Japan and the Japanese

CHAPTER XXX.
BJIMPFER'S TWO JOURNEYS TO COURT. PREPARATION'S. PRESENTS. JAP
ANESE ATTENDANTS. PACKING THE BAGGAGE AND RIDING ON HORSEBACK-
JAPANESE LOVE OF BOTANY. ACCOUTREMENTS. ROAD-BOOKS. NOR-
IMONS AND CANG03. A. D. 16901692.
MENTION has already been made of the custom established in
Japan, that all the governors of imperial cities and of provinces,
and, indeed, all the Daimio and Siomio that is, nobles of the
first and second rank should, once a year, make a journey to
court ; those of the first rank to pay their respects and make
presents to the emperor in person, and those of the second rank to
salute his chief ministers, assembled in council.
In this respect the director of the Dutch trade is placed on the
same footing with the superior nobility, and his journey to court,
accompanied by a physician, a secretary or two, and a flock of
Japanese attendants of various ranks, affords the Dutch the only
opportunity they have of knowing anything by their own personal
observation, beyond the vicinage of Nagasaki
Kiiinpfer made this journey twice the first time in 1691, and
again in 1692 and, notwithstanding the strict surveillan'ce under
which the Dutch are kept, his observations were highly curious.
Besides a journal of his daily route, he gives
a
general summary
of all that he observed, containing a great
deal of curious informa
tion, the most interesting part of which is copied in this and the
in his own words :
following chapters, nearly
" The first thing to be done, is to look out proper presents for
his imperial majesty, for his privy councillors, and some other great
officers at Jedo, Miako and Osaka, the whole amounting, as near
as possible, to a certain sum, to assort them, and particular^ to
assign to whom they are to be delivered. Afterwards they must
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