Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-05-30
A JAPANESE NEWSPAPER.

From the Japan Times, March 1871
We have seldom sat down to a pleas
anter task than the review of the frs
number of The Ban Kok' Shin Ban Shi
The Ban Kok' Shin Ban SM (Al
Countries News Hearing paper), Vol. /
No. l. Printed, published and edited by
Rev. M. Buckworth Bailey, Yokohama,
March 1st l867l a bi.monthly or tri
monthly journal published in the vernae
ular by the Rev. M. Buckworth Bailey
which does equal credit to its editor and
printer, and which has in itself strong
seeds of vitality in the shape of number
of paying advertisements, the increase
of which may be fairly looked for, and
by help Of which the price may soon be
lowered, and its circulation increased in
proportion. The paper makes its ap-
pearaBce before us in the shape of a
quarto pamphlet of fourteen pages,
stitched q Ia Japanese, on the right in
stead Of the left hand side, and to be read,
as Europeans would call it, backwards.
The title page bears a picture of P. Il
o. steamer, with an enormous sun rising
behind it, on the face of which is in :
name of its editor and date and place of
publication, is given above, and the
whole presents very neat and original
effect. Turning over the page, we find
the introductory article, which we quote
1t will be seen that the editor carefully
and judiciously abstains from any ex-
preston Of his political views, and con
fines himself to statement which, in the
columns of any other newspaper but his
own, would be treated as an advertise
ment He writes;
AYEoUECEMENT.-This newspaper is
designed to make the Japanese people
acquainted with occurrences of interest
which take place in foreign countries.
'As the diary of a member of the Ja-
panese Embassy to Europe has been
published and read with interest, and as
Japanese are now allowed to visit for
eign lands, it is presumed that the intel
ligent people of this country wish to
learn something about other countries,
as such knowledge cannot fail to be
useful.
'IWe shall try to publish the paper two
or three times every month, so as to give
to the japanese the foreign news as
quickly as possible after the mail steam
ers arrive at Yokohama y
Then follows the Introductory part of
what will apparently be series of dia-
logues between two-intelligent Japanese
travellers, named respectively Uchicho
and Sesho, whom the fable supposes to
meet in London one having reached
the capital by the overland route, the
other via the Pacific and Panama. At
present we have only brief account of
the latter, who goes to England in the
Colorado, and when Uchicho has met
him in Hyde Park, having just come up
by the train from Southampton, we sup.
pose that they will exchange their ex-
perience of the men and cities they have
seen For this we await the advent of
No. 2.
The next and most important article
is very close and good precis Of the
news of the 26th of December mail, in.
eluding an interesting account Of the
shipwrecks and consequent suffering Of
the japanese finally brought up here
by the Ariel. An explanation of the
apparent mystery of the Colorado leav-
ing San Francisco on the lst of January,
and yet bringing news from five or six
thousand miles away is then given in the
following, which we should imagine the
japanese readers of the Ban Kok Shin
Bun IShi should have no difficulty in
comprehending.
"THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. - Our
readers may wonder how 1t is that the
Colorado, sailing from San Francisco on
the first Of January, brought London
news of Dec. 30th, London being sepa-
rated from San Francisco by continent
over 5000 miles across, and an ocean
about as broad. 1t might have been
stranger still. The Colorado might have
had intelligence from London on the
very day OF her sailing. This is due to
the electric telegraph, which flashes news
instantaneously In absut two yesrs
from this time, the electric chain will be
completed rsund the globe; Asia and
America to be connected at Behrings
Strait, and it is supposed that the oppo-
site shores Of every ocean will soen be
connected by means Of submerged ca
bles, and al countries crossed by air
lines The rulers Of a nation using the
electric telegraph, become, as il we're,
omnipresent; information is received
and transmitted instantaneously. In
war this agency is most important,
in giving orders respecting the move
meui Of troops and military stores. Iu
business it is always useful in giving the
state ofthe markets. and thss preventing
the people from suffering through the
evils Of speculaiors
Il is almost a pity that the writer for
got to mention the fact announced lately
in the japan Timesthat the 1edo Gov
ernmeut o0uiempiates employing d.
MaogoEan - construct q short experi-