1690. some physick, order'd him by a Japanese Physitian. Of another Ship, which stranded upon the same Coasts, only three black Sailors were saved, which could not pronounce one distinct word, besides that of Tobacco; after having lain for sometime in prison, they were deliver'd to us, to be transported on board our Ships. Another Ship was brought to Nagasaki, which had been forc'd upon the Northern Coasts of Japan, without any body on board. The odd uncommon structure of this vessel, and the remains of three Chinese Characters upon the stern, made the Japanese conjecture, that it came from the extremities of Jeso. Not long ago another Ship perish'd upon the Coasts of the Island Riuku, and only two of the company were sav'd, which were brought first to Satzuma, and from thence to Nagasaki, with a convoy of eight barges, which must have put the Prince of Satzuma at the expence of some thousand Rixdollars. They were well shap'd comely persons, and had their heads shav'd much after the manner of the Polanders, no beards, and three holes in each Ear. They shew'd by their decent and civil behaviour, and free, but modest, appearance, a tolerable education, and a good clear understanding, by endeavouring to give the Japanese some notions of the number, situation and largeness of the Islands, from whence they came, which they did by putting stones of different sizes upon a Table, calling each by its name; among the rest, that Island, where they liv'd themselves, was by them call'd Patan. We had reason to apprehend, that the good understanding and quick apprehension they shew'd, when under examination, would be the occasion of their imprisonment for life at Nangasaki. If we believe the Japanese, there is another unknown nation, and very different from theirs, as to their customs, shape and Pygmey language, which inhabits the Island Kubitesima, one of the Island. most Northern Islands belonging to Japan. They describe them as Pygmies, and from thence call the whole Island the Pygmey-Island. What extraction they be of, and how they came to inhabit this Island, I will leave to themselves to determine. I will only add on this head, that the first European Ship, which came into Japan, was a Portugueze Merchant-ship, forc'd thither accidentally in a storm. 1690. Shape and Complexion. Upon the whole, the wide difference which is still The Japanese observ'd between the Japanese Inhabitants of several differ in Provinces, as to their shape, seems to argue strongly, that from time to time, different and new branches were grafted into the original Tree of this Nation. For although the Japanese in the main, particularly the common People of Nipon, be of a very ugly appearance, short siz'd, strong, thick-legg'd, tawny, with flattish noses, and thick eye-lids, (tho' the eyes stand not so deep in the forehead, as in the Chinese,) yet the descendants of the eldest and noblest families, of the Princes and Lords of the Empire, have somewhat more majestick in their shape and countenance, being more like the Europeans. The Inhabitants of the Provinces Satzuma, Oosijmi, and Fiuga, are of a middlesize, strong, couragious, and manly, otherwise civil and polite. The same is observ'd of the Inhabitants of some of the Northern Provinces in the great Island Nipon, excepting those of the great Province Osju, who are said to be beyond others cruel and unmerciful. The Inhabitants of some Provinces of Saikokf, particularly of Fisen, are short, slender, but well shap'd, of a good handsome appearance, and extreamly polite. The Inhabitants of the great Island Nipon, particularly of its Eastern Provinces, are known from others by their big heads, flat noses, and musculous fleshy complexion. Now to close this Chapter, and to sum up in a few words, what hath been therein largely dwelt on, it appears; that in the first Ages of the World, not long after the Deluge, when the confusion of languages at Babel oblig'd the Babylonians to drop their design of building a Tower of uncommon height, and occasion'd their being dispers'd all over the World, when the Greeks, Goths and Slavonians departed for Europe, others for Asia and Africa, others for America, that then the Japanese also set out on their Journey: That in all probability after many years travel 1690. The Japanese trace their Origine from their Deities. ling, and many incommodities endur'd, they alighted at this remote part of the World; that, being well pleas'd with its situation and fruitfulness, they resolv'd to chuse it for the place of their abode; that in all likelihood they spent many Centuries in a polyarchical way of Life, such as is led to this day by the Tartars, living in hoords, and wandering with their Cattle and Families up and down the Country; that being insensibly, and by degrees, grown to be a numerous and powerful Nation, they thought it expedient for the good of the Country, and for their own safety, to deliver up the Government into the hands of one Prince, and chuse for their first