Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
IntheensuingconversationtheShogun'swordsweredirectedtothePresidentoftheCoun-
cilofState,whorepeatedthemtotheinterpreter,fortransmissiontothevisitors.Kaempfer
remarks:
I fancy that the words, as they flow out of the Emperor's mouth are esteemed too
precious and sacred for an immediate transit into the mouth of persons of low rank.
Afterinterrogationabouttheoutsideworldandonmedicalmatters,theforeignerswere
ordered by the Shogun to
takeoffourCappa,orCloak,beingourgarmentofceremony,thentostandupright,
that he might have a full view of us; again to walk, to stand still, to compliment
each other, to dance, to jump, to play the drunkard, to speak broken Japanese, to
read Dutch, to paint, to sing, to put our cloaks on and off. Mean while we obeyed
the Emperor's commands in the best manner we could, I joined to my dance a
love-song in High German. In this manner, and with innumerable such other apish
tricks, we must suffer ourselves to contribute to the Emperor's and the Court's di-
version....Having been thus exercised for a matter of two hours, though with great
apparentcivility,someservantscameinandputbeforeeachofusasmalltablewith
Japanesevictuals,andacoupleofIvorysticks,insteadofknivesandforks.Wetook
and eat some little things, and our old chief Interpreter, though scarce able to walk,
was commanded to carry away the remainder for himself.
