. Peter Parley's tales about Asia : with a map and numerous engravings. n Japan? What can you tell of the Japanese? PARLEY S TALES OF ASIA. 51 They have books to instruct them how to be-have, on all occasions. These books evenlaj down rules for drinking a glass of waterwith propriety. The people of Japan, in their personal ap-])earance, bear a strong resemblance to theChinese. Their religion, also, resembles thatof China. They are very superstitious, andbelieve every hill and mountain to be the seatof some divinity. When they are travelling,they think it their duty to say a great manyprayers t
. Peter Parley's tales about Asia : with a map and numerous engravings. n Japan? What can you tell of the Japanese? PARLEY S TALES OF ASIA. 51 They have books to instruct them how to be-have, on all occasions. These books evenlaj down rules for drinking a glass of waterwith propriety. The people of Japan, in their personal ap-])earance, bear a strong resemblance to theChinese. Their religion, also, resembles thatof China. They are very superstitious, andbelieve every hill and mountain to be the seatof some divinity. When they are travelling,they think it their duty to say a great manyprayers to the gods of the several places whichthey pass. They have an ingenious contri-vance for saving time, to such travellers as niaybe in a hurry. This consists of a machine, formed in thefollowing manner. A post is set upright inthe ground, in the top of which an iron bar isfixed, so as to turn easily round with a strokeof the hand. On this bar, a prayer to the di- What of their religion 1 What contrivance have the Japanese for saying prayers 1 PARLEY S TALES OF ASIA. *. JAPANESE PRAYING MACHINE. ? ^ 52 parleys tales of asia. vinity of the place is engraved. The turningthis round once, is deemed equal to sayingthe prayer once. A single stroke of the hand being sufficientto turn the bar round several times, the trav-eller may offer a great many prayers withoutbeing much delayed on his journey. This iscertainly a cheap way of worshipping; I thinkthe Japanese, however, cannot suppose theirgods to be very wise, else they would not im-agine that they would suffer such tricks tobe put upon them. Formerly Europeans were admitted intoJapan, and the Christian religion was propa-gated, to a considerable extent, by Portuguesemissionaries; but the government of Japangrew jealous, and at length banished allEuropeans from the kingdom. A dreadfulpersecution then commenced, against thoseJapanese who had embraced Christianity. The most cruel tortures were inflicted onthem. Roasting alive was one o
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