The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-17

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Portion of The Castle Of Osaka.
bounded on the north by the Yodogawa,
the large river flowing through Osaka,
and on the three other sides by
branches of the river led artifcially around
it. After HdeyOshi died he left son not
by any means his equal in ability. At that
time the star of lyeyasu, the founder of the
Tokugawa Shogunate, was rising. He pro-
voked Il quarrel with Hideyari, as stated in
my paper ON the large bronze bell near the
Dai Butsu. Hideyari was defeated in
filed up and the area contracted to its pres
ent limits, and instead of being five
miles around 1t as formerly it is less
than half that distance. The general form
is an oblong square. First one comes to a
moat which is about 100 feet wide and three
or four feet deep, with water ON the fur
Their sides. The first wall rises about sixty
feet. sloping at an angle OF about ten de-
grees from the meridian. This wall is
built OF large stones laid together without
mortar, and instead OF being laid In hori,
zontal courses, they are laid diagonally, and
the stones are diamond shaped, the spaces
between being filed with smaller
fragments. The corners where the wall
changes It's direction look very much the
form of the PROV or cutwater of modern
which is entered over massive stone
bridge arching the moat AT the entrance
is grand vestibule sort of yard, from
which the second inner wall rises from a dry
moat about 200 feet wide, and walls about
fifty feet high. Into this vestibule wall and
into the walls Of the higher parts of the castle
are inserted the most normous blocks
of stone ever saw in any structure. One
| measured was Sc feet long, 10 feet high,
but how deep it went into the wall know
not. Theie were, perhaps. in the castle
large as this, and there are hundreds of
those full half the size. Where they got
them, how they transported them, and how
they mounted them in the walls SO high
above the ground and so far from the valley
pain below, is "a thing no fellow could
lind out"
third and central wall binds In the third
and highest part of the CASTLE from which
q splendid view is had in all directions of
distant mountains bounding both sides. In
this topmost retreat Hideyoshi built his
palace.
The castle is wonderful structure, SIM
pie, yet grand. A prodigy of human labor
built at time when human life was
cheaper than it is now, 1t remains mOnu-
ment to the energy and genius of that
period.
1t looks as perfect, though reduced in
size, as it was the day it was finished, and
it seems as if. with as brave defenders and
as good artillery inside as might be brought
to bear outside, it would be impregnable to-
day.
Kobe-the gate Of Gods city of recent
Importance as one of the open ports of Japan
conceded TO foreigners when the country
was opened to them. 1t is the port
practically of Ki0to, the ancient capital,
and of Osaka, its neighbor, the great COM
mercial emporium. 1t is connected with
both those cities by railroad. and with
Toxic and Yokohama by the same line.
The settlement or concession to foreign
ers, where the foreign consulS and the bank
ing institutions are placed, fronts on the
harbor and contains many fine buildings.
The foreigners do not exceed 500. not count
ing Chinese, of whom there are about 1000,
mostly engaged in mercantile pursuits and
banking. Kobe is part of and is included in
Hiogo, the older japanese city, which joins
il and almost surrounds it-a narrow
streeted city of possibly 100000 souls. Kobe
lies on the north by the elbow of that sea
strait which crosses the empire and divides
the great Island Houdo from the two large
southern ones, Keushiur (uine provinces)
and Shikoku Qour provinces).
Almost Immediately behind Kobe rises
range of mountains which are of moderate
height, from 800 TO 1900 feet, and which
stretch northeasterly, part Of the noun
bone of the empire. The mountains
rise directly from the plain on which
the city stands. This plain con-
tinues up into the valley in which are the
cities of Osaka and Kioto The Kobe plain
is gentle incline to the sea, and the land
is occupied with paddy fields, cultivated
with rice, the only terracing required to
hold the water in the fields being mud
banks. This, as well as other similar re-
gions in japan, has been cultivated for
so many centuries. that the soil, sands
and gravel brought down by the rains
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has raised the short courses OF the river
beds, from their beginnings in the gorges in
the hills to their ending in the sea, to height
much above the plains through which they
pass. These river courses have been banked
and dyked ,ariifcially, after the manner
heavy rains of June and July these river
beds, from their beginnings in the gorges
in the hills to their ending in the sea, to
height much above the plains through
which they pass. These river courses
have been banked and dyked arti-
of the Mississippi. During the heavy
rains OF June and July these river
beds contain raging floods which carry
everything before them, but in the fall and
winter they are flat, dry, gravely, road
like valleys with high banks planted with
trees. The railway in many places goes
under these river beds, on grade level
with the plain, though brick tunnels.
One such large river bed lies In the west
ern part of Kobe. over which the streets
pass on stone bridges approached by heavy
grading. The now dry bed Of the river is
white with clean water-washed pebbles, on
which the people spread clothes to bleach
and paper umbrellas, newly oiled, to dry.
In Japan, as elsewhere, the merchant
who opens new shop has a grand house.
warming. The place is gayly decorated
with banners and festooned with colored
lanterns, the latter as pretty by day as when
lit at night. Signs and Inscriptions wish
ing good luck and success are
sent in by friends and displayed.
and there is free lunch OF Japanese rel
ishes aud tid-bits with an unlimited supply
of sake, tile rice wine. Branches of the
piles of new fruit beautify the place. The
best and most durable Of the decorations
are retained for weeks.
The employment Of engraved stamps, for
signatures, seems to be universal in Japan,
and large numbers find employment in cut
ting them. The materials used are yellow
wood. like lockwood, soft species of
gypsum known as pagoda stone
In China, some varieties of serpen-
tine and of other and harder
marbles, or rock crystal, smoky topaz. car
nelian and agate and for the commoner
uses of branding seals are made of cast
metal. The name is shaped as a monogram,
from Chinese characters. If registered 1t
Is legal signature and must
contain the whole name, but many
are purely personal or ornamental, used
for stamping the owners books
like our book plates-to prevent loss from
borrowers. Painters use SUCH in signing