Japan and the Japanese
Japan and the Japanese Japan and the Japanese
430 JAPAX. A. D. 17791791. taviu, to instruct the Japanese in building vessels, especially for the transport of copper from Osaka to Nagasaki, in which service many Japanese vessels luul been lost, with their cargoes; but this Titsingh knew to be impossible, as skilful carpenters were too rare at Bata- via to be spared. He therefore proposed to take with him, on his return to Batuvia, a number of Japanese to be instructed there; but the prohibition against any native leaving the country proved an insurmountable obstacle. He then promised to have a model ship built at Batavia, and conveyed to Nagasaki, which was done by himself, on his last visit to Japan; but the assassination of Tonoma, above mentioned, which had happened during his absence at Batavia, put an end to all hopes that had been formed of a mod- ification in the exclusive policy of the Japanese. This Tonoma (son of Tonomo, ordinary councillor, and uncle of the Siogun) was, according to Titsingh's account, a young man of uncommon merit and liberal ideas, and the anti-frog-in-a-well party flattered themselves that when he should succeed his father, he would, as they expressed it, "widen the road." After his ap- pointment as extraordinary councillor, he and his father incurred, as Titsingh states, the hatred of the grandees of the court, by intro- ducing various innovations, which the " Frogs in a well " censured as detrimental to the empire. It was to this feeling that his assas- sination was ascribed, a crime which put an end to the hopes which had begun to be entertained, of seeing Japan opened to foreigners, and of its inhabitants being allowed to visit other countries. The appetite fir foreign knowledge which Thunberg had noticed, was also observed by Titsingh. " During my residence in Japan," so he writes in the above quoted Introduction, " several persons of quality, at Jedo, Miako, and Osaka, applied themselves assiduously to the acquisition of the Dutch language, and the reading of our books. The prince of Satsuma, father-in-law of the present Djogonn, used our alphabet to express in his letters what he wished a third person not to understand. The surprising progress made by the prince of Tamba, by Katsagawa Hozun, physician to the Djogoun, and Nakawa Siinnau, physician to the prince of Wakassa,* * These two were the very pupils of Thunberg, though names somewhat differently. he writes theU
POWER OF THE PRINCES. 431 and several others, enabled them to express themselves more clearly than many Portuguese, born and bred among us at Batavia. Con- sidering the short period of our residence [he means, apparently, the stay of the Dutch embassy] at Jedo, such proficiency cannot but excite astonishment and admiration. The privilege of corre- sponding with the Japanese, above mentioned, and of senuing th3in back their answers corrected, without the letters being opened by the government, allowed through the special favor of the worthy governor, Tanyo-no-Kami, facilitated to them the learning of Dutch." In 1-786, the reigning Siogun, Ye-Fasou, died, and was succeeded by an adopted son, Yeye-Xari, who was his distant cousin, being a great-grandson of his great-grandfather. This prince was married to a daughter of the prince of Sat.-uma, and that is stated to have been a principal reason for his adoption, it being the policy of the Sioguns thus to secure the attachment of the most powerful princes. The reigning family is thus allied to the princes of Kaga, Satsuma, Yetsisen, Naugato, and Oxu, while the houses of Voari, Kiusiu, and Mino, are descended from the sons of Gongin, from among whom, in case of failure of heirs, the Siogun is selected. These princes of the first class, notwithstanding the jealous supremacy of the still emperors, retain certain privileges. According to Tit.singh, they enjoy absolute power in their own palaces, with the right of life and death over their dependents ; nor, in case they commit crimes, has the emperor any authority to put them to death. He can only, with the Dairi's assistance, compel them to resign in favor of their sons. In 1788, a terrible fire occurred at Miako, by which almost the entire city, including the palace of the Dairi, was destroyed. The particulars of this event were communicated to Titsingh by his Japanese correspondents. Early in 1793, the summit of the Oun zen ya dak (High mountain of warm springs), in the province of Fisen, west of Simabara, sank entirely down. Torrents of boiling water issued from all parts of the deep cavity thus formed, and a vapor arose like thick smoke. Three weeks after, there was an eruption from a crater, about half a league from the summit. The lava soon reached the loot of the mountain, and in a few days the country was in flames
