Imatges de pàgina
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hard wooden curb. This is, as I have said, six inches thick. But in the place where the blade falls the hard wood had been chopped away for the space of six or eight inches wide, and sloping down to four or five deep.

The swords used are those ordinarily worn by samurai, and not of unusual weight, but as sharp as a razor. Two in constant use were shown. One of them, fresh from the work of three days before, was slightly nicked in many places, and the edge had been roughened and burred by cleaving through the cervical vertebræ. Its proximity to one's nose recalled the odor of a doctor's dissectingcase. We were glad to see the cover put on the pit, and we turned to see the gallows. This imitation of the foreign method of killing by law consisted of a black platform roofed and inclosed, and the whole painted of a funereal color. An inclined plane of steps led to it, reminding one of the entrance to an elevated stable, such as horses walk on. Within the structure the trap, the trigger or fall-bolt, rope- noose, and pulley were all in a state of infernally and mercifully good order. The drop was about six feet. There were two distinct drops; one for fat, large, or

tall men, and the other for two criminals of ordinary size or stature. The gallows is permanently built, and is ready at a moment's warning; for in Japan death follows often on the day of sentence, never later than the day after. This gallows was set up in 1873, the year before we saw it. In the first three months of 1874, fifteen men had dangled from it.

The bodies of all criminals are delivered up to the friends of the deceased if they claim them. If the criminal be friendless or unknown, his remains are buried in a cemetery near the executionground at Senji.

According to the present system, hanging appears to be considered a punishment one degree less severe than decapitation. But the worst punishment of all is that of gokumon, or exposure of the head on the pillory. All Japanese have a wholesome dread of this punishment. Notices of an execution are posted up at Nihon Bashi, or on small kosatsu (proclamation-boards). Orders from Sai-ban-sho ( court) are issued on one day, execution follows on the next.

On the whole, if one must go to prison, let it be at home.

Taking Stock.

ETC.

While a general cry of wide-reaching bus. iness depression comes to us from the East, we as a State increase our riches with marvelous steadiness and rapidity; and when we are rich we know it, gold and goods filling our storehouses instead of a scum of depre. ciated paper currency-papier-mache, out of which gamblers manufacture such beautiful things at the people's expense.

The first item in a young country's wealth is men. From the first of January, 1875, to the 31st of July, 1875, this State gained in

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for the future of the country. The crops of grain and fruit we believe are not estimated to reach to more than three-fourths of the bulk and weight of last year. But all prospects go to show that three-quarters of a bushel of wheat will this year be worth more than a bushel was last year. It will be on the whole a good agricultural year.

Property has been advancing rapidly in value all over the State. A marked feature of the year has been the subdivision and sale in small tracts of many of the immense oldfashioned ranches—with good results at once to sellers, buyers, and to the civilized agricultural as opposed to the half-barbaric seminomadic stock-raising interest.

The immense finds of the year in the Nevada mines have gone far to repay and justify the enormous and increasing outlays of money and time spent in mining; and we are glad to report that millions of the money brought to light by this bonanza are being devoted to the general "improvement" of real estate, and to the erection of huge blocks of stanch buildings for business and other purposes.

Our savings-banks make the best per cap. ita showing of any in the world. The semiannual statement of twenty-five Californian savings-banks for the term ending June 30th, 1875, shows an aggregate deposit account of $72,569,103, gold, distributed among 91,933 depositors, giving an average of $789 to each. We think on this showing our business prospects in all branches will bear any comparison or scrutiny to which they may be subjected, and come out grandly.

Scientific Notes.

We give a statistical outline of the results of explorations recently made by Paul Schumacher for the Smithsonian Institution. He explored the group of islands off our southern coast and a part of the main - land, where at one time he co-operated with a division of the party of Lieutenant Wheeler, United States Engineers, then under direction of Doctor Yarrow-both parties working for the same end, the display of "pre-historics" at the forthcoming Centennial Exposition. Schumacher exhumed about 3,500 skeletons, of which he was able to save over 300 skulls.

Mr.

