306

HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

The planks, and various pieces of carpentry, are fastened together at the jointsand extremities by bolts and bands of copper. The prow is ornamented with a knotor tassel of long black strings, and when persons of quality arc on board, their cabinsare adorned with hangings, on whicht heir arms are embroidered. The latter cir-cumstance, as is the custom on board thegallies of the Cochin-Chinese, is denotedby the splendor of the helm, on one side of which is fixed the pike, or a badgeof authority ; on the other, as in ordinary vessels, is a vane for the assistance of thepilot. In those of small dimensions, as soon as tire anchor is let go, the rudder istaken out, and made use of as a bridge, over which the crew pass to the shore,through the large opening in the stern already mentioned *.

It would be unfair, however, to close this account of Japanese shipping with-out observing, that not only its improvement is crippled, but even the obviousinconvenience attending the large aperture in the stern, is actually forced uponit by an express and penal law of the state. Previous to the revolution whichtook place in 1517, the empire possessed large fleets of vessels fitted for war, ofconsiderable bulk, built in the Chinese manner, and well adapted to the naviga-tion even of those tempestuous seas. At this time, also, the Japanese had merchantvessels of great burthen, which traded as far as Tong-King, in China, Siam,Bengal, and other parts of India. But, under the new government, die shipsof war have been laid up or destroyed; and those of the merchants are not onlyreduced in number and size, but built designedly in such a manner as to renderthem unfit for proceeding far to sea : so that, excepting those which are privatelyand unlawfully employed, there are none capable of making a longer voyagethan to the opposite coast of China, to Korea, or to Jetzo. The only commercewhich die government views with real complacency, is the domestic trade.carried on between the several islands which compose the empire. Thus though

one at tlie bow. Each oar has a small socket that receives an iron pivot, fixed on a piece of woodprojected for that purpose from the gun-wale. Several men are employed to move cacii of theselarge oars, which are never taken out of the water, but are made to perforin beneath its surface a kindvibratory motion, displacing the water first with one edge, and afterwards with the other. Thislabour the men seem to undergo with pleasure, keeping time with their strokes to a spirited air, sungby the master, and accompanied in the chorus by all the men. The same air is sung on board everyvessel in the river. On a still moon-light night, this cheerful air, re-echoed from a hundred differentvessels, gliding in different directions through tire water, conveyed a pleasing idea of tlie contenteddisposition of this labourious class, being entirely on that etement, and forming no incorokleiableportion of the general population.” Vol. II. p. 4<>.

* See Kempfer’s History of Japan.-

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