Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-07-14

japan, is in the 38th degree of latitude,
and is said to be one of tho finest cities In
the worli. The streets are wide and clean,
and the fine views Of the Gulf of Jeddo,
with the high hills beyond, and the pic
turesQue gardens, trees, and temples
nearer. make up many curious and beau
tiful views for stranger to see.
The Emperor lives in the middle of the
town, in the castle, surrounded with three
walls or Enclosures. The mobiles and
great people all have very fine houses,
built principally Of wood, carved, stuc-
coed, and ornamented. These houses are
generally built in squares, the middle be-
ing the residence of the owner, the rest
those of servants, dependents, etc. The
gardens surrounding these places are laid
out in good taste; every bit OF ground
taken advantage of, and mimic effects OF
scenery, such as tiny WATERFALL, ponds,
rock-work, etc, very well got up.
The japanese bestow great care on the
growth and culture of timber trees. The
cedars grow to great height; the oak tree,
the mulberry tree-many towns live en-
tirely upon the silk manufacture-then
the urusi, or varnish tree, OF which the
people make the celebrated varnish
known everywhere by the name OF Ja.
with this, and all their plates, dishes and
drinking vessels, as they do net appear to
use glass or china ones then the camphor
tree, of which the puzzle boxes are made,
the pepper tree, chestnut tree, walnut
tree, and many others too numerous to
mention.
They are the most curious people for
dwarfing all manner of trees and plants.
Growing things are twisted into ell man
ner of shapes, and flowers and fruit Of one
sort growing on plants and trees of other
sorts, outvying even Mother Nature her
self. The love of flowers is strong even
among the very poorest of people, and
few are without q pot or two, or some
kind of tree or shrub grown against the
back Of the house, perhaps, reaching in
through the windows, and loved and pet.
ted almost like children.
h On account of the populousness Of this
country, every inch Of ground il i'm
proved to the best advantage, and not
only the fats, but the hills and mountains
ere cultivated, and made to produce such
things as they can. The rice fields are .
beautiful sight-so well kept and drained,
and irrigated 20 carefully. They are not
unhealthy as in other places Common
vegetables are also grown in abundance
indeed, the poorer classes live principally
on fisb and rice, varied by vegetables or
wild plants. Tobacco II also grown in
ouantities-the japanese being great
smokers. Their pipe has . very small
bowl, and hangs by button from the
girdle or belt-the people having no
pockets. These buttons are often highly
Ornamented and expensive, and the pipes
themselves works Of art. The tobacco il
cut in fine shreds. bag full of which
hangs with the pipe at the waist.
Nagasaki is the principal trading port
with foreigners, having been the longest
open to them. Decima, Q small island
close to this town, which il entered by q
bridge, il the famous Dutch station,
where for many years the Dutch people
had monopoly Of the trade with the jap
anese-submitting to all sorts OF indigni-
ties and confinement for its sake; until
within the past few years no foreign
women were allowed in the place, and 20
the Dutch merchants had to bear this to-
dious exile from their families. Most OF
these indignities, however, were brought
upon themselves, and richly deserved by
their dishonest attempts TO smuggle, and
overreach an honest and trusting people.
The Japanese are not naturally sus-
picious people, and we must lay at the door
Of intercourse with civilized nations their
being 80 now. They have had hatred
and contempt for foreigners which it will
take years of intercourse with some Of
the better class of English and Americans
TO do away with.-NsW DOMINATION Xonthly
Hnx ZxnI