Of mortars he found 127, among which exists a great variety in form and even in finish; some being plainly, others finely worked, and ornamented with shells, while some even show well-finished bass-relief ornaments. Of the carefully made pots, worked out of magnesia - mica, twenty-three were found: this kitchen utensil is very scarce on the island, where the material of which it consists can not be found. Even on the main - land these vessels are not so plenty as the mortars, doubtless because of the difficulty of manufacturing such a receptacle — so well adapted for cooking that even nowadays the Spaniards are eager to get hold of one to cook their liquid food in. Fifty-seven cups and bowls, made of serpentine, were found, representing all forms and sizes—all well polished. Considering the habits of the pres ent Indians, how they smoke-one pipe serves a tribe — the number of pipes found (twenty-eight) may be considered sufficient to make it appear that this gone-by population must have been great smokers. Of course, of all the articles much could not be saved, many being broken by time and action of moisture in the overlying soil, and a good deal even was broken while digging, though all practicable care was exercised in exhumation. Quite a variety exists on the island in the different implements of fishing and hunting. There was dug up a fish-hook of an extremely ingenious and novel make, manufactured out of bone instead of the usu al abalone-shell. A very large assortment of all kinds of shell ornaments and beads was found in the graves, consisting of at least eighty different varieties, and over 25,000 in number. There were also found finger-rings of stone, over a dozen bone-whistles, and half as many bone-flutes-all in working order. Also, an ornamental wooden sword, the hilt richly inlaid with shells; many fruitknives, some as long as eleven inches; spearpoints, arrow-heads, etc.; canoe models of stone, mechanical tools of stone and bone, bone-carvings of all descriptions, and many other objects of interest. Mr. Schumacher is now in this city, preparing for a trip to Oregon, which will be of about two months' duration. We are promised further descriptions of his explorations on this coast from his own pen.

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THRYM.

I have concealed

The hammer of Thor

Eight miles beneath the ground.

No man

Takes it back

Unless he brings me

Freyja as bride.

Flew then Loke

The feather-guise whizzed-
Out he flew

From home of giants,
In he flew

To home of gods.

Met him Thor

At the gate-way,
And first of all

He thus addressed him.

THOR.

Hast thou succeeded

In doing thy errand?

Tell then before perching Long messages.

What one says sitting

Is oft of little value,

And falsehood speaks he Who reclines.

LOKE.

Well have I succeeded

In doing my errand. Thrym has thy hammer, The king of the giants. No man

Takes it back,

Unless he brings him
Freyja as bride.

Went they then the fair
Freyja to find.

First then Thor

Thus addressed her:
Dress thyself, Freyja,
In bridal robes.
Together we will ride
To Jotunheim.

Angry grew Freyja,
And she raged

So the halls of the gods
Must shake.

Her heavy necklace,
Brisingamen, broke.
Then would I be

A love-sick maid,

If with thee I would ride

To Jotunheim.

Then did all the gods

Assemble;

And the goddesses

Did all convene.
The powerful gods
Did hold consult

How they should get
The hammer back.

Then spoke Heimdal,
The serenest god;
Foreknowing was he,

As are all the Vans *-
Dress we Thor

In bridal robes,
Brisingamen
Must he wear.

Let keys jingle
About his waist,
Let a woman's dress
Cover his knees.

On his bosom we put
Broad brooches,
And artfully we
His hair braid.

Spoke then Thor,
The mighty god:

Then would I be mocked
By all the gods
If in bridal robes
I should be dressed.

Spoke then Loke †
Laufeyarson :
Be silent, Thor!
Talk not thus.

Soon will giants

Build in Asgard,
If thou thy hammer
Bring not back.

Dressed they then Thor

In bridal robes;

Brisingamen

Must he wear.
Keys let they jingle
About his waist,
And a woman's dress
Fell over his knees.
On his bosom they set
Broad brooches,
And artfully they
His hair did braid.

Spoke then Loke
Laufeyarson :
For thee must I

Be servant-maid;
Ride we both

To Jotunheim.

Home were driven

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The earth stood in flames, Odin's son *

Rode to Jotunheim.

Spoke then Thrym,

The son of giants:
Giants! arise

And spread my benches;
Bring me now

Freyja as bride

Njord'st daughter-
From Noatun.

