ABSTRACT
Thesewomenintheirdirty,greasycottongarments, hauntedthepublicstreets,andmightbeseenbythesickly lightofthewaningmoon,flittingaboutlikethespiritsofthe damned,huntingforvictims.Theywereinthehabitof carryingwiththemapieceofmattingorarug,theuseofwhich wasonlytooself-evidentandrequiresnoexplanation.They wouldaccostpassers-bywiththeutmosteffrontery,andthe priceoftheirfavourswasafewcashpernightIDuringthe period1711to1735,thenuisancegrewsobadthatalarge numberofthesewomenwerecompelledtobecomeregular prostitutes,beingforciblyhandedovertotheYoshiwara bytheGovernment.From1711to1746,thenumberof womenwhohadbeenforcedbythe·Governmenttoenterthe Yoshiwaraasregularcourtesans,servedtheirtimethere,and beenreleasedwas,accordingtoareturnmadethe27th1\larch, 1746,just246women.
