tribute-envoys were stopping along with them at Muko.[1] Hereupon, of a sudden, fire broke out in the Silla lodgings. It presently spread to the fleet of ships, so that many of them were burnt. In consequence of this, the Silla men were called to an account. The King of Silla, when he heard of it, was afraid, and, greatly alarmed, sent tribute of skilful workmen. They were the first ancestors of the Wina[2] Be. In the beginning, when the ship Karano was burnt as firewood for making salt, some was left over from the burning. It was thought strange that it did not burn, and it was accordingly presented to the Emperor. The Emperor wondered at it, and had it made into a koto, which had a ringing note, and could be heard afar off. Then the Emperor made a song, saying:—
(X. 19.) (The ship) Karano
Was burnt for salt:
Of the remainder
A koto was made.
When it is played on,
(One hears) the saya-saya[3]
Of the summer trees
Brushing against, as they stand,
The rocks of the mid-harbour—
The harbour of Yura.
A.D. 306. 37th year, Spring, 2nd month, 1st day. Achi no Omi and Tsuga no Omi[4] were sent to Wu,[5] to procure seamstresses. Now Achi no Omi and his companions crossed over to the Land of Koryö, and endeavoured to reach Wu. But on arriving at Koryö they knew not the road at all, and begged
- ↑ Hiōgo, or some place in the vicinity, is meant.
- ↑ A place in Settsu.
- ↑ Saya-saya is an onomatopoetic word for rustling, equivalent to the French frou-frou.
Yura is in Ahaji. Cf. Ch. K., 285. - ↑ They were Coreans. See above, p. 264.
- ↑ Wu 呉, called by the Japanese Go or Kure, was a Chinese dynasty, the last sovereign of which was deposed A.D. 280, long before the despatch of these envoys. We learn, however, from a note to the "Shukai" edition that this appellation was applied (perhaps popularly) to all the six dynasties established at Nanking or the neighbourhood from Wu to Chên inclusive, i.e. from A.D. 229 to 589. To this day a draper's shop is called in Japan a Go-fuku-ya, or "house for Go-clothing."
