The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-01-26
SKETCHES IN JAPAN
Letters from n Young Charlestonian
Residing at Yokohama.

0CT0BER2, 1871.
Japan is composed OF the ISLANDS Of Nipon--
the largest, and most important and the one
on which we live; Yesso, the northern islandr
and on which the weather is very cold, IA.
babited in some parts by a tribe Of Japanese
resembling, in their way Of living. very much
These Islands cover an ares about eGuai to
that Of Great Britain and Ireland, and contain
a population of over $4,000, 900. So you cam
we'll imagine they are any thing but thinly set,
tied. There ara, besides, hundreds and hum
dreds of little islands, but the three
mentioned are, probably the only i'm
portant ones Very little is known by. Euro.
beans of any save Nippon. Here is the seat of
government, aud all foreign trade Is done
here. The exports consist chiefly Of teas,
silk-worm eggs and silk. The middle.named
trade is confined to this season OF the year.
We have at this time great many Italian
merchants here. These Italians make the trip
from Italy once year buy the eggs ana then
or three months. Already the Japanese have
that idea OF combination 80. common In OUR
own laad, and for the last TWO or three
weeks there has been quite an excitement
owing todhe sNk-worm egg merchants refus.
Ing to sell but for certain price, aud one or
two Japs boil enough to depart fIom this
OeloEWlu6tl0tl
ously threatened. OF the silk trade, little Of
it Is done with America. France has the Hons
share. Japan tea is the great American ex-
port, ffteenth.sl1teenths OF 1t going there.
Our steamers of course get the benefit OF this.
or the imporiations the English control tne
dry goods market, (shirtings, &c.) The
Americans, however, have the monopoly OF
wheat -four is growing more aud more COM
mon among the natives, iG Is worth keeping
up. Their eating, as / mentioned In
previous letter, is regulated by the
government least as far as meats are
coneerped. The stories OF their living on
Two cents day ia true only as to the coolle
class The Japanese are T.,aoso not genera!iy sae
have The money they will, 10 some extent,
make themselves comfortable. Their pride,
too. Is much greater. This is very noticeable
10 the way they travel. A Japanese, If ne has
but one hundred dollars, will pay fifty OF 1t for
q cabin passage. while Chinese, worth MS
hundreds Of thousands, will 60 10 the steer.
age. The desire. too, among tne former 10
learn about aud adopt foreign customs Is IN
vast contrast to the strong aversion OF the
latter 10 any but their own old habits.
Ten years viii and the Japs vastly improv-
ed In civilization, II they are not reduced to
beggary by the many inroads made Into their
pockets by the designing foreigners who have
Them in hand, and are daily making fortunes
out of them. fhers Is more than one man who
has returned To bis own country with q compe-
tency for life, made BY single good bargain
(bad enough for the Japanese) with them.
The government has poorer assortment OF
vessels, at greater expenditure, than one
can imagine.
Americans in these swindles. They (the Eng
lish) are now land have been for the past TWO
yeara) building the government a railroad
from this place to Yeddo which, when tnlsh-
ed, will stand the Japanese In about $S, 100000
for a distance Of twenty miles, with only one
serious grade the whole length. The Amerl-
cans will come in for their share soon, as the
government has appointed commission,
COMPOSED of Americans, for the purpose of de-
velopIng agriculture, mining, &c. Think OF
anybody In our country teaching the Japanese
anything In The way of planting rice, or treat
ing The silk worm It Is true that many I'M
plements might BIS introduced to advantage,
though steam ploughs could not assist them
much, as half acre is large neld. - :.
You will not find o fence tn Japan among
The natives, mean. There being no cattle,
q dam and ditch is all that divides the fields,
AS for establishing a colony here, the thing
would be impossible. 1t is only the great
economy In food and dress which enables the
natives to live. There are already TOO many
foreign population oil Yokohama, 1t Is moot
ed q1esiion-eight hundred adults will proba.
bly, cover 1t, aud among these are one hun
dred and fifty Americans. OF society, among
The ladies, 1 see~pothing. The means Of be-
coming acquainted does not chime In with my
established nolions> A stranger, on arriving,
is expected to leav3 his card on every lady.
This leaves him open TO be taken up or not
Invited out or dropped-as they please. No
gentleman asks another to call on his wife
and family. Among the young men, (Eng-
lish,) have met many worth knowing, and
~ h.Ha 70 iea1,s g1vsn p,va'S o1r ~ ,ost Cause"
1 sent you two mails ago "Far East" an
illustrated paper, full OF interesting and au-
thentic knowledge. If you desi.e, Will sub
scribe to this for you. Terms fifteen dollars
per annum. will also regularly eeDd you the
paper take. If you will only furnish me
with any other points you would like to have
information on, will do my best to give IL 10
No short cut as yet to fortune think see
competency, however, looming up IN = the