The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-29

led through the open country were on some
days nc re Gre wded than the principal
streets in the most pr pull us 70 wn in u pc.
He explains to what such II concc urse was
due. Under the rigcr ~ us system Of crutr.l
and surveillance es ablshed by the II ku-
gaia Shogurs ever the feueal potih y,
the princes and lords &C the empire, WIN
their numerc us %retinucs, as also the g Hern-
ors Of the imperial ci les al d or. WI lards,
were compelled to go TO e urt once a year,
there to pay homage to the secular n-ver-
eign. Hence they had to frequent the high
ways twice a year on their way TO and fr nj
Jedo. The Princes and secondary nctles
were attended in their j. urrey by all their
retainers, and &C mmonly made 1t with the
p7mp and magr ifcence which in their
/ cpirion became their own quality AID
afluence, as well as the majesty CT the
p werful ruler whom they we're g'ing to
visit. The train CT $ me Ct the mere emirert
princes Of the empire w uld fill up highway
Tor days. Acc. rdirg to DR.. X aempier, tie
retinue Of one CT the clier dalmi :, as
princes were called, might amt unit to 10000
men, and thai Of II sjvmi, y, or secondary
poble, to abe ut 10000, Even the retir ue
OF ore Of the 2 vernors Of nperial CT les
VI piS"h dIh ihiShl NDIip'hS SS'S''
hundreds Of persons. There, again, we're
the pilgrims, who peri Ideally went to wor-
ship at the thirty-three chief temples which
lay dispersed among the provinces CT
the empire. Multitudes of beggars, als',
crowded. the nc ads in all parts Ct Japan, but
| especially the tckkaido or principal high
way. running from the cuthern extremity
Of the island Of Nippon past Miaco (Kio:t) to
the secular CAPT al.
In his travels between Nagasaki and
Jedo, our author kept his eyes wide open.
He recalls that the japanese in their jour
neys sit down to table thrice a day, besides
what they eat between me"ls. They
begin early in the morning before break of
day with a good substantial breakfast:
then follows a dinner at 1901 and the day
is concluded with q plentiful supper at
night. Their table is dressed and Their
victuals spread after the fashion OF the
country. 1t being forbidden to play at
cards. they sit after meals drinking and
I singing songs to make one another merry,
! or else they propose riddles, or play at some
other game, and he that ann solve the
riddle or loses the game is obliged to drink
a glass"
Toward the close Of the seventeenth CEN
| fury. travelling seen s to have cost quite as
| much in Japan as il Gil on the Continent Of
Europe. According to DIR. K enpfer's
reckoning the expenses Of the Dutch en-
bassy from Ma gasaki to the court Of the
! Shotgun at Jedo amounted to 10000 riX iol-
lars, or say $4,000. Whether the return
journey was as costly he doe; not sly
probably not. for no presents would have to
be made to the Shogul's Ministers.
When DR.. Kaempfer visited Miaco Chio'o)
in 1901 he learned that at the time Of the
latest census there had been upward Of
1000 ecclesiastics and more thln Az 900
laymen in that capital, leaving out Of the
reckoning the numerous strangers who
resorted daily to this place from all par.s
! Of the empire, and all members OF the
| court Of the Mikado or ID .iri Whom our
traveller calls the Ecclesiastical Herc"i-
tary Emperor, no enumeration OF whom
could be proc rel. When kaempfer saw
Miaco, the Mikado, with his family and
court, resided on the nor.h size Of the city
In a particular part or ward. comprising
twelve or thin. cen streets, and separated
from the rest Of the town by walls and
bitches. In the western part Of the city was
q strong castle built OF frees.one. which,
origin lily built by one, of the ecce ~'iastical
hereditary emperors for the security Of his
person during the civil4wlrs, subsequently
served to lodge the Shotgun or secular mon
arch on the rare occasions when he cine
to visit the Mikado. The castle va n hun
dred aud fifty fathoms long, and in the mid
die Of it rose a square tower several stories
high. The streets OF Miaco were narrow,
but all regular. running some south, some
east. We are told that, being at one end Of
a great street. it was impossible 10 reach
the other with the eye, because Of the ex-
traordinary length, the dust and the multi
tuce Of people it would be daily crow5ei
with. The houses, generally speaking, are
narrow, only two stories high, built of wood,
lime and clay, according TO the country
fashion, the roofs being covered with
shavings of wood. A wooden trough filled
with water ami the instrum 4nts neeie
for ~extinguishing fire lay ready at all times
on the top of every house. Our traveller
goes on to say that Miaco Kioto) was the
great magazine Of all ia anese manu-
features and commodities, and the chief
mercantile town in the emrire. There
is scarce a house in this large CaTi:al where
there is not something male or sold. Hero
they refine copper, coin money, rint boo''s,
weave the richest stuffs with gold and silver
flowers. The best AMI scarceat Gics, the
most artful carvings, all sorts Of musical
instrum ,nts, pictures, ia~annei cabinets,
all sorts Of things wrought in gold and
other metals, particularly in steel, as the
best tempered blades and other arms are
made here in the utmost perfection, as
are also the richest dresses, and after tie
hest fashion; all sorts of to s, puppets
moving their heads Of themselves and
numberless other things, too MANY to be
here mentioned. In short, there is nothing
can be thought of but h NAV he found
at Miaco, and nothing, though never so
neatly wrought, can be imported from
| abroad, but what some artist or other in
this carital will undertake to initiate"
We turn to our authors description of
Jedo (Tokiol, the seat of the Shotgun. Jedo
was then, as it is now, by much the largest
city of the empire. but the swelling Of its
population was at that time due in largo
measure to the many princes and secondary
| lords, who, with their families and numer-
Gus trains, raised the inhabitants Of the city
to what to a seventeenth century European
! seemed an almost Incredible number Our