Our Life in Japan ... With illustrations from photographs by Lord W. Kerr, etc

Front matter

OUR LIFE IN JAPAN 11 ■: R. MOUNTENEY JEPHSON, Ajs'ri EDWARD PENNELL ELMHIRST, 9TH REGIMENT. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FEOM PHOTOGRAPHS BT LORD WALTER KEEB, SIGNOR BEATO, AKD NATIVE JAPANESE DE4WDTG3 LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY. 1869. London: PRINTED BY VIRTUE AND CO., CITY ROAD. TO COLONEL T. E. KNOX, C.B., 9th Regiment, TO WHOM AVE OWE IN A GREAT MEASURE THE HAPPY DAYS AVE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DESCRIBE, THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED, WITH EVERY FEELING OF RESPECT AND AFFECTION. PAGE xiii 9 CONTENTS. Introduction

Chapter I

Arrival in Japan — Harbour of Yokohama — Lovely Scenery — The Mountain of Fusi-yama — Slight Introductory Sketch of Manners, Customs, and Dress of the Japanese 1

Chapter II

The Luxurious Dwellings of the East as experienced by our Heroes — Ex uno disce omnes — Their Interior Arrangement and General Advantages — A Terrible Mistake, or the Just Punishment of a Wicked Husband — Furniture and Decorations of the Huts — The Kennels — Master and Men — Mr. Aaron at Work — History of the Pack — Japan as a Hunting Country — Its Drops and Crops

Chapter III

Reflections at Sea — Invitation to witness an Execution — The Procession — Prison at Kanagawa — Its Inmates — Japanese Punishments and Tortures — The Doomed Man's Breakfast — His Farewell — Official Politeness — The Death-stroke — Aftertreatment of Head and Body — The Gallows — Execution of Chinese at Canton — Horrible Fate of Mowung, the Rebel Chieftain 22

Chapter IV

Different Views of the Early Rising Movement — Introduction of many Principal Characters — Tony's Escape — Our Morning Work — The usual Company — Belleville and the Aide — The latter's first Purchase — Aaron as a Musician — B. and the Murderer — The Biter Bit — Abdul : his Private Character and Political Opinions — Mulvey and old Ugly- — Jolly enjoying a Joke — Japanese Bettoes ....... CONTENTS. VI PAGE 48

Chapter V

Release of the Pack — Blanche's Misdemeanours and consequent Fate — A first Draw — Hitting off the Trail — A View — Settling to it — In or over — Paddy-fields — The Griffins — Forming the Stud — Mr. Micawber as a Purchaser — The Chief's Charger

Chapter VI

A Weekly Holiday — An Early Breakfast — A Picture of Youthful Depravity almost too horrible to contemplate — Our Cheery and Efficient Guide — A Eefractory Steed — Coming Events cast their Shadow over one ofthe Party — Curiosity of the Japanese — Something like a Camellia Tree — A truly Eural Scene — Arrival at Kanasawa — Appalling Intelligence — Terrific Combat — Frightful Catastrophe — Al Eresco Juggling Entertainment; — Temples of Kamakura — Sacred Ponies — Extraordinary Shrine — Scene of the Murder of Major Baldwin and Lieutenant Bird, 20th Eegiment — Daiboots — The Corpulent Priest : his Doubts, his Distrust, his Delight ! — A Merry Afternoon in a Tea-house — The Beturn Home — The Evening Tub — A Conscientious Subaltern ........ 60 CHAPTER YTI. The Hot Weather — Variety of Landscape — The " School " — A Specimen Performance — Mr. Aaron's Catastrophe — Tony's Consolation — Mr. Micawber as a Maitre de Cheval — Loss of the Tackle — Mr. Micawber again takes the Lead . . . .96 CHAPTER Yin.

Drawing up the Sweep — The Conditions — The Entries — The Preliminary Spin — Dr. De Pifet — The Start and the Result; — Dr. De Pifet and Mr. Micawber preparing for the Race- — The Post Entries — The Race. — De Pifet's Finish — The Liver Cutter and his Steed — The Slough of Despond — Awful Fate of Flying Isaac — A Second Struggle — DownfaU of De Pifet — Mr. Micawber's Domestic ........ 103

CHAPTER IX.

A Leap in the Dark — The Mikado and the Tycoon — A short Description of a Visit to the Tycoon — His Castle at Osaka : its outward CONTENTS. VII PAGK 157 Appearance and inward Arrangement — The Court Dress — The Tycoon himself : Deference paid to his Presence — Destruction of the great Palace of Osaka 121

CHAPTER X.

