The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-03-21
IN THE HEART OF JAPAN.



The Biggest staIne in the werld-A Bell
that has Not been Rams In Twelve Hun
drod YeRrp.
A letter dated Kioto, Japan, says; We
are now in the heart OF Japan. This
CITY was for many centuries the mikado' s
capital, and until ten years ago, when
The overthrow OF the Shogun left the
capital of that ruler de facto open, its
greater advantages led the mikado and
his cabinet to occupy it, This old capi-
tal. az one time with n population said
o have been 1900, 600, is now reduced
TO 100. 600. arose early, and was glad
TO tind a clear morning. | walked out
at side door Of the inn, aud found my
self in one Of the approaches to Shnto
tomp!e. | was almost under one of the
granite touu, or monuments. This one
Is about sixty feet high, and -four stone
lanterns az the corners o( the square
are of great size, and older than any /
have vet seen. Just ~ the sun was rls-
ing above the eastern hill. | watched the
men and women as they came IN frout nj
the open temple door, and threw their
offerings in. Then clapplng their hands
;hev fold them, bow the head In dcvo-
tiau, and so away 10 the duties ot the
dSv. For = moment the temple was
deserted, anda man came ont with his
face turuc, full 81 the rising sun-the
.emple faced the south-he went through
the same devotional exercises that l had
Just seen. but he remained longer, bowed
with his head 70 the ground, and eNhih-
tied more feryor.
We have visited several temples situ-
aled on the hillsideS, nn the east side Of
the plain on which the city is spread ont,
The oldest and largest is known as the
Chionin, aud belongs 81 the Joudo sect.
Il is very large, measuring IN front over
100 feet This sect never paint their
temples, and this one presents a dreary
aspect of weather stained wood. It's age
Is gwen as a7O wears only. and Il oO'u-
pies the site OF an older one destroyed
hv fire. Stone steps lesd 10 the bell
tower. where hangs the great bell, said
q be the larSes; IN Japan. IL is sounded
only on the l9,h and 25th Of each mouth.
70 j. suspended about seven feet above
the Snound The metal at its nm Is
eleven inches in thickness. We saw an
other hell in size little less near the site
ni another temple, resting on granite
supports, ON the ground, near where Il
trll. The bridge leading 10 mountain
temple is Of great beauty. 10 has two
arches, and each arch double; enc IN
verted under the other, so that the pas
sSgeS form circles. The whole. includ-
ing the balustraie, is of cut granite. In
strong contrast with their religious rs
adjustments is the architecture Of the
town. The streets are narrow and I'M
paved, the houses small and squahd,
and poverty is written everywhere.
We have Just returned from visit 10
Mana, one Of the old capitals Of the em-
pre-. distant about thirty-six miles. We
drove at a brisk trot for an hour before
break occurred in the line of houses,
when We crossed y lnnch ui the III
river, by a bridge about thousand feet
',ug. We entered long street Of what
MAS once, "a thousand years ago, a great
city. Away NJ the slope Of the hill II is
covered, wherever We went. with walls
and pavements a. indestructible - the
hill itself. Granite stairs lead into the
wild forest, which now covers the site Of
vast temples 0f woOd--broad avenues,
whose rocky pavement was worn smooth
hv the feet of devout pilgrims befor,
Christ Was born.
Here was erected, J, 200 years ago, H.,
lzrgeS. bronze figure the world has ever
known. 1t weighs 45O tons. aud the
thiri temple now covers il, without APP
parent injury 10 the immense sIAtue.
We vent around II, bui oould form no
estimate oi It's size Our minister at
Toxic told me that il vas sixty feet from
the sea. uf lotus leaves 30 the top of its
heSd, and thata man could climb through
the n0striL An oIficer Is said 10 have
taken chip Of the casting, and An an
alysis Of il gave 500 pounds Of gold in
the ALLOW. A great halo Of gilded wood
Ss;s eli the dark features as they are re-
vcaled IN the shadows OF the roof.
Today we rode 10 Lake Bewa, distant
shol. seven miles. and our route lay
along the great Tokaido The road Is
about twenty feet wide, well mAcadam-
5zsl, with the inevitable walled ditch on
either side. II Is the great thoroughiare
from Osaka 10 Toxic, and from the lake
- HiotO II was O continuous stream of
travel, many cattle, and q few horses
laden with goods Of every description.
We entered the town at the south end OF
the lake. and were taken to a flight OF
stone steps to climb to temple that
overlooked the lake. We ascended them
found ourselves on the plateau e1cavated
IN the side Of the mountain, and turned
- look upon the largest lake IN Japan.
II Is sixty miles in length, but narrow
al the south end 1t is surrounded by
rich alluvial lands. Our guide next led
us tn see a bell, which, he told us, had
not been rung IN twelve hundred years,
ana pointed 10 a small wooden building
20 the head OF flight OF wide stone
steps We looked in through the wooden
bars, well worn by curious visitors, and
saw. well supported on a strong wooden
table, bell about four feet high, with a
bad crack, which seemed 10 have been
caused by fire. II had on 1t few plain
figures as ornaments. Our guide in
formed ms that il was seventeen hundred
years old. and that il had hung in an An
cient Shinto temple that once stood
where il now lies. For FIVE hundred
years it's tones foated over the placid
lake, and called the people along its
shores 10 worship. Then came a catas-
trophe, and twelve centuries have
paSsetl