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68
Nihongi.

ya Chhă-chyu, Tök-sol of the Higher Division, the Hah-sol, Nyé-se-ton, and others to ask for troops.

15th day. The Pèkché Envoys, Mok-hyöp-keum-ton, Tök-sol of the Middle Division, and Kahachi Be no Asăpita took their departure.

Summer, 5th month, 7th day. The following report was received from the province of Kahachi:—"From within the sea at Chinu, in the district of Idzumi, there is heard a voice of Buddhist chants, which re-echoes like the sound of thunder, and a glory shines like the radiance of the sun." In his heart the Emperor wondered at this, and sent Unate[1] no Atahe [here we have only Atahe, and the personal name is not given, probably owing to the error of some copyist] to go upon the sea and investigate the matter.

This month Unate no Atahe went upon the sea, and the result was that he discovered a log of camphor-wood shining brightly as it floated on the surface. At length he took it, and presented it to the Emperor, who gave orders to an artist to make of it two images of Buddha. These are the radiant camphor-wood images now in the Temple of Yoshino.

6th month. Uchi no Omi [the personal name not given] was sent on a mission to Pèkché with a present of two good horses, two travelling barges, fifty bows, fifty sets[2] of arrows, and an Imperial message, saying:—"As to the troops asked for by the King, his wishes shall be complied with." A separate (XIX. 38.) Imperial order was given, saying:—"The men learned in Medicine, in Divination,[3] and in the calendar,[4] have to take it in turn to come up (to the Japanese Court) and to go down. The year and month having just now come for the above classes of men to be relieved, let them be sent with the Envoy on his return, so that they may be mutually exchanged. Let Us also be furnished with books of divination, calendars, and drugs of various kinds."

Autumn, 7th month, 4th day. The Emperor visited the Palace of Magari in Kusunoki.

By order of the Emperor, Soga no Oho-omi, Iname no

  1. Or Misobe.
  2. See above, p. 64.
  3. By the "Yih-King," or Book of Changes.
  4. The first mention of calendars in the "Nihongi."