1845.] LIBERAL SUPPLY OF PROVISIONS. 13 



witnessed the perfect assent of the secretary himself, 

 before it was sent over the side. It is very difficult to 

 obtain good tea, either at Japan or Loo-Choo, and at both 

 places they acknowledged that they were unable to obtain 

 from China any of a quality similar to that shown to 

 them, although they had the same character of tea. 



The day previous to our departure all the articles required, 

 were brought on board and mustered by a regular list ; 

 but in many of the names, they had made mistakes, na- 

 tural in all probability to their taste, such as peaches and 

 apricots, preserved in salt, for fruit. The small spars 

 (for studding sail booms &c.,) were of cedar, measuring 

 about ninety-six feet in length, by fourteen inches at the 

 butt ; a large quantity of very fine fish, but owing to the heat 

 of the climate unfit for consumption, hogs and vegetables 

 for the crew. Their reason for not giving us Bullocks, 

 as they were " too tired " or, " hard worked," is worth 

 relating. On enquiring, why they could not supply these 

 cattle, instead of hogs, they observed " The Japanese do 

 not eat Cows, they do their duty, they bear calves, they 

 give milk, it is sinful to take it, they require it to rear 

 their calves, and because they do this they are not allowed 

 to work. The Bulls do their work ; they labour at the 

 plough, they get thin, you cannot eat them, it is not just 

 to kill a beast which does its duty, but the hogs are 

 indolent, lazy, do no work, they are proper for food." * 

 Our specimens were probably of this breed, they did not 

 appear like working animals, but, on the contrary, over- 

 whelmed with their own fat, and weighing about 1501b. 



* Probably it was on the ground they could not work, that one of the 

 Djogouns ordered all the old men, women, and cripples, to be destroyed. 



