166 



To receive the excrements, the Japanese places 

 below the square hole a bucket or tub, of a size cor- 

 responding to it, with projecting ears, through which 

 a pole can be passed to carry the vessel. In many 

 instances, a large earthen pot, with handles, is 

 used, for the manufacture of which Japanese 

 clay supplies an excellent material. In rare 

 instances in the towns, I found a layer of chopped 

 straw or chaff at the bottom of the vessel, and 

 occasionally also interspersed among the excre- 

 ments a course which, if I mistake not, has of 

 late been recommended also in Germany. When 

 full, the vessel is taken out and emptied into one 

 of the larger dung-vessels which are placed either 

 in the yard or field. They are large casks 

 or enormous stoneware jars, in capacity of from 

 8 to 12 cubic feet, let into the ground nearly 

 to the brim. It is in these vessels that the manure 

 is prepared for the field. The excrements are 

 diluted with water, no other addition of any kind 

 being made to them, and stirred until the entire 

 mass is worked into a most intimately intermixed 

 fine pap. In rainy weather the vessel is covered 

 with a portable roof to shield it from the rain ; 

 in dry weather it is removed to admit the action 

 of sun and wind. The solid ingredients of the 

 pap gradually subside, and fermentation sets in ; 

 the water evaporates. 



By this time the vessel in the privy is again ready 



