The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-04-30
TOPOGRAPHY OF JAPAN
Physical Features Of the Land
Of the Rising Sun.
REPLETE wITH NATURAL BEAUT9

District Around isioto said TO BE
Richest In seenery-RIvers short
and Turbulent aud serve to Float
Timber to Ports From Great Tracts
Of Heavily wooded Mountain
Lands-Sippon Principal Island.
Victory for Japan in her war with
Russia viii hold vast potentialiaes for
the island empire says the New York
Press. Famous as size already is be-
cause OF her leap from barbarlsm to
the forefront Of nations within half
century. this international struggle has
called far more intense attention to
her Should she be returned the win
uer there viii be a great influx Of for
eigners. some as sightseers and others
for business purposes But If General
Kuropatkin accomplishes what he has
threatened TO do to drive the Japa-
nese into the sen and have tie treaty
Of peace signed in Tokyo visitors viii
be few and business and trade will
receive such a setback as that which
followed the civil war ia the southern
states. And it may be that rubies
instead Of yen win be the measure Of
value.
The fame OF Japan's landscape gar
dening has spread far and wide, so
that the foreigner has pictured the
country as one in which realism in
art has attained the highest point He
dreams Of back yards made into pic
lures with miniature mountains, tiny
rivers and lakes ana stnnted forests
and Of flowing robes Of brilliant colors
There are all these things aud besides
these natural scenery which puts to
the blush the minute copies.
The geological formation Of the ar
ehipelago is volcanic and consequently
mountainous. Hills and rocky ranges
break the surface Of the islands and
give great variety Of landscape. Here
and there are plateaus and plains and
valleys. Lakes nestle among the noun
tains. and rivers hurry over rocky beds
20 the sea. japanese in New York as
sert that their land is as rich IN natu-
raj beauty ais tile famous parts Of the
United States of as Italy or Greece or
even Switzerland and that the increas-
ga travel which Is sure TO follow the
war win make these beauties known
to the world Foreigners resident in
Japan and the wealthy natives in the
large cities, they say, are practically
the only ones who appreciate the beau
| ty of the resorts they have at hand,
/ and even these know only those in
their own districts. There remain to
be exploited sections Of marvellous
charm
The best known of the physical fea-
/ lures IF Nippon, the principal island IL
/ the sacred mountain, Fniiyama Leg
end says it was thrown up iii single
night more than 1000 years ago, and a
history Of it has been kept since that
/ time. 1t rises 10000 feet above the
sen level, and its snow capped summit
is spread out like an eight petaled lotus
flower. From three to i've OF its peaks
may be seen from some points, and
| three main routes lead TO the top,
Through the summer months restau-
rants supply the wants Of the pilgrims,
who fock to it from Tokyo on the east
and Kioto on the west and from the
cities to the north and the south Its
lsides are steep and rugged. and even
the three main paths are sufficiently
difficult to tire the pilgrim Once on
the summit, however, mile after mile
Of mountainous and billy country is
spread ont to view.
Near Fuilyama there are two lakes.
both such as would be called small in
/ the United States There is Motosu,
from whose farther bank splendid
view Of the mountain can be obtained,
and tIakone on the east, Hakone is
one Of the favorite resorts for the peo-
pie Of Tokyo and Yokohama. Its wa
ter Is remarkably clear and cool, and
native belief il that the lake is bottom
less.
The rivers Of Japan are chiefly short
and turbulent Rising IN the noun.
tains and having usually short course
to the sea. they pour over rapids and
between walls OF rock at great speed
The Tonegawa is the longest, and its
course measures only TO miles. It is
. navigable for small steamers for sew
eral miles from its mouth and theI
changes suddenly from a river with 8
] depth Of forty feet to a mountain
stream across which q person may
wade, Few Of the other rivers, anc
t there are legions Of them, are navi
! gable for any distance whatever, eXcepi
FOR nat bottomed boats that Will hoaf
Z iii foot Of water These boats, how
j ever. serve 10 carry much produce L
Z market. They are built on the banks
: as far up the river as they can b.
G floated and loaded and taken dowr
S with the current. At the end Of th'
a Journey they are abandoned IN many
S cases because the rapid flow Of tn
I water and the number Of rapids max
$ it impossible to take them back.
s Great tracts Of the mountain lame