J e b o .
N a v y ,
S h i p p in g .
T h e number o f inhabitants in Kaempfer's time.was 529,726,
of which 52,169 were ecclefiaftics.
V arious ftreams unite and form a river which flows from
hence to the great commercial city and port of Ofacca, on a fine
b ay ; which laft is faid to.be fo populous, that in cafe of need it
could fend forth an army o f eighty thoufand men.
Doctor Kaempfer gives * a very good idea of the beauty and
Angularity of fome o f the coafts between Miaco and Ofacca, in
his views of Simoaji, Morizu, and Muru, with the femicircular
hills with which thofe places are backed, moft chara&eriftically
cultivated to the very tops.
Jedo, the refidence of the temporal, and in fait the real emperor,
is built with far lefs regularity t, beeaufe built by degrees,
and on no certain plan : It ftands- in Lat. 35* 32' north. The
palace is very large, and covers a vaft extent of ground. The
city has great numbers o f temples dedicated to Amida, and the
various deities; the ecclefiaftics are o f courfe prodigioufly numerous.
The houfes are in general fmall and mean, and liable to
frequent fires; four thoufand have been burnt by a fingle accident.
A large river runs through the city, and falls into the
harbor ; one branch encompaffes the caftle, and divided into five
ftreams, unites with the other in the port.
T h e naval force o f the Japanefe is very fmall, the emperors
not having thought proper to maintain a fleet fince the expullion
of foreigners, prefuming it impoflible to have quarrels with na.-
tions with whom they could have no intercourfe. The merchant
Ihips, which are built only for conveying goods from ifland to
ifland, are moft clumfily made, and by the emperor’s order, in
* Hilt, of Japan, vol. ii. p. 468. tab. 25. 4 Ibid. vol. ii. tab. 39,
f u c h
fuch a form as' renders it impoflible for them to go far to fea.
They are commonly about twenty-eight yards long, and eight
broad. The ftern is fquare, with a hole left in the middle, ex-
prefsly to increafe the dariger of diftant navigation ; both ftern
and prow are very lofty. The ihips have only one maft, and
are conftrutfted for rowing as well as failing. The figures in
Kaempfer * will give the beft notion of their form.
Korea, and certain other territories, have been long tributary K o r e a ,
to the Japanefe empire. The neighboring Korea ihall be firft
mentioned. 1 refer the reader to a future volume for farther
particulars o f that country. Here I ihall briefly add its hiftory
as far as concerns the Japanefe.. It had been conquered firft by
Mikaddo Tftuu Ai, emperor of Japan, and after that, Anno Cbrifti
201, by his relish DJin Ju, a princefs celebrated for her abilities
and valor. The Koreans in time ihook off the Japanefe yoke, and
continued independent liWI’aiko, having ufurped the fecular empire,
in order to free himfelf from fuch o f the nobility who were
difaffehed to his government (and under pretence o f reducing the
Koreans) fent them at the head o f a potent army : they landed
on the continent, obliged the Koreans (but not without the
braveft refiftance) to become once more tributary to the empire.
Taiko died, the affairs of Korea were negledted, and the Japanefe
driven down to the coafts, and of all their conquefts left only in
poffeflion of the maritime parts -of the province o f ffiofijn, and
two iflands, one called Iku, the other TfuJJima, on which is kept
a garrifon o f fifty men ; but thefe iflands are neither remarkable
for their fize or their fertility.
* Kaempfer, Hift, of Japan, vol. ii. tab. 21»