Diaries relating events on a trip to Japan, China, Ceylon and India undertaken by Elisha L. Buffington, a twenty year old, born in Swansea, Massachusetts, but apparently living with his uncle Elisha D. Buffington, of Worcester, Massachusetts. Buffington travels in company with his Uncle and Aunt and two cousins Helen and Julia. The party set out on their journey July 23, 1894 from Worcester via train to Montreal and then by rail across Canada to Vancouver where they board a steamer for Japan and arrive at Yokohama after a thirteen day journey.

Buffington spends approximately two moths in Japan before traveling on to China, he and his party travel to a variety of towns, cities and villages, Yokohama, Nikko, Chiuzenyi, Miyunushita, Otometoge, Tokyo, Shedzuoku, Nagoya, Kyoto, Yamuda, Kobe, Nagasaki, etc. Buffington's entries record his impressions of the scenes and sights encountered, events and incidents of travel as well as persons met along the way.

Buffington visits a number of temples, gardens, theaters, markets, shops, including a long description of a tea drying establishment, etc., he records his impressions of travel, accommodations, meals and Japanese homes and architecture in his entries. The diary also contains interesting observations on social customs and descriptions of Japanese people.

"I never yet saw such a well or thoroughly cultivated country every square inch of ground is occupied or cultivated for all it is worth, the soil is volcanic and generally black to the depth of one and a half feet. They raise rice, sweet potatoes, yams and millet and some other kinds of potatoes with some Indian corn. They irrigate to a large extent...the peasant houses are all thatch roofed with a peak..."

"returned to the hotel stopping at a fair on the way they had the queerest assortment of chestnuts, millinery, toys and swords for sale that I ever saw beat an American fair all to pieces... went to Asakura park and went through the booths the entrance was through a street lined on either side with stores, paper stores, millinery stores, tobacco stores and novelty stores all filled with gaudy colors and to cap the climax we were followed by an admiring audience of about fifty people. At the end of the street were temples and more stores...next we went through a theatre street and saw some acrobatic performances by kids eight or nine years old they rolled around standing on wooden globes one lay on his back and balanced a tall pole and another climbed the pole and then he balanced a ladder and a little fellow climbed that..."

"then went to the Nachi Cho the streets in which the prostitutes of Tokyo live as they have to have a license in Japan and when they get one they have to live in a certain district of this city. This street was about an hours ride from the hotel and is lined with tea houses from end to end with not a store in it We went up into a tea house and looked down on the street quite soon a theatrical performance was wheeled in front of us and some girls dressed in gorgeous costumes danced for our benefit. The dancing was mostly by movements of the body and lasted about ten minutes when that one was wheeled along and after an intermission another came up entirely different from the preceeding, then after this one had finished and a longer intermission had passed a group of singing girls came by or rather stopped in front and sang unluckily they stopped for refreshments and as it was getting late we were forced to leave them and came back to the hotel. As they do this free they must get their pay in the number which each individual ropes in for a piece. To look at the people walking by and at the play and finally at the police men present one would hardly imagine in what kind of a company he really was and it seems a little queer that that kind of thing should be protected by law."

Buffington describes the October 1894 earthquake which affected the Tokyo and Yokohama area:

"lying some little time I began to notice that the bed trembled a little more than usual the thumping increased and I came to the conclusion that an earthquake was in progress when suddenly there came a mighty shake which seemed to be a combination of a longitudinal shake and a upheaval from beneath. The entire building seemed to rock from end to end and creak in every joint. I realized the truth of what I had heard a lady say about the bed going clear to the ceiling for I thought I went at least as far as that Then to add to my excitement or rather amusement people rushed about calling in loud voices after a moment the cry of fire was raised... But I was to meet disappointment as there was no fire to be seen it was only a false alarm. The Earthquake seemed to be as if a giant had taken my bed and gently rocked it backwards and forwards and as a parting touch had given it a heave..."

"After dinner went to visit Geku and on the way took in some wrestling by the Tokyo wrestlers. They are all very large men most of them full six feet tall broad and apparently brought up to the business they are the lowest class with no education and but little better than beasts they wrestle with nothing but a band wound several times around their bodies and start in a catch as catch can way but when they do get hold of each other they make things shake and strain with the force which they show. They wrestle for prizes at one time they brought out about thirty and had them go at it hap hazard the one downing five men to get a prize that was fun and no mistake..."

Buffington and his party then departed for China on November 2 and sailed from Nagasaki to Shanghai, then to Hong Kong, and Canton. His entries describe his impressions of these cities and of travel between them.

"The Chinese know how to make a bigger noise than we Americans do..."

"The boat seems to be rather heavily armed as they sometimes have a mutiny on board and then they have to look out for their necks as the Chinese sometimes murder everybody on board and run off with the booty..."

"Hong Kong is a queer city lying on the shores of the harbor and being built entirely of stone or brick and being all very similar to each other all two story high with verandas and stone balustrades. The fashionable houses are perched on the sides of the hills...opposite Victoria lies the city of Kowloon which contains the forts and batteries which protect the harbor and also contains the docks and piers..."

Buffington and his party depart from Hong Kong on November 15, 1894 bound for Singapore, Ceylon and then India.  Buffington describes the sights of each country, visits to botanical gardens, temples, Columbo, Kandy, etc. The party sailed from Columbo to Calcutta which they reached on December 13, 1894. They set out immediately for Darjeeling and the mountain resort of The Woodlands. Buffington describes his impressions of the Himalayas and of Mount Everest which he takes a trip to see:

"When I got up this morning the Mount Everest range of Mountains was in full view ahead. It was a magnificent sight to see their snow capped peaks... We arrived at the end of our journey at about four o'clock and after a short walk up a steep incline which tested the staying powers of the air we arrived at the woodlands where we were welcomed by a nice fire and comfortable rooms. It was here that we got our first real view of the mountains and all their glory which is great. Right across the valley about fifty miles away but looking much nearer stretches a range of icy peaks.. Mount Everest itself is not visible being concealed by a range of hills. From the Hotel we can see the plains fifty miles away and seven thousand feet below us but looking much nearer..."

Buffington and his party then return to Calcutta and travel to Benares, where they visit the Monkey and Golden Temples, Deserted City, etc, the Rajah's Palace, and then on to Lucknow, before proceeding to Delhi where the diary ends on December 27, 1894.

 An interesting diary notable for its entries describing an extended stay in Japan.