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284 HONDA THE SAMURAI. added a tenfold horror to the moment. The attend- ant eta, placing the victim in position, took hold of one of his feet, in readiness to jerk the body, so as to make it fall forward immediately after the fatal blow was struck. The swordsman, who was a sam- urai legally protected from disgrace, unsheathing his sword, touched the victim with the flat of the blade to intimate that all was ready, and that he must crane his neck and stretch out his head. Hot water was then poured on the sword by an eta to add keenness to its edge. This done, the death's-man lifted the weapon, but only a few inches above the neck. The blow fell on the back of the neck, the executioner striking from above downward, occasion- ally expending the force of a blow on the hard wooden curb. This was, as we have said, six inches thick. But in the place where the blade fell the hard wood had been chopped away for the space of six or eight inches wide, and sloping down to four or five deep. Mr. Rai was reminded of the " Beard- cutter." The swords used were those ordinarily worn by samurai, and not of unusual weight, but as sharp as razors. Two in constant use were shown Mr. Rai. One of them, fresh from the work of the day before, was slightly nicked in many places, and the edge had been roughened and burred by cleaving through the hard neck-bones. The bodies of all criminals were delivered to the friends of the deceased if they claimed them. If the criminal were friendless or unknown, his re-
A JOURNEY THROUGH A PRISON. 285 mains were buried in a cemetery near the execution- ground at Senji. Strangling appeared to be a punishment one degree less severe than decapitation. But the worst punishment of all was that of gokumon, or exposure of the head, on the pillory at Shinagawa or Senji. All Japanese had a wholesome dread of this punishment. Notices of an execution were posted up at Nihon Bashi in the center of the city, or on small kosatsu, or proclamation-boards. Orders from the Sai-ban-sho, or court, were issued on one day ; tion followed on the next. execu- By official permission the interview between Mr. Rai and Honda Jiro took place in a private room in the superintendent's house. The prisoner had been somewhat prepared for the proposal to be made to him, and his mind was receptive. After a long and earnest conversation he signified his agreement to the invitation of the lord of Echizen, and signed a document to that effect. He then put on his sam- urai dress, which had been carefully kept for him, received his swords, and the two gentlemen left the prison together. Honda Jiro found lodgings in Echizen's Middle Yashiki, and was put under the charge of the superintendent. Here, during his private incarceration, we leave him, only saying that, with the aid of Doctor Sano, Mr. Rai, and Professor Koba, Honda Jiro was well supplied with Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese books, and that he at once gave himself diligently to study. It was during his last year of confinement that Mr.
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284<br />
HONDA THE SAMURAI.<br />
added a tenfold horror to the moment. The attend-<br />
ant eta, placing the victim in position, took hold of<br />
one of his feet, in readiness to jerk the body, so as<br />
to make it fall forward immediately after the fatal<br />
blow was struck. The swordsman, who was a sam-<br />
urai legally protected from disgrace, unsheathing his<br />
sword, touched the victim with the flat of the blade<br />
to intimate that all was ready, and that he must<br />
crane his neck and stretch out his head. Hot water<br />
was then poured on the sword by an eta to add<br />
keenness to its edge. This done, the death's-man<br />
lifted the weapon, but only a few inches above the<br />
neck. The blow fell on the back of the neck, the<br />
executioner striking from above downward, occasion-<br />
ally expending the force of a blow on the hard<br />
wooden curb. This was, as we have said, six inches<br />
thick. But in the place where the blade fell the<br />
hard wood had been chopped away for the space of<br />
six or eight inches wide, and sloping down to four<br />
or five deep. Mr. Rai was reminded of the " Beard-<br />
cutter."<br />
The swords used were those ordinarily worn by<br />
samurai, and not of unusual weight, but as sharp as<br />
razors. Two in constant use were shown Mr. Rai.<br />
One of them, fresh from the work of the day before,<br />
was slightly nicked in many places, and the edge had<br />
been roughened and burred by cleaving through the<br />
hard neck-bones.<br />
The bodies of all criminals were delivered to<br />
the friends of the deceased if they claimed them.<br />
If the criminal were friendless or unknown, his re-