The New York herald., 1879-08-25

maidens, their music and their songs. made a
pictureyOf Japanese life which an Artist might
delicate features OF Japanese decoration which
have bewitched artist friends. aud which the
most adrot fingers in vain try to copy. When the
musicians enter the song begins 1t is an original
com position. The theme is the glory OF America
and honor to General Grant. They sing of the joy
that his coming has given to Japan of the INTEREST
and the pride they take in his fane OF their friend
ship tor their friends across the great This is
all sung in Japanese. and follow the lines through
the mediation OF Japanese friend who learned his
English in America This anthem was chanted in u
low almost monotonous key. one singer leading IN u
kind OF solo and the remainder coming in with
chorus. The song ended. twelve dancing madens
enter. They wore crimson-like overgarment
that when they walked it with dainty pace,
lest they might trip and fall. The director of this
ing around among the dancers keeping their
drapery III order, not allowing it to bundle up
and vex the play. These maidens carried
bouquets OF pink blossoms artifcially made exam
pies OF the fora of Japan They stepped through
the dance at slow a measure in minuet OF
Louis XIV. The movement OF the dance simple,
the music humining drumming. though the
performers tuning their Instruments. After
passing through fow measures the dancers slowly
filed out and were followed by another group. who
came wearing masks-the mask III the form of a
large dolls aceand bearing children's rattles and
fans. The popularity of this dance was that time
was kept by the movement OF the fan-a graceful,
expressive movement which only the Eastern people
have learned to bestow on the fan. With them the
fan becomes almost an organ Of speech. and the eye
is employed in its management at the expense OF the
admiration We are apt ~ nome to Dcstow on other
features of the amusement Tho masks indicated
that this was q humorous dance, and when it
over tour special performers. who had unusual
skill, came in with flowers and danced pantomime
Then came four others, with costumes dinerent-
blue robes trimmed with ~ gold % who & carried long
dangled festoons of pink blossoms.
AN ANCIENT DANCE.
All this time the music hummed and thrummed.
To vary the show We had a more grotcsque
amusement. First came eight children, who could
scarcely do more than toddle. They were dressed
purple caps formed like the Phrygian liberty cap
and dangling on the shoulders. They came into
elled walk. while two. wearing an imitation OF a
dragons skin, went through u dance and various
contortions. supposed to be dragon at play. This
reminded US of the pantomime elephant. where one
performer plays the front and another tho hind legs
In the case OF our Japanese dragon the legs
obvious, and the performers seemed indisposed
even respect the illusion. 1t was explained that
it ancient village dance one of the oldest in
Japan and that on festive OCCASIONS when the har-
vests are ripe when some legend feat of
heroism is to be commemorated they assemble and
dance it. 1t trifing. innocent dance, and you
felt you looked at it, and. indeed at all the fea
lures OF our most unique entertainment that there
was good deal of nursery imagination in Japanese
fetes and games. more striking feature was the
decorations which came with The second course of
teast First came servants bearing two trees,
one OF the pine the other OF the plum. The plum
tree was in tull blossom. One or these was set on
small table in front OF Mrs. Grant the other III front
of the General. Another decoration cherry
tree, surmountng large basin. in which were liv-
ing carp fish, The carp has an important position
i'll the legends OF Japan 1t ls the emblem OF ambi-
ton and resolution. This quality was shown in
another decoration, representing waterfall with
carp climbing against the stream. Tho tendency OF
the carp to dash against rocks aud climb waterfalls.
which should indicate low order OF intellect and
perverted Judgment is supposed to show the traits
OF the ambitious man. Perhaps the old philoso-
piers saw great doal OF folly and weakness Of
mind in the lever of ambition. and these emblems
may have had moral lesson for those who sat at
the old daimio feass. This habit of giving feasts
moral feature or adding music Tor the imagination
and legends for the mind il such wore the purpose
showed an approach to refined civilization in the
ancient days. l AN afraid, however, il we were to
dinner by such faithful would
become whimsical and lose that dignity which princes
at least wonld be supposed to give to their feasts
You will note, however, our dinner goes on it
becomes bizarre and odd, and runs away with all
well-ordered notions of what even daimo's dinner
should be. The SOUPS disappear. You see we have
only had seven distinct soups served at intervals
aud so cunningly prepared that you are convinced
had dignity which 1t has lost. One OF the mourn
ful attributes of our modern civilization Is the posi-
ton into which soup has fallen. 1t used to be tho
mainstay OF feast, the salvation OF bad dinners.
