Japan and the Japanese

198 JAPAN. A. D. 16201707.
as the current value of the kokf, or, as he calls it, cokien, ten
guilders (or four dollars), which would make the mankokf equal to
one hundred thousand florins (forty thousand dollars), or what the
Dutch called a ton of gold. The prince of Satsuma, who was lord
also of four other provinces, is put down in the above lists at sixtyfour
mankokf, the prince of Fisen at thirty-six, and the lord of
Firando at six.*
These revenues arose in part from mines of gold, silver, copper,
iron, tin and lead, from timber, hemp, cotton and silk, and from
fisheries ; but chiefly from the rice and other crops. There were no
taxes or duties in Japan, except ground rents for lands and houses,
payable in produce or money, and in personal services. All these
nobles had residences at Jedo, in the precinct of the imperial palace,
in which their children resided as hostages for their
fidelity. For
each thousand kokfs of revenue these lords furnished on demand
twenty foot soldiers and two horsemen, and maintained them dur-
ing the campaign, exclusive of the necessary servants and camp
followers. The whole of their quotas, or of the feudal militia of
Japan, thus amounted to three hundred and sixty-eight thousand
foot, and thirty-eight thousand eight hundred horse, in addition to
a standing army of one hundred thousand foot and twenty thousand
horse, maintained by the emperor from his own revenues, as garri-
sons and guards. The princes, however, prided themselves on keeping
up many more troops than their regular quotas. To every five
men there was an officer. Five of these sections composed a platoon,
which had its commander. Two platoons made a company, which
had its captain. Five of these companies, of fifty privates and thir-
teen officers, composed a battalion of two hundred and fifty rank
and file, with its special officer ; and ten battalions a division of
two thousand five hundred men. The civil division was much the
same. Every five houses had an inspector, who kept a register of
all births and deaths, and every street its magistrate and watch.
Though the revenues of the nobles were great, their expenses
were still more so. They were obliged to pass six months at the
imperial court ;
those of the northern and eastern provinces during
* These lists were doubtless copied from the JeJo Kayami (Mirror of
Jedo), a kind of Blue Book, still published twice a year, and containing sim-
ilar lists. See Annals des Empereurs du Japan (Titsingh and Klaproth)
page 37, note.