JAPAN.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 725, 10 September 1870, Page 4

JAPAN.

The Qamaru Times is permitted to publish the following extracts from a letter received from a correspondent, formerly a resident here, but now managiugt a large business for a firm at Yokohama, Japan. The firm, which has several branch establishments, seems to do business in every line, keeping a large dairy farm and butchering establishment, provisioning the navy, running a steamer to Hiogo, chartering vessels, importing rice from Saigon, and American produce and " notions " from San Francisco, indeed, carrying on large operations on the American principle. They are now building 1 a warehouse, which will bo the largest in Yokohama, and which will have a steam bakeiy attached. Of the country, the writer of the letter says: — "This i 3 the finest country I have seen ; the scenery is magnificant. Many of the towns bear unmistakable evidence oi antiquity, and the manners and customs of the people aro very peculiar. As a rule the middle and lower orders are civil, polite, hospitable, and well-disposed to Europeans ; nearly evcr-y ca.se qf c^ttiij^-dijwn car.) be traqed to the gross mis.conduct of jtho Europeans. r J?here is no fear, as a i'ule, of being robbed and maltreated by the Japs ; the only danger is from meeting a drunken Ynkonin, who may, in that state, consider it great fun to slice a foreigner's head off. I consider myself much safer than in one cf the civilised towns of Englaud. I, nevertheless, carry a revolver,

but that, is for the benefit, if required, of ■ a loafing European or a Chinaman, and not from any dread of ' J.ip' molestation, i At this time of the yeeir (May 30bh) the fields are all green except the barley, which is fast ripening, and the appearance is pleasing to the eye, the young rice especially has a green of vivid brightness I never saw before. Every inch of available ground is cultivated even to the tops of many of the hills, terrace above terrace, with a system of irrigation that would delight the heart of an Australian sheep farmer. We are visited by earthquakes or rather feel the oscillation of the earth- wave. I can compare fie feeling produced by a nood vibration to nothing co much afancying yourself gravel, being washed of in a gold diggers dish. This will give you a fair idea of the jigging we are sometimes treated to." As to the language, 1 can manage to speak it sufficiently well to bny and sell, i^ive instructions, or*- talk on ordinary business matters, although for the first six months after my arrival my ear did not get accustomed to the sound, and I thought I should never learn. This difficulty over, it is far easier to acquire than any European language, and is baautif ally expi'essive and concise. The writing i.e. the commercial or lower orders style is easily picked up, if the student takes an interest and has an aptitude for it, but the writing of the upper classes is the d — ], fearfully complicated, and more like one of those interminable patrons on bedroom wall paper than anything else. As throwing some liaht upon the remarks made by tho writer of the above with reference to the frequency of earthquake shocks in Japan we may mention that the Japan Mail, of the 28th May, publishes a return showing the number of shocks experienced from the 14th to the 26th of that month, from which we gather that on the 14th there were no less th.*n fourteen distinct shocks, at intrevals of from half-an-hour to two hours ; on the 15th fourteen, one of which is set down as " very severe ;" on the 18th, one ; on the 19th, four ; 22nd, 23rd, and 26th, one each. Rather a lively place, we should fancy. ___,«,^_ l ___.