Chap. II. through the greateft Part of the E AS T-i N D I E S. 791 
by inacceffible Mountains, that no body hitherto has been 
able to difcover the Extent of them. The whole Empire of 
Japan being divided into many Provinces, the fame are 
committed to the Government of many Princes and Lords* 
who have their Secretaries affigned them by the Emperor 
Jiimfelf, whofe Bufinefs it is to have a watchful Eye over 
them, and to give an Account of their Tranfadtions, and 
efpecially concerning their Revenues, which are very great, 
and according to the Computation of the Japanefe , amount 
yearly to eighteen Millions four hundred thotifand Kockins 
(each of which make four French Crowns) out of which 
they are obliged to maintain a certain Number of Forces, 
both Horle and Foot, for the Emperor’s Service, in pro- 
portion to their Revenues, which confift chiefly in Lord- 
fhips and Demefnes. They have Mines of all forts, &c. 
fo that he who has a thoufand Kockins per Annum, is obliged 
to maintain twenty Foot, and two Florfemen; by which 
means the Emperor is able to raife an Army of three hun- 
dred and fixty-eight thoufand Foot, and thirty-eight thou- 
fand eight hundred Horfe j befides the hundred thoufand 
Foot, and twenty thoufand Horfe, he keeps up as a Handing 
Force, which is fo much the lefs to be admired at, finc.C 
fome of thefe Lords have fuch vaft annual Revenues, that* 
according to the before-mentioned Proportion, they are 
obliged to furnifh one thoufand two hundred Foot, and 
a hundred and twenty Horfe. 
All the great Lords of Japan have three Names* viz. 
their proper Name that of the Family, and a Surname, 
which they commonly take from the Province, City, or 
Caftle they govern. They have alio a Cuftom of chang- 
ing their Names thrice in their Life-time, the firft, given 
them in their Infancy, being altered at the Age of twenty- 
fix, and that again at fifty or fixty Years of, Age. They 
have another Cuftom in Japan for the Slaves to offer them- 
felves a voluntary Sacrifice to their Mailers whenever they 
die, which is done by a fblemn Engagement, and con- 
firmed by a Bottle of Wine. As this is chiefly done by 
thofe Slaves, to put an End to the Mi Fries they endure in 
their Life-time, fo there have been fome who have defired 
of their Matters to bury them under the Foundation they 
were going to lay for fome confiderabie Edifice. Their 
Pagods or Temples are of Wood, about feven or eight 
Fathom fquare, and raifed three or four Foot from the 
Ground. They have fmall Turrets, with Lights in them 
on ail Sides, and within certain Statues, unto whom they 
addrefs their Prayers. The King and great Lords have 
many fair Cattles belonging to them, among which thofe 
that are fortified are garrilbned by the Emperor ; but their 
Cities are generally without any Fortifications, and if fome 
few of them have any, they are only Angle Wails* Their 
Cities are built after the fame manner, each Street having 
two Gates, which are fliut up, and guarded in the Night- 
time. They have no Revenues belonging to them* neither 
pay they any Impofitions, except a very inconfiderable Rent 
for their Dwellings to the Governor, for whofe Ufe they 
are alfo obliged to keep a Man at work at certain Times * 
but this does not happen very often. The Governors hav- 
ing certain Demefnes allotted them for their Revenues, and 
among others the Advantage of Fifhing, efpecially of the 
Whale, of which there are taken yearly near three hundred 
upon the Coaft of Japan but they are neither fo big, nor 
fo fat as thofe in the Northern Parts. 
Every Japanefe, of what Condition foever, is abfolute 
Matter of the Life of his Slave. They are fo cruel in their 
Punifhments, that the leaftTrefpafs is punifhed with Death. 
