Telegram-herald., 1889-06-12
OLD JAPAN.
several Lectures ga japan - Rev. bali
Wright

hlled again last evening, aud the In-
strucIlye lecture upon The Noe
Japan" By Rev ". BAH Wright Was lis
tened 10 With marked attention. Tie
lecturer began " lth the early discover
81 Of travellers vino penetrated to
Japan, and traced rs progress aud
chanses down % the present time.
Ihe eesbrated traveller Marco Polo,
ia the history OF his travels. says that
Ziphanga is "a very large island on the
east aud about fifteen hundred mlcs
from China, aud that the inhabitants
are OF white complexion and
gentle manners, and have
king of their own. He speak
II the riches Of the country, and that
the kings palace was covered with
gold. The Emperor OF China sent an
expedition similar 10 the Spanish
Armada against the island. They
landed and were at first successful, but
a great storm and many of the ships
were lost. The Tartar army was
finally obliged TO surrender IN l26i.
THIS first called the attention of Europe
70 the country. \ Portuguese private
WAS driven by storm upon the island
Of kiusIn I'M the south OF the group in
l5i2. 500 years later. This resulted
I'M the opening ot trade between
Malacca, Macao and Japan.
Ia few years the Spanish Dutch
and English became competitors Tor
Japanese trade.
\ Japanese nObleman who had killed
friend IN squared flying To Malacca on
hoard a trader, met there the famous
Francis Navier, who was then AT the
head of mission. Converted 10y HIM
and haptised under the name of Paul
OF the Cross, he urged that preachers
bc sent to turn his people from dark
ness To light, and so interested Nayler,
that with a few companions, he set sail
from Japan in Chinese pirate junk
and landed i'm klnshln. HIS own let
ters tell of his labors for three years,
planting the banner of the cross in
many parts of the country.
In order To get into Keyoto, the capt
tai citv, he hired out as n courier to a
merchant and went barefoot over the
mountains for hundreds of miles IN
the winter season, and thus
was able 10 proclaim the gospel
in the imperial city. His
friend Roddignez succeeded him, and
labored with great success for forty
years, and nearly million of the IN
habitants became adhercnts of Cathol-
icsm.
&f.- -. ,-oor- of Cl,~;-t,o, ID
vclOpment persecution began, and
although many apOstacsed, no less
than 30, 900 died for their tenacity to
Christianity. of 100 missionaries only
five renOunced the faith to save their
lives, and became BuddhiSts. The
practice OF Christianity Wds forbidden
under pain of death in 1911. Mission
arle, and merchants were forbidden
entrance into the country, and natives
who left the country, or We're even
sh.pwreckcd on other shores. We're not
allowed 10 return. The HOllanders
were admitted upon humiliatlng condI-
tons. and they even stamped on the
cross Co express their indifference To
the Christian religion. These were
only allowed IN a factory IN little
island, and not allowed to 90 elsewhere
nto the country. kempfen and Won
~.ebold are the only authorities upon
Japan for long period, they having
lived Tor some time at the factory.
Thirteen unsuccessful attempts We're
made by the Russians and English TO
reopen trade between the years 1873
and 1873. \ young EugIIshmau named
VIII Adams, "a pilot on Dutch vessel,
entered Japan IN 1000, and because 4
shipbu.lder for the government, and
was for 3oyears In hlgn favor at court.
lie was gwen wife and an estate
and hs descendants are in high author
itv n the empire today. He procured
treaty tor England that WAS never
revoked. and one OF much wider scope
than that Of l,5S. 4 handsome mOnu-
ment marks his burial place IN a
Buddhist cemetery.
The Perry expedition IN 1853 was
tdo dawn of a new era. To was the
bringing of the nineteenth century sud-
denly utO contact with tine fourteenth.
Since that time the advancement of
civilization has been rapid. The visit
eft the American squadron was followed
bv terrible earthquake and l0i 900
people perished.
The ~ha-ma power was overthrown
n ls6s and the hereditary sovereign, the
MNado, was again placed in power. In
so the fishing village 0f Yokohama.
- swampv. unhealthy location. was as
signed n settlements for foreign mer-
chants, and tine city has grown mp
there.
Tile Japs are rapidly adopting our
customs. and are introducing Roman
letters in place of ther owu characters