The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-09-01
Japan's Seven Hells.
From the s.. Louis Globe Democrat.

Japan, looking for things curious, I secur-
ed from the natives intelligence of re-
markable place in the remote interior of an
island belonging to Japan called Kieushu.
The place is scOmmonly called "Seven Hells'
and, on account of its inaccessibility and
remoteness, has seldom been visited by
Americans or so much as referred to in
print. | determined to visit this japanese
inferno, and having everything arranged
| set out with provisions for two weeks
travel The first few days were spent in
a small Japanese steamer crossing three or
four inland seas, and winding around at
least thousand different islands to get in
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 remember
ed that Japan alone has 4, 900 islands and
at least 100 different seas, it will not ap-
pear strange that | passed 1000 islands in
search of the one on which is the pheno-
menon.
When | had got as far as l could 60 by
water, there was nothing left for me but
to try the crude mode of travel of the
islanders for 100 miles or more. 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 mountains, so steep that it
was impossible for me to ride further.
Then another change in my mode of travel
was made. 1 hired a coolie and pack
horse to carry my baggage, while 81 took
my foot in my hand and walked" for
twenty miles over that rugged mountain.
Once over the mountains | 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, while below lay the
beautiful valley. 1t seemed as if 1 might
be entering Paradise. [ walked little
further, and in moment the earth re-
sounded as if thousand cannons were ex-
ploded beneath me. | 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 a stove. The water was
scalding hot, and would cook an egg in two
inmates. This boiling sea is considered
sacred by the natives, and the Government
had at one time to erect fence around it
to keep the people from plunging in.
From the Boiling Sea continual stream
of hot water runs down through village
of about 300 people, who are the most
peculiar human beings outside of China.
In the centre of the village is big round
bath of hot water from the sea- In this
bath from ten to twenty-five are constantly
to be seen bathing. There are no screens
or coverings, but men, women, and child
ren all bathe together in Adamic simplici-
ty. saw at one time nine women and ten
men in the bath.
About fifty steps away from this place
is ''sweat bath, dedicated to one of their
gods An open shelter is built in the
streets over cavern 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 OF 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 bath at once. Just over the ent-
rance 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 peo-
pie that whosoever bathed in faith should
be cured of all maladies The lame and
crippled focked around and listened with
eargerness. The priest said that Buddha
sent down his angel who met an ancient
priest and told him that he would write
the name of Buddha on stone and cover
it with the 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,
aud if you would be healed enter in and
bathe. 1t was amazing to notice the de-
luded men and women, in companies of six,
90 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 a 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 hot shower
bath, which consists of several large bam-
boo 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 popularity of this strange peo-
pie is the way they cook and eat. Every
thing they do has some religious supersti-
ton connected with it, and their cooking
and eating are not an exception. l am
safe in saying that no people on earth cook
like the people who live at the aSeven
Hells" on the Island of Kieushu, in the
marvellous little nation of Japan. They
have arranged to 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
than natural gas. Many of the people.