J s b i f ic -es;
tRoads.
inland Navigation.
‘
' -Manufao-
*«rcs and
ïCoromercê,
dengthhy. '30 a-In breadth. There is-a high fquare tower, (a mark of
•dignity not permitted here to the- grandees, though Mifuak at their own
courts*) which confifts of feveralftages Tichty decorated j. ancL mdft of
the roofs are ornamented with golden dragon's. The pillars and ceilings
are f of cedar, - camphor, and'Other precious! woods;-but? the onty furniture
Oonfifts of white mats, fringed with gold. The emperor gives
audience in a fmaller chamber, where he is-feated on carpets.
: The'Triads féém to be maintafiniedrin e^xcelfirit order • but the m’oun-
tainous nature of' the country has prevented the formation of'c,apals,
which indeed ’the univerfal proximity of the fea readers àlmoft un-
neceflary ; otherwife fo fenfible and induftrioiis a nation;would ' doubt-,
left haveirriitated the■ Chi-nefe example.
The chief manufatSirres of Japan -have been already naentionfed in .the.'
account of arts and fciences. The inland coTriinetce is very confid&r-
abléj- being free and exempted from impolis.* The harbours are
crowded with large and fmall veflels ; the high-roads with vâHoûa
goods ; and the (hops - well replenifhcd. Large fairs are alltfiLeld in
different places, to which there is a great concourfe of people. The
frade.wfth China is the moft important, eonfifting of raw- filk, fugar;
turpentine, drugs, &c. while the exports are copper in bars,v,lackèred
ware, &c. Thunberg reprefentsthe profits of .the Dutch trade ajf ygry
inconfiderable, fo that the Company ;Only employed tWo Ihips. The
Japanefe coins'are of a remarkable form, the gold being called Kobàngs.
The filver called Kodama fometimes , reprefents 'Daikok, the god of
riches',; fitting upon two barrels of rice, with a hammer in his ; right
band, and a fack at his left. ’ The Seni, of copper or iron, are ftrung
like theChinefe pieces of-a iimilarvalue. ■
C H A P T E R IV.
NATURAE* GE-daRAEHY-.-
Climate and»SktfjfonJ'X-Face of*1’ke*Counts^ i.—SvH and1 Rivers.-—
' Lakes.—'Mountains*—Vokunoek—ForeJ^-^-Boteny. Minerdlqgy.—
'iJJesi
T*‘ iHE' Heat of fummer.Vun Japan*. extremely. violent; anjf „wmiKf
even be infupportabl'e, y e jb ®ot the -aircooled} ,by the fea
Equally? fevere;si^?'the. cqld in winter, ‘when the.,wind,blowa frorn-tbp
north, or porth, eafr, and feems' to b e . impregnated~witfer partielg^&f
ice from the "Arctic oCean.* The weather iss changeable tbrtmghpitt.the
.ybstfiy arid there, are abundant.falWofcrain, eJpeoia%?bnyhn .ja f f a ^ or
rainy months,- which begin at Midfummer/ , T^hismopioUsf'moifture is
th ^ chief cayfe of thb-fertility bfjalpan* and.' its con fequenit?.high/de-
gree of population... I
- Thunder.is net unfrequent jvand' tempefe, frurfmaafes,. and; earthquakes
are very common. Thunb'&rg -has' publilhed his thermonne- •
trical’ obfervation-Sv from which a clear jidfeahrriay -be formed o f the
ellmftadt Sfih’ei greateft degree of heat, a# Nagafaki, was* 98?’ in the
.montfilofAugrift'j f and- the' feverteft 'eolebim Jabuaiy..^y^f THe; thri®#er
-in the fijnamtfer months istgeneraliy ^duriB^ the might-}.'and the ihcjw
will remain bin the ground fome days ev'em imtlj&ftfatnS, A.
■ > Thbugh- .there be plains of-eonfiderable extent, as fppears- from;the - Kcerof ttty
defeription of MiaCo, yet Thunbefg affure'S^rity'-'Ehat (tbeiwbqle'JcOutitry Countl7*
eonfifts of mc}untamsl,, hills, and valleys, "the coa$|. being mofity" rocky
and ~precipitpuS-j andi'inv^fted with <The face -uaf-the . ^
country is ||fo diverfified with many riv.ersy ipp rivulets^' by numerous
Angular-tribes of vegetation ; and generally, excites the focial ideas of J
TJhtybVr&dii. 234. .
| I mfmtryi} •