Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-25
LETTER FROM JAPAN.


ings, Etc.
YOKOHAMA, Japan, March SOth, 1880.
United STATES LEGATION, ToKEI 81 January,
lS8O-It is pleasure to inform you that His
Excellency General Saigo has sent his two
messengers to me, this morning, to acquaint
me thar his excellency will expect Mrs. - and
Yourself to breakfast with him on Monday
next at lam, and that his excellency's carriage
will be in waiting for you at Shimbashi Sta
ton, Tokei, at II: 80 A. M, to convey You to
his house. / send you this notice at his excel
lency's request. This is in strict accordance
with the ancient custom of the Orient from
the days of Father Abraham, so you will please
understand that his excellency, in this special
proceeding, has shown to you the highest mark
of respect.
Truly, and with kind regards to Mrs. -,
Yours, JNo. 4. BINGHAM.
The above invitation having been duly ae-
cepted, we found ourselves on the morning
of February I'd, steaming along by rail over
the seventeen miles of pleasant country land
lying between this city and Tokei, and eager
for the new experience-an hours ride away.
The sun shone warm and bright There was
hint of the spring time in the early bloom
ing of peach and cherry trees along the route,
though will say right here,
that these trees, though of abundant bios
SONS, never bear fruit, and the high hills on
our left and the broad bay on our right, with
the thickly settled villages here and there
between, seemed all so peaceful and so
bright that for time we half forgot the
wearying waste of waves flying between us
and our 0pn, and seemed to be not SO far
from them, after all.
Tokei city proper is spread out over ten
miles square, the land gently sloping to-
wards the bay on one side, and intersected
nearly through the center the other way by
a river of fair proportions, as we speak OF
our rivers in America of the second or third
class in size. The greater portion of these
ten miles square is nearly level, so that to
the eve, from the summit of any one of the
five hills in the city limits, the effect is much
like that of Chicago seen from an elevation.
Though commonly called hills, these ele-
waited portions are too small and too low to
be thus properly designated.
In former times the tycoons and princes
Of the empire appropriated the elevations as
the sites for their palaces and Notifications,
but since the restoration of the present form
of government, nearly all of them have by
degrees become occupied by ministers of the
various departments, and other high officials,
and in one or two instances have been set
apart for the foreign legations accredited to
the Mikado's court.
Gen. Saigo's residence occupies fine po-
sition on one of these knells, overlooking at
least one-half of the city, and IN the imme-
date vicinity of Ministers Inonye and Ito, of
the home department, and other government
officers of high rank; and it was here that
his excellency's carriage conveyed us from
Shimbashi station, preceded, or accompa-
MED, or followed, as occasion seemed to re-
quire, by his two Bettos, who made every
thing ring with their chi ! hi" or with
something of similar sound, and which
means "clear the way!''
General Saigo's residence is a large one
story building, half European, half Japan
ese, surrounded by beautiful trees and
plants, and managed, upon that occasion at
least, after European model. The genial
general and his young and pretty wife re-
ceived US most cordially, and among the
guests we had the pleasure of meeting our
minister, the Hon. John A. Bingham, and
his accomplished daughter Ministers Yo-
shida and Ueyno, with their wives, and sew
eral others, all in European dress-Mrs.
Ssigo's first appearance therein-and all de-
hghtfuIly social and-jolly.
I must not forget to mention the six-year-
old heir to his fathers warrior name. and
his mothers gentle ways, who, on account
of his martial appearance and true soldlerly
bearing, child though he was, was re-
christened General Ulysses Napoleon Saigo''
by one of the guests, amid signs of universal
approval We, of America, will hear of that
boy hereafter.
The "breakfast' was an elaborate one. l
should have called it dinner, with the veg
etsbles left out-and it lasted fully two
hours. Afterward, wine and coffee for the
ladies in the drawing room, and q. banquet
of California roses presented to each by the
little general Ulysses Napoleon
At o'clock Gen. Saigo requested us to
accompany him to the military school, dis
tant about two miles from his house, and
after the ladies' from America had readjusted
their hats (the Japanese ladies had not re-
moved their wraps during all these hours)
kneeling before the little low mirror IN
the dressing room, and assisted by sprlght-
ly little maid, all were ready, and OF we
went.
The long line of carriages made an i'm
posing display as we passed down the hill
over broad, smooth road, and across a
bridge past crowds of natives, on up the
1lS0 VI RIOUhN uHOh WAAAOi oSesAANo eAc A-AAAA
tary college buildings.
Gen. Grant said of this school, that no.
where in the world had he seen any superior.
This much I, woman, loving peace and
hating all that partakes of the nature of war,
can say, that what these japanese cadets
cannot learn here, must assuredly not be
very valuable to know, in the art of scien-
.ifo strife and destruction.
Aside from its military character, as an
institution for education of their youth, the
Japanese have provided everything here
which experience could make need
full and money could buy.
The buildings present the neat,
well-kept appearance observable always about
military schools, the principal ones forming
the sides of square sufficiently large for all
kinds of infantry drill and exercise. Two
small companies of cadets were apparently
awaiting us, and at once went through their
marchings and counter marohings and man.
nal of arms in way which was most credita-
BILE. Next we witnessed some cavalry move
ments in large building designed for this
purpose, similar to those at our West Point,
and can vouch for it that the Japanese boys
know how to ride we'll and gracefully. Their
horses are smaller than ours, and much re-
semble an Indian pony after few months of
care and civilized life. In harness these
horses mil splendidly, but have no more