unbeaten tracks in japan-第17章

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reached　a　solitary　yadoya　with　the　usual　open　front　and　irori；
round　which　a　number　of　people；　old　and　young；　were　sitting。　　When
I　arrived　a　whole　bevy　of　nice…looking　girls　took　to　flight；　but
were　soon　recalled　by　a　word　from　Ito　to　their　elders。　　Lady
Parkes；　on　a　side…saddle　and　in　a　riding…habit；　has　been　taken　for
a　man　till　the　people　saw　her　hair；　and　a　young　friend　of　mine；　who
is　very　pretty　and　has　a　beautiful　complexion；　when　travelling
lately　with　her　husband；　was　supposed　to　be　a　man　who　had　shaven
off　his　beard。　　I　wear　a　hat；　which　is　a　thing　only　worn　by　women
in　the　fields　as　a　protection　from　sun　and　rain；　my　eyebrows　are
unshaven；　and　my　teeth　are　unblackened；　so　these　girls　supposed　me
to　be　a　foreign　man。　　Ito　in　explanation　said；　〃They　haven't　seen
any；　but　everybody　brings　them　tales　how　rude　foreigners　are　to
girls；　and　they　are　awful　scared。〃　　There　was　nothing　eatable　but
rice　and　eggs；　and　I　ate　them　under　the　concentrated　stare　of
eighteen　pairs　of　dark　eyes。　　The　hot　springs；　to　which　many　people
afflicted　with　sores　resort；　are　by　the　river；　at　the　bottom　of　a
rude　flight　of　steps；　in　an　open　shed；　but　I　could　not　ascertain
their　temperature；　as　a　number　of　men　and　women　were　sitting　in　the
water。　　They　bathe　four　times　a　day；　and　remain　for　an　hour　at　a
time。

We　left　for　the　five　miles'　walk　to　Ikari　in　a　torrent　of　rain　by　a
newly…made　path　completely　shut　in　with　the　cascading　Kinugawa；　and
carried　along　sometimes　low；　sometimes　high；　on　props　projecting
over　it　from　the　face　of　the　rock。　　I　do　not　expect　to　see　anything
lovelier　in　Japan。

The　river；　always　crystal…blue　or　crystal…green；　largely　increased
in　volume　by　the　rains；　forces　itself　through　gates　of　brightly…
coloured　rock；　by　which　its　progress　is　repeatedly　arrested；　and
rarely　lingers　for　rest　in　all　its　sparkling；　rushing　course。　　It
is　walled　in　by　high　mountains；　gloriously　wooded　and　cleft　by　dark
ravines；　down　which　torrents　were　tumbling　in　great　drifts　of　foam；
crashing　and　booming；　boom　and　crash　multiplied　by　many　an　echo；
and　every　ravine　afforded　glimpses　far　back　of　more　mountains；
clefts；　and　waterfalls；　and　such　over…abundant　vegetation　that　I
welcomed　the　sight　of　a　gray　cliff　or　bare　face　of　rock。　　Along　the
path　there　were　fascinating　details；　composed　of　the　manifold
greenery　which　revels　in　damp　heat；　ferns；　mosses；　confervae；
fungi；　trailers；　shading　tiny　rills　which　dropped　down　into
grottoes　feathery　with　the　exquisite　Trichomanes　radicans；　or
drooped　over　the　rustic　path　and　hung　into　the　river；　and　overhead
the　finely　incised　and　almost　feathery　foliage　of　several　varieties
of　maple　admitted　the　light　only　as　a　green　mist。　　The　spring　tints
have　not　yet　darkened　into　the　monotone　of　summer；　rose　azaleas
still　light　the　hillsides；　and　masses　of　cryptomeria　give　depth　and
shadow。　　Still；　beautiful　as　it　all　is；　one　sighs　for　something
which　shall　satisfy　one's　craving　for　startling　individuality　and
grace　of　form；　as　in　the　coco…palm　and　banana　of　the　tropics。　　The
featheriness　of　the　maple；　and　the　arrowy　straightness　and
pyramidal　form　of　the　cryptomeria；　please　me　better　than　all　else；
but　why　criticise？　　Ten　minutes　of　sunshine　would　transform　the
whole　into　fairyland。

