276 J A P A N,
perfon falls fick, they cut'long flips of the wood, and tie them
round the head and arms o f the patient. .
M a n n e r s . N o t w i t h s t a n d i n g t h e r u d e a p p e a r a n c e ' o f th e f e p e o p le ,
t h e y a r e p r u d e n t a n d c i v i l i z e d in t h e i r m a n n e r s , a n d a m o n g
f t r a n g e r s p a y t h em t h e c o m p l im e n t o f p u t t i n g o n t h e i r b e f t
c lo a th s . ,
T h e y are a yery . indolent race; never cultivate the ground,
but pafs much o f their time on the water in canoes, which they
call praos, cut out o f the trunk of fome great tree, raifed on the
fide with planks.. In thefe they go to the chace of feals, which
they fhoot with arrows, or of whales, which they harpoon.
They belide catch other fiihes with feines, in the manner done
in Europe. Several objejils .of chace are mentioned. Birds they
catch in fnares; and fhoot with arrows elks, roes, flags, bears,
and other animals unknown to the Dutch navigators; Befides
the weapons I have' mentioned, they wear a fhort cutlafs made
of iron, which they procure from the Japanefe.
H em p . H e m p g r o w s w i ld in t h e c o u n t r y , t h e w o m e n fp in i t , I f u p -
p o f e b y f p l i t t in g i t f i r f t ; t h e y t h e n h o ld o n e e n d b e tw e e n th e i r
t e e t h , a n d tu r n a n d tw i l l i t in to th r e a d o n a d i f t a f f .
T h e natives exchange with the Japanefe the lard and oil of
whales and fiihes, the dried tongues o f whales, furs, and feathers
o f eagles, for winging o f arrows. The people of Japan
pay them an annual vifit, and bring in return rice, fugar, filken
cloaths in the Japanefe fafhion, fmoaking-pipes, tobacco, and
varnilhed cups and plates. The Japanefe feem to have introduced
civilization among thefe people by their intercourfe with
them.
J A P A N . 277
them. The Chinefe fometimes come and trade with them. The-
capital o f this chain o f iflands is called Matfumaii and is the re-
lidence of the prince or governor, who annually makes a voyage
to Jedo, to do homage to the emperor. The Japanefe once attempted
to extend their conquefts from Matfumai northward
they fucceeded at firft, but after a revolt-of the inhabitants*,
are now content to accept from the chieftain, whom they ftile
prince of Jefo, a tribute of very fmall value, which is annually
paid at Matfumai.
We now arrive at the fouthernmoft iiles o f the long chain of K u r i l I jj.e s , '
the Kurils. I have given an account o f the moil northern in
my introduilion to the ArBic Zoology. The whole chain diverges
to the north-eaft in a dire<Sl line, and concludes very near
to the cape o f Lopatka, in Kamfchatka. The Rufians reckon
Matfumai among the number. Thofe next to the land of Jefo
were difcovered by the Cajiicrom. Tfchicota, Kounafchir, and
' . ' ~ '
Atorkou are the moft fouthern; the two firft lie oppofite to Matfumai,
and at no great diftance from its coafts, and Atorkou a little
to the north-eaft. Tfchicota is a hundred and twenty verfts, or
ninety miles long, and forty miles broad. Kounafchir is about a
hundred and twelve miles long, and about thirty-feven broad,
and Atorkou, or Etorpu, is equal in length and breadth, being
two hundred and twenty-five mile's acrofs, according to the Ruffian
accounts in the Neue Nordifcbe BeytrageS. This ifland is
the Staten-land of the Dutch, a name bellowed on it in their S t a t e n -l a n d .
voyage of 1643.
Quropi is the Company's, land of the fame voyagers ; and they company’s -
J/AND.
* Kaempfer> i. p. 65, f Vol. iv. 133*
bellowed