MOATS AND MASSIVE WALLS. 
many of these retainers showed themselves at the 
grated windows. It might be only fancy on my 
part, but I thought I could discern little good-will 
or friendly feeling towards ourselves in their coun- 
tenances. 
I have just stated that we crossed a bridge over 
a deep moat before entering the Daimios’ quarter. 
In order to give an idea of the plan of this part of 
the city, I may compare the moat to a rope loosely 
coiled ; the end of the outer coil dipping as it were 
into the river, and supplying the whole with water. 
It is not correct to say, as is sometimes said, that 
there are three concentric circles, each surrounded 
by a moat. The Tycoon’s palace and the offices of 
his ministers are situated in the centre of the coil, 
while the outer and wider portion encircles the 
mansions of the feudal princes. 
The second or inner moat and enclosure was now 
in view in front of us, with its houses and palaces 
on rising ground. On the inner side of this 
circling-moat there are high walls on the water’s 
edge formed of large blocks of stone, of a polygonal 
form, and nicely fitted into each other without the 
aid of lime or cement. This is a favourite mode of 
building in Japan in all cases in which stone is 
used. The plan is probably adopted in order to 
render such structures more secure in a country like 
this which is so subject to earthquakes. In some 
places sloping banks of green turf rise steeply from 
the edge of the moat, and are crowned at the top 
with a massive wall. A landslip in these banks, 
