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Any one can convince himself of their ardent devotion to the sport by taking a walk through Yedo in the month of January. Yedo is called ‘a handsome city of park-like appearance, with a population of 1,500,000 inhabitants.’ Yedo can never have corresponded to such a description, even in its most flourishing days, and there is no reason to suppose that its population ever exceeded a million or twelve hundred thousand at the outside. A “colossal idol” is spoken of as still existing at ‘Miyako,’ by which the great bronze Buddha coined into ‘cash’ in the 17th century is evidently intended.
The rectification of these misstatements does not properly come within the scope of my paper, in which I profess to speak only of the physical geography of Japan, but so much that is erroneous has been written about this country that no opportunity should he lost of correcting mistakes or inaccuracies of whatever kind even when they appear in a mere school hook. A great deal has yet to he done to complete our knowledge of these islands, which is at present limited to the information which we can gain from native books and maps, from our own incomplete surveys of the coast, and from the notes of the few travellers who have passed along the high-roads of the interior.
The authorities for the statements in this paper are the following books:—
- Yochi Shiriaku.—Epitome of Universal Geography.
- Shokoku meigi kô.—Derivations of the Names of the Provinces.
- Kokugun kungi.—Meanings of the (names) of Provinces and Departments.
- Kôchô Enkaku dzukai.—Historical Atlas of Japan.
- Kiso Meisho-dzuyé.—Guide to the Nakasendô.
- Toné guwa Dzushi.—History of the Toné gawa.
- Chiuzan Denshin-roku.—Account of Loochoo.
- Zôho Nihon Shiwoji no ki.—Japan Pilot. And the following maps:—
