28 AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY. 



beneath. There is no seat ; but the removable frame, which lies 

 around the opening, has at its front end a small post to hold by. 

 This provision distinguishes the Chodzu-ba favourably from similar 

 conveniences among very different nations, the inhabitants of 

 Morocco for instance, and the ancient Romans. 



For urination there is almost always some particular provision, 

 except only at night. The vessel for receiving urine stands in a 

 corner, and is usually sunk in the earth. In the better class of 

 houses it is covered with a four-sided based pyramid, the interior of 

 which is half filled with short evergreen twigs. In this way or 

 otherwise the urinal is generally concealed from passers-by. But 

 there are still cities that are far enough yet from such a refinement 

 of manners, and where the old Chinese plan is still in vogue, which 

 appears from old accounts, Thunberg's, for example, to have been 

 formerly almost universal. 



Two particularly striking instances of this sort fell under my 

 observation in 1874, while travelling. I suppose I may mention 

 them here. In the town of Takaoka, in Echiu, noted for its bronze- 

 foundries, I found two rows of such vessels, only quite without 

 cover of any kind, set up in the principal street. And later, in the 

 town of Sakata, north-east of Niigata, I came across this publicity 

 in a still more striking form. Here every house had an arrange- 

 ment of that sort right at the entrance, and my hotel (the Yadoya) 

 had two of them, just about where the portiers office is with us. 

 This may have been formerly the rule in all towns, now it has 

 already become quite an exception. Indeed, there is really less 

 offence against public propriety now in Japan, than in many places 

 in Germany. 



In large towns the Koye-tori (literally bringer of manure) comes 

 almost every day to get dung (Daiben) and urine (Shoben) and 

 carry them out to the country. He mixes both, and thins the 

 composition with water, when necessary, which is an easy matter, 

 owing to the peculiarly light diet of the Japanese, consisting of 

 strongly-salted soups and sauces and easily-digested rice. 



But there are others still, besides the regular Koye-tori, who are 

 glad to take away the contents of these tubs. In Germany it is a 

 common sight to see the farmer who has brought milk, butter, and 

 other commodities to town, go back laden with refuse from his 

 customers' kitchens, with which to feed his cattle. In Japan there 

 is no vendor of butter and milk, and consequently no need of fodder ; 

 and instead of kitchen stuff, the countr/man who comes in to 

 market often takes back, for his fields, cesspool manure, in buckets 

 slung on a yoke of bamboo-cane or evergreen oak. 



The Sumida-gawa is the principal depot of this refuse in Tokio, 

 the capital. Flat boats laden with it are to be seen every day 

 along its banks, either directly filled with the manure, or carrying it 

 in tubs arranged in rows and one above another. These manure- 

 boats float in the river and through the fields in side-canals. 



