“While this was proceeding, the band sent forth what sounded to me as wailing, imploring, importunate sounds, with an occasional rap upon the drum for emphasis. The priest, who wore the ancient head-dress like that of the Mikado, now rose, and after a few obeisances before the mirror sat down upon his heels, facing the altar, and intoned a prayer, or novito, from a large sheet of paper held outspread before him, the musicians, and dancers, and attendants all sitting with bowed heads to its end. Small branches of _sakaki_ were now brought to the priestesses, and the dance took place to an accompaniment of livelier music. The dance comprised no very active movements, but consisted mainly of short, slow and grave promenading, with occasional stately bowings and much slow waving of the branches. This over, a boy entered, dressed in the military undress robes of a _kugé_ (court noble) of the olden time, and holding in his hands a branch of _sakaki_, with a pendant hoop, doubtless in lieu of a mirror. He danced, as it is called, to much louder music, but the dancing was little more than further promenading and making certain sweeping movements with the branch of sakaki, with an occasional high step. Of course, it is a great pity for the significance of all this to be lost; but nothing explanatory could be elicited from any of the Japanese present, and from the answers of the priests I infer that if the various movements of these dances ever had any great and special significance, the remembrance of it is pretty nearly or quite lost. The priest next came forward again, and, after elevating the written prayer a few times before the shrine, left the building by the side door. The process of placing the fruits and other offerings upon the altar was now reversed, and everything was removed from the altars and taken away, the music meanwhile playing loud and joyous strains. With this ended the most ancient of the dances in the most sacred national shrine of Japan.” Very great changes have occurred in Japan since the year 1868, when the Mikado became the temporal as well as the spiritual head of the Empire. The interests of Shintoism have suffered in the change. Prof. Max Müller estimates that there are now only 200,000 Shintoists in all Japan. CHAPTER XVI. THE DARK CONTINENT. Yes, the great Buffalo[3] sleeps; his mightiest victory was his last. His warriors howl in vain, his necromancers gaze aghast. Fetich, nor magic wand, nor amulet of darnel, Can charm back life to the clay-cold heart and limb. FERDINAND FREILIGRATH.