A Sailor in Japan (1854)

Source: The Polynesian. Honolulu: Saturday, November 11, 1854.


The following gossiping letter was written by a Sailor in the Japan Squadron, and lets one into many little secrets concerning the Japanese not before known to the world at large.

"Last Saturday was a bright sunny day, and at 8 A.M. Danby and I went ashore to take up the railroad track, and box up the locomotive, tender and car ready for sending them to Yedo. At 12 M we had everything done, (these Japanese carpenters are quick workmen,) and went in to the Reception House to get our dinners. The Reception House was several different apartments; the first you enter is used as a smoking room; it is carpeted with a straw matting, and the furniture consists simply of a large brass vase, containing a charcoal fire, with brass chop-sticks to lift out the coal when you wish to lite your pipe; around this vase Japanese officers of rank may always be seen sitting on their knees-or squatted I should call it, for they use no chairs-and stoically smoking. 

As soon as we entered they would offer us a pipe and tobacco, without rising, and generally we would accept their offer and squat down alongside them. They always lay off their sandals and enter their houses in their stocking feet; but we tramp over their mats shoes and all. The sides of this room are ornamented with an outlandish landscape on a gilt ground, and the principal feature of the landscape was a large number of long-legged, white cranes. From the smoking room we entered the principal reception room. This, too, is embellished with a great number of landscapes, similar to those in the smoking room; but these are like our clothes-bars. On each side of the reception room wide benches, like a low table, are placed, and covered with a red woolen cloth. These answered for a double purpose being used both as a lounge and as a table to eat from. Two side of the room are inclosed by sliding window frames, but instead of glass they use white paper for admitting the light. Over our heads, in graceful festoons, was hung a crape curtain of purple colors with tassels and cord. At the further end of the room a Japanese flag is hung, before the entrance of the private reception room, where the Commodore and the Princes have debated all official business, and where the treaty was signed. This room is furnished exactly like the larger one, with matting on the floor, benches with red cover over them, and gilt landscapes around the sides; but it has, in addition, a plain table for writing materials.

From the large reception room we passed through several halls and private rooms, for the attendants of the Princes, to the cooking rooms. The cooking utensils are of a very primitive description, consisting of a copper boiler set over an arch, with wooden spoons to stir up the rice with, and one kettle in which they boil eggs chopped up and colored with red and blue powders, fried clams, fried snakes, pound cake, candy and raw oysters. I did the raw oysters and pound cake justice, but I couldn't eat the other things. The dinner was served up on Lacyuer ware dishes, on a Lacyuer ware stand, with chop sticks to eat with. 

After dinner, Mortimer Kellogg and I concluded to take a walk, as we had nothing more to do at the house, and so started down toward Canajawa. We were accompanied by a couple of two-sworded silk pants Mandarins, to see that we conducted ourselves properly. As we walked along down the beach we saw great crowds of men, women and children picking up clams and oysters, (it was low tide,) and men fishing. 

We visited a pottery, and saw the workmen making tiles for the roofs of houses. Just beyond this, we came to a temple in the midst of a grove with a large gate before it. Here our guards wishes us to turn back, and even went so far as to catch me by the arm; but I shook the fellow off, and shaking a little bamboo cane in his face, gave him to understand that game cou'nt do. Finding we were determined to go on, they gave up the chase and turned back highly indignant. We now pursued our course undisturbed, visited several Japanese villages, and took a walk of some eight or ten miles in the country. We finally came out in Yokohama, and visited the grave of a mariner whom we buried here some time ago. The Japanese keep a guard over his grave night and day, for what purpose I cannot tell. Near his grave is a large collection of gravestones, with carved figures upon them. It is a romantic place.

We now visited another temple, and as a large crowd was now following us, I considered it to be a fit opportunity to address a few remarks to them upon the wickedness of the course they were pursuing, and exhorted them to reform. As my remarks were received with great applause, Kellogg mounted the rostrum and endeavored to persuade the deluded people to throw away their idols and repent. They listened with great attention, and I have no doubt were convinced, so far as they understood. We then visited several dwelling houses, a barber shop, and oil manufactory, and many other places, in all of which we were received, and had a capital time. One old woman got out a spinning wheel, with her roll of wool, and went to work spinning yarn. IT is exactly sic an instrument as I have often seen in use at home for the same purpose, making such a buzzing sound, and the old lady was delighted to see us so much interested in it. Many of the women brought their little children to have us pat their heads, and we stopped in nearly every house we came to and took a cup of tea and a pipe with the inmates. All have one room, with a matted floor, where they keep a vase of fire and their household gods, for they are very religious. Before one store door I noticed to fire engines. They are worked by brakes and have a jointed pipe like ours, but they have no air vessel to produce a continuous steam.

A crowd of people were constantly besieging us with invitations to write come thing on their fans. I wrote mottoes and proverbs on a great number of them, and they were very much delighted. -While Kellogg was writing on a fan some one of the crowd cut a button off his coast tail. He felt is as they jerked it off, and instantly taking it off, held it up before their eyes in a deprecating manner and showing them where the button ought to be cooly walked into the store nearby, and picking up a lacquered cup, put it in his coat pocket; then, standing on the steps, he made an address to the crowd on the wickedness of stealing. Either his address, or the cup he had taken, caused them to bring back the button and present it to him with many low bows before we got twenty yards from the place. He returned the cup. They have a great fancy for buttons or glass bottles and will trade almost everything they have for them, when they are alone. Every Japanese distrusts his neighbors. Their homes are built of stone and wood; many of them, with tiled roofs, are fire-proof. -We went into a barber-shop, and saw them having their heads shaved and hair done in peculiar style. I never had more fun in my life than I did this day."