Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 331

1841.

Notices of Japan, No. X.

317

pion of the imprisoned ex-mikado against his usurping father-in-law.* The war lasted for several years, and in the course of those years occurred the incident in which originated one of the institutions of the blind. At length, Yoritomo triumphed, released the imprisoned father of the young mikado, and placed the regency in his hands; but the fowo, as he was called, held it only nominally, leaving the real power in the hands of Yoritomo, whom he created sio i dai sio- goun, * generalissimo fighting against the barbarians.' The ex-mikado died, and, as lieutenant or deputy of the sovereign, Yoritomo virtually governed for twenty years. His power gradually acquired solidity and stability, and when he died he was succeeded in his title, dignity, and authority, by his son.

After this, a succession of infant mikado strengthened the power of the sio. goun, and their office soon became so decidedly hereditary, that the Annals begin to tell of abdicating siogoun, of infant siogoun, of rival heirs contending for the siogounship. Even during the life of Yoritomo's widow, this had advanced so far, that she, who had become a Budhist nun upon his decease, returned from her convent to govern for an infant siogoun. She retained the authority till her own death, and is called in the Annals of the Daħri, ama siogoun, or the nun sio- goun. She seems to be the only instance of a female siogoun. But still, if the actual authority were wielded by these generalissimos, all the apparent and much real power-amongst the rest, that of appointing or confirming his nominal vice- gerent, the siogoun-remained with the mikado. In this state, administered by an autocrat emperor and a sovereign deputy, the government of Japan continued until the latter half of the sixteenth century, the siogoun being then efficient and active rulers, not the secluded and magnificent puppets of a council of state that we have seen them at the present day.

It was during this phasis of the Japanese empire, that the Portuguese first ap- peared there; one of their vessels being driven by contrary winds from her intend- ed course, and upon the then unknown coast of Japan. The occurrence is thus recorded by a national annalist, as translated by Siebold;-"Under the mikado Konaru and the siogoun Yosi-haru, in the twelfth year of the Nengo Tenbun, on the twenty-second day of the eighth month (October, 1543), a strange ship made the island Tanega sima,† near Koura, in the remote province Nisimura. The crew, about two hundred in number, had a singular appearance; their language was unintelligible, their native land unknown. On board was a Chinese, named Gohou, who understood writing; from him it was gathered that this was a nan-ban ship ('southern barbarian,' in the Japanese form of the Chinese words nan-man). On the 26th, this vessel was taken to Aku-oki harbor, on the northwest of the island; and Toki-taka, governor of Tanega sima, instituted a strict investigation concerning it, the Japanese bonze, Tsyu-syu-zu, acting as interpreter, by means of Chinese characters. On board the nan bạn ship were two commanders, Mura.

* Klaproth; and Titsingh's Japanese Annals of the Daïri,

+ It has been said that sima means island; whence it follows that Siebold's expression, "the island, Tanega sima," is tautological; but, in translating a lan. guage and speaking of a country so little known, such tautology could hardly be avoided at a less sacrifice than that of perspicuity. This remark is also applicable to many other terms used when speaking or writing of Japan, by which the native word that classifies, or explains the proper name has become incorporated with it. For instance, to say the bridge Nippon-bas, where bas (or hasi) means bridge, is, like Tanega sima I., tautological,