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MEASURES OF TIME.

The Japanese have adopted the sexagenary cycle from the Chinese with its two component series, the ziyuni no shi, or twelve branches, and the shik-kan or ten stems, and combined them in the same manner. The twelve are applied to the same animals, hours, constellations, and points of compass; and the ten are distributed among the five elements as in China, as follows:

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The intercalation of the months in the luni-solar year is the same as in China, and new year falls on the same day. The twelve months have appellative names different from those known in China, which are used in writing as descriptive terms, like our month of Flowers, month of Showers, &c., and not as their common designations, as follows:

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The day commences at sunrise, and the night at sunset, each of which hours is called mutsu doki, or 6 o'clock. The names of the twelve hours, commencing at the hour of the rat, which answers to midnight, are reckoned thus:Midnight is kokonots, 2 A.M. is yats, 4 A.M. is nanats, Sunrise is mutsu doki, 8 A.M. is itsutsu, 10 A.M. is yots,

or 9th hour

or 8th hour

Noon is kokonots,
2 P.M. is yats,

or 9th hour.

or 8th hour.

or 7th hour

4 P.M. is nanats,

or 7th hour.

or 6th hour
or 5th hour

Sunset is mutsu doki,

or 6th hour.

8 P.M. is itsutsu,

or 5th hour.

or 4th hour

10 P.M. is yots,

or 4th hour.

Each of these hours is divided into eighths, and the notation of the intervals is done by adding words to the hour; as kokonots-han is 1 o'clock A.M.; kokonots-han-sugi is half-past one; yats-han-sugi-maye is a quarter past 3 A.M. Time in the daytime is denoted by the same terms. By this method of computation, the length of an hour in the day and night constantly varies.

The years are reckoned as in China, by the sexagenary cycle, and by the nengo or reign of the mikado. This custom was probably 年號 introduced from China with its name, by the 37th daïri Ko-toku ten-wo, about A.D. 645, and has ever since been retained. The Japanese sovereigns, like the Chinese emperors of the Han and Tang dynasties, still employ two, three, or more nengo, or styles during one reign, which renders the computation of time for a series of years more perplexing than in China, where the nien-háu now synchronizes with the entire reign. The people are in the habit, like the Siamese, therefore, of reckoning a series of years by the cycle, and by the animals which denote the duodecimal series. If it had not been for the existence of this sexagenary cycle, preserving the sequence of the years by their separate names, the chronology of the Chinese-language nations in Eastern Asia would have been thrown into utter confusion and rendered nearly worthless.

Section 5.

AMERICAN COMPACT WITH LEWCHEW.

DURING the American Expedition to Japan in 1853 and 1854, Commodore Perry visited Napa many times, and had much intercourse with the authorities of the Lewchewan islands. This group is peopled by a race that has imitated the civilization of the Chinese, but which has adopted the language of the Japanese. They were conquered by the prince of Satsuma about A.D. 1605, and their king carried captive to Japan for four years; he was allowed to return on consenting to be a vassal, and his kingdom a fief of his captor, who still requires the people to trade with his subjects at Kagosima in the south of Kiusiu. The islanders also acknowledge a partial fealty to the Chinese, who permit

them to send a junk to Fuhchau with envoys and presents for Peking, and an assortment of goods to trade; the Government and merchants maintain a factory at the former city. Japanese junks frequent the port of Napa, but no Chinese vessels or people now come to trade. The native authorities have always shown great reluctance to supply ships coming into the harbor with water or provisions, but whether it is owing to the restrictive policy of the Japanese resident at the court, or to their own fears lest their power be weakened by permitting too much freedom to their own people, is not clear. The islands supply enough for their population, and export coarse cottons, grasscloth, saki or rice-whiskey, and sugar, with some millet and other grains, to Japan and China.

After he had completed his negotiations with the Japanese, Commodore Perry and the native authorities of the islands agreed to certain stipulations contained in the following Compact, which will at least form a basis for the conduct of the two parties. The Lewchewans have so long maintained a seclusive policy, however, that practical experience of the good effects of more trade and intercourse, is the most likely way to induce them to relax in their laws; but there is very little produced in their country on which to base a trade. The prince of Satsuma collects a revenue from the poor islanders, who are greatly oppressed.

СОМРАСТ OF NAPA.

Hereafter, whenever citizens of the United States come to Lewchew, they shall be treated with great courtesy and friendship. Whatever articles these persons ask for, whether from the officers or people, which the country can furnish, shall be sold to them; nor shall the authorities interpose any prohibitory regulations to the people selling, and whatever either party may wish to buy, shall be exchanged at reasonable prices. Whenever ships of the United States shall come into any harbor in Lewchew, they shall be supplied with wood and water at reasonable prices; but if they wish to get other articles, they shall be purchasable only at Napa.

