noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第12章

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acquaintance。　　To　gratify　the　wish　was　not　difficult；　for　the　shore

was　dotted　with　them　like　blind　light…houses　off　the　points。　　I　was

for　making　for　the　first　visible；　but　the　boatmen；　with　an　eye　to

economy　of　labor；　pointed　out　that　there　was　one　directly　in　our　path

round　the　next　headland。　　So　I　curbed　my　curiosity　till　on　turning

the　corner　it　came　into　view。　　As　good　luck　would　have　it；　it　was

inhabited。　



We　pulled　up　alongside；　gave　its　occupants　good…day；　and　asked　leave

to　mount。　　The　fishermen；　hospitable　souls；　offered　no　objection。　

This　seemed　to　me　the　more　courteous　on　their　part；　after　I　had　made

the　ascent；　for　there　were　two　of　them　in　the　basket；　and　a　visitor

materially　added　to　the　already　uneasy　weight。　　But　then　they　were

used　to　it。　　The　rungs　of　what　did　for　ladder　were　so　far　apart　as　to

necessitate　making　very　long　legs　of　it　in　places；　which　must　have

been　colossal　strides　for　the　owners。　　The　higher　I　clambered；　the

flimsier　the　structure　got。　　However；　I　arrived；　not　without

unnecessary　trepidation；　wormed　my　way　into　the　basket　and　crouched

down　in　some　uneasiness　of　mind。　　The　way　the　thing　swayed　and

wriggled　gave　me　to　believe　that　the　next　moment　we　should　all　be

shot　catapultwise　into　the　sea。　　To　call　it　topheavy　will　do　for　a

word；　but　nothing　but　experience　will　do　for　the　sensation。　　This

oscillation；　strangely　enough；　was　not　apparent　from　the　sea；　which

reminds　me　to　have　noticed　differences　due　the　point　of　view　before。　



I　was　greeted　by　an　extensive　outlook。　　The　shore；　perhaps　a　hundred

yards　away；　ran　shortly　into　a　fisher　hamlet；　and　then　into　a　long

line　of　half　submerged　rocks；　like　successive　touches　of　a　skipping

stone。　　Beyond　the　end　of　this　indefinite　point；　and　a　little　to　the

right　of　it；　stood　another　lookout。　　This　was　our　only　near　neighbor；

though　others　could　be　seen　in　miniature　in　the　distance；　faint

cobwebs　against　the　coast。　　The　bay　stretched　away　on　all　sides；

landlocked　at　last；　except　where　to　the　east　an　opening　gave　into　the

sea　of　Japan。　



To　a　dispassionate　observer　the　basket　may　have　been　twenty　feet

above　the　water。　　To　one　in　the　basket；　it　was　considerably　higher

and　its　height　was　emphasized　by　its　seeming　insecurity。

The　fishermen　were　very　much　at　home　in　it；　but　to　me　the　sensation

was　such　as　to　cause　strained　relations　between　my　will　to　stay　and

my　wish　to　be　gone。　



But　strong　feelings　are　so　easily　changed　into　their　opposites！　　I　can

imagine　one　of　these　eyries　a　delightful　setting　to　certain　moods。

A　deserted　one　should　be　the　place　of　places　for　reading　a　romance。　

The　solitude；　the　strangeness；　and　the　cradle…like　swing；　would　all

compose　to　shutting　out　the　world。　　To　paddle　there　some　May　morning；

tie　one's　boat　out　of　sight　beneath；　and　climb　up　into　the　nest　to

sit　alone　half　poised　in　the　sky　in　the　midst　of　the　sea；　should

savor　of　a　new　sensation。　　After　a　little　acclimatization　it　would

probably　become　a　passion。　　Certainly；　with　a　pipe；　it　should　induce

a　most　happy　frame　of　mind　for　a　French　novel。　　The　seeming　risk　of

the　one　situation　would　serve　to　point　those　of　the　other。　



The　fishermen　received　my　thanks　with　amiability；　watched　us　with

stolid　curiosity　as　we　pulled　off；　and　then　relapsed　into　their

former　semi…comatose　condition。　　Their　eyrie　slipped　perspectively

astern；　sank　lower　and　lower；　and　suddenly　was　lost　against　the

background　of　the　coast。　



The　favoring　breeze　we　were　always　hoping　for　never　came。　　This　was　a

