84 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1898. 



40,000,000, and since the capture of the island of Formosa 

 from the Chinese there are 8,000,000 more inhabitants to be 

 added. 



As you approach Japan the first sight, if the sky is clear, is 

 the top of their sacred mountain of Fujiyama. As we came 

 near this empire we saw no land that we could recognize as such, 

 but away up in the clouds the top of this great mountain 

 appeared, and the sun shone on it giving a crimson tinge to its 

 snow capped summit. 



Here is a picture of Yokohama harbor. We spent several 

 days near this harbor, which is one of the best in the world, and 

 you notice on the shore quite a number of the Japanese houses. 

 As you drop anchor in the harbor, one of the most curious things 

 that strikes you is the large number of little boats manned by 

 little Japanese boatmen, who row out to the ship to take you 

 ashore. Perhaps you will prefer to go ashore on a steam launch 

 in a civilized manner, but there is far more fun in taking one of 

 the little boats, or "sampans," and being sculled ashore by one 

 of these almost naked "brownies," as we might call them. 



When you come into the city of Yokohama, it is a question 

 whether you shall go to a European hotel and have all the luxu- 

 ries which you would get in the best French hotels, or whether 

 you shall go to a Japanese hotel. Here is a picture of a Japa- 

 nese hotel. The main floor is several feet above the ground, 

 and there is a veranda running around it, and there you see the 

 rooms inside. Those persons sitting upon the floor are in one 

 of the guest rooms. The door on the left is one of the sliding 

 doors that make up the side of a room in Japan. These doors 

 slide clear to the corners on each side. They may be opened 

 wide, or taken out as is usually the way in the daytime, in both 

 their dwellings and stores, so practically the Japanese live out 

 of doors. It is very pleasant and healthful in the summer time. 

 Then at night these inside doors are drawn together, and some 

 wooden doors are drawn together on the outside, and all is 

 closed for the night. As you go into the hotel you are met by 

 servants, and they are very happy if they can take oft* your 

 shoes for you. I had this experience in a genuine Japanese 



