Japan and the Japanese

IMPERIAL AUDIENCE. 413
mai \s) make it stand in puffs on each side of the face. Tht ends
are fastened together in a knob at the crown of the head, just before
which is stuck a large comb, made, in the case of the poorer people,
of lackered boxwood, and among the richer of tortoise-shell. The
rich wear also several long ornaments of tortoise-shell, stuck
through this knob, which, with a few flowers, constitute the whole of
their head decorations.
" Vanity," says Thunberg, " has not yet
taken root among them to that degree as to induce them to wear
rings or other ornaments in their ears. No caps, hats or bonnets
are worn, except a conical cap, made of reeds, when travelling.
Otherwise the parasol, or fan, is all the shelter they use against
the
sun or the rain."
The official visits are thus described by Thunberg : " We were
dressed in the European fashion, but in
costly silks, interwoven
with silver and laced with gold. On account of the festivity of the
day it was requisite for us to wear our swords and a very large
black silk cloak. We were carried a considerable distance through
the town before we arrived at the emperor's residence. This is
surrounded by fosses and stone walls, and separated by draw-
bridges.
It forms a considerable town of itself, and is said to be
five leagues
in circumference, comprising the emperor's private
palace, as also that of the hereditary prince, each separated from
the other by wide fosses, stone walls, gates and other bulwarks. In
the outermost citadel, which was the
largest of all, were large and
handsome covered streets and great houses, which belonged to the
princes of the country, the pvivy councillors, and other officers of
state. Their numerous families, who were obliged likewise to
remain at the court the whole year throughout, were also lodged
here. At the first gate there was a strong guard. That at the
second gate was said to consist of a thousand men.* As soon as
* From Thunberg's account of the arms of the Japanese, they cannot be
regarded as very formidable soldiers. He mentions bows and arrows, scymetars,
halberts and guns. Their bowf are very large and their arrows long,
like those of the Chinese. The bowman, in order to shoot, places himself on
one knee, a position which renders it impossible to discharge his arrows with
any great rapidity. Guns were not ordinarily employed. Thunbevg saw
them, apparently matchlocks, only as articles of show in the houses of the
imperial officers, displayed upon a stand in the audience chamber.
35*
The few