^52 JAPAN. 



boiling water mentioned by me at p. 247 of this work, was one 

 of the inftruments of torture, varied and lengthened by the moll: 

 diabolical inventions. Thofe of Sinf^ok were the mod horrible ; 

 thev How with vaft violence and noife beneath a lofty precipice, 

 and emit the moft noifome fulphureous vapor, which rifes to a 

 great height. Hither the Chriftians were brought in multitudes ; 

 and in cafe they refufed to renounce their religion, Vs-ere carried 

 bound to the fummit of the mountain, and precipitated into the 

 fubjacent Phkgethon. 

 Treading ON In order to imprcfs on every fubjevSt a deteftation of the 



THE Ckucifix. Qjjyijiian religion, and poffibly to difcover if there be any latent 

 favorers of its do6lrine, the following annual cuftom is preferved 

 throughout the empire : people of all ranks and periods of life, 

 even to children of a certain age, are affembled in the different 

 places, where they perform the ceremony of trampling upon the 

 crofs. It was even faid to have been a rite exacted from the 

 Dutch., as the price of their commerce with the Japaneje. S-wift, 

 in his voyage to Laputa, is humorous on the fubjedl; for when 

 Gulliver, under the character of a Dutcbma?i, petitions the em- 

 peror to be excufed the ceremony, his majefty, much furprifed, 

 tells him, that he was the firft of his countrymen who ever 

 made any fcruple, and that he fufpeited he mull: be a Ghriliian, 

 Dutch. and not a Hollander.- In 161 1 the Dutch fent a folemn embaffy 



to the emperor, then refident at MiacOy and were faid to have at 

 that time obtained an advantageous commercial treaty ; at length 

 they fell under the general ediifl of expulfion ; yet even after 

 that fevere decree, procured re-admiffion, under moft mortify- 

 ing reftri(5tions ; they virtually are compelled to renounce their 

 '4 religion ; 



