d by a temple which has long since mouldered to dust, but it is
certainly none the less effective and impressive, as it now sits
surrounded by the natural scenery and the thick woods.

Japanese art, of which we have all seen such laughable specimens, is not
without some claims to excellence; otherwise we should not have the
myriads of beautifully ornamented articles which are produced by them,
exhibiting exquisite finish and perfection of detail. Of perspective
they have no idea whatever; the play of light and shade they do not
understand; there is no distinction of distances in their pictures.
Their figures are good, being also delicately executed, and their choice
of colors is admirable. Thus in profile work they get on very well, but
in grouping, they pile houses on the sea, and mountains on the houses.
In caricature they greatly excel, and, indeed, they scarcely attempt to
represent the human face and figure in any other light.

Tokio is the political capital of Japan, and is situated about twenty
miles from Yokohama, containing over half a million of people. It has
broad streets and good roadways, having adopted many American ideas of
city customs and government. The Bridge of Japan is situated in this
city, crossing the river which intersects the capital, and is here what
the golden milestone was in the Forum at Rome--all distances in the
Empire are measured from it. There are many elaborate temples within the
city, containing rare bronzes of great value. Priests are constantly
seen writing upon slips of paper, inside of the temples, at the request
of devotees, which the suppliants pin upon the walls of the temple as a
form of prayer. The renowned temple of Shiba is one of the greatest
attractions to strangers in Tokio. Here lie buried most of the bygone
Tycoons (sovereigns of Japan). The grounds are divided into many
departments, tombs, shrines, and small temples. In the main temple there
is an amount of gold, silver, and bronze ornaments of fabulous value,
leading us to wonder where the raw material could have come from.
History knows nothing of the importation of the precious metals, but it
is true that they are found in more or less abundance all over the
country. Copper of the purest quality is a native product, the
exportation of which is prohibited, and mining for the precious metals
is carried on to but a very limited extent. The temple of Shiba is
situated near the centre of the population, occupying many