Washington sentinel., 1898-05-14

mother eonsults one OF the profess
sional accoucheurs oil the country
who, upon examination, is able 10
say whether the future child will
be a boy or a girl. If the former.
the mother then proceeds to en-
wrap herself tightly round the alb
domen with long sIlken bands OF
white color. 1t the sex IS pro-
nounced to be that Of a girl, red
silken bands are used. The Curl
Gus part Of the custom is that the
prophecy invariably turns out to
be correct. The mother continues
to wear these tightly drawn bands
until the chi d is born, their use
serving to effectually conceal her
condition; and in spite OF all hygie-
mic laws, no i'll effects seem to re-
suit therefrom. Whether this pro-
cess oftight robing continued from
generation to generation has re-
suited in a short statured race It is
impossible to say, but the theory
appears to an unmedical mind
quite feasible.
Everyone who stays more than
a day in Japan should see a native
FIRE. They are to be had in great
abundance every night in all the
towns and cities OF the empire, the
average for Tokyo being three IN
every twenty-iour hours. So well
do the closely packed little houses
lend themselves to the fiery ele-
ment that a small FIRE in a very few
moments, if unchecked, assumes
the proportions OF conhagi alton.
There are few fires where less than
a dozen buildings are consumed,
whilst extensive districts are fire.
quentlV destroyed in a couple OF
hours. Wherever the heat is most
intense will always be found the
native fireman aptly illustrating
the principle OF how not to do it!
And the little policemen are there,
OF course-theY're everywhere in
Japan-looking on placidly and
contentedly, occasionally toying
with the diminutive hand engines
sent from the police ations IN the
neighborhood on the of chance
that supply OF water will be avail
able. The fireman is a great man
in his own estim alton and in that
OF his wife, but he is no gooo at
putting out fires. His usual
method OF working is to tear up
the tiles aud roof generally OF all
buildings adjacent to the one on
FIRE. This plan Of oOeration pro-
vides an opening for the falling
sparks, which quickly ignite the
matted floors beneath and so
the game goes merrily on. The
native fire brigade usually carries
a fire god, a curious looking object
made Of sheepskin, and something
similar to a small four bladed
screw propeller. This is borne
aloft on a long piece oi bamboo,
and is planted in some conspicu-
Gus part of the burning building,
or on the roof OF an adjoining
house, the unwritten law OF the
guild being that the men must not
forsake their god when it has once
been thus placed in position. And
with all the ianatical courage of a
Turkish soldier the hremen often
stand by their idol till they perish
in the flames. l remember going
to see a fire piece at one Of the
native theatres OF Yokohama which
had been recommended by a Jap
anese friend as particularly good.
The play occupied the whole OF
the day, but the acke ae resistance
necessarily took place after dark
and comprised two scenes-as FIRE
at distance and then close at
hand. The former scene " as tame
enough, but the latter was exciting,
not to say alarming TO degree.