Show the resources of japan foremost among the resources of japan gre are its fisheries the sea and its productions we believe contribute fully as much to the sustenance of the natives as do the fruits of the earth rice perhaps excepted I 1 one of their productions as a value which ebis Is not confined to the spot but extends to us to our enterprise and our trade we moan the whale or as they call it Iku kud suri there is nothing of which such extensive use is made by the japanese both for rich and poor it is found nil all round japan but particularly in the sea kekumano Ke umano which washes tl the is southern co coast ast of lie he island ciphon the most important territory of the empire and it also prevails in the island of and golo and upon the coasts of and noma I 1 these whales not only afford oil in great abundance but their flesh which is co considered i very wholesome and nutritious is largely consumed no part of them indeed is thrown away all is made available to some useful purpose or another excepting g only the shoulder bone the skin which J is s generally black the flesh which is red and looks like beof beef the intestines and alt all the inward parts besides the fat or blubber which is wiled balled into oil and the bone which is converted to innumerable uses all is made available to pur noses of profit I 1 we have gone into these few particulars respecting the whale because it is that which lias has brought our ur countrymen into contact with japan many of our ships have for considerable i i time past pact frequented those sees seas for capturing the whale an occupation which it is found might bo be pursued with great advantage under a corn com 1 mercial treaty with the government of japan whose inhuman laws at present not only prevent any ny assistance boin being rendered to shipwrecked mar iners but expose teem them to positive maltreatment and even ta 0 violent death to obtain redress in this respect was the primary object of commodore perrys expedition japan abounds in natural and artificial productions of great value its mineral riches pro ere enormous and include metals of various kinds especially gold silver and copper sulphur and nitre ditre are also found in large quantities there is no want of coal 1 and there are precious stones of almost every variety agates sapphires sapp hires jaspers jaspero c corneliana corne orne lians and even diamonds while pearls are found in great plenty among the shells upon the cost coast then the fertility of the soil is epry great the mulberry tree grows extensively and affords food for countless myriads of silkworms silk worms the kaddi or paper tree serves innumerable useful purposes including the manufacture of cloth stu stuffs afi and cordage the lee cerusi rusi or varnish tr tree is another valuable production of the country yielding larga quantities of a milky juice which the natives employ to varnish or ja japan paal as we call it v various 1110 us articles then ere are the bay tree the camphor tree the fig tree the cypress tree with very many more all more ar or less valuable and from torn which a gi gibat sat variety of useful things are made and last and tho not least there is the tea shrub from the leaves of which the common drink arluk of the people is brewed and which is capable of yielding a valuable article of commerce trees growing nuts of various kinds are abundant the maple is extensive and excellent bamboos are very plentiful and of great use as they are ara everywhere in the indies they cupi cultivate vate as much hemp and cotton as they can find room for in their fields and as to rice which is the min food of the natives thit that grown in japan japa is considered the best in at all asia and it can be produced in almost most any quantity their corns are of several sorts bei besides tiles the komidor ko mior rice there are the 00 oo buggi a kind of barley the koo maggi their native wheat and the lav da idson doon a species of bean all of which abound with superior farina the manufactures of japan have hitherto been I 1 I 1 confined almost exclusively to their own domes tic wants but bat many of them are nevertheless valuable as articles article ef export our adoption here and throughout europe of the term japan as applied to certain kinds of varnished ware Indi indicates autes how well known has beail their peculiar excellence in if not their invention of that useful art they make various articles iron the paper tree resembling ambling res our papier mache which they paint and varnish on paper very highly and these might form objects object of considerable trade their silks muslins mullins mus lins and cotton goods are niest niost of them v very ery superior and some of them are calculated to b become cine highly and their carvings in wood ivory pearl and fishbone fish bone are most ingenious and elegant these are but a few of th products of their handicraft but they are sufficient to show taken n in connection with their natural productions how varied and valuable are the resources of the japanese |