My fair readers, if I have any, are advised to skip the next twenty pages, which deal with tragedies upon which I reported officially at the time. Mr. Mitford, who was present at the ceremony of Hari-Kari, sent me the following account. The officer’s name was Taki Zingaburo. The ceremony took place on March 2, at 10.30 P.M., in the Temple of Siefukigi, the headquarters of Satsuma’s troops. The courtyard was filled with soldiers, and lighted by fires and lanterns. The witnesses were conducted into a room in the temple, where Ito Shunski (formerly interpreter on board the _Rodney_), the provisional Governor of Hiogo, came soon after, and, having taken down their names, told them that himself and another officer, on the part of the Mikado, two of Satsuma’s officers, two of Choshin’s, and a representative of the Prince of Bizen, would act as Renshi--sheriffs or witnesses. Seven were appointed, probably that their numbers might agree with those of the foreigners. After a short delay, they were invited to follow the Japanese witnesses into the principal hall of the temple. On the raised platform, immediately in front of the high altar, was placed a rug of red felt. The temple was dimly lighted with tall candles. The Japanese witnesses took their places on the left, and the foreigners on the right, of the raised floor. No other persons were present in the hall. [Sidenote: April.] After an interval of a few minutes, Taki Zingaburo, a stalwart, noble-looking fellow, walked into the hall, attired in his dress of ceremony, accompanied by his Kaishaku and three officers in their jimbasri, or war surcoat. (Kaishaku is one to whom our word executioner is no equivalent: the office is that of a gentleman, usually filled by a friend or kinsman or the condemned. In this instance the Kaishaku was a pupil of Taki Zingaburo, chosen for his skill in swordsmanship.) He advanced slowly, with the Kaishaku on his left, towards the Japanese witnesses and bowed before them; then, drawing near to the foreigners, he saluted, with perhaps rather more show of respect. In each case the salutation was ceremoniously returned. Slowly, and with great dignity, he mounted on the raised floor, prostrated himself before the high altar, and then seated himself on the felt carpet with his back to the altar, the Kaishaku crouching on his left.