142 
Japan and the Japanese, 
time custom was soon abolished, and a system as nearly 
like our own as possible, was adopted. By a recent report, 
we find that over 35,000 miles of mail routes were occupied 
and properly served; that 3,927 post-offices, beside about 
7,000 stamp offices, and receiving agencies, and 700 street 
letter-boxes, were fully at work. We find also that not 
only are stamps employed, but that post-cards, wrappers, 
registered letters, money-order offices, post-office savings 
banks, and a dead-letter office, are among the post-office 
agencies and conveniences of Japan. Telegraphs and tele- 
phones have also found their way to the country ; and in 
the year 1878, over one million messages were transmitted 
by telegraph. Railways are being adopted in different parts 
of the country, for about 500 miles of rail are projected, 
although not quite 100 are open yet. 
Newspapers are beginning to be read and published ex- 
tensively among the people, and to exercise a large influence 
in forming public opinion. The first newspaper was issued 
in 187 1, but now the number of dailies and weeklies reaches 
nearly 300, having an aggregate circulation of many millions 
of copies. These newspapers discuss the new religion with 
great interest and keenness. The official organ of the 
Government recently had a leading article on the folly of 
opposing " the Jesus religion,'' as Christianity was termed. 
Another says : " Christianity appears to be spreading over 
the country with the rapidity of the rising tide." Another 
observes that " the priests are desperately eager to stem the 
rapidly advancing flood of Christianity, which threatens to 
drown them out at no distant day." There are four Chris- 
tian newspapers in Japan, three of them bearing titles which, 
translated into English, would read thus : Weekly Messenger^ 
Missionary NewSy and Universal Magazine. The fourth is 
the organ of the Greek Church, and is largely circulated 
