Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 247

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Notice of Japan in the Hai-kwoh Tu Chi.

APRIL,

can not incur expense or travel about amusing himself at his pleasure ; ministers of rank are charged with his superintendence, so that he himself lives like a prisoner in his palace. The cabinet ministers are not either masters of themselves, but are also restricted by the code, which has fixed provisions for the movements of the grandees, and for their sleeping and diet. It is only the lower orders that are permitted to act as they like in these respects, but if they break the law, the penalties are extremely severe, and no mercy whatever is shown to them. The feeling of the people [towards the government] is conse- quently one of fear, and not of reverence or affection.

From ancient times to the present, the state has always been under the rule of two monarchs. The actual * monarch of former days now wields a spiritual authority, and he passes his life in his hall like a priest, differing in no respect from a wooden idol; the secondary so- vereign holds in his hands all power over the troops, and all adminis- trative authority. The literati and people amount to 20,000,000, and are excellent as scholars, agriculturists, mechanics, and merchants. The greater portion of all three islands is so rocky, that if they were not diligent in sowing the ground, the people would die of famine. Their artisans make lacker-ware boxes and fine silks, such as are rarely to be obtained in China ; their merchants make tours to traffick all along the coast of their own country.

In the time of the Ming, the Japanese had extensive commercial relations, but they went to war with the Pú-táu (Portuguese) on ac- count of a misunderstanding with them caused by dissension respect- ing the doctrine of the Lord of Heaven, and with the assistance of the Dutch obtained the mastery. Hereupon they extirpated the sect [of Christians], and went all lengths in expelling foreigners from their country. The whole population thenceforward became Budhists.

Ships from Holland, however, and from Chá-pú in the dominions of the Tá-tsing dynasty, are permitted to trade at Chángkiál, but they are under strict regulations, and no intercourse is allowed to them with the natives of the interior. The city where the military sovereign resides is called Kiánghú, IƑ (Yedo). The population is im- and its number beyond computation; but the houses have been, unfortunately, so often destroyed by conflagrations or earthquakes that

mense,

Chin actual, as distinct from the tsz

secondary monarch. Chin is

shown in both Morrison and Medhurst to have a meaning akin to spiritual; and

the sect of Tan in particular use 眞人 chin jin to signify a person divested

of mortality.