Image from page 470 of “Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China Seas and Japan, performed in the years 1852, 1853, and 1854, under the command of Commodore M. C. Perry, United States Navy, by order of the government of the United – more Commons Dolphins goodness curated by www.SardineRunPE.co.za
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Identifier: narrativeofexped01perr
Title: Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China Seas and Japan, performed in the years 1852, 1853, and 1854, under the command of Commodore M. C. Perry, United States Navy, by order of the government of the United States
Year: 1856 (1850s)
Authors: Perry, Matthew Calbraith, 1794-1858 Hawks, Francis L. (Francis Lister), 1798-1866
Subjects: United States Naval Expedition to Japan (1852-1854)
Publisher: Washington : A. O. P. Nicholson
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive
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d in rows upon the floor so neatly asto havethe appearance of one piece. Upon these matsthe people sit to take their meals, to sell tlieirjapsnesc Pillow and cushion.-Drawer opon. warcs, to smokc thcir pipcs, to convcrsc with their friends, and lie down at night without undressing themselves to go to sleep, adding,however, a quilted mat for a cover, and the equivocal comfort of a hard box for a pilbiw.The houses are generally lighted, as has been frequently observed, with windows of oiledpaper, though mica and shells are occasionally used instead. The interior of the houses is plain and simple in arrangement, but always scrupulously neatand clean. There are in some of the better mansions occasional wood carvings of exijuisiteworkmanship, though not very elaborate in design. The paper windows and sliding screenswhich divide the apartments are often adorned with paintings of landscape and birds. Inaddition to the panels the walls of the room are frequently hung with gaily painted paper,
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440 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. •which being arranged as rolling maps are with us, is moveable at pleasure. The stork or crane,a bird held sacred by the Japanese, and the winged tortoise, and the porpoise, or dolphin of theancients, are favorite designs in all these decorations, whether of wood, carving, or painting, inthe various buildings. The furniture of a Japanese house is particularly meagre, consisting invariably of nothing butthe floor mats and the household utensils, which are few and simple. As squatting, not sitting,is almost the invariable practice, there seems no occasion for chairs, although they weresometimes found, and invariably supplied on state occasions. These are clumsy contrivanceswith coarse leathern seats, and a framework like that of the common camp stool, which isreadily folded up when not used. At the conferences with the authorities, the subordinateofficers, both American and Japanese, were seated on sedans or benches covered with a redcrape, while tlie CommodDr
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