The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-03-12


4 BEN that hAs Not Been Hung in
Twelve Hundred Years.
From the San Franeisco Bulletin.
KIoro, JAPAN; Dec. 1--we are
now in the heart Of japan. This
city was for many centuries the Mix
ADDS capital, and until ten years ago,
when the overthrow Of the Shoxun
left the capital Of that ruler aEseto
open, its greater advantages led the
Mikad0 and his cabinet to occupy it.
This old capital. at one time with .
population said to have been 2.OOO,-
600, Is now reduced to 10000. ]
arose early, and was glad to find q
clear morning. / walked out at q
side door Of the inn, end found nv
self in one Of the approaches to Q Shin
to temple. I Was almost under one of
the granite "touii." or monuments.
This one is about sixty feet high, and
its four stone lanterns at the corners of
the square are Of great size and older
than any I have yet seen. Just as
the sun Was rising above the eastern
hill, watched the men and women
as they came in front Of the open
temple door and threw their offerings
in. Then clapping their hands, they
fold them, bow their heads in devO-
ton. and go away to the duties of the
day. For . moment the temple was
deserted, and . man came out with
his face turned full to The rising sun
the temple faced the south he went
through the same devotional exercises
that I had just seen, but he remained
longer bowed with his head to the
ground, and exhibited more fervor.
We have visited several temples
situated on the hillsides ON the east
side of the plain on which the CITY is
spread out. The Oldest and largest is
known as the Chionin, and belongs to
the Joudo sect. 1t is very large
measuring in its front over 200 feet.
This sect never paint their temples,
and this one presents q dreary aspect
Of weather-stained wood. Its age is
given at 27O years only, and it occu-
pies the site Of an older enc destroyed
BY FIRE. Stone steps lead to the bell
tower, where hangs the great bell,
said to be the largest in Japan. It is
sounded only on the 18th and 18th of
each month. 1t is suspended about
seven feet above ground. The metal
at its rim is eleven inches in thickness.
Wa saw another bell. in size little
less, near the site Of another temple,
resting on granite supports. on the
ground, near where it tell. The whole,
including the balustrade, is of cut
granite. In strong contrast with
their religious establishments is the
architecture Of the town. The streets
are narrow and unpaved. the houses
small and squalid, and poverty is
written everywhere,
We have just returned from q visit
to Nara, one of<he old capitals of the
empire. distant about thirty six miles.
We drove at q brisk trot fer nm hour
before break occurred in the line of
houses, when We crossed . branch of
the vi river, by q bridge about a
thousand feet long. We entered q
long street Of what was once, q thous-
and years ago, . great city. Away up
the slope Of the bill is covered. where
ever We went with walls and nave
ments as indestruc:ible as the hill it.
self. Granite stairs lead into the
wild forest, which now covers the
site Of vast temples Of wood-broad
avenues, whose rocky pavement was
worn smooth by the feet of devout
pilgrims before Christ was born.
Here was erected, 1900 years ago,
the largest bronze figure the world
has ever known. 1t weighs 400 tons,
and the third temple now covers it,
without apparent injury to the i'm
mense statue. We went around it
but could form no estimate of its size.
Our minister at Toxic told me that it
was sixty feet from the seat of lotus
leaves to the top Of its head, and that
q man could climb through the nostril.
An officer is said to have taken Q chip
Of the casting. and an analysis gave
500 pounds Of gold in the alloy. A
great halo Of gilded wood sets Of the
dark features as they are revealed in
the shadow Of the roof.
Today We rode to Lake Bewa, dis
tant about seven miles, and our route
lay along the great Tokaido. The
road is about twenty feet wide. we'll
macadamized, with the invitable
walled ditch on either side. Il is the
great thoroughfare from Osaka t. To-
kio, and from the lake to Kioto il Was
q continuous stream of travel many
cattle. and q few horses, laden with
with goods of every description. We
entered the tewn at the south end Of
the lake, and were taken to fight Of
stone steps to climb to q temple that
overlooks the lake. We ascended them,
found ourselves on . plateau excavated
in the side Of the mountain. and turn
ed to look upon the largest lake IN ia
pan. 1t Is sixty miles in length, but
narrow at the south end. i Is sur
rounded BY rich alluvial lands. Our
guide next led rs to see q bell, which
he told US had not been rung in twelve
hundred years, and pointed to a