The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-07-24
VISIT TO YEDO.
EXTRACT from Letter from Japan. ]


"Mrs. Capron had urged us sew
eraI times to come up and spend a
few days with her-so we went up
In the 3 o'clock train and rode to
their house in Jinrikishas as we had
told them we could do. Mrs. Ca
prom gave us very hearty welcome.
The wind was indeed fearful and
blew all night, and down here in
Yokohama it amounted to typhoon.
On account of the wind we could
not go out in Yedo on Friday after
noon. We sat and chatted till tea
time and after tea some friends came
In among others two Dutch ladies,
who are teaching in the next place
to Gen. Capron's. And now I must
tell you how dramatically Mrs. Ca
prom is situated up there. ''Shiba"
is the name of the burial place of
the Tycoons. 1t is, | may say, a
vast forest, though situated in the
heart OF the city. The second Ty-
coon, who was the first to have h S
toms in "Shiba," was buried there
over two hundred and fifty years
ago, and since then all, or nearly
all, the Tycoons have been there
entombed. Each one has a, splend-
ia Mausoleum erected to him, while
many have also beautiful temple
in front of the tomb. There is one
very large and deliberately carved
temple near the entrance, called the
"Great Temple of "Shiba." This
is hundreds Of years old, over seven
hundred, they say, surely, bat
though built Of wood, is in good re-
pair. | cannot attempt to describe
to you the elegant carving and lac
quer work with which these temples
and tombs are ornamented. You
have, | suppose, an idea Of the gem
eral shape of the temples from some
of the pictures [ have sent you. I'm
der the overhanging roof, around
the top of the building, there is usu-
ally some carving, but in all these
temples at Sbiba it is of the richest
kind, representing birds and beasts
and dragons and flowers, all stand
ing out in perfect relief from the wall
and brightly colored Inside the
floors and wood work are of the fin
est polished lacquer with much cary
ing and gliding,
The day we visited the temples
was remarkably warm and lovely
and as we walked through these
woods we saw the first spring wild
flowers, peeping out, and the birds
were singing and altogether it was
3 most charming scene. There is a
small open space around each tenn
pile, and the rest of what is called
Shiba, covering acres and acres of
ground, is thick forest of rich old
trees. You stand in front of one
temple and all is quiet and grand,
as though there were not another
building or person within a hundred
miles; fUt if you pass through g
path on one side and up and around
little mil you find yourself before
another Of these strange temples, or,
perhaps it may be a single tomb.
Altogether it is one of the most in.
teresting and beautiful places I ever
visited. The approach to the main
temple has been greatly altered how
ever, since 10Y last visit year ago
Then 1t was a splendid broad ave-
nue. with fne old trees on either side
Tor some distance before you came to
the gateway leading to the temple,
but now theee are quantities of little
booths built up on one side, entirely
spolhng the efect.-They were put
up On the occasion ola grand festival
and are kept in case of similar need
IN 1G6ure' -eome Of them in use as
tea houses and others standing emp
ty.
But now to return to whan allI
this has to do with Mrs. Carro,,
One Of the temples, or two I believe
have been appropriated to the use Of
the "Aallakushi." or Department
Of Public Works." with which Cen s
Capron is connected. One of tboso