Japan and the Japanese

JOURNEY TO COURT. 397
was frequently desired to cut a slice for some of the company. It
is made into pills, and taken daily in consumptions and other dis-
orders. After dinner, warm saki was handed round, which was
drank out of lackered wooden cups.
" On this festive occasion, the director invited from the town
several handsome girls, partly for the purpose of serving out the
saki, and partly to dance and bear the* girls company who were
already on the island. After dinner, these girls treated the Japanese
to several of their own country messes, placed on small square
tables, which were decorated with an artificial fir-tree, the leaves
of which were made of green silk, and, in several places, sprinkled
over with white cotton, in imitation of the winter's snow. The
girls never presented the saki standing, but, after their own fashion,
sitting. In the evening they danced, and about five o'clock the
took their leave."
company
The 19th of February, 177G, on which fell the beginning of the
Japanese year, was celebrated according to the Japanese custom,
all of them going visiting, dressed up in their holiday clothes, and
wishing their neighbors joy ; and, indeed, this interchange
of con-
gratulations is kept up, more or less, through the first month.
On the two last days of the year a
general settlement of accounts
takes place. Fresh credit is then given for six months, when a
new settlement takes place. The rate of interest was high, ranging
from eighteen to twenty per cent. Thunberg was told that, after
new-year's day, there was no right to demand settlement of the last
year's accounts.
Shortly after the Japanese new-year, took place the trampling
of images, which ceremony, according to the information obtained
by Thunberg, was still performed by all the inhabitants of Nagasaki,
exactly as in Kampfer's time.
On the 4th of March the director set out for the emperor's
court, accompanied, as usual, by the secretary of the factory, and
by Thunberg as physician. In Kampfer's day these two latter
persons had been obliged to make the journey on horseback, ex-
posed to cold, rain, and all the inclemencies of the weather. Since
then they had obtained the privilege of travelling in norimons,
equally with the director. Dr. Thunberg seems to have been well
satisfied with his vehicle, which he describes as both handsome and
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