Japan and the Japanese

FIRE-PLACES. 307
a Tokiwari, as they call it, or side cupboard, with some few shelve!
which serve the landlord or travellers, if they please, to lay their
most esteemed book upon, they holding it, as the Mahometans do
their Alcoran, too sacred to be laid on the ground. Upon the arri-
val of the Dutch, this sacred book of the landlord is put out of the
way. Above is a drawer, where they put up the iukhorn, paper,
writings, books and other things of this kind. Here, also, travellers
find sometimes the wooden box which the natives use at night,
instead of a pillow.
It is almost cubical, hollow, and made of six
thin boards joined together, curiously varnished, smoothed, and very
neat, about a span long, but not quite so broad, that travellers by
turning it may lay their head in that posture which they find the
most easy.* Besides this wooden pillow, travellers have no other
bedding to expect from the landlord, and must carry their own
along with them or lie on the mats, covering themselves with theii
clothes. In that side of the room next to the Toko is commonly
a balcony, serving the person lodged in this, the chief room, to
look out upon the neighboring garden, fields, or water, without stir-
ring from the carpets placed below the toko.
"Beneath the floor, which is covered with fine, well-stuffed mats,
is a square walled hole, which, in the winter season, after having
first removed the mats, they fill with ashes and lay coals upon them
to keep the room warm. The landladies in their room put a low
table upon this fire-hole, and spread a large carpet or table-cloth
over it, for people to sit underneath, and to defend themselves
against the cold. In rooms where there are no fire-holes they use
in the winter brass or earthen pots, very artfully made, and filled
with ashes, with two iron sticks, which serve instead of fire-tongs,
much after the same manner as they use two other small sticks at
table, instead of forks.
" I come now to the above mentioned Miseratsie, as they call
them, being curious and amusing ornaments of their rooms. In
our journey to court, I took notice of the following : 1. A paper
neatly bordered with a rich piece of embroidery, instead of a frame,
either with the picture of a saint done apparently with a coarsa
pencil, and in :i few, ^crimps three or four, strokes, wherein, how-
* It is also used as a toilet-box, in which to keep combs, brushes, &c