Directory_and_Chronicle_1882 — Page 433

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JA

N-NAGASAKI.

and saka were thrown open to foreign commerce. A revision of the treaties is Cesir 1 by the Japanese Government, and will probably be carried out during the current year.

The first line of railway, from Yokohama to Tokio, 18 miles long, was opened for traffic on the 12th of June, 1872; a line was also opened from Hiogo to Osaka, was extended in 1877 to the city of Kioto, and thence to Lake Biwa, and is now being continued to the north-west coast of Japan. Several extensive schemes for the connection of the principal cities of the Empire by rail have been projected, some of which will shortly be undertaken.

The ports of Yokohama, Hiogo, Osaka, Nagasaki, and Hakodate are connected with each other, and with Froe, by lines of telegraph, and the telegraph system has lately been extended to .ll the important towns of the Empire. Japan has joined the Universal Postal Union, and for the past twelve mouths has conducted the international as well as domestic postal service.

NAGASAKI.

Yagisaki is a city of great antiquity, and in the early days of European inter- course with the Far Eist was the most important seat of the foreign trade with Japan. It is admirably situated on the south-western cost of the island of Kiushiu. A melancholy interest attaches to the neighbourhood as the scene of the extine- tion of Christianity in the kingdom and the extermination of the professors of that religion in 1637. Near the harbour lies the celebrated island of Pappenberg, where thousands of Christian mar yrs were thrown over the hi h cliff rather than go through the form of trampling on the cross. Not far from Nagasaki is als the village of Mogibay, where 37,000 Cristia s suffered death in defending themselves against the forces sent to subdue them. When the Christian religion was crushed and the foreigners exp lled, to the Dutch alone was extended the privilege of trading with Japan, an1 th y were confined to a small patch of ground at Nagasaki called Desima, the monotony of their life being 1 rok n only by the yearly arrival and departure of the one or two ships in which the tra le between J..pan and the West was at that time carried

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By the treaty of 1958, Nagasaki was one of the ports opened to British trade on the 1st July in the following year. On entering the harbour of Nagasaki no stranger can fail to le struck with the admirable situation of the town and the beautiful panorama of hilly scenery opened to his view. The harbour is a landlocked ivlet Seeply indented with small bays, about three miles long with a width varying from Lala-mile to a mile. The native town is on the eastern side of the harbour, and is sbout two miles long by about three-quarters of a mile in extreme width. The foreign bertlement adjoins the native town on the south side. The chief mercantile houses are situated on the bund facing the harbour, behind which are a few streets running parallel with it, and there are a number of private residences on the hill side. There are English and Roman Catholic churches and a commodious club. The climate of Nagasaki.is mild aud salubrious, but in summer it is hot during the day by reason of its geographical position in a hollow surround d by hills.

After the opening of the port the trade for several years steadily developed, but the Cousular reports for the last few years show a continuous decline. Mr. Consul Flowers in his report for 1876 sponks of good roads as being the great requirement to comment the port with the traffic of the neighbouring dis riets, but, he says, the waut of roads, although it might account for a low development, or even for a stationary condition of trade, can scarcely Le accepted as a reason for the continual and lament- all fallig off whie has been shown of late y ar.. This decline be ascribes to the impoverishment caused by a too severe drain of funds towards the central Govern- ment. The ecun ry people in this portion of Japan, though pretty well off, so far as actual necessaries are concerned, are not rich, hay ng little proû able utlet for their surplus productions; the r avail.ble funds are, therefore, soon absorbed, and the heary land tax imposed upon the population is much felt, and more so, doubtless,