Cows with golden horns
Go in my pasture;
Black oxen

To please the giant-
Many gifts have I.
Freyja, methinks,
Is all I lack.

Early in the evening
Came they all:

All was brought up

For the giant. One ox Thor ate,

Eight salmon,

And all the delicacies

For the women intended;

Sif's husband, besides,

Drank three barrels of mead.

Spoke then Thrym,
The king of giants:
Where hast thou seen
So hungry a bride?
I ne'er saw a bride
Eat so much,
And never a maid
Drink more mead.

Sat there the shrewd
Maid-servant § near;
Thus she replied

To the words of Thrym :
Nothing ate Freyja

In eight nights,

So much did she long
For Jotunheim.

Behind the veil
Thrym sought a kiss,
But back he sprung
The length of the hall.
Why are Freyja's eyes
So sharp ?

From her eyes it seems
That fire doth burn.

Sat there the shrewd

Maid-servant near, And thus she replied

Freyja was daughter of the Van Njord, who dwelt in Noatun.

The wife of Thor is Sif.

§ Loke.

To the words of the giant:
Slept has not Freyja
For eight nights,

So much did she long
For Jotunheim.

In came the poor
Sister of Thrym-
For bridal gift
She dared to ask:
Give from thy hands
The golden rings,
If thou desirest
Friendship of me-
Friendship of me,
And love.

Spoke then Thrym,
The king of giants:
Bring me the hammer
My bride to hallow,
Place the hammer
In the maid's lap,
Wed us together
In Var's name.
Laughed then Thor's
Heart in his breast-
Severe in mind
He knew his hammer.
First slew he Thrym,
The king of giants;
Crushed then all
The race of giants.

Slew the old
Sister of Thrym,
She who asked

For a bridal present.
Slap she got
For shining gold,
Hammer-blows
For heaps of rings.
Thus came Odin's son
Again by his hammer.

Art Notes.

-At Roos & Co.'s, Jules Tavernier has two small pictures, faithful in outline and delicate in color. "Among the Redwoods" is a scene in Marin County; a white tent in the background with a party cooking, and two daintily dressed ladies fishing in the foreground-too daintily robed, we fear, for Marin County undergrowth-quite en regle for the Bois de Boulogne. The other study, "Coming from Church," gives us a rather heavy-jawed blonde and a full-cheeked brunette arm-in-arm, followed by their darkrobed duenna-a fresh light piece of colorVar is the goddess who presides over marriages.

ing. M. Tavernier has a third and larger picture, another redwood scene. Three rough men lie round a camp-fire before a piece of the finest water-study we have ever seen. The great redwoods, ruddy as blood in the sunlight, purple and brown in the shadow, shoot up to heaven, their gigantic furrowed torsos stretching, stretching up and up with an indescribable sense of vastness. The light glowing through them and striking the green still water is reflected gloriously into our eyes. Weeds, flowers, fleecy leafage of light trees falling across, deepen the power and majesty of the divine cathedral under whose shadow the lesser human creatures sit. By this splendid effort Tavernier has proved himself a master.

-Snow & May's is attractive with Hahn's new picture of "The Mission San Gabriel." Two dashing - looking flannel - shirted vaqueros in the foreground spur their Californian horses as the senoritas issue from the old buttressed church in the background against the blue sky. The horses, the equipments, the faces, the figures generally from the redumbrellaed padre to the old orange-woman,

are faithful to nature and excellent in art.

-Denny's two new marine pieces—“The Light-ship," and a long, low, piratical-looking craft, with lateen sails, escaping from a man-of-war-are in no wise remarkable.

-R. Hill has three flower-panels, as minute, faithful, and smooth in execution as could well be. The geranium piece is especially beautiful.

-Adrien Moreau has a picture, "Coming through the Rye," remarkable above the French school to which it belongs for delicacy of touch and tone. Four fair women, with dress as fair, wade through the grain, the foremost gathering the scarlet poppies and tall blue flowers that spring up everywhere. Foreground, and faces, and sky, prove that this pupil of Cabanel is worthy of his master.

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