A fourth and revised edition has just been published from the ' North-China Herald" Ofiice of Mr. Drummond Hay's interesting pamphlet on the sulphur spring district of Unzen and on the province of Higo in Southern Japan, The author tells one of the objects of my trip was to practically ascertain how much could be done ina short time with a view to open out a new field to those who have only a limited period at their disposal and who do not possess Fortun tus'; and I hope that my description has demonstrated how enjoyable an excursion, full of variety, beauty, and novelty can be conveniently and cheaply made in the little known south of Japan." Those who are induced to follow his ad-ico and explore for themselves in what is evidently a charming part of the country will find Mr. Hay an entertaining and useful companion ready with just the information required as to ways and means and a sure guide to what is best worth secing.
Special interest attaches to the follow-paragraph as it has been generally supposed that sheep rearing in Japan was impossible Some years ago sheep breeding was attempted at Unzen, a flock of some 450 sheep of Australian breed having been obtained from the Government Shimosa farm in the north. The attempt was not at first successful, as all but eighty of the sheep died, but these seem to have become acclimatised, and have bred freely, so that the flock now greatly exceeds the nu ber originally imported. These sheep are housed in the neighbourhood of the slope, and in warm weather 5 roam alt over the bitis n the neighbourhood, feeding on the coarse grass. Numbers of them, full-grown sheep and also lambs, can be seen from Then-no-hara feeding on the slopes of the adjoining hills. "The sheep are raised for the wool, and it devs not seem to have struck the owners that they were in a position to supply the good demand that must exist ut Nagasaki for mutton. Indeed, enquiries made in the autumn of 1902 elicited the information that the propagation of these sheep had been so fur beyond all expectation that the flock had increased to upwards of 2,000, and had grown beyond the local capacity for their accom: modation. The Shimabara Kencho are the owners of the sheep, and have tried small flocks to hope that they can be propagated in other paris of the country as they have been on the slopes of the Unzen hills, and if such experiments are successful there will be a prospect that before many years have elapsed the rearing of sheep throughout Japan will be a successful and welcome industry.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.