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was the jealous reception which Dr. Kaempfer met with at Nagasaki from the laboriously-trifling Japanese of those days: such were the humiliations to which the Dutch Trading Company was willing to submit. (p.p. 56–58.)
The 4th Chapter of this 1st Book is devoted to a general geographical account of Japan. The land known to Europeans under that word has for its natives several names—the most common Nipon, sometimes pronounced Nifon—the foundation of the Sun, from Ni, Fire (in a more sublime sense, the Sun,) and pon ground or foundation. Other names are (1) Tenka (Subcelestial Empire), (2) Fi no Motto (Root of the Sun), (3) Awadsissima (a terrestrial scum island (p. 59) to which term a fable is attached), (4) Dsinkokf or Cami no Kuni (the country of the gods), (5) Akitsima, (6) Tontsio (the true morning), (7) Sio (all i. e. all the Japanese islands), Jamotto and several others.
This Empire lies “between the 31st and 42nd degrees northern Latitude. The Jesuits place it between 157° and 157″ 30′ of Longitude. It extends to N. E. and E. N. E., being irregularly broad, tho’ pretty narrow in comparison with its length, which is supposed to be two hundred German miles (English miles?) in a straight line from the end of Fisen to the extremity of Osiu. It may, says Kaempfer, in different respects be compared to Great Britain and Ireland, being divided by corners and forelands, arms of the sea, great bays and inlets, and forming several islands, peninsulas, gulfs and harbours.”
So far, I think Dr. Kaempfer’s description will be recognized to-day as being an accurate one, but by the light of modern enquiry I am enabled, on the authority of Mr. Satow, to correct Dr. Kaempfer’s next assertion, in which he states that the first and largest island of Japan is called Nipon—that name being, as I am told, only applicable to the entire empire. “The 2nd island is Suikokf, the Western country. It is also called Kiusiu or the country of nine, being divided into nine provinces. The third island lies between the first and second. It is
