The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-04-06
China and Japan.

Bishop Bowman, in response to a
request that he should give some re-
cital of his observations while in China
and Japan, addressed a good sized
audience in the Duke street Methodist
church at Lancaster, last week, and
for an hour held their closest attention
by his interesting accounts, given in
an entertaining and conversational
style.
The bishop began by saying that he
had came without any preparation to
make some remarks, as was annouced,
upon his observations made while in
China and Japan, and would say for
the benefit of those who were not mem
bers of the church that it is the custom,
by order of the general conference, to
have missionary agents to visit every
two years the missionary fields of the
church. About five years ago it was
his duty to visit India, and while in
the old world he also was in Germany,
Norway, Denmark and Italy. Two
years ago he was appointed to visit
Mexico, and then China and Japan, in
which latter countries he spent about
eight months The bishop promised
he would confine his remarks only to
the customs and institutions of these
countries He was struck by the
wide contrast in the manner of living
between the two nations, although the
probabilities are that the Chinese are
of the same great branch cf the human
family as the japanese. For example,
the japanese always sit and lie upon
the floor; he had never seen bed
stead among them. Their bed is of
straw and mattress, and the pillow is
the same in both countries, being
block of wood scalloped out for the
reception of the neck AS instances
of their different modes of action the
speaker said the japanese in using a
saw, saw upwards the Chinese the
reverse, and in China drawing the
plane, chopping, chiseling, in fact,
almost everything that is done by
hand, is executed contrary to our
modes In the matter of dress the
Chinese are very different from the
Japanese. Instead of the multifarious
and familiar dress of the former the
latter have a long wrapper fastened by
a belt around the waist. Among
these people the spirit and general
character and appearance are very
marked. Among the japanese the
size and appearance of each are exceed
ingly alike. The Chinese vary much in
size. Those whom we are accustomed
to see, it is true, are generally small in
stature, but they mostly come from
the province of Canton, where that is
a prominent characteristic. In Japan
the common people are almost naked,
in China they are all clothed, some
very humbly, but neatly. The Jap
anese are very easy TO approach, the
Chinese are opposite. In Japan the
bishop was greeted friendly, and every.
where was saluted with 'Oio" which
there means, "Have you had your
breakfast ?"-equivalent to our GLOW
do you dos' Apropos of this, the
bishop related that while General
Bingham, of Ohio, was in that coun.
try he was so continually greeted with
this salutation by the children that he
wonderingly wanted to know of a
friend show do these little people
know / am from Ohio?" and it appear
ed quite distinction that these far
off people should so we'll appreciate
Ohio, and her characteristic produc
tion of great men. The bishop was
struck with the generous and oper
spirit of the japanese, and told severa
instances of their easy, yet well breC
familiarity In their country th,
ladies are on the street as among us
but in China the better class of ladie
confine themselves to their homes.
is among this class of the female popu
lation of China that the small feet arr
found, and it is there u common sigh
to see lady weighing perhaps l5l
pounds, hobble about with cane il
each hand, on her distorted feet
Among the common class of women
however, this custom is not in vogue
and they have feet as large as tn
ladies of Chicago, or ST. Louis, betwee
which two cities, the bishop incidentl
remarked, there is great rivalry as t
the size of the ladies feet.
: Japan is an assemblage of island.
5000 small ones and 4 large ones
These little islands are of a conica
! shape invariably, never fiat like thos
in our Susquehanna, and indicate tina
they were thrown up by volcanic pow
er. They are cultivated from bottom
to top, and are always fresh and greer
The large islands are not less titled
Among the natural attractions tn
bishop mentioned the Fusiyama,
mountain of volcanic formation 1900
feet high, which he had seen in wor
derful beauty at sunrise and sunse
,, Among the japanese there is stron
element of progress, and they hav
adopted much that is customary wit
Christianized nations. The govern
ment requires all governments
+ officials to dress in European styl
. only wearing badge to indicate the
rank. The government has set apal
every seventh day as day of res
still it is no sense a Sabbath day; it
distinctly time from cessation fro,
toll, but it is in many ways convenier
= to missionaries in their work. The
y have also adopted much of cur syste
!, OF education. The bishop had vsite
y kindergarten school, where he -four
y many children taught to sew, paint al
e draw. He had also observed that Il
i little girls had their hair banged Ill
American girls. But he proved tn
bangs were an institution of civiliz
. ton borrowed from China and Japa
: where one style of head dress is wol
g until a Gel tain age, then another sty