Japan and the Japanese

COASTING VOYAGE. 295
ited and stocked with villages, castles and small towrife. There are
very good harbors in several places, where ships put in at night to
lie at anchor, commonly upon good clean ground, in four to fathoms.
eight
" In this voyage we pass innumerable small islands, particularly
in the straits between Sikokf and Nipon. They are all mountainous,
and for the most part barren and uncultivated rocks. Some
few have a tolerable good soil and sweet water. These are inhab-
ited, and the mountains, though never so steep, cultivated up to
their tops. These mountains (as also those of the main land of
Nipon) have several rows of firs planted for ornament's sake along
their ridges at top, which makes them look at a distance as if they
were fringed, and affords a very curious prospect. There is hardly
an island, of the inhabited ones, but what hath a convenient har
bor, with good anchoring ground, where ships may lie safe. All
Japanese pilots know this very well, and will sometimes come to an
anchor upon very slight pretences. Nor, indeed, are they much to
be blamed for an over-carefulness, or too great a circumspection,
which some would be apt to call fear and cowardice. Their ships
are not built strong enough to bear the shocks and tossings of huge
raging waves. The deck is so loose that it will let the water
run through, unless the mast hath been taken down and the
ship
covered, partly with mats, partly with sails. The stern is laid quite
open, and, if the sea runs high,
the waves will beat in on all sides.
In short, the whole structure is so weak that, a storm approac'.iing,
unless anchor be forthwith cast, the sails taken in, and the mast let
down, it is in danger every moment to be shattered to pieces.
" All the ships and boats we met with on our voyage by sea were
built of fir or cedar, both which grow in great plenty in the coun-
try. They are of a different structure, according to the purposes
and the waters for which they are built. The pleasure-boats, made
use of only for going up and down rivers, or to cross small bays,
are widely different in their structure, according to the possessor'?
fancy. Commonly they are built for rowing. The first and lowermost
deck is flat and low ; another, more lofty, with open windows,
stands upon it, and this may be divided, like their houses, by fold-
ing screens, as they please,
into several apartments. Several parti
are curiously adorned with variety of flags and other ornaments.
25*