216
Notice of Japan in the Hui-kooh Tú Chí.
APRIL,
politeness, and attach importance to a transgression of laws. The unshaven bonzes of Iki, who have 3800 monasteries, are the only people whose character is somewhat violent and sanguinary.
The whole of the districts, major and minor, are under the three military chieftainships of Shán-k'au, Funghau, and Chuhyun, the three chiefs of which fight with and plunder each other. Of the three, Funghau is the most powerful division, but all are subject to the general control of the sovereign who resides at Shán-ching. A large proportion of those who made piratical incursions during the time of the Ming, were inhabitants of Samo, Fíhau and Chángmun. Their ravages are all to be ascribed to the intrigues of traitorous Chinese, who tempted the Japanese brought together by the trading vessels.
'The personal appearance of the inhabitants of Japan is fine. Its climate and seasons correspond with those of Kiángsú and Chehkiáng, and it produces every sort of pottery, as well as lacquer-ware and gilt figured paper. The handsomest horses come from Samo, the ground of which yields copper. Numbers of cutlers frequent the place, and the weapons made by them are extremely sharp, and are therefore commonly worn by Japanese in their belts. Amber, beche- de-mêr and baliotis are the produce of the seas.
The northernmost of the dependencies of Japan is Tui-ma, which is not far from Corea; the southernmost is Samo in the vicinity of Lewchew. Tuima is exactly in the same parallel with Wan-chau and Tai-chau. The high points of Chángki and Púto are east and west of each other. From this side to that, the voyage is 40 watches long. From Amoy to Chángkí, with a northerly wind; you enter by the Wú- táu (Five Islands); with a southerly wind by Tientáng, the voyage being 72 watches.
The division of a night and a day into ten watches was invented by seafaring men on account of the impracticability of measuring their track by li. They accordingly note the li by the number of watches.
Extract from the Ngau-mun Lioh, or Records of Macao.
The prohibitions of the Japanese government against the doctrines of the Lord of Heaven are very severe. In the stones of the Batavian quay is engraved a crucifix, and at the entrance of the street, on either side of the way, are soldiers standing with drawn swords. Persons trading with the country are obliged to enter [the city] by the way of the crucifix (i. e. treading upon it); if they turn back, or to the right or left, they are immediately decapitated. There is also an image of
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