Untitled

144
THE WONDERFUL CITY OF TOKIO.
The boy made a comical gesture, and replied, " I will run
round double quick. I have only four bottles and one little
tub of sake to deliver. As soon as I get receipts for these
signed I will be home. You are a very
me."
kind sister to think of
rr What is that tall scaffolding near the entrance of the tem-
ple? " said Johnnie.
r
That is the drum-tower, erected by the wrestlers. Have
you not heard them drubbing
morning? "
their instruments in the
'
r
I always thought it was the soldiers parading," said Fitz.
" Now I know where the noise comes from."
They entered the temple gate, and halting
at one of the lit-
tle tea-houses on the left of the path, ordered refreshments,
then Johnnie inquired, " Why do they have wrestling in a sa-
cred place like this?"
'That is a very interesting story," replied Oto.
"
In 1657
a terrible fire raged in this
city, and over one hundred thousand
people were burnt to death or died from exposure. It being
impossible to identify the corpses or to give them separate interments,
the Sho-gun ordered Dan-za-ye-mon, chief of the
etas, to have the bodies collected, and to bury them in a common
pit in Yushijima (Bull Island), which was then the name
for this part of the city. The mound covering this enormous
mass of unfortunates, was called Mu-yen-dzuka (the hill
of destitution). In order that they might have the benefit
of the clergy, several priests from each Buddhist sect were
commanded to come here and recite prayers during seven days.
That is why this building is called the temple of Helplessness,
all our sacred
and they have wrestling matches here. Nearly
places are endowed by the members of the congregation buried
in the grounds, but these bodies being of persons who were