Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-09-19
PICTURESQUE JAPAN ISLAND



Whsrs Death Hes Never come end
Where Poesy Dwells.
Mlyajlma IL an island midway IN the
Indian Sea, lying 90 far within the
bend Of the All shore that II cannot
be seen from the route rof the large
ocean steamers that pass through those
enchanted waters. To reach It most
appropriately one must take one Of the
tiny consting steamers from Osaka,
and, touching at a dozen quaint littls
ports on the inatchless voyage, at last
see the mountainous green island. with
temple roofs showing here and there
through all the dense foliage Of the
heights, and, standing far ont In tho
water, a heroic toril, At gateway to that
ideal place where death has never
come: where religion and landscape
loneliness, legend and poesy, stiil dwell;
where the simple villagers, the gentle
old Shinto priests, and the tame deer,
protected by the gods and loved by the
people. maintain an atmosphere for.
eign to the busy new japan Of rail.
roads. parllaments. imported military
tactics and modern war vessels. Or
one may take the Midway from Kobo
to Hiroshima, and then jinrikisha for
twelve miles along is bay. ana I've fer.
ricd across narrow strait to this Isle
Of the blest, which will impress tho
more with Its Arcadian features when
one comes to II from all the bugling,
parade and din Of mimic war that goes
on In the shadow Of Hiroshima's pic.
turesque castle keep, and at It's port
Of Ujina, chief naval station Of the en-
pire. and, during that victory year Of
1904. port Of departure Of transport
ships to Corea and China. Then one
can accept the legend that Miyajiina
grew from one Of the CONCEALED drops
that fell from lxanami's jcwelcd spear.
and that 1tsukushima and her two sis.
tiers, daughters. Of the god Of the sea,
aptly chose It for their favors; that
their temple rose from and hoated In
from the sea, and that the great water
toril grew with the tides % naturally
as any coral reef.
There Is a small village at the foot
Of green bank, but that 10 Of by its
commonplace. profane self. and the
temple 10 embaycd In an nmphitheater
Of tho hills, with shore. md. water
foreground all its own. On the shore.
line at the edge OF the village a noble
torii Of oshima granite. each pillar and
crossbeam single stone, marks the
entrance to sacred ground: and this
road, following the curve Of the shore,
II lined for n quarter Of a mile to the
temple with tall stone lanterns, the
same alignment Of vOtive lights contin.
uing for half mile along shore Mt the
other side Of the great shrine.
Tho water torii Ia the unique and
great feature Of Miyajima's shrine, and
one grows very familiar with It from
IT. representations by japanese artists
In every line. The colossus Ii formed
Of great beams. each hewn from the
single trunk Of q camphor tree, and
strengthened at the base by cross.
beams Joining low parallel columns,
which give II balance and solidity and
most impressive effect. These beams
are covered below tho water line with
such heavy growth Of barnacles and
marine plants that tho torii seems very
reasonably part Of the sea gods king.
dom and creating. This skeleton gate
In the sea 10 80 delicate and fairylike In
a first distant view that one 10 not pre-.
pared for Its great size, and the i'm.
pressive sense Of It's proportions, when
one doats In between Its great cam.
ph0rwood piers, as massive and SOLE
as masonry. Sculling through this
notable gateway, and across the water
court Of approach, ut high tide. ono
may visit every part Of the temple, and
penetrate to the farthcst labyrinth,
passing beneath galleries and bridges
and floating before the open fronts Of
the great shrincs. The galleries con-
Meeting the different parts Of the tenn
Z pie have. strung along their leaves
hundreds Of quaint little bronze and
iron lanterns, all votive offerings, u
also are the pictures that hang In line
above them and form famous gallery
Of ancient art.-Century.