, 1873-09-21

Eiuo Wntcrfn1l-.No StnEing-Eclrda--No
Pcrfulncd FloWors.
The Rov. Z. W. Clarl;, Of Albany, N. Y. now
Professor Of Chemistry in the Japanese College
ct sAdznooka, IL writing al interesting series Of
letters to the Now York Evangelist. In recent
numbor he gives q description Of q tour to fin
waterfall, about thirty miles from tho college,
anu situated near tho southwestern baso of Flu.
siyana, tho highest mountain In Japan. Ills ro-
marks in regard to the domestic habits aud the
aocal life OF the Japn arc not very tiattering.
We Aayo only room for his description of tile
falls, and fow other facts:
We wcro now approaching tho vicinity OF tho
fail, but, from the nature Of the country just
nbout uB, you would hardly layo oxpoctod that a
waterfall OF my respectable Bi2c could bo worry
near. But tho guido pointed out a thick growth
OF underbrush an1 trees, which Hkirtcd deep
depression or break in tho surface. only few
rods distant, and said that was the point wo wore
aiming for.
IA wo drew near, tho roar Of many watorn
greeted uB, aud the sound grew louder and
dcopor AZ we passed. undor the dripping foliage
| and deFcondcd the prccipitouB and rocky path
which lod III to tho bottom Of a wild, romattlo-
looking c.non, which was completely shut in by
| steep, rocky wallH 1lcarly hundred feot high.
THO man waterfall waH situatod ut tho inner
| most end Of tho ciicn]Ar-s shaped gorge iu which
| we stood, and though its height was not moro
thnn GU Or 70 feet, yet it waH very beautiful, aud
| made, on CQ9 WnOl1, 4HltG TGSpeEkAGlo 1nll.
The amount Of water MAS considerable, aud If
| fell in ono solid column. which struck with groat
force in tho oval basin below. The noise vas
almost deafeuing, beeaAso the sounds scvor~
berated so from the walls Of tho gorge winch
encirolad Ill., with circumference OF not moro
! than 6U0 feet. Tho Jnps call this fad the grcat
"White Rope" and tue little falls coso to 1t thoy
call "Silyer ThreadB," bccanso thore arc 10
many Of them spinning. dowu over tho rocka.
The main fall reminded MO somewhat, Of tha
Stau1bach which Byron likens to tho tnil of the
White Horse in Tho Apocalypse; and the rest oi
tho gorge il on q small SCALE like tho "valley Of
thousand springs" IN Switzerland, for thora
aro surely . thousand miniature fountains, which
leap from tic rocky prccipioo to tue right Of tho
1naln fall. and thcso add greatly to the beauty
and romance Of the sceuc. Just to tho loft alto,
there IL what you might call "brit1al-ye "
fall, thin, smooth, aud transparent il it in it's
airy descent. Thoio is q rich border OF foliage,
iuolosing the whole gorge, and setting OF tue
falls, tho foam, and tho catasaots to great I'D
vantage. 1t is, on tho whole, tho prottiost spot
I have yot seen III Japan.
Although tho country scenes in japan arc
| fresh, and green, md yariogated, yet there ara
many things which you miss Ill tho landscape.
You do not 500 the birds, nor the 1owers,. nor
tho meadowH, or orchards, or anything Of the
kind that wo associate with country-life in New
! England at lnme. OF birds thcro hro mono, OK
cept few little apnrrows that como twittering
around now and then aud since first came to
japan have never heard bird sing But the
oroos arc horrible, Ereat creatures, a1id they are
80 numerous and so bold tint they como right
acrosa your path, aud they mako tue day hideoua
with their perpetual oawiug.
Tic flowora are few and fRr between, and even
thon are too small to 10 noticed, and thoy havs
no perfume whatevor Meadows are entirely
unknown i'll the country, anl every nook aud
corner OF available land il either banked OF into
rice~iiold, or else cut up into lttlo vegetable
putcheB. The general size Of field i'll Japan,
whether tor rice grain, or other yegott'ahlo, h is
about the dimension Of Rn ordinary 'Aouao-
lot at homo, Each farmer has his own little
fold, or Bot Of felde, and o attends to those
clnsvoy doing al tho YORK With a9eersa,1pfa ed
this part OF the country tloy raaa two crops
each year, for thoy haye no winter of any ac'
count whatoycr. After September they begin to
plnnt wheat. boans. pons and other things Of
like character and then when spring comes
thoy reap thoir aointer haryoHt and immediately
attor they SOW rice, cotton, Indigo, Awoos pota-
toes, Hugar-cano, md tho like. So tAat nor
their summer crops are coming m, and the hot
| thnr, will acatt rI1ota them