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36 HONDA THE SAMURAI.
"Doctor Sano and your father both think that
though the Hollanders have curious dress and customs
they are very learned, and that the Europeans
are even more civilized than the Japanese ; but don't
ever say this before people, for it would offend them
or rouse talk and suspicion against us."
"
How curious that they make cups and dishes out
of glass
!
for Doctor Sano, who has been in the house
of the chief master of the Dutchmen at Nagasaki,
says the dining-room glistened like the sun shining
on hoar-frost. He thought at first it was all
lumps
and sheets of carved ice."
"
How do they make glass and crystal, mother ? "
asked Kine".
" Rock-crystal grows in the earth ; the gods have
so ordered it; but how they make glass I do not
know. The Hollanders make pottery and porcelain
also, but all I have seen of Doctor Sano's and at our
daimio's palace
is far less pretty than what our
potters and decorators can do in Hizen and Kyoto.
Indeed, even our local potters, though Echizen is
not famous for porcelain, excel them, I think, though
it is true I have seen but few European pieces."
"
How did our people first make pottery ? "
" Oh, have you never heard the story of the origin
of pottery in Japan ? "
" No, mother ;
please tell me."
Thereupon Mrs. Rai proceeded to relate how the
glorious ceramic art was born in Japan. Whereas
in Greece the word " keramic " comes from keras, a
horn, which was the earliest drinking-vessel, so that