Aaron's Sanctum — Announcement of the Drag — The Lydias of Japan — Ladies, Horses, and Horsey Ladies — Japanese Aristocracy — Visit to the Stud — Start for the Meet — Messrs. Rudolph and Lothario — Aaron and his Horn . . . 1 29

CHAPTER XI.

The Meet, and who is there — Bobby has some Difficulty in Mounting — Laying them on — Smooth Going — Pericles, and Solon's Success — Going the Pace — The Fenian in the Paddy-field — Dr. Quock on Foot — The Selling Drop — Jorrocks and Bobby come to Grief — The Brook and its Catastrophes — The Final Drops — The Worry 141

CHAPTER XII.

The Banquets — Colonel Summers — The Yokohama Market — Mr. Micawber becomes the Subject of Conversation — Dr. Quock as a Satirist — The Captain: his Speech — The Chief's Maxim — Captain Puffles's Departure — Colonel Summers's Song — Ferozeshah — Aaron's Objection — The Fox — Captain Puffles's Return — His Adventure with the Ghost — A Dead Man as a Bedfellow CHAPTER Xni. A Visit to Curio Street — Games and Amusements — Kite-flying — Battledore and Shuttlecock — Curious Ceremony to commemorate the Birth of a Son — Abdul makes the Acquaintance of a wicked Spirit called Tenjo, and suffers therefrom — A Victim to the Belief in the Transmigration of Souls — Cleanliness — Pseudopatriotism of the Japanese — Theatricals — Scene in a Theatre — A Cure for Sea-sickness (never before published) . . .178

CHAPTER XIV.

Doubts and Difficulties — Who is not at the Meet, and who is — Late Introduction of some of our Chief Characters — The Aide — A Whiskered Darling — Hunting the Pig — The Dark Cavern — CONTENTS. VIII PAGE 200 279 Misplaced Confidence— The Fenian's Descent— The Finish- Mr. Jorrocks's Opinion — Another Drag Hunt by Moonlight .

CHAPTER XV.

A Cocktail— The Arena— Japanese Wrestlers — The Straggle- Ovation to the Victor— Kangoes— Public Bath-houses— The Wrestlers at the Camp — The Child and the Nippon — Bobby's Success, or the Two Bantams — Wrestling a National Institution—Abdul on the " Revels "—Abdul's Pupils— Their Inquiries into the Conformation of our Army .... 223

CHAPTER XVI.

The Reader becomes acquainted with Captain Puffles ; his numerous Sobriquets; his Little Weakness; his Marvellous Stories; their Effect on us in the Days of our verdant Youth ; his Great Valour ; his Mighty Prowess ; his Rival, Mr. Pop — The Challenge ! — Death preferable to Dishonour ! — Preparations for Ensuing Struggle — Exciting Finish — Disgraceful Proceedings on the Turf 238

CHAPTER XVII.

The Winner declared — The Liver Cutter allows himself to be carried away by his Feelings — The Road Home — Tony renders himself amenable to the Laws for the Prevention of Cruelty to Dumb Animals — Captain Puffles becomes the Football of Fortune — Fresh Difficulties — Dangerous Dilemma — Succour at Hand — Safety — Sweet Repose ....... 265 CHAPTER XATCH. A Day's Sport in Prince Satsuma's Covers — Prince Tchikysan's Deer Island — Hakodate — The Einos : their Appearance and alleged Origin — Trout Fishing at Hakodate — A Burst with a Buck — Varieties of Shooting near Yokohama — Pheasants — The Copper Cock — Snipe and Wild-fowl Shooting — A Day at the Pheasants — Fluffy and his Fair Charges — A Feminine Squabble — An Early Start — Fluffy's Kennel — Riding to the Ground — C 's Leap in the Dark — The Half-way House Commencing Business — The Child counts his Chickens before they are hatched — Beating the Ravine — Death of a Copper Cock — Return to the Tea-house — A Lamentable Scene . CONTENTS. IX PAGE 304

CHAPTER XIX.

Publishing of the Programme — Jolly and Aaron at Home — You visit the Trainingground — A Daybreak Trial — Selling Lotteries; their Effect on Racing in the East — The Yokohama Race-course — Rudolphagain — B. andBones at work — The Child and his String — Taking off Weight — A Universal Genius — " My horth Pluck," or how a Steeple-chaser ought to be trained — Sæpius Tight and his Trainer — The two Greys, or Hayn's Pot —The Top of the Stand — A late Arrival — Tony's Valet — The Aide's Disaster — Public-spirited Smith — Bobby's Reward

CHAPTER XX.

