The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-25

when the Fillmore administration at Washington first sent him to Japan to arrange theNpreliminaries in the nego- tiation of a treaty between the United States and the Mikado government, looking to the protection of our ship wrecked seamen and the swinging wide apart the gates of his seaports to let our trade and commerce in. Since then, during a half century, marvellous natural events in both countries have transplred in brilliant succession.
 Land of "The Rising Sum-"
 I have for along time and most ar dently desired to visit Japan-this lald of The Rising Sum-" but this is my first. only and earliest opportuni- ty to do so am now, at last. in Yokohama. the first Japanese port ever opened to foreign commerce. Hence. the "outside" element. repre- | senting every nationality and coming from every cline, wearing every con ceiyable costume and speaking every | tongue, are much in evidence here. As seaport Yokohama Is the largest and most important in the Empire. It is entirely cosmopolitan and pictures que. Here one cannot fail to see every type of population every variety of decorative and ornameIaal dress and | headgear, and every form of civiliza- tLOu tO A1NNS OAG Ialt easily find also every modern luxury and convenience, The hotels are up- ! to-date, and are perfect in all their appointments.
 Tokio. the Capital. is distant only IS miles by rail: the Congressional party will arrive there tomorrow, spend 1 three days in Japan, going thence to Kobe and Nagasaki The steamer route between the two places last n a mad 4S,fII ha thrnuQh ina Tuland sea--but am digressiug and must not anticipate. Later on, perhaps, I may write you something of my impressions of the many interesting things to be seen in these oriental cities-in this foreign land, including possibly a de- scription of palaces, universities, col leges, mausoleunis, museums. temples. public buildings. club-houses. botani- cal gardens, tropical scenery. canals, mountain peaks, ct cetera; but. just now, I shalA have to content myself by giving you a few of my observs& ions. as thus far taken touching Japan. physically, geographically, industrial ly commercially, politically.
 When looked at on the map Japan resembles a huge silk worm. extend ing from Yezo to Formosa. near the Philippines-thus making an empire, roughly outlined. 2.200 miles long by l;about 300 miles wide at it's broadest point. Its climate is varied, and 1t has, besides a wonderful diversity of vegitation. In poetry the Japanese call their beautiful country Tamoto, the ancient name of one of it's oldest regions in this mountain-girt domain. Its greenery is perpetual; but in stat ing the area of Japan you must not understand me to even hint that so much thereof is arable soil, or fertile ground;- by any manner of means. Indeed, the startling disprJ portion be- tween valuable and worthless terri tory constitutes one of the pressing and momentous problems for Japanese statesmen, in the near future. to solve.
 These IF& nds of the
 "sIeeping Dragon"
 As they are sometimes called. now contain in the neighborhood of fifty million souls. The population is in- creasing at the rate of half a million yearly, rendering 1t imperative that 8 large mass of the people shall go abroad in order to live. The reasons are obvious The average quantity of cultivated or tillible land in Japan Is only 13 per cent; that Is to say. an idle. sterile and incultivable acreage amounting to s7 per eentum of the whole Is abandoned for agricultural purposes. and allowed to go to waste Agriculture, therefore, is confined to about 1-12 of the entire area. The face of the Archipelago being mounta- nous. only the river caIleys and plains are cultivated; although 1t often hap pens that the gullies are terraced and