Hot Springs of Arima, the

Itami, Brewery at

58
2

Mongol common words

New Year's Day, the

170

113, 120
149

.. 193

EDITORIAL NOTE.

The commencement of the second volume reminds us that our subscribers will like to know what our prospects are for the future. Since the Phoenix was started this time last year our senior contemporary the Notes and Queries of Hongkong has become extinct. This event is much to be regretted, for the matter of that little work was very valuable and its general contents praiseworthy, but it was edited in a careless manner, and its pages were defaced by frequent misprints.

The climate of China is not conducive to the painstaking necessary for periodical literature. The newspapers are however very well conducted as a rule, witness the China Mail, North China Herald, Cycle, and some others, which well sustain the character of their editors, and frequently contain high class literary work. If they included more purely literary matter, and two or three periodicals were filled also, there would still be room enough for our humble selves. But as we are nearly the only repository now for stray papers on the Far East, we trust it will be no presumption to hope for a considerable circulation and for the kind support of the now numerous class of educated men in that quarter of the globe.

There is we believe a "China Magazine" published in Hongkong, but we have not yet seen a copy. In Japan The Far East is a sort of album of photographs with descriptive letter-press, but it does not include much matter of the magazine class.

The ephemeral European publications of Japan are hardly known to us, though The Hiogo News has reached us regularly, and The Japan Gazette occasionally. The latter has a wider field than the former, which is at present concerned principally with local matters.

We are desirous of making the Phoenix a Repertorium into which the earnest student of Oriental lore, whether of a linguistic, geographical, historical, or scientific nature, may look for really reliable information. Here in London we possess advantages which are only partially attainable in the East. The great libraries, offer facilities for research,-and the presence of numerous Orientals in London (where they are now no longer the rarissima aves they once were) affords opportunities for solving some of the difficulties with which the pursuit of Eastern literature is beset. Besides that the wider field from which we gather support and sympathy tends to the successful prosecution of our labours, without being dependent on the precarious patronage of residents in China and Japan. We have reason to be well satisfied with the past year's progress.

We purpose adding to our new issue a page or two monthly of a brief Chronicle of Events, and also various tables of value to the student, lists of works upon the Eastern Languages, History, and Politics, translations from German, Russian, French, Dutch, and the Italian, appropriate to our magazine. We

have the intention also of reprinting some rare books of a limited size in the Phoenix; such are the great history of the Hei-ke family of Japan, and the fables of Esop in that language, from a unique copy printed at the Jesuit College of Amacusa in 1592, and also the Japanese Grammar of Rodriguez which was published in Macao about 1601, in Portuguese, and which is preserved in the Marsden Library of King's College. Some tables of the

almost unknown dialects of Central and Eastern Asia from Pallas's great Polyglott, published nearly a century ago by order of the Empress Catherine of Russia, will afford a basis for comparison for modern enquirers. As this magnificent work is rare and of a trustworthy character, we shall be doing some service by re-producing in Roman typ❤ the Mongolian and other lists. From the same quarter we have been promised the new Russian Magazine for the East, published under the auspices of the Asiatic Department of St. Petersburg, and also the Journal of the Russian Geographical Society, whenever it contains articles on the Far East. former will contain papers by members of the Russian Mission in Peking, and the latter the reports of travellers under governmental commissions.

The

We shall be thankful if authors of works on China, India, and the East generally, in any European language, will apprize us of their appearance, and, when possible, favour us with a copy for review.

The Geographical works of the Chinese will claim a portion of our attention. There are rich materials not yet collected to be found in the topographical works of the Chinese. The courses of the great rivers have been specially and largely treated, and some localities have been carefully particularized.

The great histories have been but partially investigated, but in them may be discovered many facts of importance to the description of Eastern and Central Asia. Chinese scholars resident in London will within a few months have the magnificent Chinese library of books collected by the late Dr. Robert Morrison, thrown open to their use. This contains some of the rarest as well as some of the most valuable works for our purpose. The books are now being bound and catalogued.

Besides this the large collection at the British Museum is now catalogued, and will be more readily consulted than it has ever been.

It is our wish, if we obtain sufficient encouragement, to print a descriptive catalogue of the Chinese books in University College, the Royal Asiatic Society, and the India Office libraries in the Phoenix, and we trust that this may serve as a very useful guide to the student of this wonderful language. In due time we shall hope to print some extracts of rare Chinese works in the native character.

Gentlemen who have been presented with the series heretofore will please note that it can only be supplied in future to actual subscribers and in exchange, as but a limited number will be printed. It will be necessary therefore to order it beforehand to ensure a supply.

Fifth process. To what has been already mentioned, 400 M. of the steam-boiled rice, the yeast of 120 M. of rice, and 152 M. of water are added, the whole stirred once every three days and kept covered. After the lapse of thirty-five days the Moromi,19 the decoction of rice,' is ready. By being kept from five to fifteen days longer, the decoction will be stronger, but of less pleasant flavour.

