1800.] New and interefting Facts relative to “fapan, by M. Titfingh. 219 
the greateft difficulty to obtain a pardon 
for and fave the lives of fome Japanefe 
fifhermen, who had been driven by a ftorm 
on a-foreign coaft, and were by the 
Dutch liberated from flavery and brought 
back again to Japan. ‘This feverity is 
carried ftil] farther againft fuch fifhermen 
as are driven to Kamtichatka or the fea of 
Ochotzk. Certain death awaits them as 
foon as it is known that they have had any 
intercourfe with the Ruffians. This bar- 
barous law derives its origin from a very 
ancient prophecy which has {pread all over 
Japa, viz.** That the empire would one day 
be conquered and fubjugated by a red- 
bearded people.’ Now fince the Ruffians, 
by taking pofleffion of Kamtfchatka, have 
become neighbours of the Japanefe, the 
interpreters of the prophecy have fuppofed 
that they are the people which is indi- 
cated by it.—But it is hoped that the law 
will be repealed under the government of 
the intelligent and enlightened father-in- 
law of the prefent emperor. 
The rich Japanefe fpend their life in a 
continual round of enjoyments: but the 
pleafures of the table they prefer to all 
others. At the entertainments.which they 
mutually give to one another, they intoxi- 
cate themfelves with a fermented liquor of 
which they are exceffively fond. When 
the fumes begin to afcend into the head, 
and overpower their faculties, as.much of 
a certain powder as will lie on the point of 
a knife, diffolved in tea, is handed about. 
One or two cups of this liquor is fufficient 
to difpel the intoxication: but then the 
caroufing commences anew, and continues 
till the guefts again fuecumb under the 
effects of fuperfaturation. 
Pederafty is in this country a public 
and generally prevalent crime. This is 
perhaps owing to the too mafculine cha- 
racter of the women, which renders them 
jefs fit to captivate the men by the win- 
ning foftnefs and enchanting attractions fo 
peculiar to their fex. The government 
winks at and feem rather to favour than 
difcourage thefe diforders, and the concomi- 
tant indifference towards the other {ex : 
‘ poflibly they may thus think to fet bounds 
to a too rapid increafe of population arifing 
from too great fecundity of the women: 
However, whatever be the caufe, yet cer- 
tain it is that the Japanefe give every en- 
couragement to the inclination of the Hol- 
landers towards a fex which they them- 
felves def{pife. The complaifance of the 
emperor on this point went fo far, that he 
built at his own expence a well-regulated 
and abundantly furnifhed brothel on the 
fmall ifland which has been allotted to the 
Dutch as a place of habitation, at the mouth 
_of the Nangafak:*. ‘TirsinGu could not 
fufficiently extol the charms of the young 
and fprightly~ prieftefles of this temple of 
Venus, who particularly diftinguifhed them- 
felves by their expertnefs in mufic and 
dancing. However, he was obliged to 
acknowledge that fufficient precaution was 
not taken againft the infection of a certain 
difeafe, which in this country too is very 
common. ‘ab 
Of the different orders of the ftate in 
Japan that of the foldier is the firft and the, 
moft efteemed, -Next in honour to the 
foldier ranks-the agriculturift. The occu- 
pation of a merchant is even defpifed. 
The emperor enjoys in this empireanexclu- 
five monopoly ; he alone carries on all 
trade, and receives all the profits arifing 
from it. The foreign commerce, how- 
ever, is not fo confiderable as might be 
expected ; for the foilof Japan is fuffici- 
ently fertile to produce in abundance 
almoft all the neceffaries of life; and what- 
ever is wanting is imported from China 
in exchange for the fkins of fea-otters and . 
blue foxes. The Dutch fupply the Ja- 
panefe with articles of luxury, which are 
bought only by the rich. ‘They fend for 
this purpofe annually one, two, and but 
very rarely three, fhips laden with fuch 
European goods as are in requeft in 
Japan, and which had been commiffioned 
the preceding year: as foon as thefe fhips 
arrive at Nangafaki, they are unloaded by 
Japanefe, and the cargo depofited at the em= 

* Nangajakiy a very large city, of an irres 
gular and on one fide femi-circular form, is 
fituated on an ifland in the river of the fame 
name, and furrounded partly with water, 
partly with eminences covered with fruit- 
trees. Neither this nor any other city in 
Japan is fortified by art: in thatcountry there 
are only a few fortified caftles. In front of 
the city the Nangafaki forms a {mall ifland, 
clofe to which the fhips of the DutchEaft-India 
Company, and fome veflels of the natives 
lie, ufed inftead of fixed habitations. The 
mouth of the river is very broad, but the en- 
trance of it difficult on account of the fand- 
banks ; and farther up the river there occur 
in many places fhallows, ftrong currents, and 
changeable fand-banks, on which the light 
veffels often ftrike, but areagain eafily got of. 
Thefe {mall barks. are extremely manage- 
able, and refemble the Cbelings of the 
Coaft of Coromandel, and the Chitriques of 
Berings and Fox Mlands. The Japanefe in 
conftruGting them ufe noiron, becaufe, as” 
they fay, the Nangafaki is full of magnetic 
rocks, which, in their opinion, would draw 
them down tothe bottem. 
F fe 
peror’s 








