“Our way led quite through the village, at the further end of which, on a wooded hill at our left, was a temple with two different flights of steps leading up to it, and ornamented gateways below. Through the further of these gateways, I now saw a Buddhist priest in his officiating costume emerge, and perceived that he took his way toward some fresh earth—the grave, a little beyond.
“They had selected for the interment a very pretty spot about a hundred yards from the village, and closely adjoining an old burying-ground of their own. We found the Buddhist priest seated there, but he attempted no interference with our religious ceremonies, which I commenced (all uncovering), as we approached the grave.
“The scene, at this time, was an exceedingly interesting one; even apart from its being the first breaking through of the Japanese settled opposition to Christianity. The hills here formed a semi-circular sweep, and at one end of the semicircle we were standing. On the opposite side, on the heights above, was the Buddhist temple. The sides of these hills, and the whole sweep of the crest were covered with people, quiet, and attentive spectators of what was going on.
“Close to us stood the Japanese officials, just below the grave. The marines in line on the other side, and near them on a mat sat the old Buddhist priest, with a little table before him, on which were a number of papers, &c., with incense burning in their midst. Everybody was quiet and attentive while we went through our usual service for the solemn burial of the dead. Then the marines fired three volleys over the grave. As the first volley was given there was a half shout on the hills around, as if giving vent to deep observation and pent-up curiosity, the number of which was computed by one of our officers at two thousand.
“While they were filling up the grave, I asked permission to examine their burying-ground, which they readily gave, the interpreter also going with me and explaining the several parts. Against the side of the hill is a range of sculptured stones, which he said were their gods; some had bas-reliefs of figures like human beings on them. Across the space were lines of small head-stones—some of these also with human figures sculptured in bas-relief on their front, others with inscriptions. These were commemorative of individuals buried below; and when I observed to the interpreter that the space for each body was very small, he replied that the dead in Japan were buried in a _sitting posture_.