Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1886-07-16
THE JAPANESE PEOPLE IN 1871.


| The Phenomenal Colored serrant-The
Girded Sword-Temper of the Weapon.
Perry's visit to Japan was as complete
an epoch for the people of that country
as Columbus to the native of America.
The latter disappeared under the alien
visitation. Dai Nippon has profited
it. Events are dated in Japan from the
appearance of Perry just as we COM
mence an epoch from the birth of the
Saviour. The Tenno lived in the Naisu-
Maru, part of the Oyeno or fortified
| palace grounds of the old Tycoon.
Horticnlturally, I remember, these
| grounds We're perfect, great camelha
trees, beautiful flowers of all kinds. hand
some drives and the gardening culture.
The inclosure was moated and invulnera-
BILE to any attack devoid of artillery,
sheltered and guarded against any an
ese--s e~-.-- !. <-s@<sSs-ssss
central gate-the O-te-go-mon, gate of
the great hand-was the one we entered
by. Shrines, grotesque monuments and
queer tiled buildings were in plenty, and
men and officers, but no women. Not
female face was seen In or about any of
the official residences, except at the.
entertainment at the Homa-goten,
Sawa's palace, when singing and dancing
girls gave an exhibition during the even
ing. Japan is changing, so that I pre-
sumo in few years all the old will have
disappeared and with it much of rare
historical and artistic interest.
When was in the country, in the in
terror foreigner was a curiosity, equal
to the first Chinaman or Jap seen by us
here. On visit made to the summit of
Fuji-yama III the summer of 1871 went
to the famous hot springs at Hakone;
at nearly every tea-house our party was
as much of an exhibition as Jo-Jo or the
woman with big feet is here. A colored
servant, dark as Erebus, who had
with me, was phenomenal ,ect to
the innocent Japs. The men and women
would come up to him, try to rub the
black off with their hands and be sur
prised they could not, and laugh over it
with the contagious and hilarious glee
the people o much enjoy. My watch
would have been passport anywhere
into the interior, as they never tired
looking "at the wheels go round Inso-
lence and suspicion was never met with
among the common folk, but only from
the Samural. These fellows are born
brawlers and when flushed with saki
were dangerous. All wore swords then,
now done away with. They set great
store by this weapon, and a japanese
noble often wore one worth 81 900. The
occupation-alone of all the trades-of
swordsrnith in old Japan was an honora-
bic one and the members of the guild of
gentle blood. Iyeyasu, founder of the
last dynasty of Shoguns, left motto
that 'the girded sword was the living
soul of the Samural" When forging
the edge of the blade the ancient sword
smith put on the robes of the Kuge class
or mobiles of the Mi-ka-do's court.
The temper of these trenckant weapons
excels any Toledo trusty. recall
visit Iwa-kuru and his official family
paid the late Admiral John Rodgers on
the flagship Colorado. While in the
cabin Admiral Rodgers-Fighting Jack
Rodgers he was called in the service, to
distinguish him from the present Ad-
miral G. r. P. Rodgers, whose sailor
name is Chesterfield Rodgers, on account
of the urbanity with which he could ask
the deck s.ficer to take a reef in the top
sails or set lower stun 'sail-was show
ing the japanese San-jo-dai-jin the
mettle of a sword presented to him by
the emperor of Russia, when it snapped
like whipcord. Iwa-kuru took his long
katana, heavily mounted and rich in
cunning metal work-probably an heir
loom in his family for centuries-bent it
hither and thither and almost tied bow
knot in it. Our admiral was not little
chagrined at the bad behavior of his
Russian weapon. Afterwards, however,
the San-jo-dai-jin sent him superb ma
tive sword, probably equal to his own in
temper. remember hearing one of the
court officers say that it was not consid-
cred good sword that would not at one
blow cleve through the dead bodies of
three men. Young noblemen were wont
to try their maiden swords by bribing
the headsman to use them at public exc
cutions, and fierce, inhuman Yakonins
tested theirs not infrequently in the old
times on dogs and lazars on the public
highway.-Ex-Naval Officer in Phila-
delphia Times.