There　were　no　houses　and　no　people。　　Leaving　this　beautiful　river
we　crossed　a　spur　of　a　hill；　where　all　the　trees　were　matted
together　by　a　very　fragrant　white　honeysuckle；　and　came　down　upon
an　open　valley　where　a　quiet　stream　joins　the　loud…tongued
Kinugawa；　and　another　mile　brought　us　to　this　beautifully…situated
hamlet　of　twenty…five　houses；　surrounded　by　mountains；　and　close　to
a　mountain　stream　called　the　Okawa。　　The　names　of　Japanese　rivers
give　one　very　little　geographical　information　from　their　want　of
continuity。　　A　river　changes　its　name　several　times　in　a　course　of
thirty　or　forty　miles；　according　to　the　districts　through　which　it
passes。　　This　is　my　old　friend　the　Kinugawa；　up　which　I　have　been
travelling　for　two　days。　　Want　of　space　is　a　great　aid　to　the
picturesque。　　Ikari　is　crowded　together　on　a　hill　slope；　and　its
short；　primitive…looking　street；　with　its　warm　browns　and　greys；　is
quite　attractive　in　〃the　clear　shining　after　rain。〃　　My　halting…
place　is　at　the　express　office　at　the　top　of　the　hilla　place　like
a　big　barn；　with　horses　at　one　end　and　a　living…room　at　the　other；
and　in　the　centre　much　produce　awaiting　transport；　and　a　group　of
people　stripping　mulberry　branches。　　The　nearest　daimiyo　used　to
halt　here　on　his　way　to　Tokiyo；　so　there　are　two　rooms　for
travellers；　called　daimiyos'　rooms；　fifteen　feet　high；　handsomely
ceiled　in　dark　wood；　the　shoji　of　such　fine　work　as　to　merit　the
name　of　fret…work；　the　fusuma　artistically　decorated；　the　mats
clean　and　fine；　and　in　the　alcove　a　sword…rack　of　old　gold　lacquer。
Mine　is　the　inner　room；　and　Ito　and　four　travellers　occupy　the
outer　one。　　Though　very　dark；　it　is　luxury　after　last　night。　　The
rest　of　the　house　is　given　up　to　the　rearing　of　silk…worms。　　The
house…masters　here　and　at　Fujihara　are　not　used　to　passports；　and
Ito；　who　is　posing　as　a　town…bred　youth；　has　explained　and　copied
mine；　all　the　village　men　assembling　to　hear　it　read　aloud。　　He
does　not　know　the　word　used　for　〃scientific　investigation；〃　but；　in
the　idea　of　increasing　his　own　importance　by　exaggerating　mine；　I
hear　him　telling　the　people　that　I　am　gakusha；　i。e。　learned！　　There
is　no　police…station　here；　but　every　month　policemen　pay
domiciliary　visits　to　these　outlying　yadoyas　and　examine　the
register　of　visitors。

This　is　a　much　neater　place　than　the　last；　but　the　people　look
stupid　and　apathetic；　and　I　wonder　what　they　think　of　the　men　who
have　abolished　the　daimiyo　and　the　feudal　regime；　have　raised　the
eta　to　citizenship；　and　are　hurrying　the　empire　forward　on　the
tracks　of　western　civilisation！

Since　shingle　has　given　place　to　thatch　there　is　much　to　admire　in
the　villages；　with　their　steep　roofs；　deep　eaves　and　balconies；　the
warm　russet　of　roofs　and　walls；　the　quaint　confusion　of　the
farmhouses；　the　hedges　of　camellia　and　pomegranate；　the　bamboo
clumps　and　persimmon　orchards；　and　（in　spite　of　dirt　and　bad
smells）　the　generally　satisfied　look　of　the　peasant　proprietors。

No　food　can　be　got　here　except　rice　and　eggs；　and　I　am　haunted　by
memories　of　the　fowls　and　fish　of　Nikko；　to　say　nothing　of　the
〃flesh　pots〃　of　the　Legation；　and


〃a　sorrow's　crown　of　sorrow
Is　remembering　happier　things！〃


The　mercury　falls　to　70　degrees　at　night；　and　I　generally　awake
from　cold　at　3　a。m。；　for　my　blankets　are　only　summer　ones；　and　I
dare　not　supplement　them　with　a　quilt；　either　for　sleeping　on　or
under；　because　of　the　fleas　which　it　contains。　　I　usually　retire
about　7。30；　for　there　is　almost　no　twilight；　and　very　little
inducement　for　sitting　up　by　the　dimness　of　candle　or　andon；　and　I
have　found　these　days　of　riding　on　slow；　rolling；　stumbling　horses
very　severe；　and　if　I　were　anything　of　a　walker；　should　certainly
prefer　pedestrianism。　　I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XII



A　Fantastic　JumbleThe　〃Quiver〃　of　PovertyThe　Water…shedFrom
Bad　to　WorseThe　Rice　Planter's　HolidayA　Diseased　CrowdAmateur
DoctoringWant　of　CleanlinessRapid　EatingPremature　Old　Age。

