66 Extracts from Diary in Jajpan. 



Art. XI. — Extracts from Diary in Ja;pan, 

 By F. C. Christy, C.E. 



[Read IStli September, 1877.] 



Japan consists of four Islands, governed by an Emperor, 

 Ministry, and Parliament. 



The Ministry consists of Premier, Ministers of Finance, 

 Foreign Affairs, Public Works, Education, Agriculture, &;c., 

 &c., with Yice-Ministers to each department. 



Its members of Parliament are not elected by the people, 

 but are the Chief Magistrates of the various kens, or districts, 

 and are supposed to know the requirements of their people. 



Yesso, the northern island, is about the 44th degree of 

 latitude and under the 144th parallel of longitude. Here 

 the winter is extremely severe; with almost constant 

 snow during the winter months ; the bear, wolf, deer, wild 

 boar, otter, fox, hare, &c., are abundant ; ptarmigan (grouse), 

 woodcock, snipe, &c.; codfish, herring, salmon, in profusion. 

 The cod, salmon, and roe of fish are salted and sent to the 

 southern towns in hundreds of tons per annum, and form 

 with rice the chief food, meat being little eaten. 



Niphon, the main island, has the largest population ; 

 Yedo, the capital, contains 8,000,000 inhabitants. 



The southern islands produce the best rice, and the largest 

 amount of good coal and minerals, excepting gold, which is 

 found principally in the north. Silk is produced in Niphon 

 and the southern islands ; a large amount of good rice is 

 also grown around Yedo and Yokohama and southward. 



The temperature at Yedo during the hottest days in the 

 sun was 122°, in the shade 93° ; and the coldest 25°. It is 

 believed that the thermometer often shows 14° of frost, 18° 

 Fahr. 



The autumn and winter months, from October to April, 

 are very dry and bracing, with clear bright atmosphere, and 

 from April to October very wet ; the chief amount of rain 

 falling during the latter months. The rainfall at Yedo, as 

 obtained from Observatory, is 72 inches. The atmosphere 

 during the summer is excessively humid, and very dry in 

 winter. Furniture contracts and breaks its joints in winter ; 

 whilst in a summer's day one's boots become mouldy, and 



