72 
BRITISH LEGATION. 
Chap. IV. 
While I was quietly observing all these objects, 
one of my yakoneens, who was riding ahead to 
show the way, suddenly turned in to the left and 
intimated that we had arrived at the residence of 
the English Minister. I found his Excellency at 
home; he received me most kindly, introduced me 
to the gentlemen of the Embassy, and gave me 
quarters in the Legation. 
The British Legation is located in a large temple, 
or rather in buildings adjoining, such as are at- 
tached to nearly all the large temples in Japan, 
and which are probably intended to receive visitors, 
or as seminaries for the Buddhist priesthood. It 
stands at the head of a little valley, backed behind 
and on each side by low richly-wooded hills, some- 
what in the form of a horse-shoe, and open in front 
to the Bay of Yedo. The situation is exceedingly 
picturesque and beautiful. A fine wide avenue, 
some 200 yards in length, leads up from the bay 
to the residence of the English Minister. Orna- 
mental gateways stretch over the avenue and give 
it a pretty appearance, and here and there I 
observed some large examples oi Pinus Massoniam, 
Cryptomerm japrnka, Salisburia adiantifolia, Podo- 
carpus macrophyllus, camellias, &c. 
On the west side of the temple there is a large 
cemetery covered with many thousands of stone 
tombs, some of them apparently of great age. 
One of these cemeteries is attached to almost eveiy 
temple about Yedo, but this is the largest that 
came under my observation. They seem, in almost 
