YOKOHAMA.
Yokohama is the principal Treaty port of Japan, and was opened to foreign trade in July, 1859. It is situated on the Bay of Yokohama, a small bay on the Western side of the Gulf of Yedo, in lat. 35 deg. 26 min. 11 sec. N., and long. 139 deg. 39 min. 20 sec., in the island of Hondo, and is distant about eighteen miles from the capital, with which it is connected by a line of railway. The settlement stands on what was originally a swamp, and the town having sprung up only sincethe site was selected for a treaty prt instead of the little town of Kanagawa-possesses few attractions for the visitor. The scenery round, however, is hilly and pleasing, and on a clear day the snow-crowned summit of Fusiyama, a volcanic mountain 13,000 feet high-celebrated in Japanese literature and depicted on so many native works of art is clearly visible. Yokohama is compactly built of low houses with tiled roofs. The town is divided into two nearly equal parts, the westera half being occupied by the foreigu settlement. Beyond the plain on which the town is built rises a sort of semicircle of low bills called "The Bluff," which is thickly dotted with handsome villas and dwelling houses in various styles of architecture. Along the water-front of the foreign set lement runs a fine broad street called the Bund, on which, facing the water, stand many of the principal houses and hotels. The streets in the foreign settlement are well paved, kerbed, and drained. There are Anglican, French Catholic, Union Protestant, and native Mission Churches in the settlement. Yokohama bas greatly increased in importance of late years, but the export trade does not make satisfactory progress. There are three daily papers published in the port, namely, the Japan Gazette, the Japan Herald, and the Japan Daily Advertiser. The Japan Mail is published weekly.
The entire population of Yokohama is about 50,000. The number of foreign residents in 1877 was 2,501, of whom 1,142 were Chinese, 570 British, 189 American, 160 German, 131 French, 71 Dutch, 62 Portuguese, 58 Russians, and the remainder
of various nationalities.
The imports into Yokohama consist chiefly of cotton and woollen goods. In 1877, according to the British Consul's report, the value of the different classes of imports was as follows: Cotton manufactures, $7,027,237; woollen manufactures, $2,890,382; mixed cotton and woollen, $1,056,048; metals, $1,157,078; arms and ammunition, $355,465; miscellaneous foreign, $4,391,298; miscellaneous local, $2,612,977; total $19,490,485. The total value of the exports was $15,628,337. Bilk is the most valuable of the exports, being set down at $10,043,413. The value of the tea exported was $2,613,188. The total export of raw silk during the season from 1st July, 1877 to same date, 1878, only balf of which period is covered by the Consular returns, was, according to the returns of the Chamber of Commerce, 22,024 bales, of which 9,305 were for England, 10,064 for France, 1,411 for America, and 1,244 for other countries. Ths export of tea during the season from 1st May, 1877, to same date 1878, was 14,587,721 lbs., all for America, with the exception of 74,615 lbs. for England.
The value of the imports for the eight months of 1878 ending 31st October was $17,032,250, and that of the exports for the same period $9,022,713.