Chap. XY. PASSION FOR REVENGE. 243 
Revenge is a powerful feeling in the breasts of 
the natives of Japan, more particularly amongst 
the higher classes and their numerous bands of 
two-s worded retainers. These gentry are always 
ready to -resent an insult or injury, real or sup- 
posed ; and as each man carries about his person 
two swords whose edges are extremely sharp, he 
has always the means of giving instant effect to 
his passion. Nor does this desire for revenge end 
with the life of the" injured person. On the con- 
trary, if he has not been able to accomplish it dur- 
ing his lifetime, he will leave it as an inheritance 
and obligation to his relations. In the autumn of 
1860 an English merchant, who was returning from 
a shooting excursion, was seized on his way by the 
native police, and charged with having broken 
the laws of the country, no one being allowed to 
shoot within a certain distance of Yedo. In 
attempting to disarm him, a loaded gun went off, 
and lodged its contents in the arm of one of the 
officials. The wound was a dangerous one, and 
the foreign doctors of the place were of opinion 
that, unless amputation was resorted to, the man 
would, in all probability, lose his life. This 
advice, for some reason, was not listened to ; but, 
luckily, owing to a good constitution, or perhaps 
to diet, the dreaded mortification did not take 
place, and the man recovered. It was stated to 
us at the time of this occurrence that the wounded 
man had taken an oath that, should he recover, 
he would not rest until he had the merchant’s life, 
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