Japan and the Japanese

CHAPTER XXIX.
NAGASAKI AND ITS VICINITY AS SEEN BY KAMPFER. IMPERIAL GOVERN-
ORS. THEIR OFFICERS AND PALACES. MUNICIPAL SYSTEM. STREET
GOVERNMENT. MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITY. ADMINISTRATION OF JLSTICE.
TAXES. GOVERNMENT OF OTHER TOWNS. ADJACENT COUNTRY. THE
GOD SUWA AND HIS MATSURI. A. D. 1G90 1092.
KAMPFER describes Nagasaki as situated upon an indifferent and
barren soil, amid rocks and steep hills or mountains. The harbor,
which has its head at the north of the city, where it is narrow and
shallow with a sandy bottom, soon grows broader and deeper.
When about half a mile broad and five or six fathoms deep, it turns
to the south-west, and so runs on between high land and mountains
for about a mile (narrowing again to a quarter of a mile in
breadth), till it reaches an island or rather mountain surrounded by
water, which the Dutch call Papenbury. This, properly speaking,
is the entrance of the harbor, and here vessels lie at anchor to
watch a favorable opportunity of getting out, which would be
easily done in two hours were it not for the many banks, shoals
and cliffs, which make the passage equally difficult and dangerous.
"There are seldom less than fifty Japanese ships in this harbor,
besides some hundred fishing-vessels and small boats. Of foreign
ships there are seldom, some few months of the winter excepted,
less than thirty, most of which are Chinese junks. The Dutch
ships never stay longer than three months in autumn ; very seldom
so long. The anchorage is about a musket-shot from the town,
where ships ride at anchor upon the soft clay, with about six
fathom at high tide, and four and a half at low water.
"The town situated where the harbor is broadest, and where,
from the change in its direction, it forms a nearly semi-circular shore
has the ;
Hape of a half-moon, somewhat inclining
to a
triangle.