Mode of Living.

Their houses are of wood, and generally contain only one room, which is capable of being divided into apartments by moveable partitions and screens. Neither chairs nor tables are used, but the people sit on straw mats, in which position they eat their food. Their diet is composed of a great variety of animal and vegetable substances. Their meats are cut into small pieces, thoroughly stewed or boiled, and always highly seasoned with strong spices and sauces. Instead of knives and forks, they use, like the Chinese, two small pieces of wood. Tea is their common beverage for quenching thirst; their only inebriating liquor is sacki, or rice beer; both of these, and also water, when drunk, are taken warm. Smoking is very common with both sexes.-A peculiarity of the Chinese customs is the use of the left hand in preference to the right, which is said to be universal.

Marriage.

Polygamy is allowed in Japan, but practised only among the higher classes, and even among them only one woman is acknowledged as a wife. Husbands, as in other eastern countries, exercise a complete despotism. Married women distinguish themselves, in some places, by painting the teeth black; in others, by pulling out the hair of their eye-brows; they are also known by wearing the knot of their girdle before, while others have it behind.

Marriages are celebrated in the open air; the bridegroom and bride advance to an altar, erected for the purpose, with a torch in their hand, while the priest reads a form of prayer, the latter having lighted her torch at a burning lamp, holds it out to the bridegroom, who lights his torch from hers. The guests then congratulate the new married couple, and the ceremony is concluded. The suiter makes a present to the father-in-law before obtaining his daughter; so that the more beautiful daughters a man has, the richer he is esteemed.

Religion.

The prevailing religions of Japan are those of Sinto and Budso. The former is the most ancient, and is said to resemble the mythology of the Greeks and Romans. The dairi, or spiritual sovereign of Japan, who resides at Meaco, is of the Sinto religion. The Budso system is the same as that of Boodh, or Fo, which is widely extended in the east.

Soon after the discovery of Japan by the Portuguese, the Christian religion was introduced into the country by the Jesuit missionaries, in the year 1549; and it made such rapid progress, that several princes of the empire ranked among its converts. A public embassy was afterwards sent to the Japanese court with valuable presents from the Roman pontiff. The Portuguese, intoxicated with their success, became avaricious and insolent, and rendered themselves so obnoxious, that a persecution was raised against them, which ended in their banishment from the country, and the extirpation of Christianity. In order to prevent the reintroduction of Christianity into Japan, all persons are required, at the festival of the new year, to trample upon the images of the Catholic saints.

ASIATIC ISLANDS.

BORNEO.

Borneo is, next to New Holland, the largest island in the known world, being about 800 miles long, and 700 broad. It is intersected by the equator, but is temperate for the latitude. It produces a variety of valuable animal and vegetable productions, but it has been but little explored by Europeans. It is inhabited by various tribes; some of them, especially those on the coast, are represented as mild; others, in the interior, as wild and savage.

In Borneo and several other Asiatic islands, are found the beautiful birds of paradise, and the kind of swallow which constructs an edible nest.

The Orang Outang.

The most singular animal of Borneo is the orang outang, which bears a strong resemblance to the human species. The specimens that have been carried to Europe have not generally exceeded three feet in height. The face is bare ; the ears, hands, and feet are somewhat similar to the human. The body, with the exception of the face, is profusely covered with hair, and the general colour is a dusky brown. In its native state, it is of great ferocity, and of extraordinary strength and swiftness. Its natural food seems to be nuts and fruits. When taken young, it becomes exceedingly gentle and docile, much attached to those around it, and carefully imitating their manners. It sheds tears when displeased, rolls on the floor, beating its head against it with all the gestures of a passionate child.

JAVA.

Java is a large island, 640 miles in length, exceedingly fertile, and producing rice in such abundance, that it has been styled the granary of the east. Other important productions are sugar, pepper, coffee, and cotton.

Batavia, on the north side of Java near the west end, is the capital of the Dutch East Indies, and has been celebrated for its commerce. It is one of the most unhealthy places in the world, and has become the grave of a great number of Europeans.

The Upas.

