The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-29
JAPAN'SW WONDERS
The Inland Sea Worth a Trip
Across the Pacific.
A Voyage Amid Four Thousand
Islands.
LIKE ST. LAWRENCE.
But Multiplied Ten Times and
Islands Mountains.
What Ocean Good fOr-Ameri-
an Ship Passed.
ST. LAWRENCE.

When I awOke this morning, the ship
was passing through the Inland sea.
We took on a good many new passen-
gers: tourists who had stopped over one
ship to see Japan.
To me, the Inland sea seems like a
great lake winding around in the Rocky
Mountains. At places, the ship passes
within a hundred yards of islands;
here are located many of the 4 900 is
lands of Japan. The course winds
about a good deal; at times, we sc
through places that are quite narrow.
and then steam for a time in a large
body of water but always surrounded
by pine covered mountains. The sea, Of
course, is protected, and very smooth.
Small boats are very numerous; hum
dreds of them in sight all the time.
Usually they are sailing vessels or
fishing boats. with occasionally a good
sized steamer. 1t is said there is moth
ing like it in the world. and I believe it:
this is one of the things travellers cross
the Pacific to see, and am almost in
clined to say it is worth the hardship
along shore are numerous, and the
mountain sides are teEraced at many
places for crops of barley. Bays and
lnlets are as numerous as islands, and
frequent fruitful valleys are seen. From
descriptions I have read, I imagined
that the Inland sea was something like
the St. Lawrence river and its thou
sand islands, but it is the st. Lawrence
multiplied by eight or ten, and the is
lands here are mountains; around you
everywhere, in the distance, are noun
tain ranges. Like the Grand Canyon
of the Colorado, it is too big to be de-
scribed: too big to be painted. The
ship continues in the Inland sea from
daylight until dark, and the passengers
are so excited that they dislike to leave
the decks to go to their meals They
all say the Inland sea is marvellous;
there is no disappointment: the glum-
NEST passenger on board is almost hav-
ing a good time.
Japan looks little on the map, but it
is big when you pass through it. In
many of the BAYS and inlets of the In
land sea, we see considerable towns
and forests Of masts; / am beginning
to understand why Japan won that
naval fight: it has millions of men
trained to the sea from their youth up.
1t is said the finest trip in Japan is
to take one of the coasting steamers at
Kobe, and stop at the many small
towns bordering the Inland Sea be-
tween Kobe and Nagasaki. Here they
say, is where you see the genuine Jap
anese character; Japanese architecture
is always the same, from the A1ikado's
palace to the hut of the fisherman or
farm laborer. To take the trip mem
toned, it is necessary to employ a
guide. and take along much of your
own food, for the hotels along the coast
are poor native affairs. I would like to
spend six months in Japan, instead of
six days, and I would like to take this
coast trip; the country places I have
visited have impressed me most.
1t seems odd to have nothing to do
again although there is a good deal of
excitement on board today We are
to meet the Korea" the sister ship of
the Siberia" today, and we intend to
cheer ourselves hoarse; it will be on it's
way home, and the Stars and Stripes
viii float from its flag mast Our
sailors are to be mustered on deck. and
the ships viii run as close together as
possible and exchange greetings Every
big smoke ahead is closely inspected
and excitement runs high.
A ship appears on the horizon, and
the captain pronOunces it the Korea.
1t grows larger rapidly, and goes by
within twenty minutes like a race
horse. Its passengers cheer us, and we
cheer them. In addition we display
banner on which the words are
painted 'Twenty-seve minutes" This
means that while the Korea" beat all
records in carrying the Taft party to