The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-23


ever, compels us to make but few extracts,
which, however, will be sufficient to indicate the
very entertaining character of the werk.
Shortly after Professor Pumpelly's arrival IN
Japan, he visited the famous statue of Buddha,
near Yokohama, which is thus described
About noon we reached Kamakura, and,
leaving our horses at an inn, started on foot
to visit the Daibutz. half hours walk
along a comparatively broad road, leading
under peculiar arehways placed at short in
tervals, brought us to the shore of Wodowara
bay, and near this to our destination. Pass
ing through an enclosing grove of ever
green's, we came into large open space
paved with fagstones. In the centre OF this
is the IMAGE. IL represents Buddha sitting, in
the Oriental manner, on lotus. 1t is OF
bronze, fifty feet high and ninety-six feet in
circumference at the base, and is raised on
pedestal five or six feet from the ground.
We had all come expecting to see some
orotesoue idol. and we were therefore plea
sanity surprised, when, instead of this, we
found ourselves admiring work of high art.
II is Buddha in Nirvana. The sculptor has
succeeded in impressing upon the cold metal
the essence of the promise given by Sakya-
mum to his followers, promise which has
been during more than twenty centuries the
guiding hope Of countless millions of souls.
ll1S is the uOcI1lue Vi Iu6 uUal bUIAlnl06nJ OF
Nirvana-the state of utter annihilation of
external consciousness-after ages of purif-
cation by transmigration.
Both the face, which is of the Hindoo type,
and the attitude are in perfect harmony with
the idea intended to be expressed. felt that
I saw for the first time, and where 1 least ex-
pected it, realization, in art, of religious
idea. No Madonna on canvas, or Christ in
marble, had ever been other to me than sug-
gestive, through the aid of an acquaintance
with the subjects treated. The Buddha of
Kamakura is successful rendering of pro-
found religious abstraction.
The head is covered with small knobs re-
presenting the snails which tradition says
came to protect Buddha from the heat of the
burning sun.
This image, which was made about 600
years ago, was cast in sections of few square
feet of surface each, and an inch or more
thick, and when put together, the joints were
fitted so closely that now, after the lapse of
centuries, they can be detected only where
the weather has made them visible in the dis
coloration.
The statue is hollow, and has in the inte-
rior temple with many small images of the
Buddhist pantheon. Many of these without
the lotus, would, in Romish church, have
passed readily for representations of the
Virgin.
1t is said that large temple once enclosed
the Daibutz, but was destroyed by an earth
quake-wave from the sea.
The following is description of the Japa-
nese sleeping arrangements:-
AS l was about to pass my first night in
Japanese house, watched anxiously the pre-
parations for sleeping. These were simple
enough: a mattress in the form of q very
thick quilt, about seven feet long by four
wide, was spread on the floor; and over it was
laid an ample robe, very long, and heavily
padded and provided with large sleeves.
Having put on this night-dress, the sleeper
covers himself with another quilt, and sleeps,
I. C., if he has had some years practice in the
use of this bed.
But the most remarkable feature about
Japanese bed is the pillow. This is wooden
box about four inches high, eight inches long,
and two inches wide at the top. 1t has a
cushion of folded papers on the upper side to
rest the neck on, for the elaborate manner of
dressing the hair does not permit the Japa-
nese, especially the women, to press the head
on pillow. Every morning the uppermost
paper is taken off from the cushion, exposing
a clean surface without the expense of wash
ing pillow-case. .,......A
passed the greater part of the night in
learning how to poise my head in this novel
manner; and when L finally closed my eyes it
was to dream that 1 was being slowly be-
headed, and to awake at the crisis to find the
pillow bottom-side up, and nay neck resting
on the sharp lower edge of the box. During
my stay in the country learned many of its
customs, mastering the use of chop-sticks,
and accustoming my palate to raw fresh fish,
but the attempt to balance my head ON two
inch pillow gave up in despair, after trying
in vain to secure the box by tying it to my
neck and head
Professor Pumpellys remarks about the
behavior of foreigners in such countries as
Japan and China are well worthy of thought
full consideration. He says with reference
avenged with the usual British ferocity:--
The history of the past nine years has been
marked by many acts of violence which have
tended to widen the breach between the
Japanese and foreigners. A few of these
have perhaps had direct political origin, but
the greater number, if not all, have been acts
of revenge, in which the victims were the
provokers, or have suffered for the deeds of
other foreigners. Even the attempted assas-
sination of Sir r. Alcock is ascribed bv that
gentleman to the wish of a daimio to he
avenged on foreigner of rank for having
been forced to demean himself by having
an interview with the commander of Rus
sian an-of-war. The murder of Richard
son, which was so fearfully avenged by the
British fleet at Kagosima was another in.
stance of the same class. Shimadzo Saburo.
representative of the powerful Prince
of Satsuma, had been to Yeddo
as bearer of message from the Mkado Re-
turning after unsuccessful negotiations, his
| large retinue was met by party of foreipn-