The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-03-23
AN OLD SAILORS YARNS.

The JAPANESE Al SEA.
Doubtless most, if not ALL your present
readers visited the great Centennial Expo
sition he Id at Philadelphia, 1876, and among
the tens of thousands of objects of interest
presented for their examination, they were
permitted to view the grand display made
by the Japanese-works of art and skill
astonishing to wondering eyes; a bedstead
seven years in construction, elegant lac
quered ware, porcelain of the most mag
niicent texture, silks and velvets, rivaling
the looms of France and Italy; bronze
work far surprising all European work
manship, the work of people who have
not their equal for modesty, retirement,
and retcence as to what they can perform.
But to know these people and their GUS
toms, one must be associated, as the writer
of these crude lines was, on board ship
with them for a ninety days passage, and
to spend a week in their great capital, the
city of Yeddo. After the first embassy
credited to this country by the japanese
had made their tour through our principal
cities, visited our great manufacturing loca
tions, our free, school system, etc, the Coy
ernment of the United States determined
TO send them home in ship, and in style
worthy of the embassy, and to show
how we appreciated their visit Accord
ingly the splendid new frigate Niagara, the
next largest ship to the Great Eastern, was
selected to transport them back III style to
their home. A large saloon cabin was
buito the spar deck, furnished with great
care and magniticence; velvet carpets, rich,
carved and gorgeous furniture, splendid
mirrors, swinging beGSteads, every luxury
known to modern civility and Improvement;
a larder filled with every delicacy and lux
ury known to modern taste; preserved
meats, fish, poultry, fruits of all kinds:
wines and liquors from all chimes. Moth
ing was left unprovided for their comfort;
and yet. on the first day out from Sandy
Hook, the embassy proper turned out of
the cabin all the furniture not secured to
the ship; arm chairs, mirrors, swinging
beds, etc, were excluded from their quar-
tiers; their swinging beds were given up
for their heavy silk dressing gowns, aud
made the deck their resting place; but few,
if any, of the Injuries provided for them
were touched: their food was of the plain
est and simplest kind, cooked in their
cabin, under their own eyes, over charcoal
fires, with their furnace placed upon the
costly and magnificent carpets, which were
dure was confined to the embassy only, for
their numerous attaches at once entered
into all provisions made for their comfort,
enjoying to their hearts coutent the eata
bles. and wines were not thrown away upon
them; they especially became very partial
to the champagne, getting some times very
merry over it.
Among other things provided for their
amusement was fine band of music: but
their notes as well might have been wasted
on the desert air, for the digntaries seemed
TO take no notice of it whatever; seldom |
would they make their appearance out of
their cabin, and then keeping aloof from /
every one, seldom even noticing the cap
tain or the officer in charge of the deck; all /
they ever desired 20 know was, what pro- /
gress the ship was making on her way to |
Japan.
From the day We left New York to our
arrival at Japan, the secretaries and other .
members of the attache were engaged pre- /
pairing their report of what they had seen |
and how they had been treated com
plete set of drawings was made of all the |
machinery they saw, from the making of |
gun cap to the casting of a mammoth can |
non: nothing seemed to have escaped their !
notice; views Of the principal buildings of
our country were faithfully POI trayed III
perspective and in detail. Among The mum
Der OF attaches was master Tommy, WINS
brief visit created such an excitement
throughout the land, aud especially among
The young ladies. OF his career aud tai
ent for acquiring the English language
will give Il further detail in my next
Yours, l..