A considerable train of servants, carrying clothes-chests and other necessaries, all in regular order.

"And this is the train of a governor of Nagasaki, who, although invested there with supreme authority, at Yedo, at the Ziogoon's court, hardly enjoys the honour of carrying his Majesty's slippers."*

These various shows seem pretty nearly to exhaust all that can be said of the recreations permitted to the Dezima Dutch at Nagasaki, unless the earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, that occasionally vary the monotony of their existence, be reckoned as such. The former, indeed, though general and frequent throughout the empire, and causing quite sufficient damage in both town and island-as, for instance, in the year 1825 Dezima suffered materially-seldom appear to engage the thoughts of the Europeans, if they are not combined with volcanic eruptions. They afford, nevertheless, the grounds alleged for the restrictions imposed upon the architectural taste of the Japanese, with respect to both the height and solidity of their buildings. Volcanic eruptions (the formation of the islands is generally volcanic, the number of volcanos, extinct or active, considerable) appear to be, in their estimation, more important. So recently as the year 1792, a new volcano

* Fischer.

manifested its formidable character in the island of Kiusiu. The first eruption, or rather series of eruptions and earthquakes, of this mountain, named the Wunzen, spread terror and desolation around; and, according to the description given of its terrific display of volcanic nature, might well fill every bosom with dread.

"At five o'clock in the afternoon of the 18th of the first month, the summit of the Wunzen suddenly sank, and smoke and vapour burst forth. On the 6th of the following month, an eruption occurred in the Brivonokubi mountain, situate on its eastern declivity, not far from the summit. Oh the 2d of the third month, a violent earthquake, felt all over Kiusiu, so shook Simabara, that no one could keep his feet. Terror and confusion reigned. Shock followed shock, and the volcano incessantly vomited stones, ashes, and lava, that desolated the country for miles around. At noon on the 1st of the fourth month, another earthquake occurred, followed by reiterated shocks, more and more violent. Houses were overthrown, and enormous masses of rock, rolling down from the mountain, crushed whatever lay in their way. When all seemed quiet and the danger was believed to be over, sounds, like the roar of artillery, were heard in the air and underground, followed by a sudden eruption of the Myokenyama, on the northern slope of the Wunzendake. A large part of this mountain was

thrown up into the air, immense masses of rock fell into the sea, and boiling water, bursting through the crevices of the exploded mountain, poured down, overflowing the low shore. The meeting of the two waters produced a phenomenon that increased the general terror. The whirling eddies formed waterspouts, that annihilated all they passed over. The devastation wrought in the peninsula of Simabara, and the opposite coast of Figo, by these united earthquakes and eruptions of the Wunzendake, with its collateral craters, is said to be indescribable. In the town of Simabara, every building was thrown down except the castle, of which the cyclopean walls, formed of colossal blocks of stone, defied the general destruction, The coast of Figo was so altered by the ravages, as to be no longer recognizable. Fifty-three thousand human beings are said to have perished on this occasion."*

This formidable mountain is apparently within two days' journey of Dezima and Nagasaki, though nothing is said of material ravages wrought there at the time in question; and it must be supposed to have remained since the year 1792 in a state of moderate action, if not of complete quiescence, or some of the Dutch residents would assuredly have spoken of the alarm excited by its terrors. It should, however, be added that the hot springs * Siebold,

connected with the Wunzendake, are said to have been the scene and means of one variety of the tortures inflicted upon native Christians; and we, are told, that the sores produced by pouring the naturally boiling water over them were, from the peculiarity of its sulphureous quality, singularly envenomed. The volcano must, therefore, even then have been in what may be called latent activity, although it had not yet exhibited its most terrific energies.

CHAPTER IV.

PERIODICAL JOURNEY TO YEDO.

Periods of the Yedo journeys.—Preliminary forms.— Numbers of the party. Honours paid to the Dutch President. - Array of the party.-Travelling arrangements. - Sights upon the journey.-Ikko-seu Temple. — Camphor tree. - Mineral and hot springs.-Prince of Tsikuzen's apartment.

· Coal mine. Mode of obtaining a fair wind. -Examination at Aray.-River Oyegawa.-Mountain Foesi.-Examination at Fakone. Anecdote. Arrival.

To offer homage and presents, or tribute, annually to the ziogoon, or military chief of the empire, at Yedo, his habitual residence and the actual seat of government, is, if not the highest duty of every prince, dignitary, and noble throughout the Japanese realm, certainly an act, the neglect of which would be deemed most unpardonable; and it was as a sort of dignitary-being the governor of his own countrymen resident in Japan-that this duty was imposed upon the head of the Dutch factory, when the charter, permitting them to establish a factory, was first granted. This charter, obtained from the successful usurper, Gongen