Japan makes a Start as a Naval Power — One of the Old Sort — Force of Habit — A Sunday Pleasure Trip and its Consequences — Carelessness of Japanese with regard to Precautions against Fire — The Eeader is supposed to be present at a Fire in Yokohama — First Alarm — The Japanese Eire Brigade — The Fire- Standard Bearer — Arrival on the Scene of several Celebrities, amongst whom are Captain Puffles and Tony : the former shows much Cool Determination, proves himself Equal to the Occasion, and severely reprimands Tony, who harbours Revengeful Feelings — He (Captain P.) comes out in a new Light as a Linguist ; carrying on a Conversation in French, that might lead you to believe he was a Native (of any Country but France, though) — He makes an Appointment, and keeps if: — Tony fully revenged 324

CHAPTER XXI.

How will you go to the Paces ? — Fashions and the Fair Sex — The Night before the Eaces — Rudolph's Breakfast — A Melancholy Incident in the life of the Child — The Road to the Course — The Paddock — The Griffins' Plate — Enghsh Beauty at Yokohama — The Steeple-chase — Preliminary Canters — A Fair Field and no Favour — Mulvey in the Mire — Down the Road — More Haste less Speed, as exemplified by Ugly and the Aide — Jorrocks in Prosperity and Misfortune — The Last Jump — Bobby's Victory — All else that took place ....... 350

CHAPTER XXII.

A late Reform — Who is in Fault ? — Something at last about the Japanese — Dress, Courtesy, and Cleanliness — Language, CONTENTS. X PAGE 373 404 Lodging, and Living — Our first Japanese Dinner — Prince Satsuma's Banquets — The Bill of Fare — Subsequent Entertain ment and Attentions — The Summer Palace and its Gardens — Kagosima — The Prince among his People — Yakonins' Swords — Harakiri ; its various Phases and Causes ....

CHAPTER XXIII.

Is simply descriptive of some of the Difficulties connected with the Production of this Great Work ....... 394

CHAPTER XXIV.

Old Times — Unpleasant Comparisons — 24th May, 1867 — Tunics and Red Tape— The Three "Gallopers"— Captain Puffles in his Full Dress — The Feu de Joie — Mr. Pop's Flight; — Pericles Running a Muck — Extraordinary and Appalling Combat — Return of the Wearied— A Word about Shop— The Tiffin— The Aide holds an Imposing Position till found an Impostor — Colloquial French — How to prevent Ill-effects from a Heavy Luncheon —LAND IN SIGHT— Mr. Pop again in Trouble— Horticultural Pursuits — The Ball— A Word of Farewell LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Fusi-yama, as seem achoss Lake Hayoni. From a Drawing by A. F. B. Wright, Esq., 9th Regiment Frontispiece. To face Page Criminal led to Execution. Fac-simile of a Japanese Painting on Silk 25 Executioner and Criminal. From a Photograph by Signor Beato . 30 Head op Matsudaira, one op the Kamakura Assassins.

From a Photograph by Signor Beato 32 Bettoes, or Native Grooms. From a Photograph by Signor Beato . 46 Temple at Kamakura. From a Photograph by Lord Walter Kerr . 85 Bronze Image op Daiboots. From a Photograph by Lord Walter Kerr 89 The Tycoon in his Court Robes. From a Photograph by Frederick Sutton, Esq., R.N 126 A Picnic Group. From, a Photograph by Signor Beato . . . 132 Japanese Lady in her Boudoir. From a Photograph by Signor Beato 133 Kite-plying Festival at Isibara. From a Drawing by A. F. B. Wright, Esq., 9th Regiment 185 Professional Wrestler. From a Photograph by Signor Beato . . 225 Kango, or Native Palanquin. From a Photograph by Signor Beato . 230 Admiral King, with Prince Satsuma and his Prime Minister. From a Photograph by Lord Walter Kerr LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. To face Page Group op Einos.

From a Photograph by Frederick Sutton, Esq., R.N. 282 A Rustic Maid. From a Photograph by Signor Beato . . . 302 Japanese Fire Brigade. Fac-simile of a Native Painting on Silk . 334 Japanese Lady and Attendant, with Pipe and Tinder-box. From a Photograph by Signor Beato ........ 378 Prince Satsuma's Summer Palace at Kagosima. From a Photograph by Lord AV alter Kerr 388 Gardens of the Summer Palace. From a Photograph by Lord Walter Kerr 389 A Touch of Paint. From a Photograph by Signor Beato . . .

