The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1868-12-16

About ISs5, 4 Portuguese sdventurer, in
COMPANY with some Chinese. was driven oy
foul weather iuto Que Of the Japan Islands,
kindly treated and Hospitality sent back.
Missionaries soon followed. and So Francis
Xavier visited japan in l549, dying soon after
% the Chinese coast. Il hzppsned, nufor-
truately. that at that time Portugal was uni
ted TO Spain, and Tsko Same, At that time re-
gSrded By the japanese a. the greatest char
setsr 10 their history, having unfortunately
inquired OF a Spanish Traveller how Il WAS
that his king had managed TO possess himself
OF half the world. Was indlsereetly answer
ed: +" He sends priests to Ein the people;
his troops then are sent 70 join the native
Christians, and the conquest i easy This
answer, Il i said, produced 4 great imPres-
sion, and in 1881 an ecict wss issued for the
banishment OF the missionaries. Ten years
later, il Is said that twenty-three missiouz-
rieS we're pat 10 death in one day, and few
years later many OF the japanese converts
we're killed, their churches and schools de-
stroyed, ard their faith declzrsd infamous
and re5eiiioas. In 1883 the Portuguese were
rnAlly expelled. and their trade transferred
to the Dutch, who had been and we're con
siders6 their enemies, bat uncsr many restrie-
tons. Nor were these difficulties removed
for more tazn TWO hundred years.
In 1851, however, & new treaty was negu-
tiated AZ Slmoda, between the United States
G0yeruEle1t and the japanese, By Mr.. Town
send Harris, and in the following year the
same gentlemen succeeded in reaching Jed
DO, and concluding : still more favorable
treaty, and in August Of the same year, the
Earl Of Elgin, i British Ambassador, con-
eluded treaty between Great Britain and
Japan. Abo1t this time, however, the reign
ing Tycoon died Of epilepsy, at the age of
thirty-Six. and was succeeded by i young
uan Of great intelligence and libersllty.
The civil war n this country has, since
1851, dOne much to prevent the extension of
commercial and social intercourse between
the japanese and the citizens OF the United
States, which might have been expected.
No doubt, now, with our line Of steamers
from San Francisco and the sandwich Islands.
our country viii have natural advantages
over all Others in the way Of trade, social in
tsreourse, and knowledge Of the habits, Gus
toms and opinions OF the natives Indeed,
it would seem as if Japan were TO form 4 nat
ural connecting link between the old world
and the new. In point Of population, the
country Is vzFiously estimated to contain
frOu L, 900, 600 TO 5000, coo Of Inhabitants.
The manners and customs, especially of the
ladies, are declared 10 be most refined, and
the men Of the higher grades Of society car
~ the point OF honor 10 q degree of refine
ment unknown elsewhere Indeed, recent
English writer wei says, .'they carry notions
Of honor to the verge Of fanatleiSm- They
are naughty, vindictiye and heentiOus; bat
bTaTlers, haekhiters and braggsrts are held
in the most supreme contempt, and they are
open-hesrted, hospitable and faithful as
friends to death" ST. Francis Xavier de-
clared, three hundred years ago, that in Vir-
tue ard Probity they surpassed sll nations he
had ever seen The agriculture Of the Japan
csc is conducted with skill and diligence:
hardly foot Of ground is left Uucultivated
TO the tops Of the mountains; manure is
carefully collected and used in the produc-
ton Of abundant harTssts They dwarf
trees and enlarge ali vegetable productions
with great care and success. Manufactures
are carried TO perfection that must surpass
those Of other parts Of the world They
lacquer in wood with great skill, and initiate
not Ouly the goods Of Eastern nations, bat
Colts reyolvers and Sharpe's rifles. Steam
engines are built az NagzSaki. and a screw
steamer has been successfully navigated to
feddO in uine days, entirely oy native engiu-
eers and seamen- The japanese are not
good surgeons, because their religious pre-
JUDGES prevent free dissection, bat as physi-
clans they have much that they can teach Us,
and are deficient in many points IN which
they can learn from Us, so that there Is be-
yond doubt the basis for much profitable in
tercha1ge Of knoElsdge--FhaG- Ledgsr.