On the larger or smaller quantity of water used in the fifth process, as we remarked at first, the greater or less body of the brewing depends.

Sixth process. Cleansing, (Sumasi) of the Moromi, or fermented decoction of rice.'

One M. of wood-ashes is mixed with 3 M. of Sake; when the mixture has been cleansed the sediment (Ori) is removed, the fluid added to the whole quantity of the Moromi, this is put into bags, these are placed in the press (Funé 22) and the liquor pressed out. This is what is called Sumisake or pure Sake.' From a brewing such as has been described here, 800 M. (1512 litres) of

Sake may be obtained.

The ashes, which under the name of Kusuri-hai,2 or medicinal ashes' are used in the breweries, are obtained from elm, oak, and camelia wood, an important article of export from Kumano, in the country of Kii. They are, the writer forgets to say, as soon as they have been burned, sprinkled with water, kept covered during a night with mats, and then sifted. They may not be exposed to the wind or sun-light. They are used also for the improvement of Sake which has become bitter or sour.

Besides the rice-beer proper, of which we have hitherto treated, another beverage is prepared from rice, which, having fermented for only one night, is drank, and it is of very good flavour. This is called Fitoyo-sake, sake of one night,' also celebrated as Ko-sake25 small Sake, or Ama-zake 'sweet Sake.'

Whoever wishes to regale a company with it, takes, the day before, 10 M. of peeled rice, steamboils them, lets them cool more or less, mixes them with 10 M. of yeast and 12 M. of water, and overnight places them to ferment. The decoction is not pressed, but ladled out into copper basins with a spout close under the edge, and from them poured into small cups. There are some fanciers who are fond of the yeast flour (kauji-hana26), and who suck it up without injury to their teeth. To please their taste, the yeast or the sediment is washed and freed from the grains of rice.

This sort of Sake is mostly used for the 'Wine of honour,' Mi-sake27, and is presented on the first day of the sixth month even to the Mikado, probably to remind him of what happened to one of his predecessors in the palace at Yosimo nearly sixteen centuries ago.

19

21

23

II THE PREPARATION OF SAKE, After the manner of the famous brewery at Itami. (According to the work San-Kai mei-san dze, or 'Figures and Description of the Principal Productions of Sea and Land in Japan, 1799, vol. i.)

brewed at present:The Japanese writer says, 'Four sorts of Sake are

1. Sin-sju,2 or new Sake,' which people begin to make after the autumnal equinox (23rd September). 2. Ai-sju30 or 'intermediate Sake,' which is brewed between the new Sake and the fore-winter Sake.

3. Kan-maë-sake,31 i. e., the fore-winter Sake,' which is brewed before the 'season of frost' (Kan-mae), or before the 6th of January of our almanacs.

4. Kan-sju,32 i. e., 'frost or winter Sake,' which is made in the Japanese season of frost, (our month of January.)

brewery at Itami that, on account of the excellency Since it is principally the 'new Sake' from the of its taste and fragrance, is the most eminent, I confine myself, says the Japanese writer, to the explanation of the manner in which it is made.

Preparation of the Sake yeast, called Sake-kaujï3 also Sake-mo,34 i. e., 'Sake-lees:'

If, according to custom, the rice for the 'new Sake' is to be set to ferment on the day of the autumnal equinox, four days previous (20th Sept.), in the morning, a beginning is made with washing the peeled rice, which is done in wooden tubs. For this fresh pure water is used, by preference as it comes from the well, after it has, first, been ladled empty. The water is fetched from the well in pails, and for new Sake' is renewed forty, and for winter Sake,' fifty times.

(From the figure accompanying the original, it appears that the water is fetched from a cistern near the well, in pails, and poured into the tubs filled with rice, whence it, after the whole has been stirred, runs off through small apertures close to the bottom, to flow across the floor between the steps on stand.) which the work-people with their washing tubs

The rice which has been washed is put into water to soak. On the second day this rice is boiled dry with steam (i. e., so that the grains remain whole, and do not become a pulp). Afterwards the whole is transferred to mats, stirred about with rakes and other long handled tools, and spread evenly. After having lain till it gets of a brownish into wooden rice trays,-which are called Toko or yellow colour, the colour of wheat, all is collected Kau, Zi-buta3 also, and of which 400 to 500 are required, covered over with mats, and put into the malt-kiln or oast (Muro36). This work takes half a day.

(The Japanese writer illustrates this process by a drawing bearing the superscription Kauji-tszúkuri, i. e., 'preparation of yeast.' On a boiler full of water there is a vessel, in which the rice is boiled by the ascending steam. The work people are carrying the rice in tubs towards mats spread out

“寒前酒 “寒酒 “酒麴“酒母

35麴盆 “土室