Introduction

. A boundless, dreary waste of waters ; a good ship ploughing her way wearily ; two " chums " having their afternoon smoke and confidential chat together — and there, reader, you are present at the scene of the nativity — so to speak — of this book. Leaning over the bulwarks, and looking down into the deep blue sea, these two friends are languidly bewailing the tedious monotony of a sea voyage. " Three months more of this," remarks the younger, adding an expletive implying intense disgust at the future prospect. " What a blank is one's life ! " " So much of existence thrown away ! " says the other. " I've read until I hate the sight of a book." " So have I ; and I know what every fellow is going to say when he comes up to me." " Backgammon is utter " " Eope quoits are worse." And so on, until all the amusements resorted to on board ship are one after the other condemned. " I say," remarks a corpulent old warrior, approaching, " did I tell you " " Oh, yes," reply the two discontented beings, with

INTRODUCTION.

. XIV one voice. " We know all about it ! It happened at Bangalore. We've heard it often." The communicative warrior retires abashed, and the two return to their occupation of looking down into the depths of the ocean. " This will never do, you know ! We shall be drivelling idiots by the time we get home ! " " I don't feel very far from it now," says his friend, Shaking his head mournfully, " and we've only had a couple of weeks of it. Oh, confound him ! here's old Dizzy!" "Look here!" begins the last-named gentleman: " did you fellows ever hear how " " Now, which one is it going to be ? " asks the younger, interrupting him snappishly. "Is it about Avhen you played the Yankee skipper at dearie ? for I'm hanged if I can listen to that any more ! " " No, it wasn't!" replies Dizzy indignantly.

"I was going to tell you about " " Well, never mind ! Whatever it was, you've told it us before." Dizzy retires crest-fallen, and the friends continue their grumble uninterrupted. What has the younger seen, that makes his face brighten up so ? Has his abstracted gaze into the deep been met by a glimpse of a lovely mermaid, or is he indulging in a happy day-dream ? No ; it is the flash of a bright thought which is light ing up his features. "I say, old fellow!" he exclaims, "I'll tell you

INTRODUCTION.

. XV Avhat we'll do ! Let's jot down our life in Japan, by way of amusing ourselves for the rest of the voyage !" The elder one, although in reality snatching at the idea as eagerly as the speaker, thinks it becoming his two or three years' seniority to show a certain amount of caution ; so he shakes his head doubtfully, and responds : " Well, I don't know. You can, perhaps, describe a run, or anything of that kind, and I'm — I'm not bad at —at " Here the other comes to the relief of his friend, faltering in his modesty, and encourages him with a figurative pat on the back : " No, you're not half bad ; and between the two of us, I think we might, by giving a sketch of our two years in Japan, make an amusing book of it ; for, you know, old boy, we had some great fun there." " Ah, yes," returns the elder, still riding the high horse, which he thinks he is duly entitled to mount, from the fact of his having made his debut on life's stage a little in advance of his friend : "it might be all very amusing to our fellows ; but I doubt if the general public " " Oh, bother the general public !

" — Here the authors apologise to the general public. — -"At all events, it will be something to do ; and when we get home, some foolish individual might undertake to publish it." — ■ Here the authors apologise to Mr. Chapman. " All right ! " says the elder one, suddenly becoming a convert to the other's views. "I vote we begin at once." And begin at once they did with the utmost enthu-

INTRODUCTION.

. siasm, though their labours were perforce carried on at times in rather a desultory manner. Of these labours this book is the .result. P.S. — The authors feel that it is due to themselves to state that the arrangement and compilation of this book have been made under great difficulties. Torn asunder by the cruel exigencies of the service, they have been unable to compare or arrange their Avork properly ; and to this circumstance they beg the generous reader to attribute any tiresome repetition he or she may detect. It is their virgin attempt ; and, in fear and trembling, they offer it to the world. "Be to their faults a little blind ! " They are pain fully conscious of their own shortcomings ; and can only pray that the glaring deficiencies, to which they them selves are fully alive, may be lightly passed over, nor visited with the displeasure they deserve.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. Aaron. — Huntsman to the celebrated Yokohama Hunt. B., Mulvey, The Child. — His satellites, radiating round and reflecting the light of the above great planet. Belleville — The beautiful, the beau. The Fenian. — Not so beautiful, but stiU a beau garcon. Of these twain it may appropriately be said, "Look on this picture and on this;" but closely allied on one point — both keen promoters of sport : Belleville loving it even as the fragrant fat of the bear, or the savoury essence of almond ; the Fenian pursuing it with the fire of red pepper. The Aide — Belonging to the Staff and lean kine. Captain Puffles — To tho (Fal)staff, or fat kine ; stout of heart and figure. Me. Pop. — A great gun in his way, who appears on the scene as a leading character on several occasions — the most prominent being in his ever-memorable Race with the last-named welter weight.

