Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-08
From The Stars Travelling Commissioner.


TOKYO, July 25, 1888.
On the morning OF the 10th inst the appalling
news reched Tokyo that an enormous volcano had
exploded somewhere In the north OF Japan killing
and wOunding thousand people Japan Is the
earthquake country OF the world but familiarity
with cataclysms as experience has shown breeds
anything but contempt, the moral effect OF them
being cumulative rather than diminishing and
this news was received with something like con-
sternation, as possibly foreshadowing a general
renascence OF volcanic activity. Among foreigners
details were nrst learned at the legations, TO be
confirmed and amphfied next morning by the Eng
nsn anu vernacuiar press The outbreak had
pa Of s 81 rnIss Ts1 81 10 1De
great volcanic ridge running north and south
through the country, the chief of them being Ban
ualsan, situated on.the shore OF Lake Inawashiro,
In the province OF fwashiro, In the prefecture or
hen OF Fukushima about two hundred miles
north OF Tokyo and midway between sea and sea.
And fuller Information did not SHOW as is usually
the case that the nrSt vague accounts were great
y e1aggerated on the contrary, IL was certain
pendous on record and had caused frightful de
structon OF life and property. Besides the diff-
Guilty OF obtaining accurate Information, such an
event Is among the very rarest experiences OF
life, and party was hastily formed TO visit the
scenes OF the catastrophe. IL consisted OF Capt
BrinkIey. r. A.. the editor and proprietor OF
the japan DAILY Mdii, the leading English
newspaper In tins part OF the East; Major
Times; Captain Munter, the Armstrong; repre-
sentative In the East; two gentlemen from Yoko-
Government has done me the honor 10 attach 10
me for my stay here. We left at daylight the next
things 20 dwarf the most extravagant visions OF a
dSOrfered Imagination, and the mere memory OF
beneath ones feet To attempt TO describe them
Is 10 Try 10 draw upon the heavens with ones pen.
ON THE ROAD.
One OF the excellent lines OF railway In Japan runs
from Ueno, on the outskirts OF Tokyo, nearly due
north ~ miles passing through the province OF
N m m ne IN ~ ma car
which are midway between the English and Ameri-
can models In their construction, brought US TO
the little town OF MOtomiya, which was the limit
OF the itinerary We had been able to determine
upon before leaving Tokyo. Installed for dinner
lage, and our "boys" having astonished the IN
mates by the sight OF a foreign repast consisting
chiefly OF canned meats and champagne ut Is
absolutely necessary for most foreigners to take
all their food with them on an inland trip, eSpe-
cially over such an UnOeaten track as this pro-
missed TO be- we learned that Tide OF about thirty
miles In JlnrikiShaS over q rather bad road would
bring US 10 the village or lnawasnlro, from which
Vandalism could be reached on foot or on horse
back This would have been entirely satisfactory
except for the fact 10 carry ourselves our servants
and our provisions, nearly a dozen Jlnrlkishas
were required and there was not one In the place
halt OF half day was therefore forced upon US
while the vehicles were procured from the nearest
town. Tea-house lie Is feudaI In its quaintness
but as unexcting as a Quakers' meeting, and
tributary narrow ones, all fianked with shops
where nothing Is sold except tine most inexpensive
necessares OF life, offered neither recreation nor
adventure. UDder such circumstances an Eng
nshman does one thing the world over-he plays
whist Then the six OF Us slept soldier-like side
BY side on the floor under three mosquito nets, and
at six the next morning our long procession OF
Jlnrikishas trundled away toward the mountains
TO THE VILLAGE ON THE ROCK.
