226 
PAPER UMBRELLAS AND RAIN-CLOAKS. 
attempting to take it up by the side-fin to examine it more 
closely, two-thirds of its top-side was lifted oft’ showing 
it to he a dish capable of holding a large boiled or baked 
fish. They told us it was made to hold such a dish at the 
feasts of the “big bugs” of Japan, and that the lacquer 
was so fine that hot water exercised no power upon it 
Tills they said of a great deal of their best lacquer-ware, 
and the truth of their assertion we subsequently proved 
at our own mess-table. From what we then and have 
since observed, we all came to the conclusion that they 
arc infinitely superior to all other nations as far as regards 
the quality of their porcelain, lacquer-ware, and swords. 
Among a number of other articles, all well worthy of a 
passing notice, we saw umbrellas and rain-cloaks, both 
of them being made entirely of the bamboo-plant and a 
vegetable oil the name of which I now forget. They 
make paper from the above useful plant which is as 
strong and lasting as the best calico, and which, when 
well oiled, becomes ’perfectly icatcr-proof. Expose your- 
self to an hour’s hard rain with one of those hooded 
cloaks on, or with one of those umbrellas over your head, 
and you come out of it as dry as you went in. I myself 
used one of the former on constant boat-service during a 
period of several months, and found it to answer admi- 
rably ; and, at the end of that time, I drew forth warm 
thanks from a friend in San Francisco to whom I pre- 
sented it; it was still water-proof. 
There were also a great variety of a species of litho- 
graphic engraving exposed in piles for sale on some of 
the shelves, of which several of us purchased largely. 
They did not exhibit any remarkable art as far as the 