Abdul. — He to whom ive owe our knowledge of drill (acquaintance with is perhaps a better term), and to whom you are indebted for more than one of the accompanying illustrations. The Captain. — A veteran warrior, bearded and bronzed, but also much bearded and cheeked by those to whom he often acts the part of bear-leader. C now misses his old friends more oft than ever did he snipe or pheasant, catch or cannon, ere he left us. Jolly requires no description. De. Pieeee de Pifet. — A martial medico, who on one occasion attains a high standard of equestrian celebrity — only to vanish again into obscurity, with the passing brilliancy of a meteor. DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. Er. Quock Wock. — A young and promising member of the same profession, the clearness of whose delivery is scarcely commensurate with his fluency of diction and readiness of idea.

TnE Liver Cutter. — A most able theorist on the probable age of a horse, the proper weight of a cutting whip, or the fittest length for a spur ; under whose able tuition any and every description of horse speedily becomes a thoroughly finished animal. Tony figures during the occasional brief intervals he aUows himself between his periods of somnolency. Spiro. — A young gentleman of the Grecian style of beauty, the length of whose limb is only equalled by that of his narratory bow. Tweeker. — A modern version of the Artful Dodger, known chiefly as the fortunate owner of the celebrated Pig. Bobby may be described as the soul of wit — brevity. Micawbee. — So called from the many points he possesses in common with the immortal character of that name. Bones. — A Sapper of renown. One of ye chief sporting characters of ye Great Work that men call " Our Life in Japan."

R , a Minden Boy — wearing, like his first love, the badge of the double X — is here seen as the Guide to Daiboots. Fluffy — Of the same corps ; a mighty hunter. Podgy. — One of Scotland's warlike sons. T , last, but very far from least, of the martial heroes. Rival of the fat priest at the Temple of Daiboots — conquered, but not disgraced. Rudolph. — The Sir Joseph Hawley of Japan. Lothario. — A gentle knight, combining in the modern sportsman all the romantic virtues peculiar to the days of chivalry. Jorrocks has been drawn by an abler pen than ours. Alexander. — Another daisy of the Yokohama Turf. &c, &c, &c, &c, &c. OTJE LIFE IN JAPAN.

Chapter I. Opr Arrival

On the 9th May, 1866, we arcived in Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, as its inhabitants proudly call it, a country of Avhich so much has been Avritten and so much has been talked for the last ten years, that to obtain a reader of one single more work on it is expecting a great deal from a generous and enlightened public. This A'olume is not, however, entirely devoted to a description of the country and its inhabitants. Our object is more amusement than instruction; so the general reader may rest quite assured that he will not have to digest such dry facts as, " The population of Japan is estimated at about," &c, or, " Japan is a country rich in objects of interest to the naturalist, the historian," &c, &c. If any one wants information on such points, are there not countless books, Ave repeat, wherewith he can satisfy his craving for knowledge ?

Let him con sult one of these, and throw aside our volume ; for in it he will find little more than a description of how B a body of Englishmen, exiled for a time, at a distance of seventeen thousand miles from home, strove to while away the days, weeks, and years, until it should please Providence and the Horse Guards to recall them once more to their native land. In it he will find scarcely anything but a chronicle of the doings of these Englishmen for the space of two years : how they rode, shot, ate, drank, and generally made merry ; what they thought of the country and its inhabitants ; and how they managed to amuse themselves. To make a new start, as the first seems to have been a false one: — we landed on the 9th of May, 1866, after having been a year in Hong-Kong, Avhere Ave had had the bad fortune to drop in for a particularly sickly season, the bitters of which only served to heighten our appre ciation of the lovely, sunny land in which we found ourselves, on this bright spring morning.

