140 
BUDDHIST TEMPLE. 
Chap. IX. 
offering a show of human heads and bodies, some 
half putrefied and others half devoured — dogs, 
ravens, crows, and other ravenous beasts and birds, 
uniting to satisfy their appetites on these miserable 
remains.” On the present occasion I did not notice 
any of these revolting sights, and it is to be hoped 
that the Japanese have, like ourselves, become less 
addicted to judicial bloodshedding than they were 
at the time of Ksempfer’s visit. It will be remem- 
bered that such exhibitions were not uncommon 
amongst Western nations at a later period even 
than that alluded to. 
When we had crossed the river Loga we put up 
our horses at the inn of “ Ten Thousand Centuries,” 
and proceeded on foot to visit a famous Buddhist 
temple situated about a mile and a half from the 
ferry. Our road led us through fields and gardens, 
all in a high state of cultivation. Bice appeared 
to be the staple summer crop of the low land of 
this district. Many gardens of pear-trees were also 
seen on the road-side. The branches of these trees 
were trained horizontally when about five or six 
feet from the ground, sometimes singly in the 
shape of a round table, or in groups in the form of 
an arbour. The branches are supported by a rude 
trelliswork of wood. The pear of the district is a 
pretty round brown kind, good to look upon, but 
only fit for kitchen use. There are no fine melting 
pears in Japan ; at least none came under my 
notice during my stay in the country. On the 
roadside there were many little shops in which tea 
