Japan. 177 



there, and also in north China, under the name of samli. It 

 is, I believe, the same fish as the Indian hilsa. The fruit, 

 vegetables, milk, cream, and butter are like unto those of 

 England. The climate is similar to that of France, without 

 the great cold in winter. The people are hospitable, and 

 show strangers plainly that it gives them pleasure to be 

 obliging and civil ; consequently, they are incapable business 

 men, and have no moral backbone. Freemasons in Japan 

 have recognised the volatile character of the inhabitants, in 

 that they refrain from admitting any Japanese into their 

 order ; although they make no objection to Chinese, whose 

 socialistic training and traditions eminently fit them for 

 keeping their own secrets. With very few exceptions, the 

 native clerks in all the banks and mercantile houses in Japan 

 are Chinamen. 



Of all the hotels I have known east of the Suez Canal, 

 the Grand at Yokohama is the best, with the Hong Kong 

 Hotel a good second. The profusion of fruit and vegetables 

 to be found in Japan, is most acceptable to the western 

 traveller. Every morning at early breakfast in the Grand 

 we used to have, without extra charge, an unlimited supply 

 of strawberries, which, I might suggest, taste better with 

 Burgundy (Corton, perhaps, for choice) and a little kirsch 

 (the flavour of curacoa is too pronounced for some), than 

 with cream. I need hardly say that the kirsch wasser to 

 which I refer, is the spirit distilled from cherries, and not 

 the sickly mess which goes by the name of cherry brandy. 

 In Yokohama, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Amoy, there are 

 excellently managed dairy farms. The milk, as a rule, costs 

 fivepence a pint, which is two and a half times as dear as in 

 London. On the other hand, it is richer than the English 

 product ; for the food given to the cows is drier. 



M 



