The New York herald., 1879-09-30
AROUND THE WORLD.
General Grants Visit to
Japan.
. SHADOWS OF HOME
Dinners, FeteS and Entertainments by Jap
aneSe and American Friends.
LAST DAYS AT TOXIC.
OF HOME
LAST DAYS AT TOXIC.

TOXIC, Sept. 2. 1879.
When General Grant returned from Hakone he
made preparations to leave Japan. We had already
stayed longer in the country than had intended,
but life pleasant in Toxic. aud every day seemed
to open new scene OF beauty and interest. and we
felt ourselves yielding to the fascinations OF this
winning civilization. The hospitality of our hosts
seemed to grow in grace and consideration. showing
no sign of wearness. We became attached to our
palace home Of Euriokwan. and began to feel
acquainted with the rooms, the curious figures on
the walls. the odd freaks in the way Of gardening.
the rustic bridges. the quaint and clean little
mer houses where could sit in the afternoon and
feel brcezes from the The weather felt unusually
warm, and with the heat came the pestilence,
and. although in Euriokwan. We were not conscious
or its presence, and felt safe under the shelterng
influence of the ocean, yet it saddsned the commu-
nifty and seemed to rest upon the capital like q
cloud. and we .sorrowed with friends. There
were trips to Yokohama. whore naval ships were
1t anchor. and Yokohama itself was well worth
Ing. evidence OF what the European had
done in making trading camp on tho shores
of ASIA For after a these Eastern European cities
but trading camps. and remind you in many ways
of the shifting towns Kansas and Nebraska during
the growing railway days. Now that the time was
coming when were to leave Japan there were dis
cussions to where we should go-discussions in
which good friend Admiral Patterson took
. leading part The General did not care
to go home: or. perhaps. it would be moro
accurate to say that he did not like to leave
anything unseen in Asia and the Pacific. As you
may. perhaps. have inferred from what have
written. General Grant has become profoundly in
terested in these lands and in the political problems
their future involves. question If any one can
much of Asia without feeling that the politics of
China and japan must some day become para
mount consideration for Americans. We have dis
cussed various routes that would bring home at
Christmas early in the spring. There is the
Amoor region, with a glance at Russian Siberia.
This trip we had almost resolved upon. but the
temptations Of Japan have carried US beyond the
time when We should go to the North. Then it is
the typhoon season. and typhoons come sometimes
unannounced in whirl. and whatever vir-
tues our men-of-war possess, typhoon
ships they lack experience. There is Aus
traia. with the Exhibition under way. ana
some Of our naval friends sketch q most attractive
programme that would take us to Melbourne and
Sydney. and Valparaiso and Callao. and in time to
San Francisco. There is visit to the King of
Sandwich Islands, promised visit-and this is
finally resolved upon Admiral Patterson offers the
Monongahela. which is under orders to return to
America. To sail the Monongahcla, however,
would involve two or three weeks longer in Japan,
and so for the present we cannot 60 to Honolulu.
Our Japanese friends invent all kinds Of schemes to
dstain u.s. and Mr. yoshida is fruitful suggestions
~ to excursions to Kobe. Kioto. Hakodadi, Osaka
and other places famous in the history of Japan.
which the cholera had hitherto prevented from
seeing. The cholera is everywhere, and precaution
can longer avail. What with the friendly
solicitations Of the Admiral on the ono
side and the Japanese the other It
is difficult to mako up our minds to 60 home. That.
however. al the end of our debates. appears to be
Dur only course; and whom it is found that
not leave for Honolulu much before October it is
resolved to sail for California in the first steamer
that leaves.
PREPARING YoR HOME.
When it was finally determined to return 1t
surprising to how much had to do. There
the gathering together Of the odds and ends Of
= long tourney-the bundling up for home. Sticks
from Maacca. fragments of gauze from Delhi, brass
work from Benares, bits of crockery from Pekin-
what you call your "things"-assume consequence
that their Importance does not justify. When I
started on my journey around the world one Of the
pleasures that set apart for myself that would
hot buy anything; that 1 should not burden my
mind with curosities allow any OF the por-
celain ivory manias to afiict me- There seemed
to be among many friends much useful energy
gone to waste crockery and bronze that re-
solved to make merit Of my own self-denial and
bring back from the East only flush Of radiant
memories. But no virtue. however robust. can
stand the temptations of Canton and Yokohama.
and found myself taking an interest in ''things''
like other people. and going into silk shops and
fumbling the light and airy stuts which the genius
of the East has fashioned for woman's adornment
and studying out the beauty of a saucer or vase
And although clung to my resolution valisntly
things began to accumulate and the great question
of our latter days in Japan what should
do with them. and, moreover. what would the Col
iector at the California Custom House do with
them2 never knew that there was 80 much to in
terest you the revenue laws until began to look
mp the duties bit of ''old blue" II any OF my
readers do not know what ''old blue" means
would advise them never to learn. happened at
times to bo the companion of honored fricnd who
has mastered tho "curio" question; who know
bronze and ivory silk and clay and iron and whose
amusement was to run away from the hos
pitaitios oil his Japanese hosts and lose him
SELF in a suburb Of Toxic and prowl from
shop to shop. ''You sec." he would
say. "by doing this got away from the
range OF the globe trotters, who ruin the
market and give the people false ideas to
prices and degrade the taste Of the Sellers Here
are in old japan. and never pay moro than 81 for
anything" These were interesting expeditions. We
would dive into the oldest out-ofthc-way places in
Toxic. aud tho people would assemble from the
neighborhood. and whilo We were digging out some
fragment Of bronze iron testing tho temper OF
some poor. dismantlcd samauri's sword, wonder
ing crowd would gather--men. women and chill
dren--who stood and watched and chattered. and
when WI went our way, followed after, until we be-
gan to fecl like street preachers. In of those
oxCurRiOua to know the m of told
blue" IL seems that made confession that knew
nothing about "old blue" that Inevor saw any that
could remember; that took great deal for granted
In tho crockery question:; and when my friends.
who had manias on the subject. gave way to their
emotions. l allowed them to run on, thinking of
Othor things. "whati never have seen old bluey'
was the response 'Thon you don't know tho
beauty that the Chinese have been able to throw
over their clay. There 10 no old blue In Japan.