Japan has just been visited by one of the severest earthquakes she has known for 37 years, Strange to say, altho, records do not give the recurrence of these disasters at any regular period, the Japanese were confidently expecting a visit~ atic of this nature on sr about the 4th of November, and their morbid anticipations were urily forestalled by a few days. Early birds were stirring on the morning of the 28th when the disaster occurred—6.30, and as far as riy own family is concerned we had not long risen to enjoy that early cup Of eoffve which is so essential to these who have knocked about the world much, The shock cane suddenly, with barely a pre paratory creak to warn us of its near approach, The shock was unanimously long and sharp, in fact in every way the most serious seismic disturbance we had personally experienced, and we felt proportionally alarmed, yet made no attempt to leave the house or try tu escape from any danger, though every second threatened to bring the house about cour ears, xs it appeared to us. People are strangely motive at these times, and lose their heads in a remarkably short time, Luckily for us, however, flight was not necessary either in Tokiv or Yokhama, as it afterwards turned out we only had the tail and of the earthquake fiend beneath us, and if by nothing else we could have gauged somewhat the terrific nature vf its full fury if ite weakest movement was so strong, The earthquake proper burst about 260 miles, roughly speaking, away from the capital and wreaked its deadliest vengennee on Nagoya, Aichi, Oxaki, and Mount Hakusan, to the NW, of Gifu, Not one, but three successive shucks aid to have been experienced in these places, shaking the earth to its very f tion like the blows of a battering: directed by a maduian's baud, know, the Japanese houses ar ily built and rest on large, rounded stones instead of having their' piles driven into the ground fora tru: foundation, and the theory is that in the event of an earthquake they will oscillate without falling, his is belter in theory than practice, as the recent earthquake proved; tur although slight shoes clu not it ly trae have any effect on the native buildings, on the 28ch the pour little houses fell like little eard-board edifices. We who were not on the spot at the time can form no real estini-Uon of the horror of the calamity, The crush of falling houses on every hand, the groans and shrieks of men, women and children, the clouds of dust, the debris and the shattered earth, clotting with the blood of hundreds of Killed and wounded, the dull and mysterious reac beneath like the rushing of a giant subterranean hurricane, and with it all ths perpetual motion of the earth; now heaving, like an angry sea, now springing a starting like w frightened horse. Deser it as we will, nu words can possibly paint such scenes of woe as covered mile after mile of country in the afflicted provinces. The rice fields, mountains and roads on every side were burst open by the shucks, andin maw places the yawning rents gave forth hot and unwholesome streams Of muddy water. fo add to the horror of the scene, rimy of the fallen houses doth in Nagoya and Gifu two fire, especially in Gifu, where three-fourths of the houses were burnt as well as wrecked, and, still more terrible, with many of their living inhabitants in them, This city was thrown into the wildest confusion, Those who escaped uninjured strove to rescue their dying friends and relatives and remove the wounded t" places of safety, or save their most usefal and necessary be-Jongings from the debris, a comparatively few trying to stem the conflagration which broke out in several places at once, every hour making the smoke-laden air heavier j trayed.
Inhabitants residing at the foot with the dreadful stench of burning budless of the mountain say that a green-coloured which were claimed by the flames before did was seen over the ssu nit about ten haman hands could reach them, 's prior to the earthquake, and inhabi Phe distress and ssu we in the detants: Subashiri, at the fes vastated districts is lih deseriptiv mountain, as well as these of Nakano-wut Thousands are homeless, per siles and Yama and adjoining places in Tsuru starving, entirely dependent ity, gun, Yamanash riy were unaware of the which is at best a tickle mathe OF ars subsidence until informed of it.
