JAPAN. 237 



traders. They hold the Pythagorean doarine fo ftrongly as to 

 forbear eating any thing that has had life. 



Japan has deer and wild boars. Thefe, and hares, the fol- 

 lowers of certain fedts are at one time of the year permitted to 

 eat, contrary to their ufual rule of religion. 



Mr. Zimmerman^ in his zoological chart, gives the Rupi- 

 capra^ or Chamois^ as an animal of Japan. 



No country breeds more dogs ; they have mafters, but lie Dogs ; 

 about the ftreets, and are very troublefome to paflengers. In 

 Kaemf]fer's time there was an emperor fo fond of thefe animals much 



, ■, ., ■, ■ r- ^ c 1 c -L. RESPECTED. 



as to caufe huts to be built, and provifions to be round tor them 

 in every ftreet ; the utmoft care was taken of them during fick- 

 nefs, and when they died, they were carried to the ufual bu- 

 rying- place's on the tops of the mountains. This attention to the 

 canine fpecics at that time arofe from its happening, that the 

 reigning emperor was born under the lign of the dog, one of 

 the Japanefe conftellations. A poor fellow who had loft his dog 

 by death, fu eating under his load in climbing the mountain of 

 interment, was heard by bis neighbor curfing the plaguing 

 edict at a terrible rate. " Friend," faid his neighbor to him, 

 " you fliould rather return thanks to the gods that the emperor 

 " was not born under the horfe, for what would have then been 

 *' your load." 



Wild dogs, with large gaping fnouts, are among the animals 

 of the country. 



The cats are very beautiful ; whitilli, marked with large Cats. 

 yellow and black fpots, their tails very fhort, as if they had been 

 mutilated. The ladies carry them about, and are perpetually 

 carefiing them. As to mouling, they are quite ufelefs. 



Here 



