Japan and the Japanese

INNS. 305
carries upon his shoulder, tied to a small staff. Two of these
messengers always run together, that in case any accident should
befall either of them upon the road, the other may take his place,
and deliver the box at the next post-house. All travellers, even
the princes of the empire and their retinues, must retire out of the
way and give a free passage to the messengers who carry letters or
orders from the emperor, which they take care to
signify
at a due
distance by ringing a small bell.
" There are inns enough, and tolerable good ones, all along the
road. The best are in those villages where there are post-houses.
At these even princes and princely retinues may be conveniently
lodged, treated suitably to their rank, and provided with all neces-
saries. Like other well-built houses, they are but one story high,
or, if there be two stories, the second is low, and good for little else
but stowage. The inns are not broader in front than other houses,
but considerably deep, sometimes forty kin, or two hundred and
forty feet, with a Tsitlo that is, a small pleasure-garden be-
hind, enclosed with a neat white wall. The front hath only lattice
windows, which, in the day time, are kept open. The folding
screens and movable partitions which divide the several apart-
ments, unless there be some man of quality with his retinue at that
time lodged there, are also so disposed as to lay open to travellers,
as they go along, a very agreeable perspective view across the
whole house into the garden behind. The floor is raised about
three feet above the level of the street, and by jetting out, both
towards the street and garden, forms a sort of gallery, which is
covered with a roof, and on which travellers pass their time, divert-
ing themselves with sitting or walking. From it, also, they mount
their horses, for fear of dirtying their feet by mounting in the
street.
" In some great inns there is a passage, contrived for the con-
veniency of people of quality, that, coming out of their norimons,
they may walk directly to their apartments, without being obliged
to pass through the fore part of the house, which is commonly not
over clean, and makes but an indifferent figure, being covered with
poor, sorry mats, and the rooms divided only by ordinary screens.
The kitchen is in this fore part of the house, and often fills it with
smoke, as they have no chimneys, but 26*
only a hole in the roof to