Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-05-28

hority OF a foreign scholar. VINO
made the matter special study, 46l
d. is the first authentic date In Jap
anese history.
The history of the Land of the Ris-
ing SIM is divisible into four distinct
periods: The first, which ends with
the landings OF the Portuguese IN
/ 543 is purely local: the second, which
extends from 1543 to 1888, includes
the story of Father Xavier the Jesuit
the Japanese trade with
Portugal, the persecution OF the mis-
sionaries and their final expulsion
from the land; the third. from 1898
until 1854, has to do with the Dutch
monopoly and the resolute exclusion
of all foreigners. which was decreed
by Iyoyasu, the shogun. in 1914; the
fourth, since 1854. deals with the
3rening OF Japan's ports to the world
aud her remarkable progress in civ
ilization.
In 1853 Commodore Matthew Z.
Perry, U. S. N. steered into the mar
Dor of Yeddo with a squadron oil
United States vessels. The commo
dore bore a message from President
Fillmore to the Japanese emperor, in
closed in box of gold. but he would
neither see nor talk with any except
the highest dignitary of the realm.
The governor of Uraga came aboard,
was received by the captains and de-
clared that the laws forbade any for
eign communication to be held else
where than at Nagasaki; but to Nag
asaki the squadron would not go, 80
on the 14th of July the commission
ers appointed by the Shotgun received
the letter at Nurihama. few miles
from the town of Uraga. On the 3lst
day of May OF the following year the
formal treaty, opening commercial re-
lations with the empire, was signed.
The samural were the feudal war
riors of Japan, who, previous to the
revolution of 1S67-6s, comprised about
one-sixteenth of the population, there
being about 100000 families. 1ndom-
table courage. fervent patriotism and
| intense loyalty were their most strik-
| ing characteristics, and they CORE
sponded to the knights of mediaeval
| times. They were class apart an
| intermarried among themselves and
| had the right to wear two swords.
With the abolition of feudalism and
| the snogunate, this ancient order
passed away.
The emperor may select his own
| successor, who must be of royal
blood, but not necessarily the son of
| the emperor or of the empress. The
present prince imperial is the son of
the emperor and of Countess Yanag
iwara, who became one of the imper-
ial concubines in 1875
The empress of Japan, Haru Ko,
has no imperial blood in her veins.
for the laws Of Japan do not permit
the rulers to marry relatives.
In December, 1898, the imperial
diet expressed its gratitude to the EN-.
peror for his direction of military af-
fairs during the war with China by
including in the imperial estates a
sum of s10,OO0.OO0 out of the indem-
nifty paid by the Chinese.
Wild animals scarcely exist in ia.
pan; oxen and cows are used only as
beasts of burden, while dogs are held
in superstitious veneration. Few rep
tiles, and none of the poisonous spe.
cies, are to be found there.
In diet the Japanese may be called
vegeterians, as 1t is only within re-
cent years that meat has been intro
duced into their fare. Beef is sold
hV tho ohipRnnc y,,in
tely dissected and sold by the wing,
the leg or an ounce or two of the
breast.
Japanese furniture, like economy
consists mainly in doing without
The ordinary house consists of four
posts and roof. and the walls for
the most part are of paper. In the
interior little is found except mats, a
charcoal brazief and a teapot of
steaming, fragrant tea. At night the
bedroonR are petitioned off by means
OF screens or shutters
In Shiba park near Toxic, is a
shrine which was erected in the year
1905. and it is one of the most bean.
tiful examples of ancient japanese
architecture. In the temple are found
a mirror, a crystal and a sword Be-
tween September 16 and 81 of each
year the emperor repairs to this tera.
pie, and, gazing into the mirror, GEES
the ruler of 50,O0O.OOO people. and is
reminded of his responsibilities. 1t
is the emblem of conscience. The
crystal, emblem of purity is a silent
reminder of what his life and govern.
ment should be. while the sword, in
dicating power, recalls to him his au.
thority and dignity. and the necessity
OF maintaining both.
| In 1874 an expedition of 10000 chi.
nese attempted to conquer Japan, but
was repulsed. The attempt was re.
| peated in 1881 by force of 100000
Chinese and Koreans. but this also
failed. In 1892 the Japanese invaded
Korea, but were utterly defeated.
Yeddo was almost ruined by an
earthquake in 1903, more than 100000
lives heinp lost