The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-12-15 00:00:00

;~.
'~

FESTIVALS AND CEREMONIES OF
THE JAPANESE.
[From " Ti. New Sfinikry Slagestse.")
The Japanese hove five gravid festival days in the
triune of the year. They are considered as forte-
pate days, sod were instituted by the 40th
Tem-itoaten-o, in the 6th year Fakje, or the year
The following are a few curious perticalises re-
specting these festival.:—
The first festival cloy is called in the learned
language or the day of min 1 and its the
vulgar !engorge Nentookis Marmots, which rig-
nifies tits 7th day of the Ist month.
frs the second year /room-Fe (890) it was cus-
tomary to serve up to the Datri • dish of potsge,
culled Noteakoosa, consisting of baked rice, sod
seven different kinds of roots or vegetables.
It sobsetiently, however. became the custom
nwroly to prevent seven kinds of vegetables to the
Dairi.
The work entitled Life-o-na-ki *totes, that
Moorakimei-ten-o. on this festival day, was is the
habit of receiving from his wife an offering of the
Er.% herbs.
saiok-ia, the 75th Dairi, composed the follow-
irg lines no the subject of the potsge made of rice
solid vegetables; the statute consists of thirty-one
eintracters :

Kt on; fa la MG
Ns na t••• na • sa so
Na as boo ma ril
Na o isms nn yo ye non
Yo to 1100 00 MO (11 fuer.
" May it Continue In be the erste* lea thousand years
hence, 10 fratlsPr seven sorts of vegetables us the nwtroioe of
the 7th day of the fist month, for 1/1t eat of the Prince!"
Sochi% one origin of the festival which is cele-
brated, not only in the palace of the Dairi, but
throughout the whole empire. People regale their
friend. with the potage above described, and wish
them R long
and happy life.
The second festival dry is called Shok eljoo.no-in
and Djosi. Djo signifies above,fi st.or beginning.
and si means serpent : it is therefore the festiv3l of
the first day of the serpent of the third month,
The third month was properly the mouth of the
dragon ; but this denomination liar been altered,
and that sign of the zodiac which immediate-
ly succeeds it has been adopted. to designate
the month in which the Japanese are aceu.tomed to
wish their friends a continuance of good health end
)1 vpitorse. This festival, though fixed for the first
day of the 'serpent of the third month,. was formerly
celebrated on different days. owing to the continual
variation of the Japanese calculations. It has since
It-en determined that it shall be crlebrdied on the
third day, which is called Trho.son, 'slice three,
or the Srl of the 3tl month. It is also called thefts.
t:val of dolls.
It is principally intsoded for the amusement of
toang girl', and hence it receives Vie name of Ma-
pfa•isu sekoo, or the /titled of Ironer*. In all houses,
whether belonging to the poor or the rich, it little
stage is erected shout the height of a table ; it is co.
sered with a red carpet or some coloured material,
r,I such value as the family are able to afford. On
this stage figures and decorations are ',bleed, repre-
sewing the court of the Dairi, temples, buildings,
the Din him•elf, his wives who are called Doha-
no, atild other distinguished permits of both
sex. s; these images are called Vina.wingio, or child-
ren's doll.. afferent kinds of dishes are served
11p to the figures. with the some ceremony as is ob-
served in the palace of the Dairi. and the houses
I people of rani, iii short, they represent the
whole interior- of a house, with all that is necessary
in the kitchen, &c. By this kind of amusement
gals are instructed, from their earliest childhood,
how to become good and useful managers of a fa-
mily.
An ancient Japanese work mentions, that these
dulls used to be given to young girls zzs playthings;
anti that it was customary to blame thetp for any
bttle fault committed by the children, with the
s•ew f giving the latter an indirect lesson.
From the most distant period it has been a prac-
tice, on the day of this festival, to make little
rakes of rice and the green leaves of the plant called
sougwort, which are supposed to be efficocious in
preserving the health. The Japanese also drink
soki distilled from peach-leaves, as peaches are ac-
t Quoted to possess the quality of resisting all sorts
of infection,.
The third grand festival day is the sth of the
fifth month, and is called Tango-no-sekoo, or Cho-
go.no•sekoo: tan means first, go a horse. and :Ave
a festival d.sy; the name therefore signifies the feast
of the first day of the month of the horse. Cho
merits double, go five, and C'ho-go the fifth of the
fifth month'.
This festival is to boys what the Ona-go-no•sekoo
is to girls. From the first to the sixth day of the
month, it is the practice to fasten flags of silk, cloth,
or paper, to pieces of bamboo : they are usually
ornamented with the 0111111 of a Prince, or of some
tlisiinguisbed officer or famous soldier.
At the (curt of the Dairi, and in all capital
Ines. these bamboos are fixed upon bastions and
bulwarks, and in front of the Palaces.-At Naugasski
sod some other cities, two of these flags are fixed
up in front of every house, where the family con.
sista of boys; they are called No-bori. or itundurds
of tear. Over the doors of the houses it is also
customary to hang cutlasses, helmets, bows and
snows, gulls, pikes. sod other arms, made of wood
or bamboo, covered with paper and varnished. In
tare apartments are ranged the figures of men fa-
stiqus for their courage, or knights in fall armour;
these figures are made of wood, and are dressed in
sikic or gold, silver or coloured cloth.
Loy* receive, by way of playthings. sabres,
swords, pikei. bows and arrows, and other weapons
orjede of wood or bamboo, its order to inspire them,
at so early period of life, with courage cud a taste
fqr the military service, and to tire their young
hearts with the recollection of the glorious achieve-
ments of their ancestors.

