Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-04-23
Yokohama and the Japanese.

The streets of Yokohama are wide
and strais hit. Each house is built of
wood, without an atom of paint, and is
real toy-house, genuine Liliputian
Swiss chalet, built with taste, nicely,
and neainess which are admirable.
The japanese are wonderful workers
i'll wood, and it is pleasure to see the
roofs, so light and yet so strong, sup
ported by walls which are made, like
the side-seenes in a theatre, of thin
strips of wood over which are pasted
sheets of cottony, transparent paper.
In the evenings, when the lanterns
dispense their soft light round the in
side of these white buildings, the spec
tator seems TO be looking at a magic
lantern. During the daytime the
sides of the houses are slipped out, as
side-scenes are, and the house becomes
only roof resting On the four light
corner post, the whole interior being
thus opened to the air. Every part
of the house is exposed to view, and
everything done in it can be seen,
whils behind it appear the charming
verdure, the cascades, and diminutive
plantations of the little gardens situa-
| ted in the rear
sists in their mats made of plated straw.
They are perfectly rectangular in shape,
about three inches thick, and soft to
/, the touch. They are never stepped on
with shoes, since the japanese 90 about
their houses always barefooted. OF
furniture they have next to nothing;
a small furnace in one corner, closet
| make of side-seenes like the sides of
| tho hOIiSa apd intonAad 70 oOpt,;n Tho
mattresses, small set Of shelves, on
which are arranIed the laequered plates
for rice and fish-this is all the furnish
log for these houses, in which they live,
as it were, in the open air. In the
middle of each house are two articles of
general use among all classes-the
'chitat' and the 'tobacco-bon,' that is,
brazer and the box for tobacco. Be
ing great tea-drinkers, great smokers,
and great takers, the japanese pass
their days around the brazier; there
they can be seen, in groups of seven or
eight seated on their heels around the
tea-kettle.
In every shop our travellers visited,
they were received with a distinction
and pOliteneSS which surpassed even
the proverbial manners of their native
country. In walking through the city
they passed through the streets of
baths. In Japan, where every one
lives, as it were in public, the costume
ofour first parents in no way shocks
the sentiments of the people, who in
this matter, may be considered as still
in the Golden Age.
This street is filled with lighthouses,
to which the population resort, many
of them twice or thrice a day. Here
all sexes, ages, and conditions mingle,
fifty to sixtyat time, in each bath
house. The passer-by sees them crouch
ed down, or dancing on an incline plane
surrounded by pyramids of small tubs
made of copper, and filed with hot
+ water. Here they sprinkle and SOAP
each other. Attracted by the sight o1
tile travellers, they come to ask 'the
noble strangers politely for a cigar.
eta.
A woman, seller of dry goods, inyit
ed the party to enter her shop and seat
themselves upon the mats. This wa;
for hera great honor. and as the party
, entered. she saluted them by bowling
until irer forehead touched the floor
then Offering the;n tea in small cups
she bruu1h hi out tobaccu for their pipes
: and present, light d Goals held be-
tween two cnop sticks. i can moi
) hope writes the Count, 'to express t
, you all the elegance Of this women o.
the people in her slighte5 movements:
: her features expressed the most simple
woinanly atfability as her habitual con.
| dition. Well, in whatever house you
may enter, you will be treated with
the same distinction; we were almost
:; stupefied to find it, and confessed thai
this people can rightly call US barbar
5 ians. ] have not seen single fight Ol
| dispute in-the streets; all the men, in
2 saluting each other with profound bow.
wear smile upon their lips, and whpr
we desire to appear amiable, we arr
awkward and Inbred in comparison
: with these japanese. who are graciou:
2 without thinking OF being so. Among
f them a man who gives way to his anger
. or shows it in his tone: or words, is
; i,syoided by his kind as unfit for socie-
thus when at first our Plenipoten
ii Ssfhe, diplomatic conferences
'ated, ffe Japepese said
>-ar-fof another day
tiarieS wy @
became ami.
Let Us off this ma.
We cannot treat with L..