Tj^t. on 'japan. 3or 



placed a gigantic figure sitting ciofs-legged in tlie oriental 

 manner. This <i,;ure Occupies the whole space between the 

 central ranges of columns which i" ♦roni thirty to forty feet. 

 In another temple called ^cnmon he was told there were 

 no lefs than thirty-three thousand three hundred and thir- 

 ty-three monstrous humnn figures, having many arms each, 

 arranged in such a manner as to make a beautiful perspec- 

 tive. 



Mr Thunberg had an opportunity in pafsing through a 

 city called Osaca to see a Japanese drama acted. It was 

 conducted in a manner not very different from our own ; 

 and iii-the pantomime dance he thought they particularly 

 excelled. 



In returning to Ncitigasahi the month of June, he saw 

 in the evening as if it were an infinite number of moving 

 Stars sparkling around him. This phenomenon was occa- 

 sioned by a little winged insect, which he called Lani- 

 phyres "Japonica, whose body terminated in two bladders 

 which produced in the dark a phosphoric light, as the glow- 

 worms in Europe. 



After having given an account of his journey, he arran- 

 ges the Information he obtained concerning this country 

 under different heads, forming so many distinct chapters, 

 of which what follows is a slight abridgenient. 

 The quality (fthe .toil and the nature of the climate of Jrpan^ 



The country consists chietly of mountains and vailies; 

 there are very few plains. In some places ycu find the 

 .hills covered with wood, in others, they are cut into ter- 

 laces, and cultivated with the greatest care. The soil 

 is far from being naturally fertile, but by dint of manure 

 and cultivation it produces abundant cropr. In the sum- 

 mer the heat is very strong, and in the winter the cold I^' 

 also bomtllmcs very rigorous; it is coldest there when tV.*' 



