Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-28
A JAPANESE SIBERIA,
The Wilds of the Northern Island
Where COnvicts Are Sent to
Clear Away the Forest.
BEARS AS LARGE AS HORSES.
Half-Digested Remains Of Children Taken
From Ones Stomach and Pre-
served in Alcohol.
A COUNTRY OF AMERICAN IDEAS.
Famous Coal Mines and Giant Factories 10 Develop Great
Resources
BEARS AS LARGE AS HORSES.
A COUNTRY OF AMERICAN IDEAS.
Famous Coal Mines and Giant Factories 10 Develop Great
ResourceA
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE p1srArcB. l

AGGOI 0dSueb So.-&auOuS bhSSS "-o
have never crossed the Pacific Ocean the
opinion seems to prevail that japan is a
tropical, or at least, sub-tropical country,
inasmuch as it produces such things as tea
and silk and camphor and monkeys But,
as a matter of fact camphor trees and
monkeys are not to be found in the most
southern portion of the Japanese islands,
which, in general, have climate too cold
for bananas or even lemons. The summers
are, indeed, warm enough to favor the
growth OF tropical plants, but the winters
are too cold to tolerate their existence, SO
that tourists are disappointed in their e1-
pectation of finding vegetation resembling
that of the Sandwich Islands. Even as far
south as Toxic there are almost 20 frosty
nights from November to March, snow
sometimes covers the ground for few days,
and the thermometer falls eight or nine
degrees below freezing point.
The Japanese, who wear very little cloth
ing iu summer, are at this time covered with
thick wadded clothes and sit shivering
around their charcoal boxes in their thin
frail houses without stoves or freplaces.
This is in Nippon, the principal one of the
Japanese Islands. In Yezo, the large
island which lies directly north of Nippon,
the winter climate is so much colder
thai it seems quite proper to call this island
Japanese Siberi1. For six months of the
year snow lies here from three to six leet
deep, with drifts in some valleys of almost
twenty feet. Northern iur animals, like
sable and otter, are found here, as well as a
hare which turns snow white in winter, for
protective purposes.
TWO DAYS TOO MUCH.
This being the case, one would naturally
suppose that Yezo would be regarded by the
japanese and the foreigners residing among
them as an ideal summer resort-a good
place to 60 to escape from the sultry heat of
Toxic, Yokohama, Kioto and Nagasaki
But it is, alter all, a two days' trip from
Toxic, and few of the japanese seem to
have the means or the desire to under
take such long journeys for mere
pleasures sake. Foreigners however
seemed to have at last become aware
of the climatic and other attractions of
japanese Siberia in summer, and this sea-
son the number of visitors has been larger
than ever before, while the prospects are
that in future summers there will be a per-
feet exodus of foreigners from Nippon to the
Hokkaido, as the Japanese usually call
Yezo. For Americans Yezo possesses a
special interest because on this island
American ideas and methods prevail al
most exclusively in all the innovations in
agriculture and commerce.
During my soiourn in Toxic met num-
Der OF japanese statesmen and officials, and
found that the ma joritv showed a marked
partiality for certain American as compared
with European phases of civilization, but |
nowhere is this partiality so conspicuous as |
in Hezo, parts OF which, that are now
being colonized, bear a striking re-
semblance to American frontier towns
1 was lucky enough to get as
a companion on my northern trip Mr..
Yabi, one of the most promising younger
writers of Japan, at present one of the
editors of the Toxic Mainichi Skimbun, or
Daily NeaCS, the chief organ of the Liberal
party.
PRETTY TEA GIRLS.
When our boat arrived in the pretty little
harbor of Oginohama we were received at
the wharf on projecting platform, BY a
beyy of tea girls from the principal inn-six
of them-who bowed gracefully as we
touched the pier, seized our valises and es-
corted us in style to the yadoya. The other
steamer arrived soon after and took us
aboard, together with any number o; bas-
hEkS Va Acltg obCSidlAN OClS, WHICH are CduQlt
here in great numbers and constitute one of
the principal delicacies OF the japanese.
At Hakodate we were struck bythe re-
semblance of this old treaty port to Gibral-
tar. Generally such supposed resemblances
remind one of the weasel and camel cloud
in Hamlet" but in this case a real resem-
blance does exist. Although the japanese
'rock" is greener than the English and not
so high, or bristling with guns, the general
impression given by Hakodate nesting at
its base and connected with the
island by fiat peninsula (the
neutral gIound" of Gibraltar) is strikingly
similar to that OF the English fortress in
Spain; and what is more, owing to its favor
able and commanding position in narrow
straits which separate Yezo from the JAP
anese mainland, it could be made to assume |
military function and Importance similar |
10 that OF Gibralter.
ODD MISSIONARY WORK.
Hakodale has ceased to be 'sforeipn"
port OF any Importance, being chiefly fre-
quented now by war ships in search of a
pleasant summer climate The foreign nom
ulation at present numbers hardly two
dozen, mostly missionaries, who, it is said.
represent almost as many denominations
that hate each other more cordially than
/
is owing to this example of Christian love''
as much as TO the modern agnosticism which
is now fashionable among the educated
japanese, that the genuine annual converts
to Christianity in any japanese city can be
counted on the fingers Shintoism is the
religion favored by the japanese Govern
ment; but Buddhism is still holding its own.
And hakodate, though 1t has ceased to be
an important commercial port for foreigners,
seems TO be one of the most prosperous of
japanese cities, fer its population, which
30 years ago was G, 900, and 10 Years ago 3d.
600, is to-day sc, ,000-which may be classed
as one OF the American features of Yezo.
Essentially, however, Hakodate remains a
large fishing village, TOR fish, fish manure.
sea weed and other products of the sea. are
still the cnief sources of income of most of
its inhabitants.
A soUATTY CITY.
The streets of the city present a different
appearance from those of most Japanese
cities, as they were made much wider than
is customary after the great fire, which. in
1873, destroyed the greater part of the town.
All the houses are low, and since, from an
elevated point. only the gray roofs can be
seen, one gets the impression that some
giant had sat down on the city and crushed |
il fiat as a German pancake.
Near Hakodate are two of the prettiest |
lakes in Japan, besides harmless volcano
hot sulphur springs, which are much ire
quented by natives and foreigners, and
other attractions. But we took steamer for
the northern end of Yezo, which adioins the
Russian island OF Saghalien, but it is the
most convenient, and in fact the only vay
Of penetrating into the dense forest which
novprE the greater mart of Yszo Th.r. Z.