bitter　disappointment　to　the　boatmen；　who　thus　found　themselves

prevented　from　more　than　occasional　whiffs　of　smoking。　　Once　we　had

out　the　spar　and　actually　hoisted　the　sail；　a　godsend　of　an　excuse　to

them　for　doing　nothing　for　the　next　few　minutes；　but　it　shortly　had

to　come　down　again　and　on　we　rowed。　



Our　surroundings　made　a　pretty　sight。　　A　foreground　of　water；　smooth

as　one　could　wish　had　he　nowhere　to　go；　with　illusive　cat's…paws　of

wind　playing　coyly　all　around；　marking　the　great　shield　with　dark

scratches；　and　never　coming　near　enough　to　be　caught　except　when　the

sail　was　down。　　Fold　upon　fold　of　low　hills　in　the　distance；　with

hamlets　showing　here　and　there　at　their　bases　by　the　sea。　　And　then；

almost　like　a　part　of　the　picture；　so　subtly　did　the　sensations

blend；　the　slow　cadenced　creak　of　the　sweeps　on　the　gunwale；　a

rhythmic　undercurrent　of　sound。　



At　intervals；　a　wayfarer　under　sail；　bound　the　other　way；　crept

slowly　by；　carrying；　as　it　seemed　to　our　envious　eyes；　his　own　capful

of　wind　with　him；　and　once　a　boat；　bound　our　way　and　not　under　sail；

passed　us　not　far　off。　　Our　boatmen　were　beautifully　blind　to　this

defeat　till　their　attention　had　been　specifically　called　to　it　for　an

explanation。　　They　then　declared　the　victor　to　be　lighter　than　we；

and　this　in　face　of　our　having　chosen　their　craft　for　just　that

quality。　　What　per　cent　of　such　statements；　I　wonder；　do　the　makers

expect　to　have　credited？　　And　if　any　appreciable　amount；　which　is　the

more　sold；　the　artless　deceiver　or　his　less　simple　victim？



But　we　always　headed　in　the　direction　of　Nanao；　and　the　shores

floated　by　through　the　long　spring　afternoon。　　At　last　they　began　to

contract　upon　us　till；　by　virtue　of　narrowing；　they　shot　us　through

the　straits　in　water　clear　as　crystal；　and　then　widening　again；

dropped　us　adrift　in　Wakura　bay。　　Though　not　so　beloved　of　bora；　the

bay　was　most　popular　with　other　fish。　　Schools　of　porpoises　turned

cart…wheels　for　our　amusement；　and　in　spots　the　water　was　fairly

alive　with　baby　jelly…fish。　　On　the　left　lay　Monkey　island；　so　called

from　a　certain　old　gentleman　who　had　had　a　peculiar　fondness　for

those　animals。　　His　family　of　poor　relations　had　disappeared　at　his

death；　and　the　island　was　now　chiefly　remarkable　for　a　curious　clay

formation；　which　time　had　chiseled　into　cliffs　so　mimicking　a　folding

screen　that　they　were　known　by　the　name。　　They　were　perfectly　level

on　top　and　perpendicular　on　the　sides；　and　as　double…faced　as　the

most　matter…of…fact　nicknamer　could　desire。　Sunset　came；　found　us

still　in　the　bay　and　left　us　there。　　Then　the　dusk　crept　up　from　the

black　water　beneath；　like　an　exhalation。　　It　grew　chilly。　



Just　as　we　were　turning　the　face　of　Screen　cliff　a　sound　of　singing

reached　us；　ricochetting　over　the　water。　　It　had　a　plaintive　ring

such　as　peasant　songs　are　wont　to　have；　and　came；　as　we　at　length

made　out；　from　a　boat　homeward　bound　from　the　island；　steering　a

course　at　right　angles　to　our　own。　　The　voices　were　those　of　women；

and　as　our　courses　swept　us　nearer　each　other；　we　saw　that　women

alone　composed　the　crew。　　They　had　been　faggot…cutting；　and　the

bunches　lay　piled　amidships；　while　fore　and　aft　they　plied　their

oars；　and　sang。　　The　gloaming　hid　all　but　sound　and　sex；　and　threw

its　veil　of　romance　over　the　trollers；　who　sent　their　hearts　out　thus

across　the　twilight　sea。　　The　song；　no　doubt　some　common　ditty；

gathered　a　pathos　over　the　water　through　the　night。　　It　swept　from

one　side　of　us　to　the　other；　softened　with　distance；　lingered　in

detached　strains；　and　then　was　hushed；　leaving　us　once　more　alone

with　the　night。　



Still　we　paddled　on。　　It　was　now　become　quite　dark；　quite　cold；　quite

