Japan and the Japanese

DRAMATIC EXHIBITIONS. 275
of ceremony. To make the appearance so much the greater, the
procession is closed by a considerable number of people, who carry
stools, arid other things, walking two and two.
" The dances and shows of each street commonly last about three
quarters of an hour, and, being over, the company marches off in
the same order they came in, to make way for the appearance and
shows of another street, which is again followed by another, and so
on. All the streets strive to outdo each other in a magnificent
retinue and surprising scenes. The processions and shows begin
early in the morning, and the whole ends about noon."
The following were among the presentations by the different
streets at the matsuri at which Kiimpfer was present.
1.
"
Eight young girls, clad in colored gowns, interwove with
large white flowers, with broad hats, as if to defend them from the
heat of the sun, with fans and flowers in their hands, dancing by
turns. They were from time to time relieved by a couple of old
women dancing in another dress.
2. " A garden, with fine flowers on each side of the place where
the act was performed, a thatched house in the middle, out of which
jumped eight young girls, dressed in white and red, dancing, with
fans, caries, and flower-baskets. They were relieved by a very
good actress, who danced by herself.
3. " Eight triumphal chariots, with oxen before them, of differ-
ent colors, the whole very naturally represented, and drawn by
young boys, well clad. Upon them stood a Tsulaki tree, in flower;
a mountain, covered with trees ;
a thicket of bamboos, with a tiger
lurking ; a load of straw, with an entire tree, with its root and
branches ; a whale, under a rock, half covered with water. Last
of all, another mountain appeared, with a real boy, magnificently
clad, who stood at the top, under an apricot-tree in full blossom
This mountain was again drawn by boys.
4. " Some dancers, acting between six flower-beds, which, and a
green tree, were drawn upon the place by boys.
Nine other boys,
in the same dress, and armed each with two swords and a musket ;
a peasant, dancing.
5.
" A mountain, carried upon men's shoulders ; a fountain, with
a walk round it ;
the place.
a large cask, and a house, were severally set upon
Then two giants, masked, with prodigious great head*