The sub-sympathy is bei actively shown, and pity sidence cannot be seen very distinctly from is on the wing, hizuoka-kex, but from Yamauashi-ken a substantial proofs of its sincerity but it better view is obtained." must be remembered that the majority of 'Alas for globe trotters, rhapsodies and the ruined people will sw ithe Chiva plates; to depict Fuji's gentle winter, long after t days' wonder of slope without a very unbecoming breach the disaster has pass away, and side and huuip on the other will be after the funds bei enervusly supplied ger possible, or at least conscientious, present have been sorbed by the Besides the rent inn ostic Fuji we learn, thou: they are to be tyeday that a nnountain in Gifu ims become di apanese authorities have active no, that steam is issuiv acted nobly th They appear to {have exercised their discretionary powers to the best bill ni every business-like promptness, not always on hand in Japan, pus amount of work and respon upon them At a moment's 1 side by side with labour of lund monetary relief, food has had to be actually placed in the hands of the hungry, clothes eu the backs of the naked, and the ne sity to restore the postal stitutions, and means of ollie We hav flatter the Government inet this m © responsibil and japan is certainly to be eongratulnted on her nati emery By ymieans one of the least difficulties which beret the unhappy people was "dearth, of doctors in the worst districts, and this of the wounded cither being very scantily al to, or having, wait for two or three days until medical aid reached then, when it was in many cases tuo late te be of s ice, or at least ty save a bailly shatter The number of amputations has been enormous, Up to last Sunday shocks of earthquake were conti Nazwa and its neigh: '50 and GO terday, ks a pretty sharp reminder of the uncertainty life iv this port, but it was ton short ty cause more than a moment': sunts. of atles horror published during the last wack, but this m produced fresh excitement in the news that Mount Fuji was discovered to be the vievim ofa bad laudsli Tie native papers describe it as being 1,200 feet in width and 600 fect deep, though as it will not be possible to obtain other than a telesenpie view of it for many months to come it is not quite easy to say by what method the depth is arrived at, The aunt as published in this morn issue of the Japan Gazette is as follow "Phe change was tits observed by the Shizuoka Prefectural authorities and the police near by were instructed to make enquiries. The villagers nearest the mountain on being questioned stated that some ten minutes after the occurrence of the earthquake on the 28th ult., a rambling like the noise of thunder was heard on the mount Officials having subsequently been despatehed to make inspection, they proceeded ty Kagozaka-toge, bordering on Shizuoka and Yamanashi and there made observa-telescope, by which they ined that between Ushigakubo and wa-take, on the northern side of the ft, a portion of the mountain some 1,200 feet in width had subsided tu a depth rut 600 feet.
is stated that the well-known gold and silver Wells and also the Sengen Shrine at the summit must have been totally des-rom a number of other mountains, ¥ yd that Hakusin, at the foot of which so t.any villages have been destroyed, has an enormous chaste in its side, described ar mea-exaggeration. Fey depth is std to by across, Uhough this is prossibl
venus, and recks are continurdly pres cipitating themselves into the elvasm with a dull and heavy thunder which shakes the earth and probably accormmts for a few vf the shocks which still occur with alarming frequency.
It is ww time for me to revert toa pleasanter and brighter theme, namely the Tunperial Birthday Bull held by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Visenent Eu at ini Hotel. Tokio, on the 3rd inst.
is to pay in Tokio we decided to te Tokio ently in the day nnd rest before Che dissipations of the evening. It was ae-cordingly yet early in the afternoon when we reached the Imperial Hotel and were shown to one rooms, which in spite of having ordered them well in advance we found to be nearer the sky than we precisely apprewd. Remoustrance was useless; the vas full up, principally with Japane vies from the country, and we had to make shift with second-class neomimodation, Our early arrival gave an opportunity ty inspect the ballroom and general arrangements at our lei We found everything being to ensure a successful evening" as far refreshments and decorations were concerned. The principal dining room was: sot apart for dancing and made a most desirable ball-toom, the fluor being w handsomely inkid "one of several Sve: woods which naturally proved most agree Ile to dance on, The room was profusely. decorated with greenery and the motional chrysanthemum, massive beans crossing the room overhead being entirely screen in floral deaths and long garlands of the. sume being looped in all directions above them. Flags of all nations round the upper portion of the walls were relieved: by snail pairs of the Japanese standard at intervals, We were told that over 2,000 guests had been invited, but I am glad to say only bal that' number was there. Had everyone come we should have had to emulate the docile sardine, and as it was we were fairly packed. Dancing commenced about 10 o'clock, in:
"din principally by the foreigners who nothing about it. Tt was an amusing. spectacle, especially the square dances, in which each couple appeared so. entirely engrossed throughout in squeezing hints out of the next pair that they invariably forgot to put them in practice till far too late:
one's convenience or a harmonious. unison with the music. The Japanese guests gathered about 12 deep to watch these performances, and it is not surprising that they" did so with searceely less awe and astonishment than they would have regarded a nic eruption. The dear little Japanese: ladies who did not dance and they represent the majority, because most ut the ladies wore their native dresses in which a valse would: be an impossible feat, assembled in aw upper chamber which lurked down into:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.