calm；　and　we　were　still　several　good　miles　off　from　Nanao。　　At　length

on　turning　a　headland　the　lights　of　the　town　and　its　shipping　came

out　one　by　one　from　behind　a　point；　the　advance　guards　first；　then

the　main　body；　and　wheeling　into　line　took　up　their　post　in　a　long

parade　ahead。　　We　began　to　wonder　which　were　the　nearer。　　There　is　a

touch　of　mystery　in　making　a　harbor　at　night。　　In　the　daytime　you　see

it　all　well…ordered　by　perspective。　　But　as　you　creep　slowly　in

through　the　dark；　the　twinkles　of　the　shipping　only　doubtfully　point

their　whereabouts。　　The　most　brilliant　may　turn　out　the　most　remote；

and　the　faintest　at　first　the　nearest　after　all。　　Your　own　motion

alone　can　sift　them　into　place。　　If　we　could　voyage　through　the　sea

of　space；　it　would　be　thus　we　might　come　upon　some　star…cluster　and

have　the　same　delightful　doubt　which　should　become　our　sun　the　first。　



In　half　an　hour　they　were　all　about　us；　the　nearer　revealing　by　their

light　the　dark　bodies　connected　with　them；　the　farther　still　showing

only　themselves。　　The　teahouses　along　the　water…front　made　a

milky…way　ahead。　　We　threaded　our　course　between　the　outlying　lights

while　the　milky…way　resolved　itself　into　star…pointed　silhouettes。　

Then　skirting　along　it；　we　drew　up　at　last　at　a　darksome　quay；　and

landed　Yejiro　to　hunt　up　an　inn。　　I　looked　at　my　watch；　it　was　ten

o'clock。　　We　had　not　only　passed　my　estimate　of　time　somewhere　in　the

middle　of　the　bay；　we　had　exceeded　even　the　boatmen's　excessive

allowance。　　Somehow　we　had　put　six　hours　to　the　voyage。　　I　began　to

realize　I　had　hired　the　wrong　men。　　Nor　was　the　voyage　yet　over；　if

remaining　attached　to　the　boat　for　fully　an　hour　more　be　entitled　to

count。　　For　Yejiro　did　not　return；　and　the　boatmen　and　I　waited。　



I　was　glad　enough　to　make　pretence　at　arrival　by　getting　out　of　the

boat　on　to　the　quay。　　The　quay　was　a　dismal　place。　　I　walked　out　to

the　farther　end；　where　I　found　an　individual　haunting　it　with　an　idea

to　suicide　apparently。　　His　course　struck　me　as　so　appropriate　that　I

felt　it　would　be　hollow　mockery　to　argue　the　point　with　him。　　He　must

have　become　alarmed　at　the　possibility；　however；　for　he　made　off。　

Heaven　knows　he　had　small　cause　to　fear；　I　was　certainly　at　that

moment　no　unsympathetic　soul。　



Having　only　come　to　grief　on　the　quay；　I　next　tried　a　landward　stroll

with　much　the　same　effect。　　The　street　or　place　that　gave　upon　the

wharf　was　as　deserted　as　the　wharf　itself。　　Half　the　houses　about　it

were　dark　as　tombs；　the　other　half　showed　only　glimmering　shoji

taunting　me　by　the　sounds　they　suffered　to　escape；　or　by　a　chance

silhouette　thrown　for　a　moment　upon　the　paper　wall　by　some　one

within。　　And　now　and　then；　as　if　still　further　to　enhance　the

solitude；　a　pair　passed　me　by　in　low　self…suited　talk。　



Still　no　sign　of　the　boy。　　Every　few　minutes　I　would　walk　back　to　the

boat　and　linger　beside　it　till　I　could　no　longer　stand　the　mute

reproach　of　the　baskets　huddled　in　a　little　pile　on　the　stones；　poor；

houseless　immigrants　that　they　were。　　And　from　time　to　time　I　made　a

touching　spectacle　of　myself；　by　pulling　out　my　watch　and　peering；　by

what　feeble　light　I　could　find；　anxiously　at　its　face　to　make　out　the

hour。　



At　last　Yejiro　turned　up　in　the　company　of　a　policeman。　　This　official；

however；　proved　to　be　accompanying　him　in　a　civil　capacity；　and；

changing　into　a　guide；　led　the　way　through　several　dark　alley…waysto

an　inn　of　forbidding　face；　but　better　heart。　　There　did　we　eventually

dine；　or　breakfast；　for　by　that　time　it　was　become　the　next　day。　







XIII。



On　the　Noto　Highway。



On　the　morrow　morn