The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-02-06

Pc sold into Observation-Disclosures
.l u japanese SoIoInon-Japan'S
-l.rcut COmmoncr"-IIie EnIigilt-
rntd phiiosoplIy-pubiic Speaking
Duiy 23 Year Oid-NewSpapcr De
triupncnt--Japan's Wisdom in Imi-
alton
"..grisht, 1903. by Joseph Il. Bowles
Copyright, in Great britain
All Rights l;cserEed.)
Kfoto, Japan. oct. %.
IS for the islands themselves, they
largely Of volcanic origin, and Il
..uber Of smoking peaks still give
.|lcnce of the mighty c~onvulsions
.irh piled up these masses of ma
.lry. Asosan mountain, ON the island
Eyushu, has the largest crater in
.Ur world.
Japan is the home of the earth
quake. The japanese Year o of
1905 is authority for the statement
that Japan was visited by 1850
earthquakes during the 10 years end
ing 1$91-an average Of more than
1900 Il year. or three and one-haIf
each day. 1t is needless to say that
% large majority of these were so triV-
iaI as TO be unnOticed, except by those
iu charge of the delicate Instrument
which registered them.
If the average is as great at this
time, there have been more than 70
since | landed. but we ave not been
aware of them. The severe shocks
nave come at periods averaging two
n One-half years, and the really dis
astrOuS ones have been something k
90 years apart. The country o
Toxic is most subject to earthquakes,
the number recorded there averaging
90 Il year during the last 26 years.
Tn" last severe. II was i'm 1894. Ac-
cording to an ancient legend, Japan
rests upon the back OF Il large fish, and
the earthquakes are cOused by the
moving of the fish. There is a seismo-
logical society in Japan which has
published Il 16-VOlume work giving all
that is scientifically known of the
cause and recurrence of these dis
jurbanCeS.
OF the origin of the Japanese them
selves nothing certain is known. The
best authorities say that they came
from the continent in an early Moneol
invasion, While otherl believe that
they came from the islands which
stretch to the south. one writer an
uounces the theory that they are tbs
lost ISraeIites. Ii is quite certain
that when the first Japanese landed
ON The islands they found an earlier
race in possession. Some 1900 Of
these, called, Amos now occupy the
northern extremity of the empire-an
Indication that the migration was
from the southwest. The Amos have
~IHtcrinarricd with the Japanese the
holf-hreeds have died out in the see
md on third generation. They ara Z
hairy race. and in physical character
t-tIcS quite different from the Japan
Csc. Their religion is a sort of nature
Worship, and it is their custom to say
- simple a before eating.
The renlotenesS Of the settlement Of
Japan is shown by the fact that the
reiening family, which claims DE-
scent from the gods, has held undiS-
nutcd away for $500 years. although
the record of the first 1.00G yeara
.= so dependent upon verbal Iraui-
zion thai the official history cannot
uo verified. As concubinage has been
uTtt ticed from time immemmOriai.
'h" heir, the oldest son, has not al
Ways been born OF the. empress.
Soon after the beginning of TIE
Christian era the influence of China
D. Korea began to be felt in Japan.
the written characters of the language
being quite like the Chinese. Koreans
ma Japanese do not agree to the
influence which the former have had
Dor the latter. y very Intelligent
Korean informs me that his is the
mother COUNTRY and that Japan vas
settled from Korea. but the Japanese
WV nut Inc hIll1iiN ~ ItIiS lllcDIN-
The feudal system, of which I shall
speak more at length i'm another ar
tjrl", was early established in Japan.
ana society was divided into we'll de-
Dued classes. First came the mem
beers of the royal family ana those
admitted TO the circle of favor; next.
'hc Shotgun (of whom more win be
hoard undnr the subject of govern
mcnD and his relatives.
Next i'm rank were the daimios,
0r lords, of varying degrees of i'm
Errtance. Each daimiO had n large
.Hmbcr of r~etairers. who were called
"nmUrai. and below these were a still
0"I4.r number of peasants who titled
'Nr soil and did the manual labor.
Some Of the early pictures show the
gorgeous dress Of the daimios and
portray the elaborate en-
uloEed on state occasions.
The samurai were the warriors. and
q no other occupation than to de-
Tend their lords in h struggles be
tween the clans. They CORRESPOND
a to the knights in Europe during
the days of chivalry, except tia there
we're no romantic adventures over
"omen-WOman holding until recent
+" q very subordinate place as com
|ared with "her lord and MASTER"
The samura were given an annual
".IoWance for their subsistence. and
felt that toll was far beneath their
"ignity. They Wore lacquered armor
md costly helmets and carried two
"ords-a long. one for the enemy ana
short one for themselves.
It was with this short sword that
.He famous hara-kiri was commit
q. This ancient form of suicide
." disembOWelment was considered
ghiV honorable death. and has been
'"rticed until within q generation.
N. Safeo. one of the great men OF
pan. and one of its popular heroes.
the last man of prominence to
animate his life in this way. IL