Japan and the Japanese

370 JAPAN. A. D. 1G91 1692.
behind to look through. For ornament's sake, and the better to
hide the persons standing behind, they are painted
with divers
figures, though it would be impossible to see them at a distance
when the is
light taken off behind.
"The emperor himself was in such an obscure place that we
should scarce have known him to be present had not his voice dis-
covered him, which yet was so low, as if he purposely intended to
be there incognito. Just before us, behind other lattices were the
princes of the blood and the ladies of the empress and her court. 1
took notice that pieces of paper were put between the reeds, in
some parts of the lattices, to make the openings wider, in order to
a better and easier sight. I counted about thirty such papers,
which made me conclude, that there was about that number of persons
sitting
behind.
"
Bingo sat on a raised mat, in an open room by himself, just
before us, towards our right, on which side the emperor sat behind
the lattices. On our left, in another room, were the councillors of
state of the first and second rank, sitting in a double row in good
and becoming order. The gallery behind us was filled with the
chief officers of the emperor's court and the gentlemen of his bed-
chamber. The gallery, which led into the room where the emperor
was, was filled with the sons of some princes of the empire, then at
court, the emperor's pages and .some priests. After this manner it
was that they ordered the stage on which we were now to act.
" The commissioners for foreign affairs having conducted us into
the gallery before the hall of audience, one of the councillors of
state of the second rank came to receive us there and to conduct
us to the above-described middle place, on which we were commanded
to sit down, having first made our obeisances after the Japanese
manner, creeping and bowing our heads to the ground, towards
that part of the lattices behind which the emperor was. The chief
interpreter sat himself a little forward, to hear more distinctly, and
we took our places on his left hand all in a row. After the usual
obeisances, B'ngo bid us welcome in the emperor's name. The
chief interpreter received the compliment from Bingo's mouth, and
repeated it to us. Upon this the ambassador made his compliment
in the name of his masters, returning
their most humble thanks to
the tbi emperor having graciously granted
the Dutch liberty of