Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1894 edition. Excerpt: ... the defenders some 200 were made prisoners, most of them severely wounded; the remainder were slain. The last scenes of the bloody tragedy are best told in Mr Mounsey's own words--' Saigo was among the first to fall, wounded by a bullet in the thigh. Thereupon Hemmi Jiuroda, one of his lieutenants, performed what samurai consider a friendly off1ce. At one blow of his keen heavy sword he severed his chiefs head from his shoulders, in order to spare him the disgrace of falling alive into his enemy's hands.' He then committed haraktri. The hero's head was buried but subsequently discovered by a coolie. Around Saigo ' fell one hundred of the principal samurai of the Satsuma clan, who had sought to protect their chief to the last, and refused to survive him.' The head, ' disfigured and ghastly, clotted with blood and earth, ' was brought the next day to Admiral 1877 Kawamura, who ' reverently washed the head with 'kt-49 his own hands, as a mark of respect for his former friend and companion in arms during the war of the Restoration.' The grave of Saigo is visited, adds Mr Mounsey, by thousands who come to offer up their prayers at the tomb of the hero, around whose martial figure a host of traditions have already collected. The popular belief is that ' the spirit of the great general has taken up its abode in the planet Mars, ' and that ' his figure may be seen when this star is in the ascendant.' But ' the spirits of his followers have not, according to the popular belief, soared so high; for the people say that a new race of frogs has appeared in Kiushiu; that the spirits of the dead rebels have animated this race, and so imbued it with their own courageous nature, that the frogs attack man whenever they see him, and never desist from their attacks...