Japan and the Japanese

DON RODRIGO'S OBSERVATIONS.
a deep wet ditch, crossed by a drawbridge of a
peculiar and very
ingenious construction. Don liodrigo passed through two ranks of
musketeers, about one thousand in number, to the second wall, distant
from the first three hundred paces. At the gate four hundred
lancers and pikemen were stationed. A third wall, about twelve
feet high, was guarded by three hundred halberdiers. "Within was
the palace, with the royal stables on one side, containing three
hundred horses, and on the other an arsenal with arms for one
hundred thousand men. liodrigo affirms that from the entrance to
the palace were more than twenty thousand men, not assembled for
the occasion, but constantly employed and paid for the daily service
of the court.
The first apartment of the palace was entirely covered with rich
ornaments, carpets, stuffs, velvet and gold. The walls were hung
with pictures representing hunting subjects. Each apartment ex
ceeded the preceding in splendor, till the further one was reached,
in which the prince was seated on a superb carpet of crimson velvet,
embroidered with gold, placed upon a kind of platform, raised two
steps, in the centre of the apartment. He wore three dresses, one
over the other, the exterior one green and yellow ; in his girdle
were his longer and -shorter swords. His hair was tied up with
ribbons of different colors, and his head had no other ornament.
He was about thirty-five years of age ; of a brown complexion, a
pleasing figure and good height. Don liodrigo was conducted to
a seat on the left hand of the prince, who conversed with him on a
variety of indifferent subjects.
Four days after, the travellers set off for Suruga, on a visit to
the emperor. The road is thus described : " On whatsoever side
the traveller turns his eyes, he perceives a concourse of people passing
to and fro, as in the most populous cities of Europe. The roads
are lined on both sides with superb pine-trees, which keep off the
sun. The distances are marked by little eminences planted with
two trees." In the hundred leagues between Suruga and Miako,
several towns were passed, estimated to contain one hundred thou-
sand inhabitants, and a village occurred at every quarter of a league.
Rodrigo declares himself so delighted with Japan, that, " if he could
have prevailed upon himself to renounce his God and his king, he
should have preferred that country to his own. '