THE WEST SHORE.
331
lueir game market contained mnntnv. i,n, ii-t
, . J .41(4 ' 0 UlflVK
partridge, sea swallows and pigeons, and of fish there
w rounuim supply uf nil Liud. from whitebait oral..
uu xuwwtb up 10 shark and whale boot and blubber.
ugr m1U8, nour mills and granaries wore familiar sights
in the villages, and the country in general wore an aiHt
of oomfort and plonty quite at variance with the doleful
picture of poverty the Governor and hut stuff had por-
JDu w mo commodore. The Looohooans live in a
simple manner, much after the patriarchal style of the
ancients. They dress plainly, even poorly, according to
the American standard. Their houses are small and by
no means either neat or clean, but the occupant seem to
be happy, as well thoy may be, since they are free from
want, live comfortably without groat labor, and, having
no ambition to rise above their station in life, are not
subject to the disappointments and discontentments so
rue in our own country.
The population of Loochoo is estimated at 200,000.
Their language and physique plainly indicate their unitv
of origin with the Japanese Whence came tho race
which people these two groups of islands their most
learned men areunablo to tell, aud our own arohicologiats
are unable to trace any similarity of language between
the Japauose and that of any otlior branoh of tho human
family. Nor does native tradition or thoir annals, which
reach back thousands of years, give any ground for
assuming relationship between thorn and any other race.
The anoiout religion of Japan aud Loochoo is callod
Shinto, meaning "Godway." Buddhism is a modern
importation from India and Japan. Ancioutly tho Shin
toists worshipped one god and rejoclod idols, but they
have gradually drifted into idolatry and the worship of
many gods. The Buddhists reject the worship of all
gods, the founder of the soct in Japan, tihaka, teaching
that it is vain to look for aid from them, but that man
must work out his own salvation by a lifo of righteous
ness and self-contemplation, by which means ho rim by
transmigration from ono state to another through suc
cessive forms of life until ho finally gains paradise. On
the contrary, a lifo of sin and immorality leads hi in
downward from his present high form of existence
through successively descending forms of brute creation,
such as monkey, cat, dog, reptilo, insect, etc, to the low
est form of creation. The people of both Japan and
Loochoo have from the most ancient times proudly
callod thoir oouutry Shin-hku, or " God-country," and
when the Buddhists began proselyting in their uiiditt
they raised a great outcry against them, calling them
heathens, atheists and idolaters. This was followed by
great civil wars and the slaughter of thousands of people.
Due of the greatest factors in the success with which
Christian missionaries have met is their preaching
against the idolatry and heathenism of the Buddhist.
It has won them the good will of the Hhintoist even
where it has failed to convince them of the superior
beauties of Christianity.
The Loochooans display great reverence for the dead
and care in their burial The mourners march to the
grave arrayod in white rotas, the women having their
hoads covered with caps of niattod white cotton wool, and
the men wearing hat of loosely plaited rushes, which
are drawn over their faoes and have barrod window in
front through which to boo. For a plaoo of sepulchre a
southern bIojm with a fine prospect is selected, and upon
this aro constructed tomb of strong masonry, covered
with a white plaster almost a hard and smooth a mar.
bio. Within tho vault aro an Inner ohamtier with lodge
upou which the burial casket is placed, and an outer
oourt where tho inonruins relative lav offorimrs
and flowers aud burn incense before tho dead. Bomo of
tho turgor cemeteries, roasting on tho groou hillside and
embowered in shade trees, have tho antioarancn of nil!n
for which wo mistook them when we first behold them
from tho dock of tho ship whilo yet some distance out to
sea.
Tho fleet Imving all assembled at Napjia, order were
issuod and tho whole squadron set sail for Yedo It.v mi
tho 1st of February, 18M, where they arrived on the l'2th.
ino iiooi inai men cast anchor in tho bay was the most
i)owerful aud imnosina that had ever viaitad Jiuinll Mini
it may woll be imagined that it made such an impression
upon ino mioguu ami hi adviser that negotiation were
at once resumed on a much more favorable footing than
they had occupied when susixmdod by tho Commodore's
departure tho previous July. Jonathan Goiile.
m
OREGON SCENERY.
IT is unnecessary to Boak in general term of Oregon
scenery, of the oountloss Ixtautio. and evun wimdnriL
of Nature to 1h found in th Coast Ilangn, Cascade and
Blue mountains, aud along the Columbia, Willamette,
Umpipia and Iloguo rivers and their hundrod of mouu
tain aud valley allluouU. Manv of the tuotit ohariiilnir
and grand aro remote from tho usual route of trawl aud
somom lull ixtnoalh the tourist uotios, yet enough of
the best is seen from tho oar window or steamlm.! l.u.k
to fill the traveler with admiration. Exioial!y I this
true or the tuagiuhoent scenery ot the Columbia, which
ha a reputation for beauty and irrandour ootiahul v
r i " -
few llitio in the world. This scenery lie along th
line or the U. II N. Co., which skirts the river bank
for nearly two hundred mile, following the narrow onrun
- . a
cut by the river in it pannage of the Cascade lUngn.
This month thirteen engraving of well known scene are
presented, nearly all of which are along the Columbia
niter. Among these the traveler cannot fail to reoog.
nise the beautiful Multnomah Falls. 800 feet hluli. whiih
dashes down the face of the gorge almcwt upon the track,
and lMore which every train sum fifteen minute to
euable Miouger to pay it a brief visit There are also
such well known place as the Cascades, Cax lloru,
Twin Hocks, Passage of th Dalhw, Latourolle ami llri.hd
veil alls, and Uiinoni Uorgn. There are also alearimm
Creek, near the summit of the Blue Mountains, and the
falls of Monier. Ie Chute ami White rivers. Kverv
overland traveler to I'ortlnnd ha an opxirtanity to view
tin tnagmltccnt Columliia Hirer scenery.