Keeper of the Privy Purse now brought the Mikado's
presents in through the gate, and placing them on a table
in front of the midsu-gakiy or inner fence, saluted the
chapels by clapping his hands four times, alternately
standing upright and bowing down to the ground. On
his retiring, the same ceremony was performed by the
persons chained with the offerings of the Mikado's consort
and heir-apparent, after which the offerings of the Fujihara
and other noble families were deposited on lower tables,
with similar ceremonies. The kandomo^ or subordinate
officials of the Ministry of Religion, next carried up the
Mikado's offerings and delivered them to the fnoMo-tmi,
who carried them into the chapel. The kandomo then
spread matting on the ground in front of each of the four
chapels, and members of the Fujihara clan* who held a
sufficiently high rank carried in and arranged the tables
destined to receive the food-offerings. Two barrels olsakt
were then brought in and placed between the first and
second and third and fourth chapels, in a line with the
tables, a jar of sake brewed by the priests being also placed
in front of each chapel. This over, every one quitted the
enclosure, making way for the women of the Household,
who uncovered the food-offerings and poured out two cups
of sake for each deity. The liquor appears to have been of
the turbid sort called nigori-zake. All the preparations
being thus complete, the high officers of State and the
messengers sent by the Court entered the enclosure and
took their seats. Four saddle-horses intended as offerings
to the Gods and eight race-horses were now led up in front
of the temple, preceded by a major-general of the Guards
and a Master of the Horse. A superior priest, with his brows
bound with a fillet of paper mulberry fibre {yufu-kadzura)
then advanced and read the ritual, bowed twice, clapped
his hands four times, and retired. The congregation after-

* A branch of the Nakatomi, who claimed descent from Koyane, one of
the four Gods worshipped,



CEREMONIAL.
