Worcester daily spy., 1872-06-15

A SEVEN MONTHS Run, Up and Down and
Around the World By James Brooks. New
York: D. Appleton Co. Mr. Brooks left home
in May, 1871, went to Japan across the Pacific,
visited Shanghai, PeIin, the Great Wall Cam
ton, and India, and came home by way of Egypt,
Italy, France, and England, reaching New York
January u, 1872 During this Journey he wrote
letters which were printed in the New York Ex-
press. These are now collected and printed
without revision, in this volume. The letters
were written hurrcdly; but revision would not
have made them better, They do not pretend
to give us long and careful studies of the coun-
tries visited; but, readers will find in them much
useful information and many shrewd notices and
estimates Of what he saw, mingled with enter
tanning sketches Of his own travelling expert
enees. In his sketches, we find the opinion re
peated, that the japanese are higher in charac
Ter than the Chinese, and much superior to then
in other respects. He makes the following state
ment in a letter written on the Pacific:
"The Japs almost always, always when they
can, take cabin passages; the Chinese seldom
or never We have several well-oH il not ricl
Cinnamon on board; but they have preferred
herdng with their counIrymen and living OF
rice and pork, TO lvns with us or with tht
Japanese, in the cabins. The Chinese are in
tensey economical it seems"
The ancient ieudal aristocracy of China wa.
overthrown, previous to the Christian era; ant
the people OF that country have greater equal
ity OF condition than has yet been established
in the neighboriDg empire Of the islands; bu
The japanese are naturally men of higher ton,
and style; and although they have just now be
gun to modify a feudal system similar to thai
which prevailed in Europe in the middle ages
aud in China 2500 years ago, they will soon be
iarin advance Of the Chinese, in political and so
cal organization, as well as in other develop.
ments Of enlightenment and enterprise. Dir
Brooks expresses his admiration of Japan and
the japanese, in very strong terms. He found
among them intelligence refinement, artistic
culture, and wealth. Having been invited, in
ledo, TO dine with Japanese gentleman who
had been in America, he was filled with aston.
lshuent at the richness and elegance of his en-.
iertainers house, grounds, gardens, and style
oi me- lbs impressions found expression ms
follows:
we americans who build up hundred tbou.
sand uollar country seats, think we know some.
thing; but, in this line we arc bchinJ ,ho al,S
Such a scat as am dining in would cost nca,
New YORK, nan million dollars"
During an excursion into the interior oc IN,
country, his establishment and admiration ,os,
higher still. Writing at Fuiisawa, he saws.
"Now am in the country, and nv admit.
ton Of Japan rises and rises. / thoilpht nnna
when on the Nile, that the Egyptians who eoui,
turn sands into gardens, were the great farmer
Of the world; but the Egyptians made no sue
farming gardens as these. Proud rs am ,
The arts, sciences Of my own country, ! bus
when romparc American farming with this
Aud vet, the Japanese farming tools "woul
not pass muster in our land" Again, writin
at lokahama and speaking of things in Jal
al" he says.
"What has really asiounded me more tina
anything else here, perhaps, is art The lttl
hands and arms Of the japanese seem TO 4
them ior nice execution; but they would nc
make the pretty screens or pictures nor iulat
ooppef OF lacquer as they do, ii taste did nd
DecOnpany them. / have iust seen a big ho
oniy i1fteen years old, who IS painting Jana
nese costumes ior foreigners, and his execniio
NonueIul; me paper hangings of Japa
are unriyaled ] have seen noi1ing ;y ,i
world, that ] remember which ea,,a's ~ n,
famous lan room Ol the liamngoten In yed,
We doubtless, got all our ideas Of benp,ifyin
paper flOm japan The bronze wort ~ III
people is wonderful, as wei a. their lanoon
They put years OF work, often, into a doiinio
room. When we Of English descent were IN
barians IN art, these people were All they n
now. We SEC bells and biOnzes aud inlaid wOi
hupdrcds Of years old. lhe iron aud sic
Nofk oi Japan, TOO, Is lar IN advance VI mar