something always to be depended upon when all
went to the bad. Now the soup has been abandoned
to the United States, where have the gumbo, and
the oyster the clam and the terrapn to justify the
proud pre-emincnce OF America. am AFRAID how
ever from what l see of bills of fare ut home at tho
great easts that the clam and tho oyster in abey
ance; that the soups OF America, country s
boast and the birthrght of patriot; that the
soups which bring you memories of New England
beaches, and the that tunbles along the shores
OF the modest Chesapeake and the sandy reaches Of
Now Jersey IOlloWlng Iatc OIL tucse soups OF
Japan which you only see at these solemn daimio
feasts, which are AS much out of keeping with
the feasts of to-day the manners and costumes of
Martha Washngtons drawing room III Newport
drawing room. With tho departure of the soups our
dinner becomes fantastic. Perhaps the old damos
knew that by the time their guests had eaten of
soups and twenty courses in addition and drunk OF
innumerable dishes OF rice liquor. they were in q
condition to require n daring flight of genius.
NIGHT FALLING OVER THE TOWN.
The music Is in full flow. and the lights of the
town grow brighter with the shades of darkening
nf& ha,.
taken refuge from tho dinner cigars and tho
low brick wall and in the OF the temple
grounds crowds begin to cluster and form and below.
at the foot of the steps. the crowd larger and
larger and hear the buzz of the throng and tho
cnkng OF the lanterns OF the chair bearers for tho
whole town was i'll festive mood and high up in onr
open temple on our hillside VIC have become o show
tor the town. Well. that Is only small return for
the meas ureless hospitality we have enjoyed. and IL
crafty innocent curiosity lot think
OF much pleasure given in our way through tho
world. 1t is such a relief TO know that we have
passed beyond any comprehension of our dinner.
which We look at as SO many conceptions and prepa-
rations-curious contrvances. which we study out rs
our entertainment. The dining quality van
ishcd with that eccentric soup of lassfsh and
orange flowers. With the General IL went niue h
carller. IL must be SAID that Tor tho General the
table has few charms, and long before began upon
the skylarks and buckwhcat degraded by the egg
plant, he for whom this feast s given had taken
refuge in cigar and contcntcd himself with look
ing upon the beauty Of the town and bay and elf.
allowing the dinner TO flow along. You will observe,
II you have followed the narrative of feast
meat plays u small and Ash large part in u daimios
dinner--iish and the products OF the forest and
field. The red snapper has the place of honor,
and although havo had the snapper
in five different shapes. as q soup, az a
ragout, favored with cabbage. broiled with
picked beans and mashed, here he comes again.
baked, decorated with ribbons. with every scale in
place, folded III u bamboo basket. Certainly we can
not be expected to eat any OF the susppcr and
fancy that in the ancient feasts the da.inio in-
tended that after his guests had partaken freely they
could take q part OF tho luxury home aud have a
subsequent entertainment. Perhaps there were
poor folk in those days who had place ut the tables
OF the great. and were glad enough to have fish
a dish OF sweetmeats TO carry home. This theory
confirmed by the fact that when reached
our quarters that night VIC found that the snapper
in basket with various other dishes had been
brought after us and placed In our chambers.
IIfK END.
Here are fried snappers-snappcrs again. this time
fried with shriinps. eggs, egg plants and mashed
turnips Then have dishes. i've in number, un-
der the generic name OF "shimadai." / supp ose
shimadai means the crowning glory. the consuni-
nation of the feast In these dishes the genius of
the artist takes his most daring flight. The first