. Narrative of the Earl of Elgin's mission to China and Japan in the years 1857, '58, '59 . that the undertakingmust fall to the lot of some future explorer. It is to 220 MOUNTAIN PILGRIMS. the shrine of the sun-goddess, Ten-sio-dai-zin, thepatron divinity of Japan, and is situated at Isye, hersupposed birthplace. Another very favourite act of devotion, and onein which some en-terprising English-man will doubt-less, ere long, par-ticipate, is theascent of the cele-brated Fusi-yama,the MatchlessMountain, theMount Meru ofJapan. The ascentis said to occupythree days. Itsrugged sides arealways inh
. Narrative of the Earl of Elgin's mission to China and Japan in the years 1857, '58, '59 . that the undertakingmust fall to the lot of some future explorer. It is to 220 MOUNTAIN PILGRIMS. the shrine of the sun-goddess, Ten-sio-dai-zin, thepatron divinity of Japan, and is situated at Isye, hersupposed birthplace. Another very favourite act of devotion, and onein which some en-terprising English-man will doubt-less, ere long, par-ticipate, is theascent of the cele-brated Fusi-yama,the MatchlessMountain, theMount Meru ofJapan. The ascentis said to occupythree days. Itsrugged sides arealways inhabitedby a sect of moun-tain priests, called Jemmabos. Their daughters,according to Ksempfer, a beautiful race, are amongthe few beggars to be met with in the occupation is unhappily not confined to beg-ging, and their parents are supported on the con-tributions of the licentious, as well as on the alms ofthe pious. Another mendicant sect are the Fekis, an order ofthe blind, so named afj^er their founder, a rebel while Fusi-yama is regarded as an object of reli-. Pilliirns asceudiug a Mouutaia (from a native drawing.) JAPANESE WRESTLEES. 221 gious veneration, it is no less admired for its scenicbeauty, its striking form, great elevation, and volcaniccharacter, and has made a deep impression on the artis-tic mind of Japan. It forms the background of almostevery picture, and is a favourite device on lacquerand china ; sometimes covered with snow, at othersin a state of eruption, its appearance during thatterrific natural convulsion having been handed downby tradition. From an account given in the Chinese Eepository,it would appear that the last eruption took place in1707, on the night of the 23d day of the 11th moon,when two violent shocks of an earthquake werefelt. Mount Fusi opened, vomited flames, and hurledcinders to the distance of ten leagues. Next day theeruption ceased, but it was revived with greater vio-lence on the 25th and 26th. Enormous masse
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