Chap. X. OSACA. 153 
men among its inhabitants. It is the best trading 
town in Japan, being extraordinarily well situated 
for carrying on commerce, both by land and water. 
This is the reason why it is so well inhabited by 
rich merchants, artificers, and manufacturers. . . . 
Whatever tends to promote luxury, or to gratify 
sensual pleasures, may be had at as easy a rate 
here as anywhere, and for this reason the Japanese 
call Osaca the universal theatre of pleasures and 
diversions. Plays are to be seen daily, both in 
public and private houses ; mountebanks, jugglers 
who can show artful tricks, and all the raree-show 
people who have either some uncommon or mon- 
strous animal to exhibit, or animals taught to play 
tricks, resort thither from all parts of the empire, 
being sure to get a better penny here than any- 
where else.” In proof of this demand for luxuries 
in Osaca, Kaempfer tells us that the Dutch East 
India Company “sent over from Batavia, as a 
present to the Emperor, a casuar, a large East 
India bird who would swallow stones and hot coals. 
This bird having had the ill luck not to please our 
rigid censors the governors of Nagasaki, and we 
having thereupon been ordered to send him back to 
Batavia, a rich Japanese assured us that, if he 
could have obtained leave to buy him, he would 
have willingly given a thousand taels for him , as 
being sure, within a year’s time, to get double that 
money by showing him at Osaca.” 
Hiogo and Osaca were visited by Mr. Alcock in 
the summer of 1861, and his despatch to Earl 