Oa Thursday morning, about two &dna, as
the workmen in Blakelaw colliery, near Newcastle,
were pursuing their avocations, they clime too near
tome old working, when a large mass of earth, &c.
tell down, and cut off the egret* of seven men. By
thesniost laborious exertions they were liberated
at seven o'clock on Saturday morniog, after u con-
ti,irment or fifty-three hours. No oue received any
injury.

IRKL4NI).

• insult, Damon to.
•
SALVAGE CASE.
Thursday • Privy Council was held at Dublin
Castle, to determine on au appeal from a Bench
of Magistrotrs. who sat in the town of Wexford,
under the following circum•tancm:—The Ame.
rican ship Albivar, bound to Liverpool, way strand-
ed on the coast of Crilleristown, in the county of
Wexford, which ship arid cargo (consisting of
cotton and rice) were token possession of by Mr.
Samuel Elly, under the law of salvage. It ap-
peared that Mr. Elly had employed • number of
horses as well as men, to remove the cargo to
IVexford, at a tansy considerable expeose, 'here
to he re-shipped fur Liverpool. An agent from
Lloyd's arrived at Wexford, who refused to allow
the claim of salvage of Mr. Elly, by the advice of
the underwriters. It was heard before a Bench
of Alogistrites, as above stated, who disallowed
Mr. Ell)'. chino. An appeal was inside to the
Judge of A.size, Baron M.Clellornt, who refused
to hear it ma account of some informality in the
application, end who recommended an appeal to
the Privy Council; the appeal was accordingly
heard on Thursday at one o'clock, and did mist end
until four, when Counsel and others were desired
to wiahalraw, previous to which the Judges who
attended ..err of opinion that Mr. Elly should be
allowed 40/. salvage for four days, and Mr. Graves
should be allowed • like sum.
CLOW NIEL. DUMMIES 9.
_

On Thursday afternoon a most extrusive ptst,ste
disiillery was discovered in Carrick-on-Suir,.. by
Edmond Haste, Esq. Acting Inspector-General,
o-sisted by Wogs,. Russel and Colclough, Offi-
cers of Excise from Clonatel. They found it at
full work. in a stole in Gret stone-street ; ill con-
tents 130 'callous; of eurtettit contrivance, and sup-
postd to here been years at work : it was equipped
with perfect backs, and a steep for thirty barrels
of Stalky, with .eery apparatus as complete as
could be found in a licenssrl distillery. IVith the
still, &e. the Officers seized tio barrels of malt, /0
gallons of whiskey, 140 gallims of singling,. and
about 400 gallons of put-ale. The ►till, head, sad
were lost n gist lodged in the King's stores
in Cioninel. The malt has brass left in the hauls
of a very respectable brewer aid mitoses, Mr.
Thomas Fir hen, in Carrick. for the purpose of
on-
derKaiog the oreessory process, and until the plea-
sore of she Bawd of Excise be made knowa.--.
(Clonntel Advertiser.)

