LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA
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ON THE PACIFIC. 177 cisco. He is lying there day and night, and has scarcely taken anything except that deadly poison. I have not formed any special acquaintances among the passengers beside our missionary friends except a German doctor who is going to be a professor in the Imperial Medical School at Yedo, and to whom I give Japanese lessons every day. Our missionaries are obliged to suspend its study on account of seasickness. The sea has lately been very rough; even I who pro· fessed to be a good sailor have been ill this week on account of the unceasing up and down motions. I have read through Eitel's Lectures on Buddhism and some other books, and am intending to write a J ap· anese sermon. I have observed among the passengers that they form different societies. The smokers go together as they were real and congenial friends, and so do the drinkers. The Germans get up a beer party every evening, and so do the English their rum party. Here is one gentleman, who leans on anumbrella wherever he goes, who is intending simply to go round the world before he dies. This is his ambition. He was in Egypt, Palestine, Austria, and Switzerland last year, but has not much idea of these countries. I asked him of Cairo and Alexandria. He replied, "0, they are very large cities." A Cali· fornia lady who is going to China and Japan with her little (but very obstinate) girl, on account of consump· tive tendency, looks pretty vain. She walks on deck like a queen, and her little daughter goes likewise with a royal atmosphere. A fat English gentleman appears always smoking; he is perfectly satisfied with his pipe. Here are two young unman·ied ladies. They are not afraid to speak with any one. A number of young fellows ~e anxious to wait on them,
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