36 
TOYS — MAPS. 
side them, whose heads, tails, and feet were in 
constant motion ; humming-tops, with a number 
of trays inside, which all came out and spun round 
on the table when the top was set in motion ; and 
a number of funny things in boxes like little bits 
of wood shavings, which perform the most curious 
antics when thrown into a basin containing water. 
Bolls of the most fascinating kind, with large, 
shaved, bobbing heads, crying out most lustily 
when pressed upon the stomach, were also met 
with in cartloads. One little article, so small one 
could scarcely see it, when put upon hot charcoal, 
gradually seemed to acquire life and animation, 
and moved about for all the world like a brilliant 
caterpillar. This large trade in toys shows us how 
fond the Japanese are of their children. 
In one of the main streets there is a shop with 
an extensive collection of books, maps, charts, 
plain and coloured, for sale. A good map of the 
city of Yedo may be had here ; but the inquirer 
for such a thing is invariably taken into a back 
room, when he is told that if the authorities knew 
of such a thing being sold the vendor would get 
his head taken off. To those who are ignorant of 
the language, a peculiar motion of the hand about 
the region of the neck explains the shopkeeper’s 
meaning. This is a good stroke of policy, as it 
enables the seller to obtain a higher price for the 
map, and sends the lucky purchaser off highly 
delighted with his bargain. In the same shop I 
met with some really good illustrated books, con- 
