was taken also to the same temple. The priests again sold it; and half a year later, the same garment was brought to the temple on the coffin of a third girl. The priests were struck with fear and amazement, and resolved to burn the fatal dress. And so they lit a bonfire into which they threw it; and as the flames flew up, a sudden wind arose and carried the burning garment aloft against the main hall of the temple, which instantly caught fire. The flames spread over the whole temple and thence into the street. For a day and a night the fire raged furiously, and only stopped for want of fuel when it came over the Sumida to the furthest end of the city. The fire became known after the mysterious long-sleeved garment that had caused it. Notwithstanding this tradition, there was really nothing in the circumstances of the fire noteworthy beyond its magnitude. For three months there had been neither rain nor snow; the wells had dried up and the houses were cracking from want of moisture. On the day of the fire, a violent north-west wind arose and spread the flames in a short time over the parched houses. The fire leapt over the River Sumida, and only stopped when it came to the end of the city after a course of three and a half miles. Next morning, another fire broke out half a mile to the west of Hommyoji, and the strong wind which had become more northerly carried it for four miles to the edge of the River Sumida; and in the afternoon a third conflagration with the gale still more northerly cleared three miles of houses. The shogun’s palace was reduced to ashes. The city prison was thrown open and prisoners were released on condition they returned after the fire; but when the warder of one of the city-gates saw them coming, he closed the portals to intercept them as he thought they had broken prison. The ordinary people as well as the prisoners were thus cut off from escape when the fire was closely pursuing them, and thousands upon thousands were burnt or crushed to death. Over a hundred thousand were reported to have
