Japan and the Japanese

346 JAPAN. A. D. 1690 1C02.
Streets, of which the middle and chief reaches us far as Miako, and is
contiguous to the streets of that capital, insomuch that Fusimi might
be called the suburbs of Miako, the rather since this last city is not
at all enclosed with walls. It was to-day Tsitats with the Japanese,
that is, the first day of the month, which they keep as a Sunday or
holiday, visiting the temples, walking into the fields, and following
all manner of diversions. Accordingly we found this street, along
which we rode for full four hours before we got to our inn, crowded
with multitudes of the inhabitants of Miako, walking out of the city
to take the air, and to visit the neighboring temples. Particularly
the women were all on this occasion richly apparelled in variously-
colored gowns, wearing a purple-colored silk about the forehead,
and large straw hats to defend themselves from the heat of the sun.
We likewise met some particular sorts of beggars, comically clad,
and some masked in a very ridiculous manner. Not a few walked
upon iron stilts others ; carried large pots with green trees upon their
heads ; some were singing, some whistling, some fluting, others beat-
ing of bells. All along the street we saw multitudes of open shops,
jugglers and players diverting the crowd.
' The temples which we had on our right as we went up, built in
the ascent of the neighboring green hills, were illuminated with
many lamps, and the priests, beating some bells with iron hammers,
made such a noise as could be heard at a considerable distance. I
took notice of a large, white dog, perhaps made of plaster, which
stood upon an altar on our left, in a neatly-adorned chapel or small
temple, which was consecrated to the Patron of the dogs. We
reached our inn at Miako at six in the evening, and were forthwith
carried up one pair of stairs into our apartments, which in some
measure, I thought, might be compared to the Westphalian smoking
rooms, wherein they smoke their beef and bacon.
" We had travelled to-day through
a very fruitful country,
mostly through rice-fields, wherein we saw great
flocks of wild
ducks, if they deserve to be so called, being so very tame that no
travelling company approaching will fright them away. We took
notice also of several large, white herons, some swans, and some
few storks, looking for their food in the morassy fields. We like-
wise saw the pea.sants ploughing with black oxen, which seemed to
be lean, poor bea,sts, but arc said to work well.