The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-01-04
BOUND FOR HOME
Interesting Trip in Japan Brought
to an End.
VEXATI0US DELAYS AT LAST
Steamer Trip Through Channels.
Optimistic and Pessimistic
Views.
Special Correspondence
Yokohama, November 10, IS!

Nagasaki harbor just before sunset,
very nearly the same time of day that
we left it when going on to Shanghai.
We steamed slowly along the coast so
as TO enter Shimonoseki straits about
6 a. m, which we came through at
sunset on our outward voyage 1t took
US about an hour to pass through and
out into the open sea. About 4 p. m.
we entered the Narrows, the Eastern
entrance to the Inland Sea, and it took
us about an hour to make this passage
out into the ocean. This voyage
through the Inland Sea was not so
pleasant as on the outward trip for
the sky was overcast; and dull Ieaden
skies produce a feeling of depression
much more on shipboard than on land
We were thankful, however, for the
sunrise view of the straits at the West
ern entrance, and the sunset glimpses
of the Narrows as we sailed out at
the Eastern.
We were due at Kobe in the early
morning, but 200 sampans came off to
the vessel. So we waited patiently till
breakfast was over, and then took the
company's launch for the Bund. A
letter had been sent off to us inviting
us to take tiffin at Miss Gerdley's, once
the Gulick home, where we had been
so pleasantly entertained while wait
ing for the steamer outward bound We
were anticipating a pleasant day
ashore when we read the notice, Com
panys launch leaves the Bund at 2
D. m. Gaelic sails at p. m" 1t is
81 hours sail from Kobe to Yokohama
and the Captain was anxious to get
there before sun down. We hurried
up our visiting on shore, and were on
board punctually. But just at the last
minute there came off lighter full of
freight; and we were detained two
hours, just long enough to make ar
rival at Yokohama at any seasonable
hour an impossibility. There was a
great quantity of sake tubs taken on
board for Honolulu and hundreds of
boxes of Mandarin oranges for San
Francisco. Hugh boxes of fans, and
other manufactures from Osaka filled
full the cavernous hold of the steamer.
We had a rough passage around the
projecting coast line, for the Black
stream as it reaches the coast of Japan
is DETECTED both ways, and this part
ing of the seas is accompanied with
much tossing and rolling of wave and
wind We kept steadily on, but the
daylight faded away as steadily, and
when we approached Yokohama it was
too late to enter within the break
water. 1t grow colder as it grew dark
er, until the thermometer stood at As
deg. AS we were preparing the next
morning to hoist anchor and steam in
within the breakwater, it was very
provoking to see the S. S. China COM
ing up under full steam and passing
by us, to the anchorage. That meant
two hours more delay for us, and we
regretted this the more that the clos
ing hours of our stay in Japan would
be few at the best, and every hour was
needed to accomplish what we had
planned
But there was nothing to do, but
what an experienced traveller must
have to do, make the best of present
circumstances and not to fret over de-
lays and disappointments that come
to the traveller more frequently than to
the average mortal. We were thank
full that we had so pleasant a hotelry
to welcome us at the Grand hotel. Mr..
Efinger is a model landlord, giving
personal attention to every guest. We
found the hotel crowded with so many
steamers arriving at one time; but the
resources of the Grand are abundant,
both in the number of its rooms, and
the ability to provide generously for
the full tables of its spacious dining
hall.
We met some familiar faces and one
of the pleasures of travel is to come
unexpectedly upon friends and ac-
quaintances of former days But the
great caravansary had more strangers
than acquaintances, and we were again
impressed, not only with the littleness
of this globe of ours that we can now
circumnayigate in sixty days but were
equally impressed with the small i'm
portance of any individual among the
SWarmlng myfladS OF human hlHu. we
had our special plans to carry out,
however, that were matters of supreme
Importance to ourselves, more particu-
larly the purchase of some articles that
had been put off till the last moment.
And here let me say that our expert
ence in Japan as to buying what one
wants, leads to the conviction that de-
: lay is dangerous What is seen and
desired should be purchased at once.
There are no great manufactures that
turn out hundreds or thousands OF
some one article, but most of the manu-
facture- of Japan is of a single piece
by a single workman. Any article of
artistic merit, one that meets some
want. must be bought then and there.
It's duplicate is not be had TO order,
nor if the opportunity for purchase is
allowed to slip by will fresh Noppor-
tunity occur again.
Friends who had entertained us at
Tokyo came to Yokohama to urge us
to make them final visit. There was