We could not have seen it under more favourable circumstances ; our eyes, accustomed to rest on the barren-looking hills of Kowloon and Hong-Kong, now feasted on every new feature of the beautiful landscape, which was spread before us like a panorama as we passed close along the coast on our way into the harbour. Every one who was able was of course upon deck, and the expressions of delight that burst from many, as some new beauty in the scene opened before us, showed how keenly our poor fellows were enjoying once more the sight of green fields and wooded hills, which to many, no doubt, brought recollections of happy country homes far away in old England. As the officers of the regiment were standing on the poop enjoying the scenery, full many a regret was ex- OUR ARRIVAL. 3 pressed for the absence of one whom we had left sleeping peacefully in the Happy Yalley at Hong-Kong, the last home of so many of our regiment.

Probably similar regrets stirred the hearts of many forward on the fore castle, where the men were all crowding, eager to obtain a glimpse of their new quarters ; and possibly the lovely landscape became blurred and indistinct before the eyes of more than one honest fellow as he thought of "poor ould Bill," — how they " listed together," and how they had always been true and fast comrades, until Bill, what between that " CJiiney fayver " and " them Guards," was carried down to the Happy Yalley, one of the many victims of a certain scheme of false economy, of which the less we speak the better. It was about seven o'clock in the morning when we anchored in the harbour of Yokohama, and the appearance of our future home for two years Avas all that could be desired. That Arenerable, white-headed old mountain, Fusi yama, monopolised most of the attention, as it would always be sure to do, no matter under what circumstances.

It is not its height so much (about 12,000 feet) that makes it remarkable, as its peculiar shape and isolated position. After living some time amongst the Japanese, one begins to share their veneration for the grand old mountain. There is also another, part of the range from Avhich Eusi-yama springs, Avhich is called O-yama, and has even a more sacred reputation than its bigger and more majestic neighbour. b2 At noon we landed, and marched up to the English camp, situated on a hill overlooking the town, at a distance from it of about half a mile. In a few days the regiment we relieved embarked for Hong-Kong, and left us in undivided possession. They, poor fellows, were vePy much down on their luck at the prospect of a summer at Hong-Kong ; and as the last few boats' full were leaving the landing-place, and our band was playing " Auld Lang Syne," far above the strain of the dear old air, a voice from the ranks was heard to exclaim, " Begorra, ye'd better to change it to the Dead March in Saul, for we're off to Hong- Kong !

" a remark which seemed to haA'e anything but an enlivening effect on the comrades of this military " dismal Jimmy." , HoAvever, the passing cloud, Ave hope, was dispersed by the feAV hearty farewell cheers we gave them ; and we are happy to say that the gloomy forebodings of this lugubrious warrior were never realised ; for the ensuing summer at Hong-Kong turned out to be a healthy one, and few of the "Minden Boys " fell victims to the dire climate. Before ushering you, kind reader, into strange scenes and strange society, we will give you a slight sketch of both, just as we would say to a friend who was going on a visit to a place we were acquainted with, "You'll find Jones a good fellow, giA'es capital dinners." — "BroAvn has some good shooting." — " Yery good hunting country." — " People about inclined to be civil," &c. The remainder of this chapter, then, Avill be devoted to initiating you, in a slight degree, into the peculiarities of the country, the story of our life in which we offer to you.

OUR ARRIVAL. 5 IMoA^elty is ever charming as a rule, though it wear? off in a very short time after arriving in a neAV place ;. but with us, Japan and its inhabitants never ceased to be a novelty. There was always something new to ob serve and wonder at. They are a people so totally different from any other in the world, that in a year's residence amongst them you get a less insight into their manners and customs than could be gained in six weeks into the habits of any other nation. Their manners are polished in the extreme ; and, as a rule, they are ex ceedingly good-natured, and have a keen sense of the ridiculous — rather too much so — for we believe that if the most dutiful son, possessed of the greatest filial piety, were to see his father dying before his eyes, he could not repress a laugh if the old gentleman were to do it at all in a comical way.

Their laws are stringent, and we must presume well framed, as the government seem to have the " masses " pretty well in hand. We very much doubt whether there Avould be any " park railing " scenes amongst them. Their rules of etiquette are complicated and strict, and extend in a measure most absurdly doAvn to the lowest classes. Two coolies meeting each other in the street, if they are personally acquainted and off duty — that is to say, not engaged in carrying any load — will, before they commence a conversation, boAV", simper, and smirk in the most grotesque manner for several moments, and on leaving each other will repeat the same performance. This does look rather ridiculous when we consider that the probable tailor's bill of each of these gentlemen for the half year is the following : — "To one rag (summer suit complete) 3 cash."