The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-02-21
praf mor.e,s Lsc.ure


Prot. Morse delivered his lecture on Social
Life in Japan last evening at the City Hall.
Aft an Introduction by Dr. Wood, the Presi-
dent Of the Natural History Society, the Pro.
fetsor said the traveller in Japan found every
thing new and unlike what he had left at home
The streets of the cities instead of being
thronged with wagons and horses were alive
with men with small hand-carts, on which
they haul prodigious loads In place of hacks
they have little two wheeled wagon called
Jinrinkisha, and the men who pull them show
great endurance. We notice next the young
children dashed to the backs of the older ones
and all having good time The Professor
description of the care and kindness shown to
children and the good nature of all the people
was like fairy tale.
Every thing is clean and neat, even the poor
est and hardest-worked find time to keep clean.
AS for food, the Japanese taste is vastly differ.
ent from ours, and their ways of marketing and
cooking seem odd enough to US. They eat
quantities Of raw fish and uuripe frait aud but
little meat, milk or butter.
In decorative art the japanese excel. One is
surprised to see their good taste, no matter how
low in the social scale they may be- Their
wall papers show many quaint designs that
will bear study and criticism. Their houses
are full of works of art, and indeed their whole
system of house furnishing is SO unlike ours
that house is study in itself Screens take
the place of doors, and often times they are
marvels of workmanship. AS you pass a
house you can often look in and see the in
mates at work, or making tea, or possibly
bathing, for these strange people make little
aolp ont f fhnir
Concerning the odd looking pictures of
women we have often seen on fans and other
Japanese goods the Professor says they are eX-
aggerations just as QUE fashion plates are.
The little gardens connected with both public
and private houses are full of quaint carvings
and strange plants which they make to grow in
all shapes. In the gardens too, are ponds often
mere tanks, full of fish peculiar to Japan.
Everything is done to make home attractive
Their religious ceremonies ara simple and
impressive. They honor and obey their par
ents in way that puts US to shame Although
they have criminals. the number is less than
with US.
The Professor dwet at length upon the civil
ization of Japan compared with that of Chris
tendon. In very many things they are far
ahead of US, and their calling us ''outside bar.
barians" seems to be just in some respects.
Their freedom from intemperance is also re-
markable. All classes drink tea, and the COM
parison between their tea houses and our grog
shops was decidedly against us.
Tne remarkable development of thirst for
knowledge is an interesting feature in Japanese
character. In this they are entirely unlike the
Chinese, with whom we are apt to confouud
them. The eagerness they have shown TO open
schools, build railways, establish post offices
and to make all other needed Improvements is
wonderful story. But we could hardly be-
lieve the Pr ,fessor when he said that the boys
do not throw stones at cats, nor tie tin pans to
dogs tails. Neither do they belabor the Few
dumb beasts they have, Lor fret and swear
when things go wrong. The Professor also
spoke of the government unworthy, where he
is laboring. The students are taught in differ.
emit languages, but mainly in English. They
are required to take notes at lectures, and these
notes will compare favorably with the work of
American classes. We should judge that the
students are not quite so much given to boating
and ball playing as Americans, but they will
doubtless beat ours at chess play ing and similar
sports.
The lecture was made all the more entertain
Jog 10y the off-hand sketches on the blackboard,
aud the audience was kept in good humor from
first to last
1t is understood that the Society Of Natural
History contemplate course of popular lee
lures on scientific subjects another season.