86 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



finally, it appeared that the former could not be had, and the latter grew many miles away, at 

 the foot of Mount Fusi. 



This grape would be a desirable and important acquisition to our country. It is superior in 

 delicacy and flavor, as an eating grape, to any of our natives, not excepting the cultivated Isa- 

 bella and Catawba, to which it is about equal in size. While excelling these, it is inferior to 

 the finer European varieties. Than those, however, it is doubtless far better adapted to our 

 country, as being native to one similarly situated on the eastern side of an extensive continent, 

 and having a climate approximating to ours in extremes of temperature. A few seeds were 

 preserved, and a portion left at San Francisco and Valparaiso. The stems of the bunches seen 

 by us were dried and wrinkled. They probably grew at the base of Fusi, as stated. 



In addition to the vegetables mentioned above, several others might be referred to ; but, be- 

 side being similar to those in the report on Lew Chew, none of interest are present to my mind, 

 except that important article of food in Japan, the sweet potato. 



No cotton or sugar-cane was noticed under culture. Other fruits, besides grapes, are limes, 

 oranges, (mandarin,) apples, small and indifferent; pears, large but watery, and insipid; and 

 peaches, plums, and apricots ; none of which latter did we see ripe. Indeed, it appears that 

 the Japanese consume them while yet unripe, either stewed, preserved, or pickled. They have 

 the fig, too, a tree of which I saw, but the fruit was not quite matured, Golownin mentions 

 raspberries, andThunberg enumerates three or four kinds ; but these they consider unwholesome, 

 or rather, they told the former so when restraining him from eating them. There are nurse- 

 ries of cherry-trees, and probably plantations ; but whether for fruit or fuel, or for a light, 

 tenacious wood for lacquer-ware, is not known. 



Numerous young standards (something like catalpa) are specially cared for ; but for what 

 purpose I know not. However, there were obvious and important uses for the multitudes of 

 small mulberry-trees in hedge-rows and nurseries. Their use in rearing silk-worms is, doubtless, 

 very considerable ; and we saw the operation in progress of reeling off silk from the cocoons. A 

 nearly equal, if not more important use, is the extensive, enormous manufacture of paper, of 

 various sorts and qualities, from the inner bark of this tree. The paper is of every degree of 

 fineness, from a thick, strong, tough article, down to a delicate silk-like texture. Much of a 

 thin tissue-like quality is beautifully stamped with figures, and portions with colored figures. 

 As the men use a coarse paper for handkerchiefs, it was suggested that this delicate material 

 was for ladies' handkerchiefs; and this idea was readily received. But the true use of it, I have 

 reason to believe, is to make light-shades, by being pasted upon wooden frame-work. These 

 answer the same purpose exactly that glass-shades for candles do in hot climates. A stronger 

 paper is used in the structure of every house. It is pasted upon large, light, sash-like frames. 

 These are placed in grooves, and extend from the ceiling to the floor, and slide along the 

 grooves upon little chinaware wheels. In many houses these form most of the partitions; and, 

 by removing them, or the reverse, the apartments may be enlarged or diminished at pleasure. 

 When forming the outside walls, they answer the purpose of windows, and the paper is protect- 

 ed from rain by the roofs projecting in the form of a portico. At night wooden shutters are 

 placed against the wall, and the house is secured. All this paper is remarkably durable 

 and tenacious, insomuch that, by cutting it into narrow strips and rolling it, it makes good 

 strings. 



A few years ago there was a great complaint in the United States about the deficiency of 

 paper-making material. To judge from the abundance and cheapness of paper in Japan, the 



