ecause litters take a whole day to traverse it,
and meet with only one village during the journey. It is perhaps
fifteen miles across. The city of Yedo was usually set down by
Europeans as containing 1,000,000 inhabitants; but Golownin was
informed, that it had in its principal streets 280,000 houses, each
containing from 30 to 40 persons; besides all the small houses and
huts. This would give in the whole a population of above 10,000,000
souls--about a fourth part of the estimated population of this
country! The incorporated society of the blind alone is affirmed to
include 36,000.

The country, though lying under the same latitudes as Spain and Italy,
is yet very different from them in climate. At Matsmai, for instance,
which is on the same parallel as Leghorn, snow falls as abundantly as
at St Petersburg, and lies in the valleys from November till April.
Severe frost is uncommon, but cold fogs are exceedingly prevalent. The
climate, however, is uncommonly diversified, and consequently so are
the productions, exhibiting in some places the vegetation of the
frigid zone, and in others that of the tropics.

Rice is the staple production of the soil. It is nearly the only
article used instead of bread, and the only one from which strong
liquor is distilled, while its straw serves for many domestic
purposes. Besides the radishes already mentioned, there is an
extensive cultivation of various other esculent roots and vegetables.
There is no coast without fisheries, and there is no marine animal
that is not used for food, save those which are absolutely poisonous.
But an uncommonly small quantity suffices for each individual. If a
Japanese has a handful of rice and a single mouthful of fish, he makes
a savoury dish with roots, herbs, or mollusca, and it suffices for a
day's support.

Japan produces both black and green tea; the former is very inferior,
and used only for quenching thirst; whereas the latter is esteemed a
luxury, and is presented to company. The best grows in the
principality of Kioto, where it is carefully cultivated for the use
both of the temporal and spiritual courts. Tobacco, which was first
introduced by the European missionaries, has spread astonishingly,
and is so well manufactured, that our author smoked it with a relish
he had never felt for a Havana cigar. The Japanese smokes continually,
and sips tea with his pipe, even rising for it during the night.

All articles of clothing are made of silk