MRRTJNGS OF CREDITORS AT Guitothszt,

TO-MORROW.

N. N.
A. AntJerson, Cannon-street, merchant 3 10
Miry and T. Mr lion, Ilighgate, builder. 3 11
R. Res" and T. Thomason, Whitechapel, horse-
deal. rs
J. Pordlians, Bishop Sturilfird, plumber
J. Lethbridge, Tottenham Court-road, carpenter 3 11
J. !lodge a, Cheltenham, coal merchant 3 It
_ .

J. ',diem, Subo, jewellre 3 11
H. P,e►thood, jun. Si rand, and Soho, auctioneer and
bemikeeller
J. Currie, late of Fording Bridge, draper 3 10
J. Ashby, Manclvester.square, baker....
E. neollll, Frielay-street, ooru-dealer
J. and G. Javens, Clerkenwell, japanuers 3 11
F. Hudson, Angel-lane, brewers
J. Weeper, Toulry-strcet, chymi.t 3 1
W. Coll; I.lingion, broker , 3 10
J. Bryant, late of Liverpool, mid Anstin-friars, wit
chalet ..
T. W 311,011, Mrochester.tquare, grocer
T. soil R. Tweed, Chingford Mills and Great St
Helena, mill. rs
B Huruby, l•'uunrlling Hospital, plumber ... 3 It
.1. Sarum, Eingsland-reatt, stage-coach-proprictor 3 10
G. Tabourdial, tale of Hulborn, rotary-scriveuer 2 1
.1. AJlingtun, Totteultani, builder 2 1
J. Adams, Dimities, merchant
S. Kinasell, late of Black wall, paii.ttr 2 Itt
H Jacloun, Goodman's fields, merchant 2 It
11'. W'heele►, New Keut rued, timber dealer and
blacksmith
A. Taylor, Kent•ruad, nealt.roaster
J. S. Peirson, Clerkeawell, goldsmith
J. H. Arnett, Chelsea, coal-merchant
S. Rogers, Gutter-lane, hosier
R. Fos, Great Queen-street, wine-merebant .. 1 1
H. Daly, Holborn, soda-water.manufacturer
S. Layeock and G. Revoke, refineries, slopsellers
J. C. Welsford Old Broad-street, merchant 1 12
1). T. Price, Shore& t ch, butcher
J. Wilson and G. Waugh, Alderogate.street, whole-
sale-bat tars „ ...
C. Symonds and W. Taylor, IVatlitig I. trete, ware-
housemen ......, •
R. Sharpie:, late of Berkeley-square, dealer in china 1 10
H. Platt., Deptfurd, tobaccoutst

VIVI DENDS.
.1. Wilton, Old Broad-street, merchant
T. Ellrrby, Poole, linen•draprr
J. Phipps, Ns-Hand-place, sun Maidenhead, tailor
R. Ceumbie, Chelsea, victualler
.1. Bateman and W. Culbard, West Smithfield, brass-
founders
T. Rains, Leicester-firlds, wholesale-perfumer
W. Reeder, Stratford green, victualler
L. H. Standish, Rishapagute-aireet-Withunt, straw•hat-
Inaoufacturer
W. Rodeo, Redfold-strem, bookseller.
E Mains, Eyusford, draper
W. Bristol, Kruningion, vone-nierchaist ll
C. hlottrain, Pilotless Hall, merchant 1
H. l'yefisicb, late of Bucklers-busy, merchant
A. Haight, Mourfields, caleuderer
T. Slade, sett. Smithfield, usl-merrhant
S. Ansurst, Wrstminsti r and 11'.•:t Farleigb.hrtwai
W. A. Souggs mad J. Walley, Lime-street, iwertivisim lt
J. Gomm, near Wendover, tisubermselehani..
A. Spear, Basinglialbstiret, intrchaiii • It
I'. Weil, Gists church-street, isholeuele-perfineser l2
It. Hodgson, fleebstrett, thilM3ll lO
A. Anderson, Philput-lane, merchant