The boy travellers in the Far East : adventures of two youths ... - Library

220 'i'JIE BOY THAVELLERS.
cliants as clerks and sulesinen, and there are many in government employ
in the offices at Tokio and in other cities. Tlie officers you saw at tlie
customdiouse were probably ex-Samurai, and ten years ago they would
have been wearing two swords apiece. The Japanese book-keeper you
saw in the office of tlie American merchant on M'hom we called tlie day of
our arrival was once a Samurai of high degree. He spent his government
allowance in a short time after receiving it, and was tlien conipelled to
find employment or starve. lie tried the starvation sj'stem a short time,
and concluded he did not like it. lie turned his education to account by
undertaking to keep the Japanese accounts of a foreign merchant, and his
employer is well pleased with him.
" As the Samurai were the military class befoi-e the revolution, they
retain the same character, to a large degree, under the present system.
They are the officers of the army and navy, and, to a great extent, they fill
the ranks of the soldiery. Those who accepted the cliange and remained
loyal to the government have received appointments wjiore tljere were
vacancies to be filled, and the strength of Japan to-day is largely in tlie
hands of the old Samurai. But, as might be expected, there was much
discontent at the change, and some of the Samurai went into open rebell-
ion against the government. This was the cause of the revolt in 1877,
and for a time it was so formidable that many peojjle believed it would
succeed. Not a few among the foreigners predicted that the Mikado
would be dethroned, and the power of the Tycoon restored ;
but the gov-
ernment triumphed in the end, and tliose of the leadei's of the insuri'cetion
who did not perish in battle were beheaded."
Frank asked how tlie Japanese performed the ceremony of beheading,
and whether it M-as very frecjuent.
"As to that," said Doctor Bronson, "much depends upon wliat you
would call frequent. In former times a man might lose his head for a
^el•y slight reason, or, perhaps, no reason at all. Crimes that we would
consider of small degree were punished with death, and there was very
little time wasted between the sentence and its execution. As the Jap-
anese have become more and more familiar with the customs of Western
nations, they have learned that we do not remove the heads of our
people for trifles, and tliey show their good sense b}- following our
example. Of late years, executions by decapitation are much less fre-
quent than formerly, but even now tlicre are more of them than there
need be.
"As to the manner of performing it, a few words will describe it.
Tlie ceremonies tliat ^n'ccede it are somewhat elaborate, but the affair