Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-16
JAPAN.
Elmo vVatcrfalls-NOs Singing. Birtlx-No
Perfume Flowers.

NOW 1OTh, HOW fTO1obSOr Oh OuelQl8Ify
in the Japanese College ut Shidzuooka,
is writing an interesting series of
letters to the New York Evangelist. In
a recent number he gives description
of tour to fine waterfall, about
thirty miles from the college, and
situated near the southwestern base of
Fusiyama, the highest mountain in
Japan. His remarks in regard to the
domestic habits and social life of the
Japs are not very flattering. We have
only room for his description of the
falls, and q few other facts:
We were now approaching the vicin-
ity of the fall, but, from the nature of
the country inst about u.s.. you would
hardly have expected that waterfall
of any respectable SIZE could be very
near. But the guide pointed out q
thick growth of underbrush and trees
which skirted q deep depression or
break in the surface, only a few rods
distant, and said that was the point we
were aiming for.
As we drew near, the roar of many
waters greeted us, and the sound grew
louder and deeper as we passed under
the dripping foliage and descended the
preclritous aud rocky path which led
us to the bottom of a wild, romantic.
looking canon, which was completely
shut in by steep rocky walls, nearly
hundred feet high.
Tho main waterfall was situated at
the innermost end of the circular
shaped gorge in which we stood, and
though its height was rot more than
sixty or seventy feet, yet it was very
beautiful, and mace, on the whole.
quite q respectable fall. The amount
of water was considerable, and it fell
in one solid column which struck with
great force in the oval basin below.
The noise was almost deafening, be.
cause the sounds reverberated so from
the walls of the gorge which encircled
US with circumference of not more
than 500 feet. The Japs call this fall
the great "White Rope" and the little
falls close to it they call "Silvsr
Threads" because they are so
many of them spinning down
over the rocks. The main
fall reminded me somewhat of the
Staubbach, which Byron likens to the
tail of the White Horse in. the Apoca-
lypse; and the rest of the gorge is on q
small scale, like the ''valley of a thous.
and springs,n in Switzerland, for there
are surely o thousand miniature foun
tains, which leap from the rocky preci.
pice to the right of the main fall, and
these add greatly to the beauty and TO-
nance of the scene. Just to the left,
also, there is what you might call q
"bridal veil" fall, so thin, smooth and
transparent is it in it's airy descent
There is a rich border of foliage inclos
ing the whole gorge, and setting off the
falls, the foam, and cataracts to great
advantage. It is, ON the whole, the
prettiest spot have seen in Japan.
Although the country scenes in ia
pan are fresh and green and variegat
ed, yet there are many things which
you miss in the landscape. You dc
not see tho birds, nor the flowers, mol
the meadows, nor orchards, nor any
thing of the kind that we associate
with country life in New England al
home. OF birds there are none, except
few little sparrows that came twitter.
ing around now and then; and since
first came to Japan, 1 have never heard
bird sing. But the cro,vs are horri
bic, great creatures, and are so bold
that they como right across your path
and they make the day hjdeous with
their perpetual cawing.
The flowers are few and far between
and even then are too small to be no.
tice1, and they have no perfume what
ever. Meadows are entirely unknown
in the county, and every. nook anG
corner of available land is .zeithel
banked off into rice field, or else GU
up into little vegetable patches. Til.
general size of field in Japan, whether
for rice, grain, or other vegetable, il
about the dimensions of an ordinar,
"house lot" at home. Each farmer
has his own little field, or set of fields
and he attends to these exclusively
doing oil the work with queer shaped
implement which is half hoe and hal
shovel. In this part Of tire country
they raise two crops each year, fol-
they have no winter Of any account
whatever. After September they begi1
to plaats.wheat, beans, peas and othel
things of like character; and ther
when spring comes they reap theil
winter harvest, and Immediately after
they SOW rice, cotton, indigo, sweet
potatoes, sugar-can and the like. Sc
that now their, summer crops are
coming up, and the hot weather will
soon ripen them. = a.: