Connecticut western news., 1880-05-26
Japan Letter No. 10.
Written by Mir. Thomas 0. Bradbury, to his family in Ashley Falls, Mass, and fur nished THE NEWS for publication.

Written by Mir. Thomas 0. Bradbury, to his
 family in Ashley Falls, Mass, and fur
 nished THE NEWS for publication.
 KOBE, Japan, Oct. 19, 1879. started out last Sunday after tifin to find the mission church of the Congregational mis- sion, and in my walk came to a temple which had not seen before. The grounds contain several acres, and the temple buildings are very pretty. On the grounds are several tea houses and as many drinking saloons, besides several side shows, such as Japanese theatri- calls, and jugglers. The temple is erected for the worship of a great general who fought in their wars with the people who conquered China, and now he is god. I heard they diefied one of his sons. You see how in this way a nation as old as the Japanese can mul- tiply their gods. In the temple at Kioto, (which hope to see,) there is an enormous image of Buddha, and several thousand small gods that are worshiped. I found the mission church just as service commenced. It was a neat little church. It was full when arrived, and the service was conducted the same as at home ill the Congregational church. Or course I could not understand, but knew what they were doing, and enjoyed it greatly they sang old familiar tunes. The melodeon was played part of the time by one of the ladies connected with the mission, and part of the time by a Japanese girl. The congregation all sang, and seemed to enjoy it immensely. A more orderly congregation could not be found any where. I did not go to the mission church last Sunday, but went up into the hills or mountains. I followed path up one of the glens, thinking I would go to the top of the mountain, but was disappointed, for the path ended in an amphitheatre. the sides oi which were so steep could not climb them The mountains are cut into deep ravines, but | no piles of rocks as we see at home. The whole range is formed of soft granite, which is worn away by the elements, and carried down with the water, thus forming the flat lands be- tween the mountains and the bay. I have no doubt that there was time when the noun tains rose almost perpendicularly from the sea, but the gradual wearing away of the mountain has made descending plain oi greater or less width from the base of the hill to the water of the bay. These gorges are a perfect solitude. The path winds along the | side sometimes hundreds of feet above the little streams of water which creep along the bottom in silence, damned into reservoirs at every possible place to save the water for times of drought, for without water the land is not capable of cultivation: These struc- lures are probably thousands of years old, and seem to be part of the mountain. All the sides of the ravines are covered with vegeta- tion, mostly a coarse stiff fern, and 8 vine oi the bean specie, the same wild flowers that we | haua oho small daisies that have so many colors on the same stem, and many others so familiar to the eyes of the American. There are no cattle pasturing on these green mountains You set some birds and wild animals, but otherwise il is perfect solitude as soon as the windings of the glen hide the plain from view. It would be pleasant to explore these places with com panv, but being alone, the solitude and si lence of these vast chasms strike chill ovel me. so that was glad to get cut where coult see the town and the bay.
 1 have nothing very interesting to tell you at this tune. but was forcibly struck few days since with the mode of transportation here, so different from ours at home. was a the copper smelting works at O., village about half 8 mile from Kobe. While lookine at the copper ore saw that it was dumped il small heaps about peck in & place. fount upon asking that the ore is carried in bask et from the mines to the works, on mems shoul ders. They have long bamboo stick with basket suspended from each end thus the, carry the ore four miles from the mines to tho smelting furnace, indeed everything is carried in that way. Amerchant fifty or an hundred miles back in the country comes to buy goods he either brings his coolies with him, or hire them here. The goods are put up in pack ages and covered with oiled paper to keep ou the wet. The coolies carry the packages hunt from the ends of the poles, as you may have seen them. Sometimes l see dozen of then : going out together carrying merchandise q The railroads make some difference, there art only two short ones, however, and as man, people to be supplied as there are in tn, United States. The farmers bring their pro duce to market in this way, and carry out tn, manure for their lands in the same way. Tn, weather is cooler, and the second crop of pota toes are in blossom. We have green beam and spinache all the time. Apples come iron California, and are 20 cts. pound. The Jap anese apples and pears are hard, dry, ant tasteless. You should see the persimmons the town is full ofthem they have been in tn, market a long time, and seem to be nor, plentiful than ever. They are about as larg, as goose egg, and about that shape. W, peel them, and the ilfside is about the consis tency of ripe peach, and of delicious flavor with scarcely trace of the astringency attri butable to the persimmon. The trees grow Very large, some sixty feet high, and bea1 I nroE, , perfectly green they are eaten by the Jap only. Pomegranites are plenty, but the for eigners do not eat them. Grapes also are il market, but they are not good. Summer fruits will soon be gone, but then orange es vii be plenty and very good. We lack some fruit and miss it very much.