even in spite of a large portion having been destroyed by the
disastrous fire of 1864. The gates are splendidly ornamented, with
carved chrysanthemum flowers. The centre temple is very fine, and is
surrounded by smaller rooms, all decorated by the best Japanese
artists of about two hundred years ago. Notice had been sent that the
English Minister was coming with a party of friends, and everything
had accordingly been prepared for our reception. In some places they
had even put down carpets, to obviate the necessity of our having to
take off our boots. The Abbot was out, which I much regretted, for he
belongs to the Montos, the most advanced sect of Buddhism, and has
more than once remarked to English visitors that he thought their own
principles were so enlightened that they were paving the way for a
higher form of religion, in the shape of Christianity--rather a
startling confession to come from the lips of a Buddhist priest.

After spending a long time among the paintings, wood-carvings,
lacquers, bronzes, and gardens, we left the temple, and crossed
several court-yards, before the main street was reached. Then, after a
short walk, we came to another beautiful garden, laid out like a
miniature park, with lakes, bridges, rocks, streams, canals,
pavilions, &c. All these surround a house built by the celebrated
Tycoon, Tako Sama, in the fifteenth century. Here, again, everything
was prepared for our reception. Fires were lighted, flowers arranged,
carpets laid down, and fruit and cakes placed in readiness, with
_hibatchis_ to warm each and all of us. We went all over the house,
which differs little from a Japanese house of the present day, except
that a higher style of art was employed in its construction and
decoration.

From here we went to quite another quarter of the city to see what was
formerly the Tycoon's palace, now used as a sort of police office. It
is built on the same plan of three enclosures as all the _yashgis_,
though on a very different scale from the one at Tokio. There, the
Tycoon reigns in undisturbed sovereignty. Here, he appears as a humble
servant of his rightful master--really his prisoner. The late Tycoon,
after the last battle, fought at this place, fled to his castle at
Osaka, where, though he might have held out for an indefinite period,
he preferred to surrender. Two of his Ministers came to him and
represented that he must not only think of himself, but of the party
who supported the Shogu