The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1872-02-10

best in Japan, being very commodious,
deep, and entirely laid locked. In plain
sight, and about thirty miles distant, is
grand volcanic mountain, which en,its
smoke and steam, but has not been 9th
erwise active for many years. The
principal trade of this port is in sea-
weed, fish, oil, deers' horns, hides and
furs, salmon, cod and herring. Hardly
/ is the traveller outside of the limits OF
Hakodadi when he reaches beautiful
and highly fertile farming country
dotted with villages. Fine orchards OF
pears, apples, and groves of chestuu,
and walnut trees, and gardens filed with
all kinds of vegetables, and also mulber.
ry groves with silk worm culture going
on. delight the eye. Here, and in sight
almost of Hakodadi, is q farm that q
foreigner leased from the so called rebc
authorities. He prepared to cultivate
it according to European ideas, but the
japanese Government fear that
foreigners wosld claim similar privile
ges which they could not well refuse, MS
long as they allowed this man tc occupy
his farm, which would have the effect
OF opening the island to forci gn settle
ment, and also out of a desire to get rio
/ -. Il a. Il
iuuct or rebel Government, bought of
the would be farmer, submitting to mos,
terrible extortion to be rid of him.
A SURPRISE.
We had expected to enter n country
like the portions OF Niphon we had pre-
viously visited-its valleys all rice fields
aud its kills clothed with pine and BAN
boo. Our surprise and pleasure, there
fore, were very great to find that here, ii
I. the most secluded corner of Japan, W,
were in country which in all its pro
ductions seemed n counterpart oi, tb,
4 Northern States Of America The for
4 esis, when dyo reachsd them, Proved t
s -. -!
as asEs, Ga & maple, hickory, beech, chest
nut, horse, ,ebesnut, birch, &C., with a
dense growth of broad-leaved scrub
bamboo, which forms splendid cover
for game, and, judging from the way in
! which our hoiscs eagerly ate ito broad
leaves, most del!cions pasturagc for
animals. As We left this line OF little
villages ard Hakodadi behind us, VIC
entered and crossed mountain range,
threaded solely by this one ud, mere
bride path, with habitations so scarce
that we would ride for miles after leav-
lug one house before we would reach
another, all Of which were country inns
Bright, sparkling streams of water were
constantly ly crossed, and in all of these
we saw myriads of trout and other fish
Up from our path, almost continuously,
arose partridge, quail and pigeons. Wild
grape-vines, covered with ripe grapes,
hung on every side, together with anoth-
er vine resembling the grape, aud bear
ing a somewhat similar but larger fruit
Fhe chestnut aud oak trees were filed
with nuts and acorns, and the whole
country was in as wild condition as it
is possible to imagine.
OUR cAvALCADE.
AS we threaded our way through
these forests, our train appeared novel
and interesting. Preceding us was our
escort Of six soldiers, armed with Spon-
Ger carbncs, the leader of the file car.
rying the American flag on japanese
lance. Following him came the officers
til tile escort, including native inter,
pretcr-thcn the six tourists-sevcn in
cluding your spomdent-six ser
wants, and baggage train. All of us
were mounted on wiry littlc native her
ses but half broken, and that half the
worst half of the two Thus we pro-
ccedcd until passing the volcano. On
our second days ride we came out on
the beach of Folcauo Bay, at littlc
lishipg village called Mori. a scamper
of a few miles along this beach, with
the surf washing our horses feet, brought
US to our resting place Tor the night
On entering each little hamlet we were
met by local authorities, kneeling and