Chap. IX. PLACE OP EXECUTION. 139 
dwelling-house. They particularly watch people of 
fashion, who travel in norimons, or in kangos, or 
on horseback. As soon as they perceive somebody 
coming they draw near and address themselves, not 
all together, hut singly, every one accosting a gen- 
tleman by herself, and singing a rural song ; and if 
he proves very liberal and charitable, she will keep 
him company and divert him for hours. . . . They 
wear a large hat to cover their faces, which are 
often painted, and to shelter themselves from the 
heat of the sun.” 
A number of shops, established for the sale of 
sea-shells, were observed on the road-side, but they 
did not contain many species of interest. Dried 
fruits for sale were numerous and plentiful, such as 
oranges, pears, gingko-nuts ( Salisburia adianti- 
folia), capsicums, chesnuts, and acorns. The fruit 
of Gardenia radicans is used here as a yellow 
dye, in the same way as in China. Amongst 
vegetables I noticed carrots, onions, turnips, lily- 
roots, ginger, gobbo {Arctium gobbo ), nelumbium- 
roots, Scirpus tuber osas , arums, and yams. Fish 
of excellent quality was exposed for sale in large 
quantities. 
A little way out of Sinagawa my yakoneens 
pointed out the place where criminals are executed. 
It is an uninviting-looking piece of ground close 
by the highway. I find that Ksempfer notices the 
same spot as observed by the Dutch embassy up- 
wards of two hundred years ago. Near to Sina- 
gawa they passed “ a place of public execution, 
