J A' P A N. 211 



fiibjecft to the Japanefe, they do not allow the emperor's fu- 

 premacy, yet, Uke them, they have a Dairi or hereditary eccleii- 

 aftical governor, to whom they pay great refpedl, and fuppofe to 

 be hneally defcended from the gods of their country ; he relides 

 at the ifle called by Kampfer t (to whom we are indebted for all 

 this account) Jajatna, not remote from 0Ji?7iay an ifland of fecond 

 magnitude. 



That illand, another larger, called Tanaajima^ with feveral Tanaasima 

 leffer, extend north and fouth to the north-eaft of the Liquejo 

 iflands, and form the links between them and Japa?!, Between 

 the ille of Tanaafima, and that of Liquejo, are the freights of 

 Fan Bicmen ; that ifland is the moft fouthcrn of thofe which 

 compofe the great empire of 



JAPAN, 



and is the fmalleft of the number ; the latitude of the fouth end is 

 30° north, according to Doftor Tbunberg, and the moft northerly 

 of the Japanefe iflands extends to 40", the longitude from 143" 

 to i6i''eaft. The coafts are rude and rocky ; the circumambient 

 feas, raging with ftorms during nine months of the year, are Stormy. 

 fliailow, filled with flioals and rocks, and extremely fubje<!^ to 

 frequent fliipwrecks. Off this coaft are two whirlpools, dan- 

 gerous, and not lefs tremendous than thofe of the famousMt?^/- 

 firom near the Norwegian fliores ; there are frequent inftances of 

 fliips being abforbed in the vortex, and their fliattered fragments 

 flung up at the diftance of many leagues. The poets of 'japan 

 make conllant allufions to thefe horrible phaenomcna. 



The climate of the Japanefe ifles, like that of Great Bj-itaiVi 



* Hift. of Jupan^ p. 380. 



E e 2 is 



