Mr. Swift to Mr.
Blaine.
Legation of
the United States,
Tokio, March 18, 1890.
(Received April 15.)
No. 106.]
Sir: Some time since Mr. V. Marshall Law, a citizen
of the United States residing in Tokio, informed me that he had in his
possession a section of rope made of human hair which had been used as an
ordinary cable in lifting building material in the construction of a
Buddhist temple at Kioto, in Japan, which he desired to transmit as a free
gift to the Smithsonian Institution for final deposit as an object of
general public interest. He at the same time inquired if I could in any
manner facilitate the transport of this curious rope to its place of
destination, inasmuch as for him to do so would involve on his part some
outlay of money and other inconveniences more or less difficult to overcome.
As I understood Mr. Law to say, the priests of the temple only consented to
part with the piece of rope upon the positive assurance from him that the
rope was not for Mr. Law, but for the American nation, and that it would be
placed in the Smithsonian Institution as a public
[Page 593]
deposit, and, in fact, that they intended it as a gift
to the people of the United States, positively declining to allow any
private person to have what they regarded as a sacred thing.
Under these circumstances, I have thought it proper to assist in its
conveyance and delivery and to utilize the return dispatch pouch to transmit
the rope to the United States, in the belief that you will consider this
curious relic worthy of being so officially fowarded and approve my
action.
I have the honor, therefore, to request that you will cause the section of
human hair rope, with the accompanying photograph of the entire rolls of
cable still remaining at the new Buddhist temple at Kioto, as well as the
papers and documents, including a copy of the letter from Mr. Law, to be
delivered to the Smithsonian Institution in such manner as you may deem
suitable and proper.
I have, etc,
[Inclosure in No. 106.]
Mr. Law to Mr.
Swift.
Honorable and Dear Sir: The writer sends you
to-day a section of rope made of human hair, also a large photograph of
all the remaining hair cables in existence at this time, a table of the
names of provinces of the donors showing the size and length of each of
the ropes used in the construction of the eastern Hon-gwan-ji temple at
Kioto, and a lithograph drawn to scale of that famous Buddhist edifice,
with the request that if it meets with your approval it may be forwarded
to the Smithsonian Institution in the United States, with such of the
latter-named documents as may, in your estimation, be of interest to the
patrons of that institution.
These articles came jnto my possession under the following circumstances:
Last July the writer visited Kioto, and while looking over that ancient
city of Japan visited the Hon-gwan-ji temple, then almost completed. His
attention was particularly drawn to the numerous black hair cables lying
about, all of which were or had been in use for elevating heavy timbers,
etc. Upon inquiry he learned that these ropes were made from the hair of
men and women who were the followers of Buddha, and who had sacrificed
their long hair that these ropes might be made. The writer was impressed
with the fact that these hair ropes told an eloquent story of the
self-sacrificing devotion of the followers of this religion, and he at
once made efforts to secure pieces of the ropes to send to the
Smithsonian Institution. Every effort made at that time failed, and the
best he could do was to request that his application be placed “on file”
and brought before the council of Buddhist priests. As many sight-seers
had already made efforts to beg or buy pieces of these ropes to no
purpose, the writer suffered many a quiet “smile” from his friends, who,
while they were astonished at the writer’s audacity, felt that they knew
perfectly well that he would never get a piece of those ropes under any
pretext whatever. But at last, after more than 7 months, the leading
Buddhist priest of Japan, Hiramatz Rei, has delivered to the writer the
section of the largest cable called for, along with the photograph and
printed tables of length and weight, the two latter having been
especially provided by them, in order that Americans might the better
judge of the enormous quantity of hair furnished them for the making of
these ropes. The writer can not rid himself of the idea that the
religious people of America can learn a lesson of personal sacrifice and
devotion from these followers of Buddha in Japan. How many churches
would be built in Christendom if the rank and file were called upon to
sacrifice their hair for the manufacture of the necessary ropes and
cables?
Respectfully submitting these relics to your disposal, in accordance with
a pledge made to Mr. Hiramatz Rei, the writer remains,
Yours, very sincerely,
V. Marshall Law,
25 Tsukiji, Tokio.
Since the 13th year of Meiji (1880), when the rebuilding of the two
halls of the eastern Hon-gwan-ji, in Kioto, vtas begun, the faithful
laymen and lay women of every place have been unanimous in
presenting to the principal temple (Hon-zan) strong
[Page 594]
ropes made of their own hairs to be
used for the work. The number of these ropes reached 53 lines in
all, and 29 of them were already broken or became useless from
frequent using, though they were equally very strong. The length and
weight, etc., of these ropes are no longer known, but there exist 24
lines. For the sake of menfory of the future, therefore, we make a
table of the names of the donators’ places and of the length and
weight of the existing 24 lines.
Office of the
Rebuilding Affairs
(of the
Eastern Hon-gwan-ji),
7th month, 22d year of Meiji
(1889).
I.—A table of the names of the
provinces of the donators of the hair ropes.
Province. |
Line. |
Province. |
Line. |
Etchu |
16 |
Harima |
3 |
Echigo |
15 |
Iwaki |
1 |
Ugo |
10 |
Bungo |
1 |
Sanuki |
4 |
|
|
Echizen |
3 |
Total |
53 |
II.—A table of the number, length,
and iveight of the existing hair ropes.
Number. |
Length. |
Circle or circumference. |
Weight. |
Number. |
Length. |
Circle or circumference. |
Weight. |
|
Jo,
shaku. |
Shaku, sun,
bu. |
Kwan,
momme. |
|
Jo,
shaku. |
Shaku, sun,
bu. |
Kwan, momme. |
1 |
13,8 |
6,0 |
18,300 |
15 |
7,6 |
6,8 |
23,700 |
2 |
36,0 |
1,3,0 |
280,000 |
16 |
7,5 |
6,5 |
10,000 |
3 |
30,3 |
1,0,0 |
66,000 |
17 |
31,5 |
9,0 |
70,500 |
4 |
23,7 |
7,5 |
28,500 |
18 |
24,0 |
5,5 |
65,300 |
5 |
15,6 |
6,5 |
1,600 |
19 |
23,6 |
9,4 |
57,800 |
6 |
14,4 |
6,0 |
14,800 |
20 |
22,8 |
1,1,0 |
100,000 |
7 |
17,1 |
6,0 |
23,000 |
21 |
16,2 |
7,0 |
20,000 |
8 |
20,1 |
9,0 |
42,700 |
22 |
13,8 |
6,3 |
13,800 |
9 |
29,1 |
6,0 |
40,600 |
23 |
11,4 |
4,4 |
8,750 |
10 |
25,8 |
7,0 |
46,000 |
24 |
12,6 |
6,3 |
16,000 |
11 |
8,8 |
4,0 |
13,200 |
|
|
|
|
12 |
11,3 |
7,5 |
17,600 |
Total |
452,8 |
7,5,8 |
11051,650 |
13 |
28,2 |
9,5 |
63,000 |
|
|
|
|
14 |
7,6 |
5,6 |
10,500 |
|
|
|
|
1 jo=9.9421186 feet. 1 shaku=11.930542 inches. 1 bu=1.4316650 line. 1
kwan=10.064575 pounds. 1 momme=2.4154980 pennyweights.
The commas between the figures are used as we would use a ruling.
Thus in the first column it reads 13 jo and 8 shaku.