92 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The mineral resources of Japan are abundant and various, 

 though the arts of mining and metallurgy are still in a primi- 

 tive condition. There are extensive beds of excellent bitu- 

 minous coal on the larger islands, while there is an adequate 

 supply of iron, gold, silver, quicksilver, tin, copper, lead, 

 zinc, antimony, manganese, arsenic, and sulphur, in various 

 portions of the empire. Petroleum has been found in several 

 localities ; and there are valuable deposits of plumbago, salt, 

 and kaolin, as well as of gypsum, soapstone, and marble. 

 Immense quantities of gold, silver, and copper, have been 

 exported from the country ; the Portuguese and Dutch having 

 carried away five hundred million dollars in precious metals 

 between the years 1550 and 1650, besides an enormous 

 amount of copper, which is still produced in abundance, and 

 of superior quality. 



The soil of Dai Nippon, as of other countries, is variable 

 in quality ; but that which is under cultivation is generally 

 of unusual natural fertility. This results from the fact that 

 luxuriant vegetation furnishes plenty of organic matter in 

 the uncropped fields and forests, while the heavy rains and 

 mountain-torrents are constantly bringing from the interior 

 highlands the finer and richer particles of the soil, and de- 

 positing them in the valleys which extend downward 'to the 

 sea. Under the ancient system of cultivation, only such 

 lands are highly esteemed as are capable of irrigation, with- 

 out which rice, the principal cereal, cannot be profitably 

 produced. 



The Japanese people are a peculiar and remarkable race, 

 whose origin and early history are involved in obscurity. 

 They are more vivacious, progressive, and courageous than 

 the Chinese, and have a language quite their own. They 

 have a high sense of honor, are exceedingly polite and amia- 

 ble, and intensely patriotic. They are apt scholars, ingenious 

 artisans, successful farmers, excellent sailors, and brave sol- 

 diers. They seem to combine in their national characteris- 

 tics the good qualities of the active, merry Malay of the 

 South with the intelligence and conservatism of the Chinese, 

 and the substantial physique and Aryan features of the 

 Ainos. This union of several unlike races under favorable 

 conditions has resulted in the production of a people superior 

 to any of their progenitors. As might be expected, there is 



