File:Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China seas and Japan (1857) (14597931630).jpg

Identifier: narrativeofexped05perr (find matches)
Title: Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China seas and Japan
Year: 1857 (1850s)
Authors: Perry, Matthew Calbraith, 1794-1858 Hawks, Francis L. (Francis Lister), 1798-1866
Subjects: United States Naval Expedition to Japan (1852-1854)
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company (etc., etc.)
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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of the depart-ed, or to inculcate the shortness of life and the vanity of this world; one ofthe latter, when translated, read thus : What permanency is there to the glory of the world ?It goes from the sight like hoar-frost hefore the sun.If men wish to enter the joys of heavenly lightLet them smell a little of the fragrance of Buddhas canons. Another was this: Whoever wishes to have his merit reach even to theabode of the demons, let him with us, and all living, become perfect in thedoctrine. And again: The wise will make our halls illustrious and themonuments endure for long ages. To them all was added a significanthint, that these hopes and aspirations were to be secured in their objects bythe prompt payment of the contributions levied on the living. At Yoku-hama, in addition to these various Ja.panese inscriptions, there were boardsupon which were written charms in the Thibetan or complicated Chinese char-acters, the purport of which the writers themselves do not profess to under-
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SIMODA TEMPLES AND SHRINES. 473 stand, but all appeared to believe they were effectual in warding off malig-nant demons from disturbing the dead. The nine Buddhist temples are all situated in the suburbs, back of thetown; and on the acclivities or summits of the hills, which bound them inthe rear, there are shrines and pavilions erected within groves of trees, whichare approached by flights of stone steps. In the interior of these pavilionsand shrines are rude images, or merely inscriptions, dedicated to the tutelarydeities of the spot. Their purpose is to afford facility to those living near,or to the passer by, of appeasing and imploring the good and evil spiritswhich are supposed to frequent the neighborhood. At the door and beforethe shrines there are always bits of paper, some rags, copper cash, bouquetsof flowers and other articles, which have been placed there as propitiatoryofferings by different devotees. ^ The Rio-shen-zhi, the largest of the nine Buddhist temples, was set a

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