sent her up to the blue sky by the Heaven-uniting pillar, on which the heavens rested as on a prop. She easily mounted it, and lived in the sun, illuminating the whole heavens and earth. The sun now gradually separated from the earth, and both moved farther and farther apart, until they rested where they now are. Izanagi next spoke to Susa-no O, the Ruler of the Moon, and said, “Rule thou over the new-born earth and the blue waste of the sea with its multitudinous salt waters.” Thus the heavens, and the earth, and moon were created and inhabited. And as Japan lay directly opposite the sun when it separated from the earth, it is plain that Japan lies on the summit of the globe. It is easily seen that all other countries were formed by the spontaneous consolidation of the ocean foam and the collection of mud in the various seas. The stars were made to guide warriors from foreign countries to the court of the Mikado, who is the one and only true son of heaven, before whom all should bow. THE EMPERORS DESCENDED FROM THE GODS. Amaterasu, on account of her bright beauty, was by her father made queen of the sun, and shared with the two creator-gods the government of the world. In sending her to her dominion, Izanagi gave her the necklace of precious stones from his neck, and told her to go up by way of the floating bridge. As the sun was then near, she ascended without difficulty. Desiring afterward to give the government of the earth to her grandson, Ninigi-no-mikoto, after considerable difficulty in getting the god in possession to make way for him, she was able to carry out her purpose and dispatch him to his post. She proclaimed him sovereign of Japan for ever and ever, and appointed his descendants to rule it as long as the heavens and the earth endure. Before starting he received from his grandmother, the sun-goddess, the Three Divine Insignia of the Imperial Power of Japan, namely, the Sacred Mirror, which is still worshiped at the Naiku Shrine in Isé as representative of the goddess; the Sacred Sword, which is still enshrined at the temple of Atsuta, near Nagoya, at the head of the bay of Owari; and the Sacred Stone, or “Magatama,” which is always in possession of the Emperor of Japan.