Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 180

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Notice of Japan in the Hai-kwook Tú Chi.

MARCH,

faces of their prisoners of war, and tied their tongues to prevent it being detected by their answers that they were not Japanese; thus their return home was cut off. They showed great kindness to the people in the vicinity of their resorts, and were thus kept fully informed of the truth and falsehood of every report. They made handsome presents to such artisans as fell into their hands, and they were in consequence easily provided with arms; as they employed our people as spies, it is difficult on our side to ascertain [whence they got their information], and by using them as their guides, they became perfectly familiar with all the paths by which to advance or retreat. For their eating or sleeping they would stay in some place where they could break open the wall, and which was high enough for them to keep a lookout; so that there was no chance of taking them by surprise. Should they be closely beleaguered, they would leave some heads* as a pretense and retire ; some of them, wrapping themselves in cloaks of the bamboo leaf and putting on bamboo hats, would play the part of laborers in the fields;† some in flowered silk handkerchiefs and shoes of cloth would swagger through the public places of the cities, thus placing our officials in the dilemma of killing the [wrong] robbers by mistake, or bonest men on suspicion.

Although fighting on the water was not at first their forte, they had the ingenuity to fasten empty vessels together, and to spread light screens over them by which [the fire, or assault of] our forces advanc- ing on them was expended; and they would abandon the women, and leave money in the way to check us in the pursuit. The bul- warks and spars of their ships were all covered with cloths, quilts, and cushions, which they damped to render them proof against fire. In an action, as soon as they came to close quarters,‡ they boarded with rapidity; [their ouset was] terrible as the thunder, and [those on board] were scattered like the wind.

well as et, is worthy of notice, as well as the transition from hope to expectation of which the Portuguese esperar is likewise capable. From the latter meaning of the word is of course derived that employed in the text.

* Heads, i. e. of prisoners massacred to show that a greater number of Japanese had fallen than was really the osse.

+ Laborers. Tsu nih

Hia Lun, Cap. ix., Section 6 Chẳng-ts and Kick-nih were two men of virtue and ability, who, disgusted with the misrule of their me, retired into the country. They were ploughing on a particular oc- casion when Confucius was passing by, and gave him an uncivil answer, when he sent to inquire about a certain ford. Their rudeness thus becoming historical, their names were formed into the dissyllable in the text, which has come to mean simply to plough, to attend to agricultural pursuits.

+

fù pung; fú near to, closing upon, and pang the mat awning of a `vessel; according to the teachers, pars pro toto (?)

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