CHAPTER III. 



THE LIU-KIU ISLANDS (c07ltinucd). 



We start for Shiuri — Dress of the natives — Old palace of the Liu-kiu kings — 

 Entrance -gate of Shiuri — Quaintness of the scenery — The fortress — Its three 

 lines of fortifications — Ruins of the ancient palace — T'skina — Country-house 

 and lotus pond — Paucity of bird-life— leturn to Napha — ^Uyeno treats us to 

 lemonade — A Liu-kiu crowd — We leave for Japan. 



Our projected visit to Shiuri liad apparently become generally 

 known, for on landing early on the following morning we were 

 confronted by an enormous crowd. Some thousands of people 

 must have been present, for the pier and the streets leading to it 

 were filled with a dense mass of human beings. Our friend Uyeno 

 was waiting to receive us, attended by some other officials, and 

 conducted us at once to the Vice- Governor's residence, where we 

 were supplied with the inevitable tea and pipes until the chairs 

 which had been ordered for us should be ready. We were shown 

 some maps of the country, the outlines of which, judging from our 

 own charts, appeared to be tolerably correct. Our inquiries as to 

 the natural history of the island led to the production of two books 

 upon the subject, written in Japanese and profusely illustrated. 

 The flora may have been represented with a fair amount of success, 

 but, on turning to the ornithology, we found plates of many 

 species which it was difficult, if not impossible, to recognise. The 

 artist had apparently given full play to his imagination, and the 

 results, although pictorially striking, were not such as greatly to add 

 to our knowledge of the Liu-kiuan fauna. Shortly afterwards we 



