JAPANESE CUSTOMS AND HABITS. 189 



which, fortunately, was not till my friend had taken his 

 departure. 



A species of radish, or something between a radish 

 and a turnip, is very much cultivated in Japan. When 

 about eighteen inches long it is pulled, partially dried, 

 and then salted in very wet brine. In this state 

 it is immensely prized by the natives as an adjunct to 

 every meal. Cut up in little pieces, and mixed with a 

 small quantity of sauce, there is hardly anything they 

 appreciate more. This vegetable, however, possesses 

 one quality very objectionable to foreigners. Its smell 

 when pickled is simply disgusting ! My Japanese in 

 the ship could not always resist the temptation of 

 smuggling some of it on board, and stowing it away in 

 the most out-of-the-way corners. This was against 

 orders, and quite useless into the bargain, as the aroma 

 it gave out at once indicated the presence of the for- 

 bidden fruit, and to the sea the delicacy was always at 

 once committed. 



My interpreter remarked to me one day, " You 

 abuse our poor pickled relish, and call it disgusting, 

 and all sorts of names ; but what, may I ask, is your 

 cheese ? Is it not putrid milk ? To us it is most 

 objectionable." I declined to argue the point ! 



The Buddhist temples are everywhere, as a rule, 



