The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1863-06-18
LECTURE nv DR MACGOWN
"LlEe In Japano
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
Bryan Hall was well filled Tuesday
evening, the occasion Of Dr.. Mac
gowan's lecture upon Japan, before the
| Young mems Christian Association
The lecturer spoke substantially as fol
lows: When he arrived in Japan the
office Of interpreter between the mcr'
chants and the natives was in great re
quest, and he found il, as assumed BY
himself, both useful and profitable. He
was subject 10 good deal Of annoy.
ance BY their hatred to certain Europe
ans-anl lie was contounded with
them By the indiscriminate Japs. Hence
on one occasion he got beyond the
bounds and was stoned. At another
time he was wrecked. and was well
treated, simply he supposed, because
Europeans were not generally known
on the coast.
| "He was desirous to tes. the feelings
Of the people respecting Christianity,
| aud he found that, II their estimation, il
had been tried and found wanting.
This, however, was more the fault OF
the introdncera Of The religion than Of
the religion itself. and he had good
hope yet that the Japanses would be
converted to Chri,iani'y. He made a
voyage from Shanghai to Japan, and
found the Niphonese a curou>'y in
struc,ed people. He produced the
first and only map, 40 far as he was
aware of, which had ever LET, the island.
On the vovage, he made trial Of the
water to see if the great stream wash
ing the eastern coast of Japan ran be
tween the islands. The climate Of ia
pan is no. uplike tha, Of England, and
is caused hv the grca. stream Of warm
water which he had just spoken, Of. and
was Il sort Of counterpart to the great
Gu!fs,ream. The japanese had, since
the acquisition of the Amoor region hv
Russia, celed the island Of Saghalien
10 the Russians. The Loo Choo islands
were q sepcra,c kingdom, and whilst
giving an account of the islnnds con
tiguons to Japan proper, he named one
group to which the prisoners were ban
ishea who had violated the laws. The
Japs, he said, were a very th,n-skinned
people. jealous Of their good name, and
caring tor what anybody said about
them, differing in this matter from the
Chinese, who had supreme contempt
for all the world.
The Japs could not get to sea in
their boats wi'hou. laundering, on ac-
count Of their bad construction Anil
set they arc fishermen, and can kill
whale as we'll as New Bedford man
They do The bu ,iness, however from
the shore, all the tackle being arranged
there in cnrious order. Approaching
the shore it.lonks like an uninhabited
islard. The people are invisible, and
make no unnecessary display Of them
selves even on the landing Of strangers
and thisarose from the fact that the
law prohibits a unlicensed intercourse
with fnreigeners. They ale not allow.
ed to visit ship-and upon an occa-
sion named by the lecturer, Japanese
boat got out to sea and wonld have
been lost with all hands, if it had
not been for the appearance ofa time.
" vessel. Even when the chances Of
life were offered them by this fourtun.
ate arrival Of the ship, they all refused
to be saved except two. because their
laws forbade them to tread the planks
of a foreign vessel.
Most Of TIE islands were volcanic,
and were very rarely at rest. A curions
phenomenon !al been discovered IN
these regions. namely, that the mag
netic influence Of the earth was snspen.
ded jus, before the outburst Of a
volcano, and the taps had in
vented an instrument, based upon this
knowledge, by which bell was rung
the moment the electric influence ceased
and thus the inhabitants were warned
in time, Of the approaching earthquake,
and escaped from their houses. Sneaking
Of bays, he said, New York Bay was
not the most beautiful in the world,
nor even that Of Naples, which he had
seen; bat tho wonderfully beautiful
Bay Of Yeddo.
Whirlpools during earthquakes 10