Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-12-06
A Weekly Letter From the Orient
FURNISHED BY THE RECORDER 'sSPaC-
IAL CORRESPONDENT, Who Is
MAKING A Tour OF THE EAST
RRN COUNTRIES.
Especial to Recorder.l

RRN COUNTRIES.
Especial to Recorderl
Yokohama, Japan, Aug. 81
GIT my passport today, and it Ger.
tainly is a curiosity. In one Of my
previous letters | said something
about foreigners not being allow
ed the same privileges that Japa-
nese demand in the United States,
and this passport bears out what |
then said. It is a most important
document, and among other COM
manis and instruments in long
list of what to do and what not to
d., the "bearer is expected to be-
have III an orderly and conciliatory
manner toward the japanese au.
,horities and people, ito produce
AMI exhibit his passport to any
japanese official who may demand
to see it," he must obey all local
laws when travelling" and the bear
er is not "allowed to buy from, sell
t., or exchange or make contracts
with japanese in any proyience;'
he is mot allowed to permanently
dwell in houses of the japanese in
the interior" or shoot or HINT
beyond treaty limits. These are
but few Of the many restrictions
A large number relate to behavior
and seemingly are entirely unnec'
essary to put on a gentleman
passport, but | found that the Jap
anese had much provocation tc
make them demand that strangers
be civil.
Foreigners have been in the hab.
it of bawling out "ohyo," how are
you) Unfortunately to every body,
frightening the woman, kicking
and slapping the coolies, stamping
over mats and polished floors with
muddy boots, and acting like rude
Doors generally. | noticed in one
temple that the priests had been
compelled to post the following
notice: stranger, whosoever thou
art, and whatsoever be thy creed
when thou enterest this sanctuary
remember thop treadest upor
ground hallps ed BY the worship 81
ages. Ills is the temple Of Bud
dha and the gate Of The eternal
and should, therefore, be entered
with reference"
| must confess that the action:
Of some fellow Americans whom
saw in the streets, made ME blush
for them and feel That the Japa
nese were justified in thinking W.
are nation of barbarians.
Fujiyama, the sacred mountain
of Japan, is undoubtedly the mos
beautiful mountain in the world
| haye seen many beautiful peaks
and have seen pictures of many
others, but never has there appear
ed before my eyes such wendrou
beauty as that Of this mountain
rising for two miles directly vi
from the sea, with its green slope
gradually changing until they ar
capped by a point covered witt
snow. The sides are perfect
symmetrical and the top appears t.
be a sharp point piercing the sky
As saw it for the first time thi
morning from the balcony OF tn
hotel, its top Redeemed by the SUI
just rising. I no longer wondere'
that this semi-ciYiIized peopl
worshipped it as something super
natural.
/ Fugiyama has a large crater a
the top, but the last eruption wa
in 1708, nearly two centuries ago. |
still ranks as volcano, however
for steam jets from many crevice'
There are 81 active volcanoes i
Japan, and earthquakes are of da
ly occurrence. On many days
i from so to 100 distinct shocks hay
been felt. Some of the shocks ar
severe, but the people have becom
so accustomed to them that the
pay little attention to them. Tn
more substantial building hay
been built with view to with
stand the shocks. They are lo'
and heavy, with extra strong col
ners and door posts so that when
shock comes the people can stan
; in the doorways and be safe.
While this finsy sort Of built
, Al