Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-03-03

MADUH y, 1CII.
"Ihave lived nearly fifteen months now
with the Japs, and ought to know some-
thing about them but my constant busi-
ness occupation interferes with my obser
vational and descriptive capacity.
"They are very ingenious, and in their
gems of art very skillful, partaking Of the
patient and spiderlike fneness of touch
of the kindred Chinese, as all are aware
who are familiar with their fabrics. Like
most southern nations, they are good ma
tured and lazy, as fond Of the dolce far
niente as the lazzaroni of Naples. don't
know that they are exactly lazy, but they
are, at any rate, exceedingly deliberate
so awfully slow about doing anything, that
they may be the opposite pole to Yankee
hurry. They obey the Baconian motto,
Festino lente-'make haste slowly to
such an extent as to totally ignore its cor
rective, Demonstration is the thief of
time ; for instance, if merchant make an
agreement to meet you at four o'clock,
you may expect to see him about six.
Il recollect an expression of yours when
attending with you lecture. delivered to
an audience who were not particularly well
favored in appearance, that the old Flesh
Sculptor must have been in mood to il
lustrate the absurd when he carved such
collection of ugly faces It has occur
red to me frequently when looking at the
japanese.
''Among the higher class, Yakonias.
or two-swordcd men, the right to wear
sundry swords being their symbol of grades
of rank. you find some handsome men of
the purer Mongolian type; but the lower
classes don't handsome much
1.-The smallpox seems to have been
fearfully prevalent, as there are but few
who are not pitted. In truth, the ravages
of this fearful disease-one of the banes
said to have been introduced among the
lower types by the white man-are visible
all over the East, and, indeed, among all
the darker tribes of the planet.
The grades or castles of japanese So
ciety are innumerable, commencing with
the Princes, and ending with the Coolies,
or laboring men.
''They are all. from the highest to the
lowest. wonderfully polite.
II have had two Yalconaas visiting me
lately. for the purpose Of exchanging in
struction in our respective languages
They are very grateful for favors Of this
/ kind. and gave me same small presertsS
and their photographs. inciose one.
"They seem anxious to learn foreign
languages. and study very hard. A friend
Of mine, who is teacher in a japanese
school in Yeddo, says they are very apt
scholars. and have found them the same.
1.-The country is highly picturesque,
and the quaintness of the structures add
to the popularity of the landscape, seem
ing like the scenery of the old pantomimes
Of the theatre, or like the pictures upon
theaoh china crockery.
"Everywhere cultivation seems to be car
ried to its possible ultimate. under the cir
cumstances, rice being the staple and tea,
in the interior, among the mountains.
...'Silks of great variety and some of ex-
quisite pattern and texture, are manufac-
tured. Some Europeans have lately ship
ped quantities of silk worms to Italyshd
other places.
Il made an excursion some time ago to
Daiboohs, an enormous bronze casting,
sixty feet in height, of one of the Budd-
hist Dribies We went inside and found
it arranged as a temple. It was rumored
that it was sold to the French, but they
never took possession.
"These temples remind one of the altar
in a Roman Catholic Church, the para
phernalia being about the same. the choir
consisting, however, Of a lot of big drums
which though not so sonorous are as noisy
as the organ. send you copy Of the
mail summary, which think you will
find interesting:
Terrible news from Tien-tsin. hope
the French will take some decisive meas
ure of retribution; but suppose they are
now SO busy taking care of themselves at
home that it is hardly possible.
From the mail summary of the Japan
Gazette of the 23d October we make the
following local extracts. which are enter
tanning, as showing the balf-European,
half-Japan life at Yokohama:
.The internal politics of Japan are still
deficient in interest. The rumors Of trou-
bles at distance from the seat of govern
ment have been abundant of late. but we
attach no credit to them. In some dis
tricts the people are as sheep without a
shepherd, their old chiefs having been re-
moved from them A disturbance which
it is said all the southern clans have been
ordered to put down. we expect exists
more in mems Imagination than in fact.
So far as it is possible for foreigners to
judge, we believe the country to be in
profound peace and that this condition will
continue. .s.l,+
The birthday Of the Mikado was cele-
brated on the 18th instant, We suppose
throughout the country, but certainly in
Yeddo and Yokohama. The ships in the
harbor were gaily dressed throughout the
day, and at noon the men-of-war saluted
the imperial flag. A review Of Japanese
troops took place at Yokohama before
several high functionaries from Yeddo,
and the consuls dined with the local au-
thorities In Yeddo. the consuls were
entertained by the officials Of the foreign
settlement, and the ministers dined at