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HONDA THE SAMUKAI.
erly rice-beer. It looks like pale sherry, and has a
taste which is peculiarly its own. Sweet sak is very
delicious, and it may be bought in all degrees of
strength and of all flavors and prices. As the
Japanese always drink their wine hot, a copper ket-
tle for heating sake* is necessary. On ceremonial
occasions, such as marriage, and especially when in
a castle, kettles are of the costliest and handsomest
kind, being beautifully lacquered or gold-damaskened.
Bride and bridegroom being ready, the winekettles,
cups, and two bottles are handed down.
Two pretty servant-maids now bring in a hot kettle
of wine and fill the bottles or tall decanters of ex-
quisite porcelain. To one bottle is fastened by a
silken cord a male butterfly and to the other a
female butterfly made of paper. The two maidens
who act as bridesmaids and pour out the wine also
are called "male" and "female" butterflies. The
virgin having the female butterfly pours out some
sake* in the kettle, into which the virgin with the
male butterfly also pours the contents of her bottle,
so that the wine from both bottles thus flow together.
Then the sake* is poured into another gilt-and-
lacquered bottle of different shape.
Now the real ceremony begins. On a little stand
three cups, slightly concave, and having an under-
rest, or foot, about half an inch high, are set one upon
another, like the stories to a pagoda. The stand
with this three-story arrangement is handed to the
bride. Holding it in both hands, while the sak is
poured into it by the male butterfly, the bride lifts