Japan is popaler and no wonder. Itisa charming place. When at home, a holiday is an easy matter. One soon gets down to beautiful Barmouth or to sunny Sandown, Tr is an affair of only a few hours. Far otherwise is it with a vacation in these Eastern regions. From Shanghai to Kobe is a voyage of about seven hundred miles. This la a good distance, especially when we recollect that the China Sea is rather rough. The chops of the Channel" have an ill fame with bad sailors and we were reminded of them by the first mentioned waters, The Prince of Wales declared, years ago, that to visit Indis had been the dream of his life, If I may compare small things eat, T may say that for some time had been my wish to see Japan. Miss Bird's admirable book, Cubeaten Tracks in Japan," awakened the wish, and it was strengthened by additional information from friends who had been there.
The Inland Sea is really exquisite. For more than a day we steamed through it before we arrived at our destination, When you land your swsthetic pleasures are continued and even increased. Our head-quarters were at Kobe and its euvin meutsare lovely. Our temporary home was outside the town on considerably elevated ground, and the scene was very fine. What the Bay of Naples may be 1 cannot say, but I often thought as T gazed from the balcony of our abude that the spectacle before me zvuld not be much inferior, The sky was usually bright blue and the sea varied in subtle tints with the progress of the day. Steamers avd native ships added to the attractions and the opposite coast was rugged and lofty. The town and the ines near it could hardly fail to recall Switzerland, Most ut the dwellings resemble the chalets which artists are #0 fond of putting on their canvas. If mere descrip-one's object Lmight refer to other tably the city of Kioto. The view obtained from the Ya-umi Hot such xs nobody can forget. Ttis what would call 4 thing of beauty," and consequently 'a joy for ever, Xu sooner clu you get buck f than Frien gousre Bound to be inter gather around primed with ins terry; "How do you like the Japatiese naturally enough, one of the earliest Of their questions. Well, one likes them, ty be sure. Tt is hardly possible not to do so. Nevertheless, th admiration has to be qualified, 'There are obvious drawbacks in the national character, More of this anon, Meanwhile, everybody must be drawn considerably' to the "Japs," as they are sometimes called, They tractive peuple, First im: pressionsare very favourable. For in: they are a happy lot, if T may 30 put it. All'classes seem light-hearted and hardly saw a wretched face during the whole of my visit. Evidently, they are not misanthropes and pessimists. I should imagine that nobody there has ever ventured to raise the miserable inquiry, is life worth living? They are superbly cleanly, too. Dirt of all kinds is abhorred by them. Houses and persons are alike free from it. Would that our neighbours (theChinese)resembled, them in this respect. The contrast is very great. As T roamed through all sorts of streets in Kobe I could not forget the difference between them and the narrow, filthy thoroughfares of the native part of Shanghai. If cleanliness is next to godliness," the Japanese ought to be in close proximity to religion. Their neatness and physical purity are beyond all praise. They are apparently wonderfully fund of bathing and go in for it wholesale and retail. To wash often and scrub vigorously in tepid water is evidently a universal practice and pleasure. O that this were the case with John Chinaman! He seems to be atilicted with hydrophobia, Baptist prineiples will, it is to be feared, never make Tery extensive progress in his territories, and for an obvious reason. The inhabitants of Japan are, moreover, notoriously polite. Their good manners are too well known to dwell upon here. Ftiquette isan important factor in their daily lives. Their salutations are something astounding. If, you want to see "bowing and scraping" ix excelsis, Japan is the place for you. Your entrance into and exit from " house or a
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.