New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-12-28


psssavsl q the Fsx-Jspsnese VIII "'ne
wisp-The BnehantcA Lever ana D'''
.>sh..seA Hssband-Waysidc Chapeis
The Farmers Daily Life-CIim"to'-
..v-Rsythsuakes and Typhoons-sow'
,r. .na Reaping-sieriiity OF the Soil
a,.,u,fcitv Of Lffe-Pemale Lahorers-
Ys..s Nipsn NJ Hsme and NJ School,
v,om Ou Special Correspondent
KANAGAwA, May 10, 1864.
On the 9Th day Of the I'd moon, corresponding
this year TO our March 70 is the festival OF lnar TIE
patron deity Of the farmer who according 70 japanese
mythology, descending from heaven in prehistoric
sges came 10 earth and taught the people the use ana
cultivation Of rice The white fox Is his chief servant
and minister sharing propatory honors with his mns'
tey The fox Ia one of the sacred embens Of the
Japanese. gdisputing precedence with the tortoise
storh and the lotus flower. There are good and bad
foxes the white fox Is good the others are oil doubtful
reputation In their legends Of the foxes We find re-
peaed in more romantic form the old superstition Of the
win O the wisp. The benghted traveller sces light
which as he follows recedes till he Is led into nope
less is only the wicked fox whose breath
IL illuminated Ike fame, and lures bm on to destfue'
zion.
youth wandering a.feld encounters beautui ana
fascinating maiden with whose charms LIS Aear' II
taken captivehe follows after her she coyy retreatng
and growing each moment more fascinating and beaut
full till the youth like the benightcd traveller hnds thaf
he Is lest In wood or fen while his lovely enchantress
yesurnipe her true fox shape, disappears the fox
spirit living IN the maiden, and, ike Undne trying 10
recover its lost SOUL allows the youth to win the charms
that have enchanted him, and, overfoving with Joy, he
bears his beautiful bride home lives happily with her in
nd he sol
day he 10 Of his spell by behodins beauti
f wife and playful children converted into foxes before
his eyes and running sway-happy youth If the wicked
enobanress has not first rent him in pieces So to say
Of Japanese girl that she is fascinating as the fox
maiden IL TO pay the highest tribute 10 tie power and
danger OF her charms.
The traveller in Japan wherever be may 90, viii be-
hold by the wsysids and in the fields little chapels like
exaggerated dog kennels most o. them dusty and d.
lapidated open 10 wind and weather Dot only here,
but more especially in the covert Of every grove and on
eyory eafy eminenee literally ION every high hill ard
,bder every green tree" they found. white
paper tied 70 reed stalk straw sandal suspended
from the roof a little rice, grain or salt sprinkled
about or other similar emblem shows, however that
these are not wholly neglected. These shspels' OF
which dozen more may be seen during brief was
sacred to Insr and his white foxes Some Of these
chapes are built over fox holes the hill SIDE door is
left .or ngress and egress and within are placed trays
Of food and gifts for the fox On this 5h day OF fhe I'd
moon there is no chapel shrine or kennel however hum
bic, broken down, or begrimmed with the dust Of
twelve month but ia decked with ornaments, and with
,be simple offerings Of the neighboilng peasantry.
There are flags inscribed with words and symbols Of
propiration steamers of white paper, flowers green
twes Ibstons of rice wine offerings of rice and
49, IA.
,ne them are also hung with paper lanterns which at
night being lighted, many foxes themselves
Amid the woods and fields breathing flames from their
postrils as 10 the fable.
On this day the rural population give themselves up to
Tie OCCASION bedeeking in all their holiday
ansry passing the day in Offering, visiting feasting,
games maskings and dancing to the beating Of drums,
playing Of ffe and the evening in feas,ings plays and
Nominations In every village of impora Dce groups OF
Easkers 90 through the streets wheeled on platform
hung With all the appropriate devices for the day Oh
staticutng themselves near favorite temple, amus'
tbe Idle lockers with the most grotesqu. OF panto
mines. The chief performer Il always man wearing
% mash foxs head aud face who goes through Lis
sbsurd grinaces TO the music Of drum and fife, anC
70 the apparent delight Of great crowd OF admiIinf
spectators.
This 10 the farmers holiday par excellence and fair
r pshers in the long Summer season Of labor, durin
which the whole farming population is busy bn
tie long in japan the climate friendly habi
70 neither parching droughts excessive moisture
,peak Of The seaboard for We know little Of the int
ror and except at the harvesting the Japanes
fsrperis seldom driven. He goes TO his work early
She morning. takes long incoming in tie midsummer
Lsts occasionally to enjoy his pipe and tobacco rearn
10 his house at early dusk burns few candles Fights
mudge to expel the musketoes eats bis simple fare
and with wife and babies crawls under his musket
netting to his patess of cotton quilt spread tn
mat aoor and goes to his weeaned repose caring Ii;
lie whether it is tie Tycoon in Yelo the Mikado il
Mako who is lord paramount Of these isles thong
the faith Of every peasant and is in tht
1emi. god ship Of the latter. wakes with the morn
Ig TO the old toll and might IL lie would truly thanl
God that lie was one Of the bappest peasants of h'
world in the bliss Of supreme content.
The prevailing winds from October TO May north
siy; from May til October again they southerly
blowing with nearly the regularity Of the north east
and south west monsoOns the China coast There i,
rainy season. far the experience of five years
ind!cates-there are rainy spells lasting from week
90 month liable TO at any season Of the year ex
eept nid.winter and midsummer, which always
clear That is TO say Japan Is liable TO prot acted
rains at the change OF the than during thcii
continuance. Thunder storms are. very infreqDent.
most common st the changes in early Spring and Fal.
But Japan thunder storms very tame TO who
members the laundering echoes that reyerberae among
She Csisiub Of Sew-York, the Green aud White bills
Of New England, the tornado bursts Of the paires.
Earthquakes take their place IN frequency, though 40
very alarming phenomena of this Kind have occurred
since foreign occupation. We have the pleasant
however that once In every seven or ten