Gaming for Money, or killing any Perfon, though in his 
own Defence, is capital, and fo is Theft, though it were 
but for a Penny * and in Offences of a more heinous Na- 
ture, the Fathers, Brethren, and Children, are put to 
Death for the Crime of a Tingle Perfon ; nay, the Wives 
and Daughters, though ever fo innocent, are alfo involved 
in the fame Misfortune \ for they are made Slaves, and 
their whole Subftance is confiscated. Thieves are fattened 
With a Rope of Straw to a Crpfs* and then the Executioner 
runs a Pike into the right Side up to the left Shoulder, and 
again from the left Side up to the right Shoulder ; other 
Malefactors are fattened only to a Pott, with their Hands 
Stretched opt, and held up by two Perfons, and fo the 
Executioner runs them with a Pike through the Neck into 
the Heart. Thofe Crimes which involve the whole Fa- 
mily in the fame Puniftiment, are Extortion, Coining, 
Firing of Houfes, wilful Murder, and Ravifhlng of Wo- 
men, and are puniflhed by crucifying with the Head down- 
wards, by boiling in Gil or Water, tearing them to Pieces 
by four Horfes, iftt. Lying is alfo capital here* efpecially 
if told before a Judge* 
Their Princes and great Lords, if guilty of any Crimes* 
are banifhed into the Me of Taitfen Sima * lying fourteen 
Leagues from the Province of Jedo. It is all Rocks, with- 
out any Road or Harbour, producing nothing but Mul- 
berry -trees and Silk-worms, which furnifh thofe miferable 
Prifoners with Materials for the making of Stuffs, in which 
they employ their Lives, and are relieved from Time to 
Time with moil miferable Food. It is computed that the 
Expence the Emperor of Japan is at yearly in his Court* 
amounts to four Millions of Kockins, and five Millions 
more for his Governors and military Officers. Elis ordinary 
Refidence is in the Caftle of Jedo , which is two Leagues in 
Circumference, and ftrengthened with a triple Wall, and 
as many Mounts all of Free-ltone. The Gates are covered 
with ftrong Iron Bars, and Lodges over them, which con- 
tain three hundred Soldiers* for a Guard to each Gate, his 
own Palace, with the Apartments for the Women ; ftand 
in the Centre, and round about it the Houfes of the Princes, 
and ether great Lords, all richly gilt* and fumptuoufly fur- 
nifhed, their chief Emulation being to outvie one another 
in this kind of Magnificence, which is amongftthem looked 
upon as the greateft Mark of RefpeR they can pay the Em- 
peror, who never ftirs abroad but in the Company of a 
great Number of thofe Lords, and their young Kindred* 
who are the Guard of his Body * and by applying them- 
felves to Mufick, Phyfiek, Writing* Painting, or the Ma- 
nagement of publick Affairs, render themfelves qualified 
for higher Employments. They are all clad in black, and 
as they march along the Streets, don’t fo much as utter a 
Word. 
As the Revenues of the Emperor of Japan are fo great* 
that the ordinary Income of two Months is fufficient to de- 
fray his whole Year’s Expence, his Treafyre mutt be im- 
menfe, moft of which confifting in Gold and Silver, is laid 
up in vaft Chefts, inclofed in feveral Towers belonging to 
the Caftle, befides what is difpofed of in the Country. Their 
Horfe are armed with Crofelets, Fire-locks, not much 
longer than our Piftols, with Pikes, Bows, Arrows, and 
Cymitars. The Foot have only Head- pieces, two Cy mi- 
tars, each a Mufket, Pike, Half-pike, and broad Knife : 
Each Company confifts of fifty Soldiers, a Captain, a Lieu- 
tenant, and ten Corporals ; five of thefe Companies make 
a Batalion, commanded by a peculiar Officer, and ten Ba- 
talions a Brigade. 
The* Emperor of Japan has a numerous Council, tho* 
only four are charged with the Management of all impor- 
tant Affairs, and are to attend daily at Court : Some of 
thefe have two Millions of Crowns* others three or four hun- 
dred thoufand Crowns, others four or five hundred thoufand 
Crowns yearly Revenue * but their Expences are propor- 
tionable to their Revenues, being obliged to live at leaft 
half the Year at Court in vaft Splendor, maintaining per- 
haps a Retinue of three hundred Perfons, and above a thou- 
fand in their Families, and that in a Place where Provi- 
fions ai;e exceffive dear * not to mention the vaft Expences 
they are at in their Buildings, and the Entertainments they 
are obliged to give the Emperor whenever he is pleafed 
to honour them with a Prefent, perhaps of a Crane* which 
he has taken in Hunting. As great Perfons are not to 
marry any Wife but what is prefented to them by the- Em- 
peror himfelf* fo they are put .to vaft Charge in giving 
them all the magnificent Entertainment, and all the Enjoy- 
ments they can, except their Liberty, which they muft 
refign. to their Hufbands, and are not permitted to go 
abroad above once a Year to vifit their neareft Relations § 
notwithstanding the Wives in Japan have the Reputation 
of great Refervednefs, and being, beyond all others, faithful 
to their Elufbands, of which many Inftances might be al- 
ledged, which for Brevity’s fake I omit- There are, how- 
ever, thofe who aferibe this Refervednefs rather to the Se- 
verity of their Laws* than their Inclinations, it being cer- 
tain, that even the leaft Sufpicion of Difiionefty after Mar- 
4 ' nagG 
