Japan and the Japanese

572 APPENDIX.
operate upon this inquisitive, touchy, find high-spirited people, through the
openings now made in their seelusive policy ; but it is earnestly to be hoped
that the personal bearing of Americans resorting to Simoda and Hakodade
will not be such that the Japanese will conclude that, while Micro are some
things to be afraid of in their new customers, they have more to despise aud
reject, from what they see of their conduct
NOTE II.
ACCOUNT OP JAPAN, CHIEFLY EXTRACTED FROM JAPANESE WORKS.*
THE archipelago, of which the Japanese empire is composed, is inhabited
by a race that, at first sight, gre.-itly resemble the Chinese in form and
exterior. In carefully examining their characteristic features, however, and
comparing them with those of the Chinese, it is easy to perceive the discrimination
between them ; I have myself made the experiment at the Russian
and Chinese frontier, where I met with individuals of both nations at the
same time. The eye of the Japanese, although placed almost as obliquely as
that of the Chinese, is, however, wider near the nose, and the centre of the
eyelid appears drawn up when opened. The hair of the Japanese is not uni-.
formly black, but of a deep brown hue. In children below the age of
twelve it may be found of all shades, even to flaxen. There are also indi-
viduals to be met with who have hair completely black, and almost crisped,
with eyes very oblique, and a skin extremely dark. At a distance, the com-
that of
plexion of the lower orders appears yellow, like the color of cheese ;
the inhabitants of towns is diversified according to their mode of life, whilst
in the palaces of the great may be often seen complexions as fair and cheeks
as ruddy as those of European females. The vagabonds on the highways, on
the other hand, have n skin of a color between copper and a brown earthy
hue. This is the prevailing complexion of the Japanese peasantry, of those
parts of the body particularly which are much eun.
exposed to the heat of the
The distinct origin of the Chinese and the Japanese is completely estab-
lished by the language of the latter, which is wholly different, in respect to
radicals, from that of all people in the vicinity of Japan. Although it has
adopted a considerable number of Chinese words, those words do not form a
radically integral part of the language ; they have been introduced by Chinese
colonies, and principally by the Chinese literature, which has formed
the basis of that of Japan. The Japanese radicals have as little resemblance to
those of the Corean tongue ; they are equally alien to the dialects of the Aynoa
or Kunlea, who inhabit Jeso. Lastly, the Japanese language has no affinity
From an article furnished by M. Klaproth to the Asiatic Jour lal, new teries, vol. n.