adoration, and they worship inferior deities as mediators. They reject the doctrine of transmigration, but believe, that, while a place of bliss is assigned to the souls of the virtuous, those of the wicked wander in the air till their offences are expiated. The professors of this sect abstain from animal food, detest bloodshed, and will not touch any dead body. The Japanese temples are constructed in the same style of architecture as their palaces and houses. But what is most remarkable in those sanctuaries of Pagan superstition, is the number of idols, of singular shapes, and stupendous magnitude, which constitute the ornament of the temples and the objects of worship. Mr. Thunberg, being permitted to visit the principal temples at Miaco, has given a description of the largest and most remarkable. "It is supported by ninety-six pillars, several of which are painted, and more than six feet in diameter. This temple has several lofty, but narrow entrances, and the interior is gloomy. The idol Diabud, placed nearly in the middle of the temple, is of a magnitude sufficient to strike the spectator with terror and awe." This image, which is richly gilded, is in a sitting posture, raised about six feet from the ground. "To any one," says Mr. Thunberg, "who has not seen this image, the size of it must appear almost incredible." The interpreters assured him that six men might sit in the palm of its hand, and in measuring it by the eye, he thought that it could not be less than thirty feet broad across the shoulders. Another temple, little less majestic than that of Diabud, is sacred to the god Quanwon, whose images, with those of the Dii Minores, or inferior divinities, his attendants, are placed in this solemn recess. "In the middle sat Quanwon himself, furnished with thirty-six hands; near him were placed sixteen images, above the common size of men, but much less than the idol; and these occupied a separate room, partitioned off, as it were, to themselves. On both sides, next to these, stood two rows of gilt idols, each with twenty hands. Afterwards were placed, in rows on each side, idols of the size of a man, quite close to each other, the number of which I could not reckon. The whole number of idols in this solemn recess of superstition, is said to be not

less than 33,333. Every system of idolatry is originally allegorical, and it seems, that, among the orientals, the magnitude and number of their idols are expressive of the greatness and infinite power of the Deity. Paganism, in its various modifications, exhibits a remarkable trait in the history of the human mind. The religious absurdities of the acute Orientals, as well as of the learned and philosophical Greeks, show the efforts as well as the defects of reason, when destitute of the guidance of revelation.

The constitution of Japan is an absolute hereditary monarchy. The provinces are governed by a number of hereditary princes, whose jealousy of each other's power, concurs, with domestic pledges, to retain them in subordination to one supreme monarch.

The laws of Japan are few, but rigidly and impartially enforced. Emigration is a capital offence. Parents, &c. are answerable for the offences of those whose education they ought to have superintended; and most crimes are punished with death; fines being considered as partiality to the rich. The brief code of Japanese laws is posted up in a convenient place in every town and village of the empire. The police is excellent, each town having a chief magistrate, and each street a commissary to watch over the public tranquillity; besides two inhabitants, who, in turn, patrole the streets every night in order to guard against fire.

From the best authorities, the standing army, maintained by the Japanese princes, is estimated at four hundred and sixty-eight thousand infantry and fifty-eight thousand cavalry.

The revenue raised by the different princes of Japan has been stated by Thunberg at about twenty-eight millions three hundred and forty thousand pounds sterling.

The chief foreign trade of Japan is with China, the exports consisting of copper, lacquered wares, &c. the imports are raw silk, sugar, and drugs, with various other articles. The interior commerce of the empire is very considerable. The harbours are crowded with coasting vessels, and the high roads with passengers, and goods. The shops are well stocked, and large fairs are held in different places.

The Japanese have excellent manufactures of iron and copper. In those of silk and cotton, they yield to none of the Oriental nations; and their lacquered wares excel every thing of the kind in any other part of the world. Their porcelain is also greatly esteemed. Their swords display extraordinary skill. They also make telescopes, and have several manufactures of glass, as well as of paper, which is prepared from the bark of a particular species of the mulberry tree. The Japanese manufacture every article necessary for the home consumption, and appear to have still less inclination to foreign connexion and commerce than the Chinese. Their ports are shut against all foreign vessels, except the Chinese and the Dutch; and neither of these are admitted, but under numerous and severe restrictions.

