The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-05-19

| HOUSES uIt Out hHu wv uAuLAeu IN hNAEnt
with fantastic roofs and gables very much
in the style Of the better class Of chalets
in Switzerland. The streets are narrow
and without sidewalks, the small shops
opening out upon them. The floors are
elevated several feet above the ground,
They are kept scrupulously clean and
polished as though they were waxed
The natives take oil their shoes when en-.
teripg them. In the front Is displayed
their merchandise, silks, bronles, porce.
lain and laCquered ware, surprising you
both with Its beauty and cheapness,
while in the rear tho members Of the
family may be seen plying their various
vacations, and all occupying a very lin.
tied space,
The streets are swarming with people
who, this wet morning, are mounted on
pattenS, elevating them some six inches
from the ground, and with this aid they
are still below the height Of ordinary
men. They seem TO be race Of pigmies.
Their army regulations place the stand
ard height for soldier at four feet six
inches, and | doubt II they would aver.
age much more. Their large heads and
diminutiye limbs give them the appear.
ance Of overgrown infants, and their
countenanCes betray that lack Of force
and decision which attend a brain devel-
oped out Of proportion TO the body.
The Japanese costume Is loose robe
with flowing sleeves, girt about the waist
with a wide sash tied behind in large
knot or bow. The robe is often covered
by a short, loose sack. There appears
to be but little distinction in the dress Of
the different sexes. The garments Of the
men are mostly blue embroidered with
white; those Of the females, Of gay color.
ed material printed with large flowers.
The children and labOrers have scanti.
ness Of clothing calculated 10 shock the
modesty Of over.sensitivel people. But
though scantily clothed they are decently
painted, the bodies Of the Bettoes being
covered with representations OF lions,
tigers and other wild beasts, looking
like animated circus posters. They are
very clearly in their persons and fire.
quent the numerous bath houses, where
both sexes mingle together in state Of
nature, as totally unconscious Of any i'm
propriety as our first parents before the
advent Of the serpent into Eden.
They wear their hair in many peculiar
fashions, and shave their heads in vari.
ouS odd styles, the children and some Of
the women being almost without hair.
The women carry their babes on their
backs something in the manner Of Indian
squaws. Those who are married have
their teeth colored black, so that their
smiles are not at all enticing.
Some Of the young girls are handsome
and sprightly, probably intelligent, as
nearly all the English keep one in the
house to teach them the language.
There are very few horses to be seen, and
those small and vicious. The hauling is
all done by men with mule carts, on
which they drag and push great loads,
uttering at intervals loud cry like the
howl Of kicked dog.
Az in their morala and manners, they
also differ greatly from lis in their me-
chNniCal operations. The carpenter pulls
his plane and saw towards him. The axes
are placed sidewise on the heIves, and
almost everything else is exactly re.
versed.
The rain having ceasel AMI the sun
shining clear and bright, We walked out
in the evening upon the east bluff where
the wealthy foreigners reside. The
houses are buried among trees and sur.
roundedby luxuriant gardens, fenced with
tcathery bamboo. Passing along an av-
enue oil tall pine trees, we come suddenly
out upon the high bluff overlooking the
bay, which spreads ont its CLASSY surface
before I'd stretching far away between
green shores dotted with cities and towns,
its waters swarming with sails. The
distant morrison is bounded by mountain
chains, while high over all the snow-clad
cone OF Fusiama burns in the blaze OF the
declining sun.
There is railroad running from
Yokohama to the Yeddo, or "Tokia,"
about eighteen miles distant. The road
runs along wide valley bordering the
bay, through matched roof villages and
endless fields Of rice and millet, blossom
ing buckwheat, sorghum corn and sugar
cane, and many other plants OF which l
could not tell the names. The swamps
are covered with the broad leaves OF the
Caladium escutentum.
Although there il not m OK, horse, or
any other animal 10 be seen, every inch
Of available land is under cultivation, the
labor being performed by the natives,
who swarm upon the fields almost as
numerous and quite rs busy as bees. We
pass frequent large farm houses embow-
cred amongst the trees and feathery
bambooS, some OF which are forty and
fifty feet in heighth. Some very large
trees and great many smaller ones are
scattered through the fields, and all along
the road are hedge rows entwined with
vines and flowers. Their pear trees
are trained upon horizontal trellises like
vines, which mode OF culture don't ap.
pear to improve the flavor, as they taste
very much like turnips. The finest fruit
have seen here is the persimmon, which
grows Us large as an apple.
Arriving at Yeddo, we took Ginrick
shas, drawn by two coolies, who started
of with the speed OF quarter horses to-
wards Shiba, u collection Of groves and
temples and tombs in the heart Of the
city. After passing along u great many
streets not remarkable in any way, we
come 10 lofty gateway-that Ia, large
building Of several stories, with pointed
roof and fantastic, ornamented gables,
beneath which there is n portal. We
pass along an avenue OF venerable trees
and come into large court with many
temples, and numerous devotees worship.
ing.
The portals Of the fret temple that we
approach are glirering with gold. On
either side Of the entrance are gigantic
bronze storks 1.-THE emblems OF longevity
wonderfully life.like. In the center Il
placed statue Of benign.looking deity,
in sitting posture, surrounded on all
sides by shrines and figures, carved and
gllded and covered with silken Cmbroid.
cries. Curious lamps Of stone are placed
about the grounds.
Before one Of the temples is seated a
gigantic bronze figure, halo about
his Bonded brow, his eyes closed as II to
shut out the things Of this world, absorb
ed in divine contemplation, the sweet
soul dreaming OF the things to be.
We pass through crowded pavilion
with exquisitely wrought pillars and
fresCoed ceiling and standards with