If ships of the United States are wrecked on Great Lewchew, or on islands under the jurisdiction of the royal Government of Lewchew, the local authorities shall dispatch persons to assist in saving life and property, and preserve what can be brought ashore, till the ships of that nation shall come to take away all that may have been saved; and the expenses incurred in rescuing these unfortunate persons shall be refunded by the nation they belong to.

Whenever persons from ships of the United States come ashore in Lewchew, they shall be at liberty to ramble where they please, without hindrance, or having officials sent to follow them, or to spy what they do; but if they violently go into houses, or trifle with women, or force people to sell them things, or do other such like illegal acts, they shall be arrested by the local officers, but not maltreated, and shall be reported to the captain of the ship to which they belong, for punishment by him.

At Tumai is a burial-ground for the citizens of the United States, where their graves and tombs shall not be molested.

The government of Lewchew shall appoint skillful pilots, who shall be on the lookout for ships appearing off the island, and if one is seen coming towards Napa, they shall go out in good boats beyond the reefs to conduct her in to a secure anchorage, for which service the captain shall pay the pilot five dollars; and the same for going out of the harbor beyond the reefs.

When ships anchor at Napa, the local authorities shall furnish them with wood at the rate of three thousand six hundred copper cash per thousand catties; and with water at the rate of six hundred copper cash, (43 cents) for one thousand catties, or six barrels full, each containing 30 American gallons.

Signed in the English and Chinese languages by Commodore MATTHEW C. PERRY, Commander-in-chief of the United States' Naval Forces in the East India, China, and Japan seas, and special envoy to Japan, for the United States; and by SHO FU-FING, Superintendent of Affairs (Tsu-li-kwan) in Lewchew, and BA RIO-SI, Treasurer of Lewchew at Shui, for the Government of Lewchew; and copies exchanged this 11th day of July, 1854, or the reign Hienfung, 4th year, 6th moon, 17th day, at the Town-hall of Napa.

The Mexican dollar is reckoned at 1440 Chinese cash, and is readily received. Gold is taken at par; both it and silver are much used in making hair-pins for the gentry, and a few other articles, and do not circulate as money.

Pigs, bullocks, poultry, coarse sugar, fish, eggs, greens, egg-plants, pulse, sweet potatoes, and rice, with water and wood, constitute the chief supplies which a ship can expect to get at Napa. The wateringplace is about a mile up Junk River, and beyond the town of Napa, on the left hand of the river, and is easily reached at high water in a longboat. No supplies can be bought in the markets of Napa, but they are furnished by official purveyors to such an extent as they see fit, and brought off to the vessel. The most eligible place for landing in rough weather is near Tumai, where the American Commodore had a coal dépot built, but in ordinary times a landing can be made near False Capstan Point; it is the nearest to Napa, and there is a small boat passage through the reefs just north of it. The people are shy towards foreigners, not because they are afraid of them so much as of their own oppressive officials, who may punish them for too open an intercourse. Since this Compact was signed, three or four ships have touched at Napa, whose wants have been supplied by the authorities to a limited

extent.

CHAPTER V.

MONEYS, WEIGHTS, &c., IN CHINA.

Section 1.

CHINESE CURRENCY.

THE absence of a national coinage in the precious metals among so commercial a people as the Chinese, is so singular an exception to the general usage, even of Asiatic nations, that one is led to inquire into the reasons for it; and his surprise is rather increased to find that the cause is to be found in the commercial freedom which has done so much to elevate the people. The Government on the one hand is not strong enough everywhere in its wide domain to punish those subjects who counterfeit its coin; and on the other hand, not honest enough itself to issue pieces of a uniform standard for a length of years, and thereby obtain the confidence of its subjects. It will not receive debased metal in payment of taxes, and it is not able to force tax-payers to take adulterated coin. The result has been that all parties have adopted a form of bullion that partakes of the nature of coin in the single point, that the pieces are of a known weight and purity; and yet which can be tested without much loss, and bears no effigy to authenticate its origin.

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SIZE AND SUPERSCRIPTION OF THE CHINESE CASH.

The only native coin, therefore, now in use throughout China is the tsien called cash by the English, and sapeque by the French, who derived it from the Portuguese word sapeca. It is circular, measuring between five-sixths and nine-tenths of an inch in diameter, and has a square hole in the middle for the convenience of stringing them. It is cast, and not stamped or minted; the obverse bears the name of the province in which it is cast in Manchu letters, on the right side of the square hole, and the word for on the left; on the reverse is the name of the reign (as Táukwáng, Hienfung, &c.,) in Chinese above and below the hole, with the addition of two characters tung páu, i.e. ‘current money,' on the right and the left of it. Copper coins of this shape were first cast about B.C. 1120, at the beginning of the Chau dynasty,

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