The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-06-24

obtrude their sorrows upon others.
Forty-eight hours after death the
corpse Is washed with warm water, the
cold water being first placed in tub
and boiling water added, and for this
reason the japanese dislike to pour hot
water into cold for ordinary purposes.
Doubtless the representatives of the
good old fighting stock rise superior TO
such weaknesses, but the masses of the
nation are still human, and show it
now and then in these points of con-
tact with the Occidental world.
COMMANDER HIROSE.
The late Commander Hirose was a
splendid sample of the old fighting
stock and it cannot be doubted that
for him the possibility of n violent end
possessed more charm than horror.
Yet to the normal foreign mind was
there something inexpressibly sad in
the reflection that the fragment of flesh
inferred with impressive naval pomp
last month was all that remained of
what once had been a man endowed
beyond the common run of humanity
with the attributes of greatness. a
famous athlete. a scholar and a SOL
dier-such was Commander Hirose
during his strenuous life.
1t does not fall to the lot of the aver
age mortal to have two burials, but
such has been the fate of this distn-
guished officer The Russians recently
recovered the larger portion of the re-
mains near Port Arthur, and Inferred
them with all honor. On the day of
the burial in Toxic I was discussing
the subject with a young student, and
remarked that the commander would
not rest in peace in Russian soil. My
companion smiled grimly and replied:
1T will not be Russian soil very much
longer!"
1 have spoken of the common atti-
tude of the Japanese towards death.
No European or American, ignorant of
the reason for the enormous crowds
that lined the route of the funeral pro-
cession, could have guessed from the
faces around him that the occasion was
in any way melancholy one. On the
contrary, everybody appeared to be in
the best of spirits. Doubtless young
Japan envied the commander his
heroic exit, and would fain have emu-
lated his fame, while to the believer,
whether Shinto or Buddhist. the GER
tainty of felicitous future state for
the spirit of the departed could but
constitute a motive for rejoicing rather
than for mourning.
THE FUNERAL.
The official religion of Japan today is
Shinto, and the commander was there |
fore given Shinto burial. The funeral |
cortege left the Naval Club in Tsukiji |
about noon. The weather was perfect |
and all Toxic fiocked to witness the |
spectacle. The majority of the foreign |
onlookers assembled at the Imperial |
Hotel and Joined the body of general |
mourners who accompanied the funeral |
to the Aoyama cemetery.
The weird wall of the 'shono-fue," |
peculiar pipe blown by the priests, |
intimated the approach of the process
sion. Here the foreigner recognized old |
Japan. Soon came the contrast for
just as the two mounted policemen,
who headed the procession, hove in
sight, the naval band struck up with
splendid effect the superb funeral
march of Chopin. And yet after all
this seeming incongruity was not so
NSIS LUZ "dS iOl ,HoplI
himself native of the land which of
all others, perhaps, had most reason to
hate the name of Russia? The guard
Of honor consisted of two hundred
from Yokosuka fine,
sturdy fellows. whose faces testified to
an unfeigned sorrow. Perhaps the
sentiment of comradeship had some
thing to do with their unwonted grief,
since the romantic friendship between
Sugino the warrant officer, and the
shows how broad and deep
we're the sympathies of Hirose. 1t was
owing to his determined attempt to
recover the body of Sugino that the
commander lost his life. Following the
guard of honor came two Shinto priests
'kannushi," dressed in white, and
riding in carriage of American
make; then the "sakaki,' or Cleyern i
Taponica. the sacred tree of the Shinto
'eligion borne by bluejackets, with
lag bearing the name and rank of the
deceased.
The coffin lay on a gpn-carriage,
drawn by thirty bluejackets, and on
,ither side walked three officers, class
mates of the commander at the Naval
Jollese MISS haOfu lilfOSe, the niue
liece of the deceased was chief mourn
r. dressed all in white, the mourning
'olor of the Japanese.
OLD AND NEW.
The route lay through some of the
most picturesque parts OF the capital,
which IN turn offered strong con- Z
rasts, Here on the one hand might
'e seen some Of the few remaining Z
'nagaya'-the severely simple white
llastered Unrestricted barracks which Ia
eudal days surrounded aud protected
no "Nashik" OF the dalmyo, and
eryed 20 accommodate the two
worded retainors, ever spelling for a I
ghl ON the other numerous modern
Wellings iu foreign style, tenanled by
9th Japanese ana Foreigners Wlght hr I
accepted Hs a concrete Indication ~
h0 reality VI lho nations compromise
i'm ihe spifit If anrieni conservatism
lurh ~ tho way Wac ATOMS avenues !
r cherry iWrH lhr flliuE nuNrTH nl