Japan and the Japanese

148 JAPAN. A. D. 16071618.
He estimated Suruga to contain from five to six hundred thou-
sand inhabitants. The climate was more agreeable than that of
Jedo, but the city not so handsome. As at Jedo, a convenient res-
idence was provided for him, which the crowd besieged as they had
done there. The emperor sent a secretary to compliment him on
his arrival, with a present of rich dresses, and in about a week he
had his presentation. He was conveyed in an elegant litter to the
palace, which was a fortress like that at Jedo. On the whole,
there was less display than at the prince's court, but more marks of
power and fear. The interview with the emperor is thus described :
"
I followed the minister, who conducted me into the presence of the
sovereign, whom I saluted. He was in a kind of square box, not
very large, but astonishingly rich. It was placed two steps above
the floor, and surrounded at four paces' distance by a gold lattice-
work, six feet high, in which were small doors, by which the empe-
ror's attendants went in and out, as they were called from the crowd,
prostrate on their hands and knees around the lattice.* The monarch
was encircled by nearly twenty grandees, ministers or principal
courtiers, in long silk mantles, and trousers of the same mate-
rial, so long that they entirely concealed the feet. The emperor
was seated on a kind of stool, of blue satin, worked with stars and
half-moons of silver. In his girdle he wore a sword, and had his
hair tied up with ribbons of different colors, but had no other head-
dress. His age appeared to be about sixty. He was of the middle
stature, and of a very full person. His countenance was venerable
and gracious ; his complexion not near so brown as that of the
prince."
As if to magnify the emperor, Don Rodrigo was detained during
the introduction of a tono of high rank, who brought presents in
gold, silver and silk, worth twenty thousand ducats. At a hundred
paces from the throne he prostrated
himself with his face to the
floor, and remained in this posture for several minutes in perfect
silence, neither the emperor nor either of the ministers vouchsafing
a word. He then retired with his suite, consisting of three thousand
persons. After other exhibitions of the same sort, Don Rodrigo,
having been directed to make what requests he would, was conducted
* Most likely this " box " -was formed by movable screens. See chapfel
XXXVIII.