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POWER OF THE PRINCES. 431<br />
<strong>and</strong> several o<strong>the</strong>rs, enabled <strong>the</strong>m to express <strong>the</strong>mselves more clearly<br />
than many Portuguese, born <strong>and</strong> bred among us at Batavia. Con-<br />
sidering <strong>the</strong> short period of our residence [he means, apparently,<br />
<strong>the</strong> stay of <strong>the</strong> Dutch embassy] at Jedo, such proficiency cannot<br />
but excite astonishment <strong>and</strong> admiration. The privilege of corre-<br />
sponding with <strong>the</strong> <strong>Japan</strong>ese, above mentioned, <strong>and</strong> of senuing th3in<br />
back <strong>the</strong>ir answers corrected, without <strong>the</strong> letters being opened by<br />
<strong>the</strong> government, allowed through <strong>the</strong> special favor of <strong>the</strong> worthy<br />
governor, Tanyo-no-Kami, facilitated to <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong> learning of<br />
Dutch."<br />
In 1-786, <strong>the</strong> reigning Siogun, Ye-Fasou, died, <strong>and</strong> was succeeded<br />
by an adopted son, Yeye-Xari, who was his distant cousin, being a<br />
great-gr<strong>and</strong>son of his great-gr<strong>and</strong>fa<strong>the</strong>r. This prince was married<br />
to a daughter of <strong>the</strong> prince of Sat.-uma, <strong>and</strong> that is stated to have<br />
been a principal reason for his adoption, it being <strong>the</strong> policy of <strong>the</strong><br />
Sioguns thus to secure <strong>the</strong> attachment of <strong>the</strong> most powerful princes.<br />
The reigning family is thus allied to <strong>the</strong> princes of Kaga, Satsuma,<br />
Yetsisen, Naugato, <strong>and</strong> Oxu, while <strong>the</strong> houses of Voari, Kiusiu,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Mino, are descended from <strong>the</strong> sons of Gongin, from among<br />
whom, in case of failure of heirs, <strong>the</strong> Siogun is selected. These<br />
princes of <strong>the</strong> first class, notwithst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>the</strong> jealous supremacy of<br />
<strong>the</strong> still emperors, retain certain<br />
privileges. According to<br />
Tit.singh,<br />
<strong>the</strong>y enjoy absolute power in <strong>the</strong>ir own palaces, with <strong>the</strong> right of<br />
life <strong>and</strong> death over <strong>the</strong>ir dependents ; nor, in case <strong>the</strong>y commit<br />
crimes, has <strong>the</strong> emperor any authority to put <strong>the</strong>m to death. He<br />
can only, with <strong>the</strong> Dairi's assistance, compel <strong>the</strong>m to resign in favor<br />
of <strong>the</strong>ir sons.<br />
In 1788, a terrible fire occurred at Miako, by which almost <strong>the</strong><br />
entire city, including<br />
<strong>the</strong> palace of <strong>the</strong> Dairi, was destroyed. The<br />
particulars of this event were communicated to Titsingh by his<br />
<strong>Japan</strong>ese correspondents.<br />
Early in 1793, <strong>the</strong> summit of <strong>the</strong> Oun zen ya dak (High mountain<br />
of warm springs), in <strong>the</strong> province of Fisen, west of Simabara,<br />
sank entirely down. Torrents of boiling water issued from all<br />
parts of <strong>the</strong> deep cavity thus formed, <strong>and</strong> a vapor arose like thick<br />
smoke. Three weeks after, <strong>the</strong>re was an eruption from a crater,<br />
about half a league from <strong>the</strong> summit. The lava soon reached <strong>the</strong><br />
loot of <strong>the</strong> mountain, <strong>and</strong> in a few days <strong>the</strong> country was in flames
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