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622 



JAP 



Japan, entertainments among the natives ; and on one of these 

 "V^"' occasions particularly, a lady from the court of Jedclo 

 performed the honours of the table with an ease, ele- 

 irnnce, and address, that would have graced a Parisian. 

 The usual dress of the Japanese women, even of the 

 middle rank, is remarkably costly ; and its value might 

 supply the wardrobe of an European lady of the same 

 rank for twenty years. The Japanese, with an appa- 

 rent coldness, derived from that system of espionage 

 and principle of disunion dictated by the government, 

 arc eager for novelty, and warm in their attachments, 

 strongly inclined to foreign intercourse, notwithstand- 

 ing the prohibitory political institutions of their country, 

 and apparently ready to throw themselves into the 

 bands of any nation of superior intelligence; but at the 

 same time full of contempt for every thing below their 

 own standard of morals and habits. The failure of the 

 embassy from Russia in 181-1, which might seem to 

 contradict this remark, Dr Ainslie considers as attri- 

 butable to particular circumstances, which however are 

 not sufficiently detailed, but are intimated as originating 

 in the influence of the interested competitor at the head 

 of the Dutch establishment. The warehouse in which 

 the Russian mission had been lodged was pointed out 

 to Dr Ainslie, who observes, .that, " as the rats were 

 let out, the count and his suite were let in, where they 

 remained for six long months with scarce room to turn ; 

 the mark of obloquy to the Japanese, and the laughing 

 stock of the European factory.'' So lively was the im- 

 pression of the occurrence, that the chief Japanese offi- 

 cer asked the English commissioner, " if he too would 

 condescend to play the part of the Russian count?" 

 the officer answering to his own question, " No, I trust 

 not." Even the illiberality of the Japanese on the sub- 

 ject of religion, is affirmed by no means to correspond 

 with the representations hitherto made of their charac- 

 ter ; and the annual test of trampling on crucifixes and 

 other Catholic images, is said to be denied and derided 

 as a foolish story by the native priests. Upon visiting 

 the great temple on the hills of Nangasaky, the English 

 commissioner was received with marked respect, and 

 sumptuously entertained by the patriarch of the north- 

 .rn provinces, a man eighty years of age ; and when 

 one of the English officers present heedlessly exclaimed 

 in surprise, Jasus Christus ! the patriarch, turning half 

 round with a placid smile, bowed significantly, expres- 

 sive of a hint to avoid that subject in that place, and 

 took leave with a hearty shake of the hand. It is men- 

 tioned as an extraordinary fact, that, for seven years 

 past, since the visit of Captain Pellew, notwithstanding 

 the determination of the court not to enter into foreign 

 commerce, the English language has, in obedience to 

 an edict of the Emperor, been cultivated with consi- 

 derable success by the younger members of the college 

 of interpreters, who were found very eager in their in- 

 .quiries after English books. While the commissioner 

 was at Nangasaky, there arrived a large detachment 

 of officers of rank, who had been employed nearly four 

 years in making an actual survey of every foot of the 

 empire and the dependent isles, one fourth part of 

 which they had not yet completed. The survey ap- 

 peared to be conducted on a scientific principle, to be 

 most minute and accurate in its execution, and to have 

 for its object the completion of a regular geographical 

 and statistical description of the country. The Ja- 

 panese, in short, are wonderfully inquisitive in all points 

 of science, and are anxious to receive information, 

 without inquiring from what quarter it comes ; and, in 

 the opinion of Dr Ainslie, are a people with whom the 



European 'world might hold intercourse without com- Japan, 

 promise of character. The result of all that the com- Japanning. 

 missioners observed, is said to be an impression on the S ""~Y""' 

 minds of those who are most competent both to judge 

 and act in the matter, that a commercial intercourse 

 between Great Britain and Japan might easily be 

 opened. See Kaempfer's History of Japan ; Thunberg's 

 Travels, vols. iii. andiv; Krusenstern's Voyage ronml 

 the World ; and the Transactions of the Literary and 

 Scientific Society at Java. 



JAPANNING, is a mode of ornamenting various 

 articles with a hard varnish, which bears a good polish, 

 and can be made of brilliant colours and ornaments. 



The natives of Japan and China practise this art in 

 great perfection. They have a decided advantage over 

 the European japanner in their materials. They use a 

 kind of resin called lac, which is the sap or juice of a 

 tree. The Japanese make incisions in the lower part of the 

 trunk, and receive the lac, which flows in pots set beneath 

 the incisions; this lac is at first of the colour and consist- 

 ence of cream, but it becomes black on the surface when 

 it is exposed to the air. The whole mass is required to 

 become black before it is used, and for this purpose it is 

 put into very shallow bowls, and continually stirred 

 with an iron rod during twenty-four hours, so as to ex- 

 pose every part to the action of the air ; this makes it 

 thicker than before, and of a fine black colour, which 

 they heighten by adding powdered charcoal. 



When this lac is .laid on the work, and dried, it is 

 polished with a stone and water, and the polished stir- 

 lace is ornamented by gilding or painting, which is 

 secured by an external coat of varnish, made of oil and 

 turpentine, boiled to a proper consistence. 



The japanning among Europeans is differently per- 

 formed, but the work bears a near resemblance to that of 

 the Japanese when finished ; it is applied to wood, pa- 

 pier-mache, leather and iron, or tinned iron. When the 

 articles are of that nature, that they will not bear heat- 

 ing in a stove to dry and harden the japan, they must 

 be done with lac similar to the real japan ; but as the 

 lac is only brought to Europe in a solid form, it must 

 first be reduced to a fluid state, by dissolving it in al- 

 cohol, or some essential oil ; and this varnish being 

 spread on the work, the alcohol or oil will evaporate, 

 and leave a hard superficial coat of lac. The varnish 

 may be mixed with the requisite colours, or the colours 

 may be painted upon the surface of the varnish, be- 

 tween the successive coats which are applied ; and in 

 the latter case admit of painting according to a design. 



For such goods as will admit of sufficient heat in a 

 stove, a more economical method is pursued, the prin- 

 cipal coats of japan being made of boiled linseed oil, 

 with proper colouring matters. These are dried and 

 hardened in the stove, and the painting or gilding is 

 laid on ; a thin lac varnish is lastly applied, to give 

 the external surface ; but it assimilates so well with the 

 first coats of japan, that the whole wears as well as if 

 it was done with solid lac in the Japanese method. 



Japanning with lac. This is principally used for or- Japanning 

 namenting wood, leather, and paper, but the latter can w laCl 

 be japanned by heat like the metals. 



The following receipts are given in the Handmaid 

 to the Arts, for the varnishes which are to form the 

 grounds or surfaces on which the painting or gilding 

 are to be laid. Dissolve two ounces of coarse seed lac, 

 and two ounces of resin, in one pint of rectified spirits 

 of wine. This varnish must be laid on in a warm 

 place ; and the work will be better done if the substance 

 to be japanned can be warmed also, but all moisture 





