422 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



panese fitted out a fleet at Satsu- 

 ma, made a descent on Lewchew, 

 took the king prisoner, and car- 

 ried him off, having plundered the 

 palace, and killed one of his near 

 relations, who also resisted the 

 acknowledgment of the Japanese. 

 During a captivity of two years, 

 Chang-ning acquired the admira- 

 tion of the captors by his unyield- 

 ing firmness and constancy in re- 

 fusing to swerve from his first al- 

 legiance, and they generously sent 

 him back to his states. 



*' The Tartar dynasty, soon 

 after this, was placed, by con- 

 quest, on the throne of China, and 

 made some alteration in the nature 

 of the tribute to be paid, stipula- 

 ting that envoys, in future, should 

 be sent to Pekin only once in two 

 years. Cang-hi paid much atten- 

 tion to the welfare of Lewchew ; 

 and his memory to. this day is 

 much resjjected by the people. It 

 is said to be nearly a thousand 

 years since the bonzes of the sect 

 of Fo introduced their mode of 

 worship into these islands, which 

 has continued to the present time. 



" When they make a vow, it is 

 not before the statues or images 

 of their idols ; but they burn in- 

 cense, and, placing then. selves in 

 a respectful attitude before certain 

 consecrated stones, which are to 

 be seen in various public situa- 

 tions, they repeat some mysterious 

 ■words, said to have been dictated 

 by the divine daughters of Omo- 

 mey-kieou. They have also among 

 them a set of holy women, who 

 worship certain spirits deemed 

 powerful among them, and who 

 visit the sick, give medicines, and 

 recite prayers. This seems to have 

 given rise to the accusation of an 

 old missionary at Japan^ who said 



they practised sorcery and witch- 

 craft. Cang-hi likewise intro- 

 duced among them the adoration 

 of a new deity, under the name of 

 Tien-fey, or Celestial Queen. 

 Polygamy is allowed here, as in 

 China, but seldom pi'actised. Men 

 and Avomen of the same surname 

 cannot intermarry. The king can 

 only take a wife from one of three 

 great families, who always hold 

 the most distinguished posts : 

 there is also a fourth, of the high- 

 est consideration, but with which 

 the princes cannot form an alli- 

 ance, because it is doubtful whe- 

 ther that family is not itself of the 

 royal line. Their chiefs are ge- 

 nerally hereditary, but not always; 

 for men of merit are promoted, 

 and all are liable to be degiaded 

 for improper conduct. The king's 

 revenue arises from his own do- 

 mains ; from imposts on salt, sul- 

 phur, copper, tin, and several 

 other articles ; and from this in- 

 come he defrays the expenses of 

 the state, and the salaries of the 

 great officers. 



" These salaries consist nomi- 

 nally in a certain number of bags 

 of, rice ; but they are paid gene- 

 rally in silks, and various other 

 necessary articles of clothing and 

 food, in proportions equal to the 

 value of so many bags of that 

 grain. All their interior com- 

 merce or marketing is performed 

 by the women and girls at regu- 

 lated times. They carry their 

 little loads upon their heads with 

 singular dexterity, consisting of 

 the usual necessaries of life and 

 wearing apparel, which they ex- 

 change for what they more imme- 

 diately want, or for the copper 

 coin of China and Japan. The 

 men are said to be neat workmen 



in 



