to private property, the father transmitting to his
children not only the patrimonial estate, but all the acquisitions of
his own industry; and this is certainly a powerful prevention of any
desire of change. Though the emperor resides at Jeddo, thirty days
journey from Naugasaki, yet he receives intelligence in the space
of three days, of the number and force of every ship that arrives,
conveyed by a chain of signal-posts, by means of flags and fire
beacons.

The forms observed in business are wonderfully exact, and the edicts
and orders of the emperor are signified in most expressive and
dignified terms, containing very little of the bombast and swelling
style so common among oriental courts. Yet, amid all their good sense
and quick parts, the religion of the Japanese is the idlest and most
ridiculous paganism that can well be imagined, of which the following
is a sufficient proof. Every family has a tutelary deity or idol,
which is placed at the top of the house, and instructed to keep off
all sickness, misfortunes, or accidents: And when any such happen, the
idol is taken down and whipt, for not doing its duty. _Amida_ is
the name of their favourite god, his residence in heaven is at a
prodigious distance, insomuch that it requires three years journey
of a departed soul to reach paradise, which is only the outskirts or
suburbs of heaven; but when once there, the soul is sure of getting
to heaven, and enjoys a quiet residence in that place, as none of
the fiends dare come there to give annoyance. They have several other
gods, to all of whom they are particularly attached devotees; and each
god has his own particular paradise, none nearer this world than three
years journey. On purpose to gain an easy passage to these paradises,
some of the zealots cut their own throats, and others hang themselves.
Their idols are often carried in procession on horseback, attended
by bands of music; and many feasts and sacrifices are made in their
honour, the idols being fed on the smoke and flavour, while the
votaries regale on the substantial meats.[1]

[Footnote 1: Harris here subjoins a long enquiry into the nature of
the Dutch commerce in Japan, in the form of answers to a number of
queries on the subject: But as we shall have an opportunity, in
a subsequent division of this work, to give much more ample and
satisfactory accounts of these matters, by actual travellers in Japan,
this has been omitted, as tedious and unsatisfact