The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-12-04

hospital there. They have about two
trained nurses and about so lepers in
charge, But those who have tried a
vagabond life don't easily submit to
the rules and regulations OF ins, tuition
al life
The Gaelic was TO have left Kobe al
10 p. M, but we were on board at 80
p. m to make all needful arrangements
for baggage and staterooms. There
are no wharves to which the steamers
come up as in Honolulu, but passen-
gers are transferred in steam launches.
At Kobe the company's launch did not
take baggage, so We were Obliged to
hire sampun for this. 1t did not take
long to see our baggage safely stored
away; what we did not want in the
hotel and our small parcels with our
selves in the room assigned us, almost
the last one forward. The Gaelic was
unusually full, and had not been all
the way. The washout on the railroad
had not been all repaired along the 81
miles that had been rendered unsafe
by the flood and many people had come
from Yokohama to Kobe by boat, who
journey by rail. The Gaelic is a,
staunch vessel, but with smaller and
poorer accommodations than the Doric
Thanks to the purser We have been
put into the most comfortable quarters
on the vessel, and through the court
esy of the captain were called up in the
early morning to Sc the beauties of the
Island Sea-
We were passing through the Mar
rows, and the cOntuor Of the landscape
was certainly changing with the pro-
gress of the vessel. 1t reminded me of
the passage through the Thousand
Isles" on the ST. Lawrence river, but
these island were not wOOde TO the
waters edge. The hill sides seemed to
be of clay, terraced, and grown with
red or white bucteOliect. When we
had passed the Narrows and come out
into the open sea, we kept 90 far from
the shore to make any close observa-
tions. But about 3 p. M, we approach
ed the western entrance, theShimOnO-
saki Straits. AS We neared the mOunth
therewas a fleet of junks bound in
ward and punched together. | counted
80 sail. 1t required slow and careful
navigation to pass through them. Her
anchors were all in readiness to let go,
and every officer on duty. But as in
shooting the rapids on the ST. Law
renee, this spice of danger only added
to the pleasurable excitement of the
passage. Coming out of the Inland
Sea, we turned up squarely to the right
and sailed out into the open, past two
islands peaked and jagged, that re-
minded me of similar islands off the
coast of Scotland.
There was nothing Of special inter-
est as we passed along the coast, and
we went below to sleep, to find our
selves on awakening in the harbor of
Nagasaki. 1t is one of the finest har-
bors in the world; so land-locked that
from the ocean one can have no con-
ception of it's size or security. The
city of Nagasaki is at the head of the
bay. 1t is one of the open ports of
Japan, and was years ago the port to
which the Dutch were allowed to come.
But | saw no traces of their residence,
while the many Russian signs on the
shops indicated that we had come into
the region of Russian sphere of in
fiuence' in the East. NagaSaki is not
growing in importance, as are Kobe
and Yokohama. l doubt if the large
brick hotel, which stock company is
building, will prove profitable invest
ment. We passed the U. S. S. S..
Machias, small gnboat, and were glad
to see some indication of the resources
and ability of the United States in this
foreign port. Our manufacturers and
our legislators are not yet awake to the
Importance of opening foreign markets
for the products and manufactures that
| exceed all possible home consumption.
With the extension of our commerce
should go the expansion of the navy.
We found Nagasaki built on a nor
rover plain than Kobe at the foot of
the hills at the head of the bay. We
had but a short time on shore, only re-
naming while the vessel was coaling.
| We took on 700 tons, enough to carry
us to Hongkong and back again. By
| four o'clock the full amount had been
put on board The open lighters filled
| with coal were moored each side of the
| vessel. AS many rude platforms of
these steps each were fastened with
straw ropes on each side; and then
gangs of women, girls and boys, passed
Iup straw baskets, each with two shovel
| fuls of coal, as fast as they could be
handed from one to another. These
were emptied into tubs, weighed and
emptied, and as the work went cease
lessly on, 1900 tons are put aboard in
10 hours, faster than bucket and steam
can do the work. 1t is rude and cheap,
but the great number employed makes
quick work. Straw baskets would
seem flismy material to carry coal,
but they did the work effectively. We
find here and in Kobe straw ropes used
as hemp for horse and oxen, and the
whole outfit very rude and coarse, COM
pared with Yokohama.
Nagasaki is headquarters for tor
boise shell wares, combs, hair pins,
fans and ornaments of one kina and
another Some old Japanese articles
of household or personal use are to
be found elsewhere. l came across an
old paddock iron inlaid with silver,
and an old pistol of the same material,
that are as quaint as anything l have
seen. II.