THE VENUS EXPEDITION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4302, 5 January 1875, Page 3

THE VENUS EXPEDITION.

AMERICAN OBSERVERS IN JAPAN. (Prom the New York Herald, October 12.) Nagasaki, Japan, Sept. 3, 1874. We left San Francisco July 28, on tho Pacific mail steamer Alaska, and, after a most delightful voyage of twenty-three days, saw land on tho morning of August 21. We arose early, and, with the rising of the sun, could distinguish the outline of the Japanese volcano Fusiama. In the course of an hour the complete outline of the land and the details of the surface became visible. Pusiama, the morning haze having disappeared, rose up to a great height, and a beautiful object it was. I do not wonder that it has been made an object of worship and adoration by the Japanese. The Cape King light was now passed, and we entered the Bay of Jeddo. In the excitement our breakfast was ahnost forgotten, and we were all employed examining the land with our glasses. The windfall at once, began to blow severely and, continued increasing, careening the ship over on her side, aud delaying her progress considerably. It was tho only severe wind we had experienced during our voyage, and the captain pronounced it to be the remains of a typhoon. It proved to be so, for Nagasaki suffered from a typhoon the same date. SCENES IN SHORE. We now approached quite near to the land, and discovered a beautiful little village nestled on the sea shore, at the foot of a precipitous hill. It was Kphrain, a Japanese fishing village, rather an odd name for a Japanese town. The land now in sight was beautifully green and rich fin foliage, and our hearts bounded until delight and gratitude, because of reaching terra firma once more. We now passed another lighthouse on the south. It is beautifully situated on a high bluff in the midst of green woods, and the hill sides are terraced and rich in crops of rice. The square white building, with its heavy tent-shaped roof, below which on the beach is a fishing village, in front of which were several junks at anchor, formed a very picturesque view. As we passed, the Japanese flag was hoisted, and we returned the salute. A large Dutch frigate uow passed us, standing out to sea, and we saluted by dipping our colors. Japanese junks then became quite numerous ; ■ these vessels, though not having the graceful outline of a yacht, yet appeared to be good sea boats. They carry a large square sail, often made of bamboo, have straight sides and are considerably higher at both ends than in the middle ; they are of the natural color of the wood of which they are made; and paint is seldom wasted on them. The rowing boats are of very similar construction, though smaller, aud are propelled by long sweeps which are permanently attached to the gunwales and used with a sculling motion. At the time we observed them, there was quite a sea on, and they were tossed about unmercifully and often bidden from our sight by the waves, yet when they rose again, they always appeared right side up. At a distance they reminded one, in outline, of a gondola. NEARING THE YOKOHAMA. We were now but a very few miles from the city of Yokohama, though an intervening •point or land hid the city itself. On this point were situated, among the trees, several villas ; they were the residences of foreign officials. The whole spot was beautifully green, the white tops of the houses projecting above the tree tops, and all indicated that ministers aud consuls are not a very unfortunate class of men. Hounding the point, Yokohama, situated in a concavity of the land, appeared to our sight, and from a distance it did not show as foreign an appearance as I expected. We slowly aud carefully wended our way through a humorous shipping of all nationalities and ' finally attached to our buoy. Japanese cities have no wharves or piers, aud all ships anchor some distance from the shore. I understand that the reason is because in a typhoon the ships would be very much injured by striking the piers, whereas in the bay there is more room and freedom for action. Our ship was immediately surrounded by a fleet of “saupans,” that is, small open boats, manned by natives, who, though dressed in a primeval costume of a girdle and a straw hat, yet did not feel the least embarrassed, which was more than I could safely say of some of our passengers. These boats were rapidly propelled in the strong wind by two men ; tho sweeps, which were quite long, they used with dexterity. This class of the people appeared to be very muscular and in fine physical condition, and in this respect far surpass the Chinese whom I have seen, who were a debilitated and cadaverous looking set. GETTING TO LAND. One of the officers of our ship came and informed us that this was the only means of transportation to the , shore ; this quite astonished us and wo rather hesitated, for the shore was some distance from us, to entrust ourselves to such a boat in tho heavy sea. The waves tossed them to and fro, the prow, then the stem, alternately rising in the air, and coming down and slapping the water, dashed the spray over the deck and crew. HUNTING UP LODGING. 1 was, of course, the unfortunate individual selected by our chief, Professor Hall, to go ashore and select rooms at the hotel for our party, for others wore doing the same, and as the hotel was undoubtedly limited in extent, I hesitated no longer, but offering up a silent prayer for my safety, descended the gangway, and shouting “sinto,” as tho others did, though not understanding what it meant, I soon had a boat near mo, and watching a favorable opportunity, jumped on board and hastily seized a seat for support. The voyage was short and sweet, and my hack was soaked from the spray. I was landed at a place which was evidently the usual lauding place, for here the boats were numerous and lined the shore, packed in, like sardines in a box, heads and tails. As I got but of tho boat -one of the boatmen followed me, crying “ boo,” and gesticulating violently. I asked him bis price, but the only response was tho unintelligible “boo.” A gentleman standing near, who was evidently English, judging from his Lord Dundreary side whiskers, explained and told mo that “ boo ” was a Japanese coin of the value of twenty-five cents ; so the matter- was soon settled in a manner satisfactory to both parties. My means of transportation to tho hotel was in a jiuriksha. I would describe it as a twowheeled “ perambulator,” very similar to those in which city babies are taken for an airing. It is drawn by a coolie dressed in “bear skin.’! In tho night time they illuminate tho darkness with a variegated paper lantern. Tho “ men horses” keep up a steady dog trot for miles aud are capable of great endurance. It is an easy and pleasant way of travelling, for the vehicles are provided with good springs, and the roads, being hard earth, are trodden down and quite smooth, so there is very little jolting.

CITY EXPERIENCES AT EARLY DAWN. ’ In the morning we went out to sec the sights ; it appeared as if I was in a dream, everything was so strange ; the manners, habits, and customs seem to be reverse of ours. This I particularly noticed in the mechanical 'arts. For example, carpenters draw the plain towards them, instead of pushit, as we ; the teeth of their saws are set contrary to ours. It was very new to me, as I strolled along the streets to find myself mixed up with a crowd of blue-shrouded persons mounted on wooden shoes. The shoes are usually pieces the size of the bottom of the foot raised upon two blocks of wood ; they are fastened like sandals. They are about four inches high and are always removed at the threshold before entering a house. The houses are wooden, and the roof, which is tent-shaped and massive, is usually the most ornamented part of the building. The interior usually consists of one large room, which can be divided into several apartments by means of paper screens. Paper in Japan is used for making everything, lanterns, signs, fans, handkerchiefs, &c. ; they are very lasting, and tho paper used is very tenacious aud is torn with difficulty. EVENING REFRESHMENT. In the evening we all chartered jiurikshas and went to a J apanese tea garden, where wo had an elaborate supper. It consisted of giblets of all kinds, and “ said ” (rice whiskey), boiling hot, was freely circulated. The taste is very peculiar and quite unpleasant to our palate. We removed our shoes on entering and reclined on onr elbow in true Japanese style, becoming naturalised for the time being.