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Show THE DESERET EAGLE. 64 CORRESPONDENCE FROM JAPAN. Tae following letter is from llev. William G. McOlure who is an uncle of Miss Zjrbaugj. He is a mission- ary under the Presbyterian Board at Petchaburee, Siam has been there Uve years and expects to remain three years longer before visiting this C )antry agiia. A pataetic coinci- dence in regard to this letter is that it was written on the very day of the death of his mother tD whom he was writing. Kohseechang. Si am. Jan. 25th 1892 Dear mother, brothers, and sisters ; I wrottt you a few lines one week ago from Bmgkok. We will have bten here one week by this evening. I got up very early last Monday morning in older to get some letters ready and everything in shape come by the time the steamer should for us. We had everything ready by a little after nine o'clock, but the steamer did not come. It was ready and waltiug for the Consul, Col. P. II. This continued about three days so that we had no peace, night nor dav, and the sea beating against the rocks roared continually, but now it has become calm again and is very pleasant. The roar of the waves can be heard now to be sure, but only enough to remind us that we are at the seashore. We have gone out every day except Sabbath, and it is very nice, though it is too cool for the greatest comfort at this season of tne year, r, is very rjeky also, oyster rocks & :. and there are little creatures wicn spines like porcupines among the rocks. It is said also that there are sharks out in water about the island. So we are afraid to veuture out much. We can get all the benefit of however and we can do about as much swimming as we care to. We do not get much done here but eat, sleep and bathe. I wanted to do a good dtal ef reading and writing while here but I tb-dee- sea-bathi- p ng find it slow work. Dr. B jyd and I have been off on two or three tramps that tried our muscles a little. One morning we climbed a mountain seven or hundered feet high to where they have a flag and signal station. It was rather hard climoing, but we did not Boyd aud his family, but they weie feel any worse for it. There is no waiting for the mill, as a foreign miii fresh water on the island. Ii has to be had Just came iu. After we got things brought in boats, or else condensed ready, I cut Mr. Duulap's hair. I was from sea water. In the rainy season, afraid to begin it, lorfeir I would have of course they can catch a good deal. to leave it half ik ished but I got through The are trying to bore a well down with that and still the steimer did njt come, then I wrote a letter to you and we sat down to eat dinner but before we were half througn eating, it came I had to hurry arouudthen to get oui things on the steamer, so we got only about half enough dinner, but we had a lunch afterwards so I did not starve. The steamer was under way about one o'clock. We steamed out of the river, crossed the bar and then had live or six hours on the gulf It was smooth however and we had a very nice ride. It was sometime after dark when we reached the island and it was necessary to remain on the steamer until the house was prepared for us. So that we were not ready to go to bed until eleven o'clock or after. Next day we rearranged things and were very comfortable. But we can not always tell how long we will be comfortable in this world This is the season of the Northeast Monsoon and after we had been here a couple of days, the wind began to blow very strongly. Our room here is so open that the wind can come in and circulate all around the room. ht throught the rocks on the artesian will plan, but there is no certainty of g tting good water. The Kin has taken a likicg to the island and i fixing it up very nicely with graded roads, paivllions, a park is etc, eic, but the great draw-bac- k the lack of water. The nam j of the island it- Kohseechang as you will see from the head-o- f this letter. It is composed of three words. Koh see and cbaujf. The is some dispute as to the meaning of the words the first word Koh means island, but the other two words have various meanings accordicg to the way they are wiitten. Written one way it means Island of the four Elephants, written another way it means Island of the four pounds or catties. And writ en still another way it means Island of the hateful color, which they probably iotened for beautiful Island, as they often say Just opposite of what they mean. The latter is probably correct, as I see it so written on the sign board at the - imagination a little, quite a wonderful tory mignt be written about the island. Our mail came yesterday evening by a steamer just from Batgkok. Several papers, but no home letters, two letters from Petchaburee. One of the princes and some others came yesterday. We have not seen them yet, but will probably see them to-da- y. quite a hospital here night before last. Colonel Boyd was sick We had with chills and fever. Mrs. Boyd fell and hurt her foot badlv. Helen was quite sick with her teething and Arthur had a bad spell of Colic. So Dr. Boyd had his hands about full for a while, but all are much improved at present. Colonel Boyd is up mid about. Mrs. Boyd is not yet able to walk. Arthur is all right and Helen suems much better to day. She is quite play ful a ad does no. want to take her nap. She was quite sick for a day or two and we feared she nmht get worse. She is almost through teething, but the last two or three seem to trouble her more than the others. There are only three in the Boyd family and I have already named them over two or three limes. The Doctor is about 22 years old and Just out of the medical college, and is here on a visit, but will soon retnrn to America, by wayof Europe, where he will study for a few months. They are all very pleasant people, and are genuinely American. They are also very friendly to the Missionaries, but they fully appreciate our way of doing and thiukiug. B dng in company with the American Minister we are treated better than we would be otherwise. Everything is provided for us except our eatables, bedclothing etc. I would like to write m re, but the mail closes this evening, so I will close. We all send much love. You affectionate Son and Brother, Will. G. McClure. The Sandwich Islands alphabet has 12 letters; the Burmese, 19; Italian, 2(; Bengalese, 21; Hebrew, Syrian, Chaldec and Saimritan, 22 each; French, 23: Greek, 24; Latin, 25; German, Dutch and English, 2G each; Arabic, 28; Persian and Coptic, 35; Armenian, 38; ltussian, 41; Muscovite, 43; Sinskrit and Japanese, 50; Ethic pic and Tartarian have You see if one would work on tils 202 each, Ex. Post-ofllc- e. |