The Country and its People. 
107 
use cows for milk, food, and draught, as civilized nations 
do. 
The chief towns of Japan are Nagasaki, Yokohama, 
Tokio, Kobe, Osaka, Kioto, and Hakodate. Tokio is the 
eastern capital, and Kioto the western, Yokohama and 
Nagasaki possess large harbours. It is supposed by com- 
petent students that the people of Japan are of mixed race, 
the Ainos coming originally from China and the Corea, and 
the Yamatoos from the Malay islands. Whether this be so 
or no, they present at this day a great mixture of races. 
The small stature of both men and women has attracted the 
attention of almost all travellers. The Japanese have sallow 
skins and black hair, this latter being worn in a variety of 
ways. The girls are mostly attractive and pretty, but after 
marriage they shave off their eyebrows and blacken their 
teeth, and, as might be expected, this absurd custom makes 
them look* frightfully old and ugly ; yet they are gentle, 
hospitable, and ingenious, and behave with propriety to 
strangers. They are also very industrious and courteous. 
The people seem to have very limited ideas in relation to 
architecture, most of their buildings, palaces and cottages 
alike, being built of grey wood. This causes a quiet, sombre 
look to prevail in the cities and towns. As a set-off, how- 
ever, the temples are very ornamental, and bright with 
colour and gilding. Dark red appears to be the prevailing 
colour in the torrit^ or temple portals, while the images are 
painted green, red, blue, or some other striking colour. 
In their dress they display little jewellery, and usually wear 
cloth or silk of blue, brown, or grey. 
Some writers have taught that the Japanese migrated from 
Babel, the language being stated to be one of those used by 
God to confound the plans of the builders of the tower of 
Babel ; but the evidence for this theory is small and trifling. 
