Jeddo, the capital city, is situated in a bay on the south east side of the island of Nippon. As Europeans have little freedom here, no accurate idea can be formed of its extent. A large river runs through it. The empe ror's palace and its appendages compose of themselves a towt,. It may be included among metropolitan cities of the first class, in point of size. Miaco, the second city of the empire, stands inland about 160 miles south-west of Jeddo. It is the first commercial and manufacturing city in these dominions. Here is fixed the Dairi's palace and court, whence Miaco may be considered the seat of the arts and sciences. Its population has been rated at about 400,0:)0 souls, and that of the capital at half a million. do tot voucl-, for the accuracy of this computation. 'There are fruit 30 to 40 other cities, of which the great est part are flourishing, and of considerable extent.
The imperial palace, and edifices of the nobility, seem almost to rival in splendour those of China. The saloon of the hundred mats is 600 feet long by 300 broad. Cedar, camphor, and other precious woods, are employed in the pillars and ceilings.
The public roads are constructed and kept with great care. They are made very broad, with a ditch on each side to carry off the water; and are frequently bordered with hedges, which sometimes are formed of the tea-shrub. Posts are regularly erected to indicate the miles, which are all measured from the capital, and also to direct the traveller at every cross road. At the time when the prin ces of the country make their annual journey to the court, the roads are freed from every kind of dirt, sprinkled with water in hot weather, and sometimes even swept with brooms. In travelling on these roads, it is the rule for all who arc going towards the capital to keep to the left, and for those who move in an opposite direction to take the right ; or rather for each passenger to keep always to the side on his left hand. The roads are more easily preserv ed in so good a state, as no wheel-carriages are used in the country for travelling, except a few carts near the ca pital, which are confined to one side of the highway ; and the horses are commonly provided with straw covers to their feet, instead of iron shoes. The poorer class travel on foot, and others either on horseback or in palankeens. Several persons, and sometimes a whole family, are mount ed on one horse. In such cases, the man sits on the sad dle with his legs extended forwards on each side of the horse's neck, and the rest of the party art carried in bas kets on each side, while a person walks before to lead the animal. The palankeens, or Kangoes and Norimons, as
they arc called in Japan, are of various sizes ; but the bet ter kind are so large, that the traveller may lie down, or sit at his ease, on stuffed mattrasses and cushions. There are windows in the sides, and various conveniences within these vehicles. The pole by which they are carried passes along the roof, and is borne on the shoulders of the bearers, who generally keep time by a song, and travel at the rate of a league in the hour, or ten leagues in the day. NVhen any of the grandees is going to court through the streets of the capital, it is the fashion for his bearers to carry the pole aloft on their bands, and to move at the utmost speed in their power.
As we have no certain data on which to estimate the population of the Japanese, empire, we feel more at a loss on this branch of our subject than any other. Sonic hold China to be a fair standard of reference for Japan, and ac cordingly assign 30,000,000 as the proportionate amount. Others are content to rate the population at little more than half of this estimate ; yet, as all traVellers agree in stating that an overflowing population is seen moving about the streets and highways, we must reckon Japan one of the most populous countries, in proportion to the extent of surface, in the world. The same difficulty occurs in stating the military force of the kingdom. Some compute the army at 400,000 men, we know not how correctly. According to our ideas of a navy, the Japanese may be said to have none ! The arms of the military consists of' bows and arrows, scymitars and halberts. Their bows are large, and the arrows of great length ; and the soldier, in discharging them, places himself with one knee upon the ground. The scymitar is their chief weapon, and is worn by all except the peasantry. The blade is about a yard in length, and slightly curved ; so excellently tempered, that they are said to cut a large iron nail asunder, mithout their edge being turned, and are considered by the Japa nese as the most valuable part of their property. They make little use of fire-arms, and the few muskets seen in the contraily appear to be chiefly employed in salutes. Of military tactics they are entirely ignorant ; but courage, fortitude, and love of their country, have hitherto sufficed to preserve their independence, and to repel more than one foreign invasion of their territories.