The New York herald., 1879-08-25
AROUND THE WORLD
General Grants Visit
to Japan.
ENTERTAINMENTS AT AAGASAKl.
Dining in an Ancient Temple and
Gastronomical Experiences.
NAaAsAxI. June %. 1879.


Japan. In my wanderings round the world am more
interested in what reminds of the old times, OF
the men and the days that are gone, than OF Gus
toms reminding me of what saw in France All
that reminds you of the old times is passing away
from Japan. Here and there you can find bit that
recalls the days when the daimios ruled when the
two sworded warriors every highway. when
the rivalry of clans was as fierce rs was ever known
In the highlands OF Scotland the plains of North
America. when every gentleman was ~ ready to
commit suicide in defence OF their honor as Texas
swashbuckler to fight duel All of this is crum-
bling under the steam Of modern ideas. The aim OF
Japanese statesmen is to do things as they are
done in London and Washington and this impulse
sweeps in resisess and swelling current. 1t Is
best that it should be God forbid that Japan
should try to arrest turn back the hands OF
her destiny. What was picturesque and quaint in
the old time be preserved in plays and romances
This century belongs to the real world. and Japans
incessant pressing forward. ii she crushes the
old monuments. is in the interest OF civilization.
DAIMIo DINNER.
1t seemed good to the citizens CT Nagasaki to give
General Grant dinner that to be in itself u
romance and play. Instead of doing what is done
every day and rivaing the taste of Paris il was
solved to entertain him in the style of the daimios,
the feuda lords of Japan. The place selected for
fete old temple in the heart of the city, from
whose doors you could look over the bay. More
over it was to be the work of the citizens OF Naga
saki. The merchants would do it, and this in itself
delicate thought; for in the East it is not often
that We have any recognition of men as men and
citizens. The awakening OF the people of japan
to perception of the truth that the
men who form the groundwork Of the State and
upon whose genius and industry it rests i'm
portant heaven-born rulers is of the thought
ri,,sit aator iIa
That voice it is not easy to STILL may SPEAK with
the wavering tones OF childhood, but will gather
strength and in time be heard 1t peculiarly
gratifying to General Grant to meet the citizens of
japan. aud they lett nothing undone to do him
honor. The party was not more than twenty. in
cluding General Grant aud party our Japanese
hosts. Consul Mangum and family and Consul
Denny and family. The dnner served small
tables. each guest having table to himself. The
merchants themselves waited u.s. and with the
merchants a swarm of attendants wearing the
tunes of old Japan.
BILL
The bill of fare almost volume and embraced
fifty The wine served in un-
glazed porcelain wine cups on white wooden stands.
The appetite was pampered in the beginning with
dried fish. edible seaweeds and isinglass in some
thing OF the Scandinavian STYLE except that the
tempt did not take the form of brandy aud fish.
The first serious dish was composed OF crane. sea-
weed moss. rice bread and potatoes which We
picked i'll curious way as though We were at
an auction sale of remnants. anxious to rumnage
out bargain. Tho soup when it first came
tor it came many times-was honest soup of
fish, like a delicate fish chowder. Then came
strange dishes. as ragout and as soup in be-
wildering confusion. The first called namasu
and embodied fish, clans. chestnuts. rock mush-
J.,n,
the following duck. truhes. turnips. dried bonito.
melons, pressed salt, aromatic shrubs, snipc,
egg plant. jelly. boiled rice. snapper. shrimp.
potatoes. mushroom. cabbage. lasshsh, orange
flowers. powdered fish. favored with plum juice and
walnuts. raw carp sliced. mashed fab. baked fish,
isinglass. fish boiled with picked beans. wine and
rice again. This all came in tho first course. and
finale to the course. there a sweetmeat com
posed of white and red bean jelly cake. and boiled
black mushroom. With this powdered tea.
vs.ich had greon. monitory look. and suggested
your earliest experiences in medicine.
ADDRESS TO THE GENERAL.
When tho first pause came In the dinner two of
our merchant hosts advanced toward General Grant
and read the following addross:-
GbsERaL U. s. GRASTIn the of the citizens Of
gnsas We oer yoa s,Heere meeope to th small town
still by becoming guest this evening
are but fraction of our Kindly feelings toward you and
are unite Inadequate to express the great admiration
after having visited this Eastern Empire. trust you
VII carry with you pleasant remniscence. aud friendly
Sn osss s our and sgp sy ns nSSP 9 W. ~ wis, yo
iustrioas and position you have made for
The dinner at which you nave hoDorod with your
we'll wishes aud the friendship thcy feel toward their
intimacy may promoted our guest and those We
have the honor 10 represent tonight nave offered
We have the honor bo much rospoct your most
Jusk "a, 1879 MATsuDA CONCORD
GENERAL GRANT.
General Grant arose ana said -
sm highly honored by your address and
sssdlag my s,s, to Japan and approeis.e moro than
pn s1, To-, nsse sgoysd nothing nor" ihan this because
omcia That take as AZ especial compliment. coming
s am S% dSspy yls pHGp s@ s@s al nG s fGr
doing TO render trip here agreeable and instructive
authority, who citizens OF country shall take
away from Nagasak the most grateful rcncrpbrance
your and the most pleasant reeolicctions Of tho
sean 81 ire place Again accept my sincere thanks for
DINING IN AN ANCIENT TEMPLE
When the second course finished the ominous
course to an end in powdered aand sweet
meats comuoscd of white and rod bean Jelly cake
aud boiled black mushroom. there was an interval
We arose from the table and sauntered about the
gravelled walk and looked down upon the bay and
the onfolding bills. whose beauty became almost
plaintve under the sympathetic shadows Of the de-
scending sun. one tires of a scene like
Nagasaki. ss you see At In the evsning more espe-
ciaily the day ending aud nature sheterng for re-
pose IN the oInbraccs OF night. Everything is 40
ripe and rich ana old. Tipe has dnno 80
much for the venerable town, and you feel ~ the
shadows fall that tor generations, for centuries,
they have iallon dpon just such scene look
down upon from the brow OF our hill. The eddies
of new civilization are rushing in upon Nagasaki
and thorc arc many signs that you have no trouble
in searching Out That Nagasaki has undergone
a vast change since tho day when Dutch merchants
were Kept in reservation secluded ,hAD we
have ever kept our Indiana, when Xavier and his
disciples threaded those narrow streets preaching
the salvation that through the blood
of Jesus; when Christians driven at
the point of the spear to yon beeting cliff and
tumblcd into tho sea. These are momcntous events
in the history of Japan. They merely incidents
IN the history Of Nagssaki. The ancient town has
lived slnepily, cnbodying aud absorbing tho
features OF Eastern civilization. unchanged and un
changing, ats beauty expressive because IL is
beauty OF its own. untDted by Europeans
We have old towns in the European world. We even
speak II we had past in fresh America But
what rnprcsses you in these aspects OF Eastern de
yelopment is their antiquity, before which De mos,
ancient OF our towns are but a. yesterday The spir