Japan and the Japanese

GOVERNOR OF OSAKA. 343
upon their departure they are ( oliged to follow a road entirely out
of sight of the castle.
" The water which is drank at Osaka tastes a little brackish;
but in lieu thereof they have the best saki in the empire, which is
brewed in great quantities in the neighboring village, Tetcusii, and
from thence exported into most other provinces, nay, by the Dutch
and Chinese out of the country.
" On the east side of the city, in a large plain, lies the famous
castle built by Taiko-Sama. Going up to Miako we pass by it.
It is square, about an hour's walking in circumference, and strongly
fortified with round bastions, according to the military architecture
of the country. After the castle of Figo, it hath not its superior
in extent, magnificence and strength, throughout the whole empire.
On the north side it is defended by the river Jodoguwa, which
washes its walls. On the east side its walls are washed by a trib-
utary river, on the opposite bank of which lies a great garden be-
longing to the castle. The south and west sides border upon the
city. The mole.-*, or buttresses, which support the outward wall,
are of an uncommon bigness, I believe at least forty-two feet thick.
They are built to support a high, strong brick wall,
lined with
free-stone, which at its upper end is planted with a row of firs or
cedars.
" The day after our arrival (Sunday, Feb. 25) we were admitted
to an audience of the governor of the city, to which we were carried
in kangos, attended by our whole train of interpreters and other
officers. It is half an hour's walking from our inn to the governor's
palace, which lies at the end of the city in a square opposite the
castle. Just before the house we stepped out of our kangos,
and put on each a silk cloak, which is reckoned equal to the gar
ment of ceremony which the Japanese wear on these occasions.
Through a passage thirty paces long we came into the hall, or
guard-house, where we were received by two of the governor's gentlemen,
who very civilly desired us to sit down. Four soldiers stood
upon duty on our left as we came in, and next to them we found
oight other officers of the governor's court, all sitting upon their
knees and ankles. The wall on our right was hung with arms,
ranged in a prper order, fifteen halberds on one side, twenty lancea
in the middle, ind nineteen pikes on the other ; the latter were