The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-04-10
THE SEVEN HELLs.
One of the 0ueerest Sights in Japan.
aetter to St. Louis Globe-Democrat)


cured from the natives intelligence of
remarkable place in the remote interior
of an island belonging to Japan called
Kieushu. The place is commonly called
Seven Hells," and, on account OF Its IN
accessibility and remoteness, has seldom
been visited by Americans or so much as
referred to in print. l determined TO
visit this Japanese inferno, and having
everything arranged set out with pro-
visions for two weeks travel. The first
few days were spent in small japanese
steamer crossing three or four inland
seas, and winding around at least a
thousand different islands to getin reach
of the mainland that would lead me to
the end of my journey. 1t may appear
to be an exaggeration to speak of so
many islands and seas, but when it is re-
membered that Japan alone has 1000
islands and at least 100 different seas.
it will not appear strange that passed
1000 islands in search of the one on
which is the phenomenon.
& When I had got as far as I could go by
water, there was nothing left for me
but to try the crude mode of travel of
the islanders for 1000 miles or more.
I hired jinriksha and two coolies to
pull me, and at once proceeded. A whole
day and night were spent in this funny
vehicle, until came at last to noun
tains so steep that it was impossible for
me to ride further. Then another change
in my mode of travel was made. I hired
a coolie and pack horse to carry my bag
gage, while II took my foot in my hand
and walkedn for twenty miles over that
rugged mountain. Once over the noun
tain was almost in sight, of the "Seven
Hells :" An arm of another sea lashed
up in a narrow neck. On every side
stood gigantic mountains capped with
snow, wkile below lay the beautiful val
ley. 1t seemed as if I might be entering
Paradise. I walked little further, and
in a moment the earth resounded as it
thousand cannons were exploded be-
meath me. l had reached the Seven
Hells, "and all that had been told me of
the place was fully demonstrated;
Just few yards from where l stood
was the Boiling Sea-" A great smoke
and steam arose like cloud from the
water, and upon examination found
that the sea of water was boiling and
bubbling like pot over stove. he
water was scalding hot and would cook
an egg in two minutes This boiling
sea is considered, sacred by the native
and the governmental at one time to
erect fence around it to keep the people
from plunging in.
From the Boiling Sea a continual
stream of hot water runs down through
a village of about 300 people, who are
the most peculiar human beings outside
of China. In the center of the village
is big round bath of hot water from
the sea. In this bath from ten TO
fra,fu-fivo QUO oonStant1V t0 he seen
bathing. There are no screens or cover
ing but men, women and children all
battle together in Adamic simplicity.
saw at one time nine women and ten
men in the bath.
About fifty steps away from this place
is a sweat BATH" dedicated to one of
their gods. An open shelter is built in
the streets over a cave in the earth
which they say Buddha built for them.
The excavation has door to it.similar
to an old-fashioned sweet potato house
that Southerners build to keep their
potatoes from freezing in the winter.
The door is about three feet square. and
there is no way for either person or
the steam to escape except by this door.
In the front were priests selling tickets
for half cent each and six persons were
admitted to the sweat sbath at once.
Just over the entrance stands an image
of Buddha with rice cakes, flowers and
incense offerings. the people worshipped
as they went in, while an old priest
stood by telling the people that whose
ever bathed in faith should be cured of
all maladies. The lame and Crippled
fiocked around and listened with eager
ness. The priest said that Buddha sent
down his angel, who met an ancient
priest and to him that he would write
the name of Buddha on a stone and
cover it with earth and cause the
mountains to gush out with hot water
and flow over the name of Buddha for
the healing of all diseased believers
"This," said the priest, is the place
prepared by the great gods, and if you
would be healed enter in and battle" 1t
was amazing to notice the deluded men
and women, in companies of six, go into
the bath and stay until almost dead
from suffocation, and come out dripping
with perspiration and covered with
straw. 1t seems that stream from the
Boiling Sea runs under the excavation,
and inside is thrown lot of straw on
which these men and women spread
themselves and stay until they fairly
roast themselves alive. From this place
they go to a hot shower bath. which
consists of several large bamboo poles
placed in waterfall from the hot sea.
which fell about ten feet upon the
bodies of the saints just from the sweat
bath. From the shower bath they go to
the fountain bath, where the course is
completed. The entire process often
takes several hours and is gone through
with without clothing or towels of any
kind. This keeps the streets alive with
men and women walking here and there
as naked as they were born into the
world
Another peculiarly of this strange
people is the way they cook and eat.
Every thing they do has some religious
superstition connectedswith it; and their
cooking and eating are not an exception.
/ am safe in saying that no people on
earth cook like the people who live at
the "Seven Hells" on the Island Of
Kieushu in the marvellous little nation
of Japan. They have arranged Ito run
the water from the Boiling Sea in small
streams, about foot under the surface
of the earth, right in front of every
mans door. Over these streams are
mud ovens built like pot with lid
over some of them In their ovens the
people place whatever they want to cook
and the steam from the hot water does
the work This is certainly better thar
natural gas. Many of the people, and
in fact most of them, merely dig hole
down to the hot steam, place some straw
over the water. and put their potatoes.
a+o IN and oovpr them nm for q Will