exposed.
The society is divided into eight classes, three
of whom wear swords-the remaining FIVE are
composed Of mechanics, laborers, tradesmen. &c.
They are noted for what is termed by them Nibo,
or "oficial lying" IL anything can be gained
BY Misrepresentation, the officials will not hesitate
TO perpetrate the most Outrage Gus falsehoods and
deception Great respect is shown their officers;
and when two Of equal rank or grade il society
t1cf 10" very ~" precise, lnVdrldClg
bringing the little knot or cue upon their heads
within about two inches Of each other Polygamy
is legal, and practised to a considerable extent.
Whenever present is made IL is accompaned
by little piece Of dried fish, tied to the gift with
red and white strings; this expresses a hope that
the receiver Is well, and able to eat heartily.
Their principal diet Is rice and fish, and the latter
Is to them what beef is to an Englishman or sour
krOut 10 the German.
Their houses constructed principally Of
wood, with no chinneys nor windows, aud the
10 IA hrrfst SeGl 70 and n
from the outside, SO that In case of earthquake
the inner shell will protect the inmates They are
rooted with brick tiles, and are provided with
cutters, &c; but those Of the poorer classes are
generally matched. They. have no furniture at all
In their bOuses-neither chair nor table nor bed
stead. The floors ars elevated about two feet
from the ground, and are covered with straw
mats two inches thick. During Commodore
Pefry's visit TO Japan, he asked for full set Of
japanese furniture, in order that one Of the
at the Presidents House might be fitted up in
japanese style; and to his surprise was furnished
with one hundred very fine mats Their houses
and yards are kept scrupulously clean, and every
thing about their cities present a neat and tidy
appearance.
The streets Of their cities are IS feet wide, with
sewer extending along the middle Of each.
They are paved In excellent manner, and have
nice granite sidewalks. Large gateways are
erected in most of the streets and in case of riot
or an attack the massive gates could be closed 1T
once, and thereby effectually check any very ex-
tensive insurrection. The poor are well provided
for; much better than In any other Asiatic nation
Their language is different from the Chinese,
and their mode Of writing was introduced in tae
year A. ID. $50. Their language is somewhat sim
ilar in manY respects to that Of the Cherokee
Indians, and is made up Of is syllables and -
sounds. II is the most difficult language to learn
in the world; more 50 than the Egyptian HERO
glyphics. IL Is made up to great extent from the
Chinese, but yet 1t is entirely unlike It. and a
book without Chinese quotations and Chinese
characters would be considered very vulgar and
beneath their notice.
Their religion is divided into two classes, the
most important Of which 10 the Bhuddist system.
They have great many temples, and their form
of worship is almost exactly like that Of the Cath
olics. They have way Of praying by machinery
wheel, with a written prayer attached TO ii, Is
fixed upon a post and with slight touch Of the
hand the wheel 10 made to revolve, each revos-
ton counting az one petition. Their exports are
quite extensive, and the japanese articles In the
Patent Once and Smithsonian are fair specimens
Of their manufactures
The lecturer concluded bis lecture by exhibiting
and explaining the use Of many Of their utensils,
&c, and expressed conviction that II civilized
nsstons were no, too hasty In introducing their
customs and principles, great reformation might
be finally effected among tie Inhabitants Of that
comparatively ignorant and pagan nation.