Monarch the valiant Dsin Mu Ten Oo; that consequently they are an original Nation, no ways indebted to the Chinese for their descent and existence, and that, tho' they receiv'd from them several useful Arts and Sciences, as the Latins did from the Greeks, yet they were never made subject, and conquer'd, neither by them, nor by any other neighbouring Nation. Chap. VII. Of the Origine of the Japanese, according to their own fabulous Opinion. He Japanese fancy themselves highly affronted by the endeavours of some, who busy themselves to draw the original descent of their Nation from the Chinese, or others of their Neighbours. They pretend, that they arose within the compass of their own Empire, tho' not out of the Earth, like Mice and Worms, as the proud Athenians, for that same reason, were upbraided with, by that Cynic Diogenes. They claim a birth much higher and nobler, and esteem themselves no less than Offsprings of their very Deities, whom otherwise they don't look upon as eternal, but suppose, that in the first motion of the Chaos, out of which all things were form'd, their Gods also were 1690. brought forth by its invisible Power. They have two differing Genealogies of their Deities. The first is a of which succession of Celestial Spirits, of Beings absolutely free there are two from all manner of mixture with corporeal Substances, Successions. who rul'd the Japanese World during an undetermin'd and incomprehensible Series of Centuries. The second is a race of Terrestrial Spirits, or Godmen, who were not possess'd of that pure Being peculiar only to their Predecessors. They govern'd the Japanese Empire by a lineal succession, each a long, but limited, number of years, till at last they begot that third race of Men, which Japan is now inhabited by, and who have nothing left of the purity and perfections of their divine Progenitors. It will not be amiss, as a further proof of what I advance, here to insert the names of these two successions of Deities, taken out of their own Writings. The names of The first Sucthe first succession are purely metaphorical, and the only cession of their thing mention'd of it in their Historical Books, for there is no account given, neither of their Lives and Actions, nor of their Government. They succeeded each other in the following Order. Ten d Sin Sitzi Dai, that is, the Succession of the seven great Spiritual Gods. 1. Kuni toko Dat sij no Mikotto. These three Gods had no Wives; but the four following of the same Succession were married, and begot each his Successor by his Wife, tho' in a manner far beyond the reach of human understanding. These were, 4. Utsij Nino Mikotto, and his Wife Sufitsi Nino Mikotto. 5. Oo Tono Tsino Mikotto, 6. Oo mo Tarno Mikotto, 7. Isanagi no Mikotto, Oo Toma fe no Mi kotto. Oo si Wote no Mi kotto. Isanami no Mikotto. Deities. 1690. Second Succes men. These seven Gods are by them represented as Beings purely Spiritual, and the Histories of their Lives and Governments as Dreams. The real existence of such a time, when such spiritual Beings governed the Japanese World, is what they religiously believe, tho' at the same time they own, that it is far above their understanding to conceive how it happen'd, and entirely out of their power to determine how long their Government lasted. The last of the first succession Isanagi Mikotto, and his sion of God- Wife Isanami Mikotto, are held in peculiar veneration by the Japanese, as being the progenitors of the second succession of God-men, of whom issued the third race of the now existing Inhabitants of Nipon. (Mikotto is an Epithet peculiar only to the first succession of Spiritual Gods, and signifies the incomprehensible bliss and happiness of these first Monarchs of Japan: Sometimes however they will bestow it on such of the inferior Gods, for whom they have a peculiar veneration.) Those of the Japanese, who turn'd Christians, call'd them their Adam and Eve. They are said to have liv'd in the province Isje, though it is not known in what particular part of that Province they were born, liv'd or died. They observe only, that this preadamitical Adam, (if I may have leave thus to call him) was the first, who, taught by the Example of the Bird Sekire, or according to the vulgar, Isitataki, lay with his Wife in a carnal manner and begot by her sons and daughters of a nature excellent indeed, and far superior to ours, but greatly below that of the divine Beings, of which they sprung. Isanami's first-born Son, and the first of the second succession of God-men, is supposed by the very law of primogeniture, to have been entitled to a superiority over his Brothers and Sisters, upon which, and a lineal descent from him, is grounded the right, the Dairi's or Ecclesiastical Hereditary Emperor's eldest Sons claim to the Crown of Japan, upon their Father's demise. This second Succession is call'd, How begot. They are five in Number. Dsi Sin Go Dai; that is, the Succession of five Terrestrial Gods, or God-men, who are 1 |