as the safety of his ship. To this
end the dock was flooded, and pumps rigged on board in readiness for any
possible eventuality; for, though we were not in immediate contact with
the danger, yet it was so unpleasantly hot on our top-gallant
forecastle, and such quantities of sparks and lumps of burning wood were
so constantly lodging on our tarry ropes and rigging, that there was no
saying how soon we too might add to the general glare.

The means for putting out fires in Japan are, as everybody knows, of the
most simple and primitive kind. But simple and ineffective as their
method is, we were compelled to adopt it until there should be a
sufficiency of water in the dock to enable us to work our pumps. One
would have thought that in a Government yard like this the machinery for
pumping out the dock might have been utilized for such a purpose.
Possibly if fires were of less frequent occurrence amongst the Japanese
this plan might be considered.

After the ship had been attended to we next turned our attention to the
fire. From the first we saw it was useless to attempt its subjugation,
even had we the ordinary appliances at hand, so our efforts were mainly
directed to the prevention of its spreading to another shed standing
near, containing vitriol, and to the preservation of a stack of huge
balks of timber, adjoining the burning shed. We succeeded in the former,
but the timber proved too cumbrous to be interfered with, and it was not
until four o'clock in the morning that the fire was got under--or
rather, burnt itself out is, I suppose, the more correct expression.
After a good hour and half's delay a Japanese fire brigade arrived on
the scene. The appearance of this body of men was such that they claim a
few words of description. They were attired in tight-fitting blue
garments, and mushroom-shaped hats of bamboo, with each an umbrella over
his shoulder, the use of which will become apparent directly. Before the
cortege marched a man blowing a large conch, which emitted, not "the
murmur of the shell," but a much more ear-splitting music. Next to him
came a personage bearing the insignia--I suppose we must term it--of the
brigade. This affair reminded me of nothing at home so much as the stall
or stand of the itinerant vendor of boot and corset laces in our
streets, the laces in this case being represented by strips of gilded
leather, and surmounted by a ball, on which was traced a great character
in gold, signifyin