The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-11-27
about it, perhaps, still they battle regu-

ABOUT III, D6Tndps, SILL iHeY DA6D6 Tegu-
larry and we'll. Nikko (which means
the wonderful, the beautiful is one
hundred miles north of Toxic. Among
the mountains which traverse the island
throughout its entire length, it is ap-
preached by splendid highway, along
which for distance of 80 miles it is per-
fectly shaded by rows of lofty cedars,
whose foliage meets and intermingles
hundred feet above your head. IT'S a
magnificent avenue, arched over by
these heroic, sturdy trees, and suggests
to the traveller something of the solemn
grandeur which awaits him at the other
end. Here are splendid waterfalls, and
lonely, lovely mountains lakes, framed
by wooded peaks, which rise gracefully
from the waters edge, the red Sacquered
bridge, over which nobility travels on its
yearly pilgrimages to the Great Temple,
ancient and beautiful, which lies just be-
yond, while far above on the hillside in
a grove of stately Cryptomarea, the LIST
Shotgun lies buried, surrounded by the
choicest beauties of nature and the
matches Japanese art of ages ago. A
place SO quiet, SO peaceful, and withal
so picturesque, and so beautiful that the
voice is involuntarily subdued to a
whisper, and EXPLANATIONS die upon the
lips, while contemplating the solemnity
and the grandeur which characterize
everything about this charming spot.
The change that has taken place in
her political history during the past 20
years, and the marvellous advancement
of the people since they adopted the
newer civilization warrant the prediction
that ere many generations Japan will
be abreast of the most progressive ma
tons of she earth. They remained in
happy, blissful ignorance of the outer
world for many centuries, as contented
and cheerful people as the world will
ever know, but the recent changes have
been even more radical than those ex-
perienced by Russia under Peter the
Great. Their splendid ship yards at
Yokosuka, where they are building fine
merchant ships and competent men-of-
war, and where the din and hustle of
business is of the modern American
type, their excellent postal and railway
systems, operated entirely by native Off
Gals, their grand feet of 60 steam mer.
chantmen, plying regularly to all the
ports of the Empire, and reaching even
to China, and last, but by no means least,
their SMALL standing army, are all con-
vincing evidences of healthy, peaceful
progress. Totooing and head shaving
have been abolished by direction of the
Mikado, and they are wearing clothing
less shocking to modern propriety, while
many in the seaport towns have adopted
European dress throughout, though l
think the various improvers" are not
received without some misgivings yet.
To see Japan as it has been, one must
penetrate into the interior even now.
The contamination of the simple, yet
beautiful manners of this interesting
people, by contact with the European
and American element, is as painfully
evident here as in the Sandwich Islands
and all other countries where our boast
ed civilization has taken root. Just I'M
der my window at the hotel in Yokoha-
ma occurred an incident in point, which
may help to illustrate the tendency of
the age. One of the town boys had sue
ceeded in picking up one of the most
vulgar and least expressive of our Yam
kee oaths, and was teaching it to a class
of score or more of children. He drill
ed them as faithfully and patiently as
ever a school teacher did her duller pu-
pills on a rule of syntax, and when all
had mastered the new acquisition, they
dispersed as all classes do in time, some
of the more boisterous practicing the
new discovery on their fellows, while
the more thoughtful trudged off toward
home rehearsing the difficult expletive
in an undertone.
The engaging natural features of Japan
are innumerab!e; the people are fas-
cinating study, and their history is Pc
culiarly interesting. The present EN-
peror is the 123d in direct descent from
a mythical somebody who ruled the
country more than 20 centuries ago.
The revolution of 1868 called him forth
from the palace in Kioto, where he and
his ancestors had been imprisoned for
many centuries during the period OF
Feudalism, when line of powerful
princes, called Shoguns, retained the
power they had usurped by feudal wars
Images of Buddha in stone and bronze
are to be found in every part of the coun.
try-the finest being at Kamakara, 25
miles from Yokohama and it is fine
indeed A sitting figure so feet in height
gracefully proportioned, representing the
dreamy, half'conscious condition, known
as The Nirvana" in Buddhist theology
and to which every good Buddhist hopes
to attain after the purifying period Of
l frar, tInY, Tho
Mikado is Shintoist, and since the re.
storation of '68 many of these fine bronze
images of Buddha haye been offered as
merchandise at prices merely nominal
On clear day the symmetrical cone
of sacred Fusiyama is visible at sea for
a distance of 100 miles. 1t is q grand
old mountain of $4,000 feet in height,
and most welcome sight to the sea-
sick traveller, who has been for 20 days
rolling and tumbling about upon the
bosom of the broad Pacific. It seems
to announce the happy fact that there
is some land left-that this world is not
all water (which you may have thought
in one of your maddest sea-sick reveries),
and that the country you left behind
you three long weeks ago is only frag-
ment that her wonderful Niagara and
Yosemite, her National Park and Sierra
Nevadas, are only few of the wonders
and beauties of earth displayed upon
her surface to the gaze of admiring, be-
wildered man.
The graceful form of lovely Fusi
| (yama means mountain) will seem to
accompany you everywhere in your
pleasure trips about this delightful coun-
try. You can turn from the lesser (but
not less beautifully works of nature about
you and gaze your fill upon her giant
form any time you are wearied with the
great diversity, until you move to the
Westward and enter the picturesque
Inland Sea, where splendidly terraced
and green-wooded specks of Japanese
soil dot the surface of the water il every
direction. The ship seems to be travel
ing in land-locked bay constantly here,
and steering straight to landward. but
approaching nearer narrow channel is
opened up to view, which communicates
i Il