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of red coral in the end, passing through their rich raven hair. They use
powder about their necks and shoulders pretty freely, and sometimes colour the
under lip a deep carmine, or even gold, a process which does not add to their
personal attractions. They wear no linen; a very thin chemise of silk crepe,
in addition to the loose outer garment, is all [104]their covering. But it
must be remembered that the great aim of this people seems to be simplicity,
therefore we wont too minutely scrutinize their deficiencies of costume; there
is much to be said in its favour, it is neither immodest nor suggestive. The
feet are clothed in a short sock, with a division at the great toe for the
passage of the sandal strap. These sandals or clogs are the most ungainly
articles in their wardrobe. A simple lump of wood, the length and breadth of
the foot, about two or three inches in altitude, and lacquered at the sides,
is their substitute for our boot. Their walk is a shuffling gait, the knee
bent and always in advance of the body.
The married women have a curious custom now fast dying out of blacking their
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teeth and plucking out their eye-brows to prevent, as their husbands say,
other men casting "sheep's eyes" at them.
The males of the coolie class are very scantily clad, for all that they wear
is the narrowest possible fold of linen around the loins; but, as if to
compensate for this scarcity of rigging, they are frequently most elaborately
tattooed from head to foot.
A Japanese husband does not make a slave of his wife, as is too often the case
amongst orientals; she is allowed perfect liberty of action, and to indulge
her fancy in innocent pleasures to an unlimited extent. Her lord is not
ashamed to be seen walking beside her, nor does he think it too much beneath
him to fondle and carry the baby in public. They are excessively fond of their
children; the hundreds of toy shops and confection stalls about the streets
bearing testimony to this.
The old custom of dressing the hair, which some of [105]the men still affect,
is rather peculiar. A broad gutter is shaved from the crown of the head
forward, whilst the remaining hair, which is permitted to grow long, is
gathered and combed upwards, where the ends are tied, marled down, and served
over (as we should say in nautical phraseology) and brought forward over the
shaven gangway.
One other custom I must mention, the strangest one of all: they have a
legalized form of that vice which, in other countries, by tacit consent, is
banned, but which even the most refined people must tolerate. But what makes
it more strange still is, that no inconsiderable portion of the public revenue
is derived from this source. The government sets aside a certain quarter in
every city and town for its accommodation, gives it a distinct and
characteristic name, and appoints officers over it for the collection of the
revenues. I thought it not a little significant on landing for the first time
in Japan to find myself and "rick-sha" wheeled, by the accommodating coolie,
right into the heart of this quarter. The advances of the fair sex are likely
to prove embarrassing to the stranger, for, before they are married, they are
at liberty to do as they please, and do not, by such acts, lose caste or
forfeit the respect of their friends and neighbours.
Here, as in the Indian Seas, our laundresses are men, the cleanest and
quickest washers we have encountered in the voyage. As an instance of their
despatch, they will take your bedding ashore in the morning, and by tea-time
you will receive it ready for turning in, the blanket washed and dried, the
hair teazed and made so soft that you would scarcely fancy it was the same old
"doss" again.
[106] Though the women do not wash our clothes, they do what is far harder
work, i.e. coal our ship. We were surprised, beyond measure, to see women
toiling away at this dirty, laborious calling. And the Japanese women are such
little creatures, too! There was, however, one exception, a woman of herculean
strength and limb, looking like a giantess amongst her puny sisters, and fully
conscious of her superior muscular power. This lady, stripped to the waist as
she was, would, I am sure, intimidate the boldest mariner from a too close
acquaintance with her embrace. They belong to the coolie class, a distinct
caste in Japan, wear a distinguishing badge on their clothing, form a
community amongst themselves, and rarely marry out of their own calling.
At noon these grimy Hebes, Hercules as well, all tripped on board to dine, the
upper battery offering them all the accommodation they required; each carried
with her a little lacquered box, with three sliding drawers, in which was
neatly and cleanly stowed her dinner rice, fish, and vegetables; taking out [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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