94 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



instantly surrounded by hundreds of sampans. They are small 

 boats, that are quite wide, and have a little cabin on them. The 

 Japanese handle them very skillfully. 



We went ashore, called on the American Consul, and then 

 took a jinricksha and rode about the city. A jinricksha is a 

 large-sized, two-wheeled baby carriage, drawn by a man. It 

 is wonderful how strong these men are, and how handily they 

 get about with these vehicles. One amusing thing to me was 

 the serious, sedate countenances which the children seemed to 

 have. I say " seemed," for on every conceivable occasion they 

 break into laughter, and old and young all appeared to be a 

 polite, agreeable people. The women are strong and vigorous, 

 better looking than the Filipinos. The people are clean, and 

 the women have splendid jet black hair, which they do up most 

 elaborately and curiously. Men and women work alike, as 

 boatmen, coal passers, and in the fields, as well as everywhere 

 else. It was a wonderful sight to see them coaling the ships. 

 There must have been three or four hundred, of all ages and 

 both sexes, at work on the " Sumner." Six lighters were 

 ranged alongside, and forming in rows they passed the coal up 

 in little baskets, holding about twenty pounds each, and there 

 was a constant string of them coming up all the time. It was 

 a human elevator. 



(Photographs Nos. i6 and 17.) 



I saw a pile-driver operated by hand. About fifty women 

 sat in a circle, each with a rope run over a roller overhead- 

 At a signal all pull together, and up came the big iron hammer 

 and then dropped on the pile. Pretty much everything is done 

 by hand there. The shops all open on the front, and the work 

 can be seen going on in plain sight. We saw needles being 

 made by hand, and many other curious operations. It was 

 very interesting to watch their processes, all the reverse of ours. 

 Even a carpenter's plane is drawn towards one, instead of being 

 pushed away as ours is. 



Upon another occasion w'e went ashore and calling on Mr. 

 Harris, the American Consul, he went with us to visit the 

 Shinto Temple. This temple was built 600 years ago, and con- 

 tains the famous bronze horse brought from India. From the 

 location of the temple a magnificent view of the city and har- 

 bor was had. That same day we started with 'rickshas and 

 extra push men over the mountains for IMoge, a little fishing 



