V 
Voyage to Japan. 
wafhecl. They generally have two ftories ; but the upper moft 
is low, and feidom inhabited. The roofs are covered with pan- 
tiles, large and heavy, but neatly made. The floors are elevated 
two feet from the ground, and covered with planks. On thefe 
are laid mats which are double, and filled with ftraw three or 
four inches thick. The whole hou'fe confifts of one large room ; 
but may be divided at pleafure into feveral lmaller, by partitions 
made with frames of wood, filled up with painted paper, that fix 
into grooves made for that purpofe in the floor and deling. The 
windows are alfo frames of wood, divided into fquares, filled up 
with very thin white paper, tranlparent enough to anfwer tole- 
rably well the purpofe of glafs.- 
They have no furniture in their rooms ; neither tables, chairs, 
ftools, benches, cup-boards, or even beds. Their cuftom is to 
fit down on their heels upon the mats, which are always foft and 
clean. Their victuals are ferved up to them on a low board, 
raifed but a few inches from the floor, and one difh only at a 
time. Mirrors they have but never fix them up in their houfes 
as ornamental furniture ; they are made of a compound metal, 
and ufed only at their toilets. 
Notwithstanding the feverity of their winters, which oblige 
them to warm their houfes from November to March, they have 
neither fire-places nor ftoves : inftead of thefe they ufe large 
copper pots ftanding upon legs ; thefe are lined on the infide 
with loam, on which afhes are laid to fome depth, and charcoal 
lighted upon them, which feems to be prepared in fome maimer 
which renders the fumes of it not at all dangerous. 
The Portuguefe, in all probability, firft introduced the ufe of 
tobacco into Japan : however, be that as it may, they ufe it 
now with great frugality, though both fexes, old and young, 
continually fmoke it, blowing out the fmoke through their nof- 
trils. The firft compliment offered to a ftranger in their houfes 
is a difh of tea and a pipe of tobacco. Their pipes have mouth- 
pieces and bowls of brafs or white copper. The hollow of 
the bowl is fo fmall as fcarce to contain an ordinary pea. The 
tobacco is cut as fine as a hair about a finger’s length, and is 
rolled up in fmall balls like pills, to fit the fmall hollow in the 
bowl 