The literary world was imposed by an account of the Upas, or Poison Tree of Java, published in Holland in 1780. It was described as situated in the centre of the island, and destroying, by its noxious effluvia, all animal and vegetable life in its vicinity, for the space of 10 or 12 miles round. It is now ascertained, that this tree has no real existence. There are, however, trees in Java from which a poison is extracted; one in particular, which is among the largest trees in the island, is used by the inhabitants of Macassar to poison their arrows. A wound inflicted by an instrument dipped in the poison, causes almost instant death. This tree has no bad effects on the

atmosphere, and is usually surrounded by a luxurious vegetation.

Edible Birds' Nests.

The edible birds'-nests are a singular production of Java and several other Asiatic islands and maritime parts. They are esteemed by the Chinese a great delicacy, and are annually exported from Java to China to the amount of upwards of half a million of dollars. They are the production of a small swallow, and are composed of a mucilaginous substance, formed by the peculiar organs of the bird. The nests are built in crevices of rocks and caverns, generally in the vicinity of the sea, but sometimes at a distance. They are collected with great difficulty and labour by slaves, who sometimes cling to the narrow ledges of rocks suspended over the water; at other times they are lowered by ropes down yawning chasms of immense depth, into which the water gushes with the most tremendous roar beneath them.

LOO-CHOO, LEWCHEW, OR LEEO0-KEEOO ISLANDS.

The Loo-choo islands lie to the south of Japan, and are 36 in number. The largest one is upwards of 50 miles long; the rest are small. The coast is surrounded with coral reefs; the climate and soil are uncommonly fine; and the most important object of cultivation is rice.

From the accounts of Captain Hall and Mr. M'Leod, who visited Loo-choo island, in 1816, the inhabitants are an uncommonly interesting and amiable people. They are of small stature, the men on an average not being more than five feet two inches high; but strong, well made, and athletic; their complexion a copper colour; their eyes and hair black; and they allow their beards to grow. Their countenance is full of kindness and intelligence. They are modest in their deportment, timid, social, and friendly in their disposition, polite and respectful in their manners.

Their dress is peculiarly graceful, consisting of a thin cotton slip next the body, and a loose, flowing robe, with very wide sleeves, tied round the middle by a broad belt, or girdle of wrought silk. No money was seen among

them, nor any warlike instruments.

that of Boodh or Fo.

Their religion is

"It was interesting to observe," say the visiters, "how early the gentle and engaging manners of all classes here won upon the sailors, no less than upon the officers. The natives from the first were treated with entire confidence; no watch was ever kept over them, nor were they excluded from any part of the ships; and not only was nothing stolen, but when any thing was lost, nobody ever suspected for an instant that it had been taken by them.

"That proud and haughty feeling of national superiority, so strongly existing among the common class of British seamen, which induces them to hold all foreigners cheap, was at this island completely subdued and tamed by the gentle manners and kind behaviour of the most pacific people in the world. Although completely intermixed, and often working together, both on shore and on board, not a single quarrel or complaint took place on either side during the whole of our stay. When they saw the effect of our fowling pieces in the hands of some gentlemen, they begged that they might not kill the birds, which they were always glad to see flying about their houses." Like the inhabitants of China, Japan, and the neighbouring regions, they feel a strong aversion to receive strangers into their territory; and the English found considerable difficulties in obtaining permission to land; but these were at last overcome. They were not, however, permitted to approach the town, and the women were kept out of sight. After the landing was effected, the natives treated the sick with the kindest and most unwearied attention. "Milk, eggs, meat, and vegetables, were brought to them every day; and whenever they felt disposed to walk, they were accompanied with one or two of the natives, who took their arms, on coming to rough ground, and often helped them up the steep side of the hill behind the hospital, to a pleasant, grassy spot on the summit, where the natives lighted pipes for them; in short, sailors were, perhaps, never so caressed before."

"The period of our departure being fixed, all our stores were embarked on the evening of the 26th of October. The next morning the Loo-choos, as a mark of respect, arrayed themselves in their best apparel, and, proceeding to the temple, offered up to their gods a solemn