induftry, more calculated perhaps to delight fhe.heart thani the wild' ap-
pea/ances^of deferted nature. The foil in itfelf may; be faid' to be rather
barren ; but the prolific ftiowers confpire with labour and manure to
overcome even this obftacle. Thunberg3 has prefen ted us with fome
curious details concerning Japanefe agriculture, a' fcience in the higheft
eftimation with this fenfible people, fo that’ except the mqft Jiarrepi
and untradtable mountains, the earth is umverfally cultivated;. and.even
moft of the mountains and hills. Free from’ all feudal and ecclefiaftical
impediments, and highly refpedted by -the other focial-clafles, the farmer
cultivates theifoil with freedom and' induftry. There arê^m.cpmm'Qks ;
. and- i f any portion be left uncultivated it may be feized by a more in-
duftrioos neighbour. But when Thunberg praifes the ,want.of meadow
», he feeius to ereagatnft European iruies^ whiSiceoitiider cattle" as.
necefiary for manure. The Japaüefe. mode ia^tfeEm a' mixture of
«ifrremènts of all kindsj, with kitchen refiifo, wdiicfr ’is-cawied in pads
into the field, and poured with a ladle upon the plantsj: -whoa they
have attained the height of ahoutfix-Tnchea, fo that they -inftantly
receive the whole benefit. The weedingis alfb: earned» i© the utmoft
degree o f nicety.
The fides of the hills are cultivated yhy means, of fiko^ walls, fup-
porting level plats fown with rice - or efculènt roots.* ! .‘f Tfio^fands frf
thefe beds adorn moft of their mountains, and. give them ah appearance
which excites the greateft aftonifhmfent in the hreafe pfi thed|)edta-
tors.” When we confider that the elimaté of japah isexpofed t© heavy
rains, we are the more léd to blame the'want of induftry in the Highlands
of Scotland, -and, fome other :’mountainous diftri&s of Europe.
Rice is the chief grain | buck wheat,-rye, barley, and'.wheat; -.being
little’ ufed. A. kind:of potatoe* is abundant'; with feverabforts of beans
and peas, turnips, cabbages, &c. The rice is - fown in April, and
gathered in November: in which laft month wheat is fown, and reaped
in June. The bai'ley alfo. ftands the winter. From the feed of a kind
•of cabbage lamp oil is exprefled ; and feveral.plants are cultivated.' for
v *. w. So.. | ÊÉËSÈ ;; * ij>f 83,.-
* It is the Batatas’ (convóWlus e<fulis) in. the 'lime of Queen Elizabeth imported from Spain
to England; and often confounded with'the potatqe,, (iolanum tuberofuin) which is rare in
j Japan.
G HAP. IV. N AT U RAL .GEOG R'A P H Y. 169.
dying’; -with the cotton flirabs, and mulberry trees, which7 laft feed £°irlicau^”
abundance of filk- worms. _ The varnifh and camphor drees, the vine, to**. .
ihe cedar the- fea'î'm.e^âmd bamboAreed, not only grow wild, but
à re p i anted for numerous' SBipft
The rivers of Nipon bave not been delineated with much care. Rivers,
Among the few named ■ arefthe^Noga£a,* anchthe Jedogawa, .which paftes
by- Qfaka, wbefe tttis crowned with fexeralpbridgés of cedar, from 3,00
to ^©Teetfin-'ftengsh. : The rive* ©jaegawa* is one-of l|he largeft and
tnuf dangerousinthemountry, though not'Jisbjeâ, like the.ot-hers, to
fwell .during,rains. Tufigawafts aife ttibrgp' #nd rapid riypr| is -that
ëàSed'Sâkgawa. The^rgeft xWm'feems tpbe the JoJOj -jOJ perhaps in
the^<S^e'rmap pronunciation Y.odo; whfrh flows.-S. W. from the central
lake mf.Oitz.; ;bpt our. .geography of the Japan,#: empire is far from
being complete- Among the p a# important rivers Kæmpfer .names
the iUjin Jtfep Ojin of £hupberg ;) (the ,%fni pepp^ed .by the Ja-
-buaft frojn ,the.gçouad jin gas nigftt; and the
Afra.4 j ’ /: k/ 1MMW' M é R !
.•©ne-ipf 4fie chief lakes ,feems fëg&I that pf^Oitz, which é|Qtts two Lakes/
, ^ fpth^rf!to^rds fr is laid to
be^5_Q*Japa^efê’l^gues.ia.Iengtlij-enGli aboutan hour’s joimnpy on.horfeback
: .but‘the breadth iHpcpnfiderable. x -
The p rin cip al Japanefe mountain is that of Fufi, covered with fnow Mountains,
almoft jhrgugh-oht the year. The Fakonie mountain^ are ,m the lame
quarter, furrounding a fmall Jalçe -the fame name.5 Many pjythe
•mountains- are overgrown with wood; and others cultivated as before
expiainèd.^'There arê feveral • ydlcanpes'; and in general they abound
with évergreenfréés ana cryftalline fprlngs/ " ' ! R ‘
Near Firando there1 is a volcanic ifland, nor are others unknown in Volcano«. ’
tie ‘fiîrfoùAding Je^.4-, Iti the province of Figo there is a volcano
^hîèf éôûftantly'emits“flames and another, formerly a coal mine, in
^ the province of Tfikufer. The'tourfe and extent of the various ranges
of mountains have fret been indicated.
* The word Gama, or G a va , feems to imply a river, in which cafe the repetition is abfurdj
though often ufed in the geography of countries little known. , '
45.163.’ s lb. iii.' 164. ? -« Kæmpferi i. i(3(5.
VOL. II. Z Neat