The coolie rule Is fifteen minutes rest every two
hours, and from six to eight cur twenty runners
logged steadily on, their bare legs and bare arms
moving with an almost unvarying rythm; encour-
aging one another with short sharp cries, pass
Ing the word along 10 warn against a stone or a
I'M In mo rxhn mill tnsr n ba
heaviest man always take the lead, and as our
railway magnate weighed something under twenty
stone our pace Was decidedly moderate. still, the
road was good the coolies were fresh, the morning
air was cool aud Draclng, anu IL was Just O'Clock
ner to the tea-house in the village Of Iwanimura,
rather less than four ri from M0tomiy a,-say nine
miles IN TWO M1 hOuTs 30 Ia the country had
stretching mOnOJOnously through a broad extent
OF verdant paddy fields, dotted with and
women bent double among the heavily-manured
roots Of the rice-plants, knee-deep In the evil
smelling mud, half naked, but sexess, in their IN
ever the scene changed. spotless matted d or,
two feet from the ground covered with exqui-
punches OF ia cakes are hanging and kettle boil
ing over brazier or charcoal; a long row OF
white duck suits and big helmets sitting on the
mats with their feet In the road, passing around
the inevitable flask; a group Of happy, chattering
score Of half-naked, orawny, sun-brOwned
coolies sluicing themselves with water out
hot snow-white rice into their mouths; a pretty
girl with bright brown eyes, wonderfully white
skin, and Jetblack teeth, the sign OF her wfehOod
which she shows all the while in an unbroKen
stream OF merry laughter as she kpeels beside each
In turn with the tiny teacup; In doorway across
the street a lOng-haired DOy-nO, IL Is slender,
sweet-faced girl in blouse and trousers timidly
wondering and wondering at these sudden visit
ants from a strange world; high above US a little
gabled house perched upon an Overhanging rock,
halI-Duried in pines-a Norwegian sdeter trans
planted 10 anothe. hemisphere; far beyond along
destination; a few sen In payment and a whole
household bowling with forehead 10 the door in a
chorus Of reiterated drtgato and sayonara
THANK YOU and "Good-bye,-thaI is Iwanmura
the village on the rock" as we saw IL for mo-
ment week ago. No yoroshii, cry the coolies
and We are Oh.
FIRST INFORMATION OF THE ERUPTION.
From this point every mile took US uphill and
the landscape rapidly became more broken and
rugged, until in two hours time, when we ran into
the village OF Takatama and repeated the process
OF rest and refreshment In another tea-house un.
der the shadow OF a high green hill, the country
resem6led the rolling foothills OF the Rocky
brown II was covered TO the hll-tops with bril-
liant yerdure. Herr we received our first infor-
mation or the eruption. terrible noise the peO-
pie said, had reached them, lasting nearly an
hour, ana they had all deserted the village and
ned, expecting TO be overwhelmed; but the noise
lama we were nearly nalf way TO Inaw ashiro, ana
over the best part OF the road We had come niteen
miles In three hours and half of actual travelling.
The mountainous character OF the country and It's
resemblance 10 Norway now became stiIl more
strongly marked; In front and behind US a series
OF striking and picturesque views sprang up: the
little hamletS we passed were idylc In their stu
ati0n-Jaey might indeed have been placed upon
The stage Tor the setting OF grand opera without
altering a stone or Tree, their graceful gables
peeping through willows and naples above Which
rose the sloplng expanse OF pines ana hrs which
covered the base OF the ascent, while above these
again lowered the green mountains. Here the
peasants were engaged In the culture Of silk: hum
dreds OF hat mat-baSkets filled with bushels OF
cOcoons lay about the houses, and through every
door We Caught glimpse OF men and women
Keeling the silk thread upon primitive wooden SPIN
ning-wheels. As we got farther from the ordinary
roads OF travel too dress ceased almost entirely TO
direrentiate sex; men and women, boys ana girls
alike wore the blouse and tight trousers or rough
blue cotton. IL would seem, therefore, that ciyl-
ration emphasizes Sex-a nut, perhaps, for some OF
our more radical reformers 10 crack Given un-
ceasing and wholly unlmagfnattve labor for both
and the sentimental distinctions between man
and woman are Obllterated- segregation Is asex-
ual, remarked our professor, sententiously. An
other curious fact that struck me the appar-
ent great preponderance OF boys over girls among
The children
SHORT CUT.
The road had now become very bad and billy
and the coolies labored along. wfping the profuse
preparation from their faces. We had been rid
Ing for some time by the side OF little irrigar-
Ing stream running fast downhn 70 the rice 1elds
Soon our men stopped at the foot OF a broken as
Inv ersIN