The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-22
JOHN MUNG'S QUEER LIFE
THE VICISSITUDES ON LAND
 AND SEA

Of n Japanese Cnstawny- Brought Here By Captain William whLthcld Abom,
 Navy.
 John Mung, who as Japanese lad
 was well known to the people of this city and Fairhaven, is dead, Although { his demise dates back to November l2,
 1S9S only q few people in this section
 knew of the fact. Death was caused
 by apopIexy.
 Mung, or to use his name correctly,
 Manjiro Nackahama, will be remember
 ed by older citizens as the lad who was
 brought here by Captain William Whit
 field in the whaling ship John HoWland
 about 1889, He was called John, for the
 ship which brought him to America,
 and Mung, the nearest approach to the
 pronunciation which he gave of hls
 name.
 The circumstances under which Cap-
 tain Whitfield fell in with him are cer-
 tainly interesting. While cruising off
 the Japanese coast a wreck was sighted
 upon which were seen human beings.
 It was there that Captain Whitfield
 found the lad with other Japanese, all
 of whom were nearly exhausted from
 exposure He took them off, and after
 ward landed them all but Mung, at the
 Sandwich Islands. The captain took
 such fancy to the lad that he
 brought him home with him. and he af-
 terward lived in the captains family, residing in Fairhaven for years. There
 he attended school. and was class
 mate of Selectman James H. Howland,
 who well remembers him as young ster Finishing school, he learned the
 cooper's trade, and later he went whal- ing, sailing out of this port with the father of Medical Director George F. | Winslow, T.. & N. He made one or two voyages, and possessed such ability that he could be truly termed a sailor from truck to keelson."
 While a youngster he was frequently asked why he did not return home, and his answer always was the same: VI want. for I'd like to see my mother; but | if do they will kill me-" His love for | his mother was something touching in l its sincerity. He never, so it is said, mentioned her without breaking out in- to tears Finally he reached California while on a whaling cruise, and there he learned that some of the men who had been taken off the wreck with him were still at the Sanwich Islands, and there he went to find them. He had got 1t in to his head that he must see bis moth- CT, and prevailing upon his countrymen whom he found to go with him they purchased and equipped a whaleboat with the understanding that he should be the navigator on it's cruise.
 The party engaged passage on a mer- chant vessel bound to Shanghai. China, taking along with them the whaleboat It was agreed that the whaeboat should be launched a point in Japan nearest to his home and that the mem bers of the party should take to the boat to reach shore by themselves.
 When off the point agreed upon it blew fierce gale, and the captain of the ship on which passage had been se- cured, objected to letting Mung and his | comrades leave, but he insisted so strongly that against his own judgment l the boat was launched and the little | party headed for their native shore, l which they reached without mishap.
 Reaching land, Mung told his story of | shipwreck and rescue and .@ fort to | reach home. What to do about 1t was a mystery He was looked upon as a 1 foreigner and imprisoned, but finding some who believed his story, he was taken from place to place, until he | reached the center of government. There his experience in America were derided and he was moeked at as a dreamer, until the Japanese Govern ment learned that an expedition was fitting out in the United States to visit Japan, when the Government decided to tst his knowledge of the English lan- guage and he rendered valuable service to the Government as interpreter when Perry opened up negotia- tion with that country.
 While in prison he translated Bow 1itch's Navigator into Japanese, end af- ter his participation in the negotiations with Commodore Pery he was held in high favor and rapidly obtained posi- tions of trust and honor. He became an officer in the Japanese Navy, his kCowl- euSe Ol lue Std anu ldNlSdllpH belHS l thoroughly appreciated.
 Twenty years or more after his return 10 Japan he came to the United States as a special ambassador from Japan and on that occasion one of the first places which he visited was the home of 1s old friend Captain Whitfield, whege le was given hearty welcome and where he renewed many of his old &C., iuaintances.
 He leaves four sons and one daughter, lis sons speak and write English nu- ntly, The eldest son studied medicine n Germany and is now a ractsng physician in Tokio and member of the Board of Health of that city. The sec md son is paymaster in the Imperial 1 apanese Navy. the third is an architect md also resides in Tokio, while the ourth is a lad still attending school- lew Bedford Standard.
 STATE HOMEOPATHIC