KURUMATOGE；　June　30。

After　the　hard　travelling　of　six　days　the　rest　of　Sunday　in　a　quiet
place　at　a　high　elevation　is　truly　delightful！　　Mountains　and
passes；　valleys　and　rice　swamps；　forests　and　rice　swamps；　villages
and　rice　swamps；　poverty；　industry；　dirt；　ruinous　temples；
prostrate　Buddhas；　strings　of　straw…shod　pack…horses；　long；　grey；
featureless　streets；　and　quiet；　staring　crowds；　are　all　jumbled　up
fantastically　in　my　memory。　　Fine　weather　accompanied　me　through
beautiful　scenery　from　Ikari　to　Yokokawa；　where　I　ate　my　lunch　in
the　street　to　avoid　the　innumerable　fleas　of　the　tea…house；　with　a
circle　round　me　of　nearly　all　the　inhabitants。　　At　first　the
children；　both　old　and　young；　were　so　frightened　that　they　ran
away；　but　by　degrees　they　timidly　came　back；　clinging　to　the　skirts
of　their　parents　（skirts；　in　this　case；　being　a　metaphorical
expression）；　running　away　again　as　often　as　I　looked　at　them。　　The
crowd　was　filthy　and　squalid　beyond　description。　　Why　should　the
〃quiver〃　of　poverty　be　so　very　full？　one　asks　as　one　looks　at　the
swarms　of　gentle；　naked；　old…fashioned　children；　born　to　a　heritage
of　hard　toil；　to　be；　like　their　parents；　devoured　by　vermin；　and
pressed　hard　for　taxes。　　A　horse　kicked　off　my　saddle　before　it　was
girthed；　the　crowd　scattered　right　and　left；　and　work；　which　had
been　suspended　for　two　hours　to　stare　at　the　foreigner；　began
again。

A　long　ascent　took　us　to　the　top　of　a　pass　2500　feet　in　height；　a
projecting　spur　not　30　feet　wide；　with　a　grand　view　of　mountains
and　ravines；　and　a　maze　of　involved　streams；　which　unite　in　a
vigorous　torrent；　whose　course　we　followed　for　some　hours；　till　it
expanded　into　a　quiet　river；　lounging　lazily　through　a　rice　swamp
of　considerable　extent。　　The　map　is　blank　in　this　region；　but　I
judged；　as　I　afterwards　found　rightly；　that　at　that　pass　we　had
crossed　the　water…shed；　and　that　the　streams　thenceforward　no
longer　fall　into　the　Pacific；　but　into　the　Sea　of　Japan。　　At
Itosawa　the　horses　produced　stumbled　so　intolerably　that　I　walked
the　last　stage；　and　reached　Kayashima；　a　miserable　village　of
fifty…seven　houses；　so　exhausted　that　I　could　not　go　farther；　and
was　obliged　to　put　up　with　worse　accommodation　even　than　at
Fujihara；　with　less　strength　for　its　hardships。

The　yadoya　was　simply　awful。　　The　daidokoro　had　a　large　wood　fire
burning　in　a　trench；　filling　the　whole　place　with　stinging　smoke；
from　which　my　room；　which　was　merely　screened　off　by　some
dilapidated　shoji；　was　not　exempt。　　The　rafters　were　black　and
shiny　with　soot　and　moisture。　　The　house…master；　who　knelt
persistently　on　the　floor　of　my　room　till　he　was　dislodged　by　Ito；
apologised　for　the　dirt　of　his　house；　as　well　he　might。　　Stifling；
dark；　and　smoky；　as　my　room　was；　I　had　to　close　the　paper　windows；
owing　to　the　crowd　which　assembled　in　the　street。　　There　was
neither　rice　nor　soy；　and　Ito；　who　values　his　own　comfort；　began　to
speak　to　the　house…master　and　servants　loudly　and　roughly；　and　to
throw　my　things　abouta　style　of　acting　which　I　promptly
terminated；　for　nothing　could　be　more　hurtful　to　a　foreigner；　or
more　unkind　to　the　people；　than　for　a　servant　to　be　rude　and
bullying；　and　the　man　was　most　polite；　and　never　approached　me　but
on　bended　knees。　　When　I　gave　him　my　passport；　as　the　custom　is；　he
touched　his　forehead　with　it；　and　then　touched　the　earth　with　his
forehead。

I　found　nothing　that　I　could　eat　except　black　beans　and　boiled
cucumbers。　　The　room　was　dark；　dirty；　vile；　noisy；　and　poisoned　by
sewage　odours；　as　rooms　unfortunately　are　very　apt　to　be。　　At　the
end　of　the　rice　planting　there　is　a　holiday　for　two　days；　when　many
offerings　are　made　to　Inari；　the　god　of　rice　farmers；　and　the
holiday…makers　kept　up　their　revel　all　night；　and　drums；　stationary
and　peripatetic；　were　constantly　beaten　in　such　a　way　as　to　prevent
sleep。

A　little　boy；　the　house…master's　son；　was　suffering　from　a　very　bad
cough；　and　a　few　drops　of　chlorodyne　whic