The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-11-04
IS TSUk1J5 TOKYO, JArAN,

rI hlJl) 1ph ~ y IL -t.N'
Sept l, 1896.
Ny DEAR SISTER: Having Just re
turned from a month Of "outing, 4
very welcome letter from yourself was
amoug my accumulated mail. 1t shall
have an early notice. If you good
people at home knew half the pleasure
your letters gave you would write
weekly instead Of monthly. 1t is the
infrequency of our mails that makes
life hardest to be borne in this far
away land. The distance from An
derson to Tokyo is nearly the diane.
ter Of the earth-eight thousand
miles. The average time for letters
to reach either end of the line is from
25 to 80 days. In this rushing age
empires may tottcr and fall in less
time than this. But so it is you
have your mail bi daily VIC have ours
tri-monthly.
Perhaps you would like TO have
brief sketch Of my recent travels in
this ':land beautiful. y BY this time
1 have seen fair proportion Of the
earth 8 surface, and have yet to see
any lovelicr or more picturesque than
Japan. 1t is so with whatever part
you visit, and at whatever season.
You may not be aware that tho En-
pirc of Japan is a vast archipelago,
consisting of many more than a thous-
and separate islands, small and large
but of the latter only five arc worthy
of special mention-Hondo, which is
the name of the main island, lying in
the center; Shikoku, kiushiu, and
Formoso on the South and Iczo ~
ing on the North. The last is the one
least visited, because the most mac.
ccssiblc, and to this inviting place |
resolved to so. Sapporo, the capitol
>of the island, was my objective point,
just seven miles due north. This
popular resort, moreover, would be
nearly in the line Of the total eclipse
of the sun August 9th, which was an
additional incentive in the selection
Leaving Tokyo July 18th, on the
Northern Narrow Gauge Il. r., the
first break in the journey was made at
the city of Scndai, containg about
sixty.Gvc thousand souls, and the
largest north of Tokyo. Here VIC have
a hourishing mission, and / spent
several days most cpioyably in inter
viewing the work. On Sunday l was
invited to preach, the sermon being
interpreted by our catchist. But is
not at all likely that l shall ever be
invited to do so again, as il detained
the patient congregation over forty
five minutes. But Of this only twcn.
ty minutes were niue the rest be-
longed to the catechist. Sendai is not
specially noted for beauty Of location
or for any other charm but few
hours ride brings one to Matsushima
one Of the three celebrated scenes of
Japan, and hence of the world. We
devoted a day to picnic among tho
islands. Of which there arc said to be
eight hundred. Going up one Of the
hills overlooking the bay, there was
spread at our feet an cxpansc of pine
clad islets and sea as lovely as the eye
ever rested on. 1t was a scene to BE-
felt, not described. We ate our lunch
in the native hotel Of the village, and
by way of diversion had a vigorous
earthquake in the midst. The mis-
sionary frantically seized his two chill
dren and rushed down the stairs. but
the rest of the party Lravely remained
through the rocking Of the building
till the trcmor was over, when We re.
sumcd. 1t is not every country that
can furnish an entertainment OF this
kind at lunch time.
Aomori, the most northern city in
TIondo, was the next object of attack
The ride through this upper part Of
the island was truly magnificent II
is along the foot hills of the noun
tain range which forms the back bone
of the Empire and each mile had a
charm of its own. Now VIC arc vhirl,
ing through rich valley, every foot
Of which was cultivated to the hills
as carefully as garden next were
toiling up grade that gave a pros
pect of valley, plain and sea such as
only this picturesque land can furnish:
then plunging through a tunnel Of
which there seemed a legion on the
route and again lost in the SHOW
sheds Which in the extreme north are
only half ii mile apart to protect tn
track from the enormous snow drift
for three or four months Of the year.
No finer subjects for the landscape ar
tist can be found on earth than here
All is present for the complete ideal
mountain, stream, valley, sky, sun.
set glow, everything. The chief sta
pie is rice Some Of the fields re-
minded me Of the vast wheat fields of
our Northwest, all carefully cult
waited by hand. Wheat, corn. millct
buckwhcat. barley hops are al>"
raised. but in insignificant proper
tions to that Of rice. Potatoes. beans.
eggplant, cabbage, turnip>, cucum-
bcrS suuashcs, rather took me back
to former day. Even the morning
glory, holly heck. old maldl, hatchcl-
or-buttcns cock 3comb might have
made me feel | was only passing hl
some Of the gardens Of Anderson.
And how wildly the streams that
went dashing down the slopes to the
mighty ocean brought back dear old
muddy Rocky River Nnly our Jap.
ancsc streams are ""i muddy.l But
some flowers were present which yon
do not see in Anderson, and until you
do you cannot say that %ou have seen
natures grandc>l refer to the sa
cred lotus Of Japan. In the rice
fields ard among the vegetable gar
dcns often pond is given up to this
superb bulb for pure acsthctlcal en-
joyment You get faint idea Of the
white lotus from our pond lilies Of
IL i