With the exception, perhaps, of China, Japan is the country in which population seems to have been carried to the greatest height. All accounts concur in representing the whole empire as crowded with inhabitants, of which fact, the extreme industry and economy exercised in providing the necessaries of life, is an additional proof. Agriculture is the great resource for maintaining these numbers, and in no country is it practised with equal attention. Not the least particle of what may serve for manure is suffered to be wasted, though the collection of it is no small annoyance to the senses. The land is every where tilled like a garden, and strangers are equally astonished and gratified with the view of terraces raised by means of walls, one above another, on the declivities of steep hills, presenting beds of all kinds of esculent vegetables, flourishing in situations, where nature has seemed to deny them even a place of growth.

In literature and science the Japanese yield to few of the Orientals. They are well versed in the history of their country. They study geometry, survey with tolerable accuracy, and construct maps with as much exactness as their imperfect instruments will permit. Astronomy is also cultivated; but has not arrived at any considerable degree of perfection. The Japanese consider domestic economy as an indispensable science, and make it an object of regular study. The art of

block printing has been long known among them, but they have not yet learned the use of moveable types. Miaco, the ecclesiastical capital and residence of the dairi or sovereign pontiff, is the centre of the Japanese literature.*

Education is said to be cond icted in Japan without the use of corporal chastisement; and courage is instilled by songs in praise of deceased heroes. Schools for reading and writing

are numerous.

The Japanese are of a middle size, seldom very corpulent, but well made, and active; with stout limbs, although their strength is not to be compared with that of the northern inhabitants of Europe. Their complexion is yellowish, inclining to brown, or white, as they are more or less exposed to the weather. The common people, being sun-burnt, are brown; the ladies of distinction, who seldom expose themselves to the sun or air, are perfectly white. The dress of both sexes, consists of trowsers and loose robes, or gowns of silk, or cotton, fastened by a girdle; the number being increased or diminished, according to the state of the weather. Their shoes are generally made of rice straw, and stockings are not used. Their food consists of fish, fowl, vegetables and fruits. Rice supplies the place of bread; and sacki or beer, made of that grain, is the common beverage. Wine and spirituous liquors are unknown; but the use of tea is universal, and that of tobacco very common. The houses of the Japanese are of wood, and never exceed the height of two stories. They have neither chairs, nor tables, but sit on straw

mats.

Polygamy is not allowed in Japan, as in other Oriental countries; but concubinage is general. Marriages are conducted by the parents or guardians; and the wife is under the absolute disposal of her busband; the law allowing her no claim, in case she incur his displeasure. The bodies of the distinguished dead are burned; those of the vulgar are buried. The same devotions are paid to the tombs of ances

* The Japanese are greatly attached to poetry, which, with mathematics, the history of the country, &c. are the principal objects of application. Music is also a favourite study. Thunberg, vol. iv. p. 6.

tor as in China. The Japanese have numerous and splendid festivals, games, and theatrical amusements. Dancing girls a e co mon, as in other Oriental countries. The national character of the Japanese is compounded of pride, prejudice, and jealousy of foreigners, joined to great ingenuity and determined courage.

EAST-INDIA ISLANDS.

To the south of all the countries of eastern Asia, above described, lies a numerous range of islands, some of them among the largest on the globe, and all filled with the richest and rarest products of the tropical regions. On a general survey, they appear like the wrecks of some former continent, equalling in mass some of the large portions, into which the main land of Asia is divided, and torn, by the sea, into a great variety of irregular shapes. Of these little is known, and that little falls more in the province of the Gazetteer, than of the historian. For the purpose of this work, it will suffice to notice the principal islands as distinguished by their size and commercial importance.

SUMATRA.

THIS great island, running nearly parallel to the Malayan coast, is cut into nearly two equal parts by the equator. It extends in a direction from north-west to south-east; to the length of 950 miles, by a breadth of about 200. The face of the country is, in general, uneven, a chain of mountains pervading its whole length.