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Nihongi.

wanting in feeling, and not to be distinguished from birds and beasts.

23rd day. Ripe rice was seen.

24th day. Kyoki removed with his wife and children to the house in Ohowi in Kudara, and sent people to bury his child in Ishikaha.[1]

6th month, 16th day. Fine rain fell.

6th month. There was a great drought.

Autumn, 7th month, 9th day. A guest-star entered the moon.[2]

22nd day. The Pèkché Envoys, the Tè-sa-phyöng, Chichyök, and his colleagues were entertained at Court.

One writing has:—"The Tè-sa-phyöng, Chichyök, and his son the Tal-sol—the name is wanting—the Eun-sol Kun-syön."

Therewith stout fellows were commanded to wrestle before Kyoki, Chichyök and the others. When the banquet was over, they retired and went to pay their respects at Kyoki's gate.

(XXIV. 5.) 23rd day. The pages of Iruka, Soga no Omi, caught a white sparrow.[3] On the same day at the same time there was a man who put a white sparrow (or sparrows) into a cage and sent it as a present to Soga no Omi.

25th day. The Ministers conversed with one another, saying:—"In accordance with the teachings of the village hafuri, there have been in some places horses and cattle killed as a sacrifice to the Gods of the various (Shintō) shrines, in others frequent changes of the market-places,[4] or prayers to the River-

  1. Name of a district in Kahachi.
  2. This is evidently what we call the "occultation" of a star.
  3. A lucky omen.
  4. This is an old custom in China. A Chinese book, 廣州記, says that in a certain village there is a pond. At this pond there is a stone cow. In years of drought, the peasants kill a cow and, mixing its blood with mud, smear it on the back of the stone cow, with prayers.

    The "Kogojiui," an ancient Japanese book, speaks of sacrifices of oxen to the Ohotsuchi (great-earth) nushi (master) no Kami. The flesh was eaten by the peasants.

    The practice of changing the market-place as a means of averting drought is also an old Chinese custom. The present custom of closing the city gates of Söul, the capital of Corea, to put a stop to excessive rain, may be compared with it.

    A modern commentator denounces both these customs (sacrifice of animals and changing the market-place) as contrary to the spirit of Shintoism.