The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-02-02
"DAI BUTZU."


most famous of Japanese statues. The
Dali Butzu, says the writer
early Sunday morning a party OF
three of us started from Yokohoma on
a ride to the far-famed statue of Dai
Butzu at Kamakura. Anxious to
avoid the MONDAY heat as much as pos
sible, we started at early dawn. Our
road led us along the canal through the
outlying villages in the suburbs Of the
settlement. The people were just be-
ginning to rise and everything-except
the canal-appeared fresh and cheerful.
Looking at the sluggish waters of the
canal covered with slum, and inhaling
its odors, which came up on every
hand, we ceased to wonder at the
rapidity and fatality with which dis
eases-especially cholera-arose and
spread among the native people. 1t
was an immense relief when we crossed
the last bridge of the canal where it
enters a long cut through the rocky
hills, and found ourselves in the open
country. This cut is one made for the
benefit of the kerosene trade, and took
two years to finish it, besides the outlay
of large sum of money. 1t is looked
upon by the Japs as a big piece of
engineering. Leaving the canal be-
hind us, our ROAD wound among the
rice fields, now passing through some
small village, and then down a narrow
path lined with tall bushes that shook
their glistening dew-drops over us as
we rushed by.
The rising sun saw us passing by
the "Plains of Heaven" The road
assembled and passed along the brow of
a small hill, covered with heavy
| growth Of cedars, below us, stretching
far away without sign of human life
to mar the calm beauty of the scene,
lay the terraced rice fields with their
green plants. Far off ahead of us,
single conical hill separated the valley
from the one beyond, while opposite to
the spot where we fingered by the gates
/ but entered not, the fields rose with
gradual swell till. the view was ended
by grove of cedars. 1t was magni-
fcent sight and one which fully justi-
fled the name the people had given it.
After tarrying here as long as we
dared, we pushed rapidly on, pass
ing numerous villages and small
temples, besides the wayside shrines
which are to be found everywhere.
The sun was beginningto feel very
uncomfortable when, at 1880 A. NJ,
we entered the outskirts of the Village
of Kamakura. Passing through the
village we entered the immense temple
which is here, and rode for some time
under the shadows of the great
cedars which are the browning beauty
Of the place. The limits of the Ole
seemed very large and and it was not
till IL A. NJ, that we caught the refiec-
| blOiA VI tlC o0u llOlll UllC DlOuZc utdu
of Dai Butzu.
| Approaching the statue the face has
a remarkable eXpressian of placid re-
pose, and notwithstanding its immense
size, is so admirably proportional that
it loses nothing of its effect on near
approach. 1t is fifty feet high and
ninty-six feet in circumference, the
face being eight and half feet in
length. The knee is thirty-eight feet
in diameter and the thumb three and
half feet in circumference. 1t is cast
in several places, the lines of jointure
being plainly seen and represents the
god sitting on pedestal with his legs
crossed in front of him and his hands
clasped. 1t was cast in A. d. 1852 at
the desire of one of the "Shoguns" or
native governors. The casting is hol-
low, and one realizes more fully its i'm.
mense size when standing inside and
seeing the ladders which lead up into
the dome-like head. The inside is
l
fitted up as temple with numerous
little statues arranged around its sides.
Finding that native photographer
had taken up his residence here, for the
purpose of supplying visitors with
photographs of the statue, and always
DESTROYS of improving our opportuni-
ties, the three of us perched ourselves
on the gods thumb-nails and had our
pictures taken. 1t is by such contrasts
| of the size of the human frame with
the image that the photographer best
expresses in a picture the immesity of
the casting. 1t is said that at Nara there
is another casting Of the same image,