Japan and the Japanese

4:16 JAPAN. A. D. 17751776.
and three hundred broad,* and is occupied by the most dignified
men of the empire, privy councillors and princes, who all, on similar
occasions, take their seats according to their different ranks and
dignity. To the left, in the audience room, lay the presents, sent
beforehand, and piled up in heaps.
The whole of the audience con-
sists merely in this, that, as soon as the ambassador enters the
room, he falls on his hands, lays his hand on the mat, and bows his
head down to it, in the same manner as the Japanese themselves
are used to testify their subjection and respect. After this the
ambassador rises, and is conducted back to the anteroom the same
way
" The rest of the rooms which we viewed had no furniture in
that he came.
them. The floors were covered with large and very white straw
mats ; the cornices and doors were handsomely lackered, and the
locks, hinges, &c., well gilt.
" After having thus looked about us, we were conducted to the
hereditary prince's palace, which stood close by, and was separated
only by a bridge. Here we were received and complimented in the
name of the hereditary prince, who was not at home ; after which
we were conducted back to our norimons.
" Although the day was already far advanced, and we had had
sufficient time to digest our early breakfast, we were nevertheless
obliged to pay visits to all the privy councillors, as well to the six
ordinary as to the six extraordinary, at each of their respective
houses. And as these gentlemen were not yet returned from court,
we were received in the most polite manner by their deputies, and
exhibited to the view of their ladies and children. Each visit lasted
half an hour ; and we were for the most part so placed in a large
room that we could be viewed on all sides through thin curtains,
without having the good fortune to get a sight of these court beau-
ties, excepting at one place, where they made so free as, not only
to take away the curtain, but also desired us to advance nearer.
In general we were received by two gentlemen in office, and at
every place treated with gr^en tea, the apparatus for smoking, and
pastry, which was set bei)re each of us, separately,
on small
* It would take a thousand of the ordinary Japanese mats to cover such a
floor ;
but Thunberg says the mats upon
it were of an extra size,