Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-04-18


nave travelled on the Inland sea.
;. ". ThAhER.
The Mikado's Empire comprises four thou
sand Islands or more in the south Pacific
ocean, collected in group six hundred miles
long by three hundred wide, in form of a crc>-
cent. The northern horn of the crescent curves
towards and is 80 near To the continent of A-i,
that the intervening space in summer time can
Ice crossed by Il canoe and in Winter on the ir,
in less than u days time. Japan contains about
one hundred and fifty thousand square miles,
and upwards of thIrty-tOur million inhabitants.
About twO-thir,l> of the Empire i mountainous
and unproductiye, where dwell the Amos .wh"
hold the same relation to the Japanese u the
American Indians do To the whites in the
United States.
The chain Of mountains which extends from
sea To sea throughout the length and breadth OF
the Empire, with their numerous spurs present
thousands upon thousands OF mountain peaks.
presenting evidences of volcanic origin every
where among them; peerless above them ALL.
H>l- anna. mn tff ~
thousand feet high; ii is seen far out at sea u
we approach the bay OF leddo. According 10
the traditions of the japanese, two hundred
and eighty years before the birth of Christ, the
earth opened Il space sixty miles long by
eighteen as wide: 10 compensate for this
waste of land up sprung Fu,i-Yama. a burning
mountain. which continued 10 spout forth
4. l.pf-s
tian era. Earthquakes have been of frequent
occurrence in the neighbOrhood. The last one
of any importance was near Toxic, the present
capital of the empire, about twenty-five wears
ago, when upwards Of twenty thousand lives
were destroyed. The scattered and cntangled
mountains Of japan are not of the regular form
of Fusi-I anna rising majesticallv and gracefully
to the sky, with rounded submits and curved
lines, but present Jagged peaks, rivcn crestS,
abrupt sides, frightful precipIcc-, and dark,
gloomy gorgeS, with trembling foundations.
subject to repeated earthquakes, terrible land
slides and foods, and ds,Auctivc typhoon~ and
tidal wavc( AN une1s,aicd and pagan peo-
pie, inhabiNns country subject To such cas-
ualues, we should NATURALLY expect To he SUI
perstitious and credulous. The traditions of
this people are rcplete with super>tliIons
witchcraft, and the presence and influence Of
spirits and imaginary gods, who for ages ante
rior to the commencement Of their historical
era l66D wears before Christi 10 the present
period. have ruled over them and controlled
their destineS. The mythology OF the japanese
refers more particularly TO the origin of The
MikadO (the emperor of Japan than 10 the
first appearance of the Amos, the aborigncs
of the Islands. Yet there i in their e co>mog-
ony" reference TO the creation of the world.
more 10 explain the way in which the rulers
were descended from the gods, than for the
origin of the species. In the early history ot
Japan there existed Il race which. if not coeyal
with the Malay, occupying the continent of
Asia, were their descendants. In the northern
Islands of Japan, aS in northern Asia and in
North America, stone implements are cN-
humed, which in form, size and material from
which they are constructed. bear to each other
such resemblance that there can he no doubt
of their common origin, design and purposes.
Among the abOrsine> OF these Islands the be-
lief still exists, and i also entertained, as |
have been told, by many modern japanese,
some of whom are quite well educated. that the
origin of the Japs, a they are iainiliary
termed. was from the commingling of the
human with the brute species. II has been
suggested by some writer, whose name ha> es-
capped my memory, that these oriental> may
tus supply the missing lllk III l'tfN IN tiiln
of the successive development of man from the
lower order of animals.
The present MikadO tempcrorl OF Japan l.
the one hundred and twenty-third in succession
of the same blood who have been rulers since
the reign of the first Mikado \ lmmui who
became the SoyereignS of the people six hun
,lred and sixty years before the birth Of Christ.
These rulers have not been each the son of his
predecessor, but the ruler has been his chosen
or choice made by the Dianio> or
Shiosuns from those who are OF the blood
Of the sacred family. The history Of no
other country in the world can boast q dynasty
of the same family for two thousand five hun
bred wears mbrOken.
For long period in the history of Japan
there We're tribal. feudal and other sectional
wars, which give temporal power 10 the head,
If factions, but never was the Mka-
dos sacred authority successfully di,
puted, although many Of them have
spent long lives i'll seclu>ion from the
world, preierrIng 10 keep themselves free from
all responsibility in the management of gov
arnment affairs and alOOt from the public gaze |
If the people, than TO hazard their safety. per-
'onal and regal, by participating with those
not descended from the gods.
The inhabitants of these Islands in the lapse |
If time became divided into the Amos and the |
rue japanese; the former occupying the noun |
ainou> regions. the latter the sea shore and the |
claims. In process of time the icudll system |
t>lipll-lltu lll'lll anu i NV III on
If the people into castles and Glasses, with |
'ulerS of districts, took place. The earliest |
classification WAS into the descendants from tho
,ods, the military, the farmers and peasants.
md the artisans and merchants. Il distinction
which was maintained with such notifications
Is naturally follow the Introduction of sue
ass'va E.TIn. az religion fr.'" tho earliest
period in the history of Japan 10 the
ear 1865. The first religious sect of which
mention is made is the! ShntO; what il was.
Fharf ltsr xN-a III off,. f1..sr
vas one presiding over every object known To
hem, and the author of every trauspring
vent, is not known. The earliest and the
most modern japanese scholars. the Buddhist
nd the Jesuit priests, who have devoted their
YES through successive rpoch> III the history
Japan have not transmitted TO Us any salts
tctory explanation of the results Of their study
ShintO. Buddhism was early Introduced Ia
ne Japanese and i now in modified form
leir religion. :. W. THANEE.