noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第21章

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where　we　had　hoped　to　be　that　night。　　This　was　disheartening。

For　with　all　its　shortcomings　the　basha　was　undeniably　faster　than

perambulators。　　The　rumor　gathered　substance　as　we　advanced；　until　in

consequence　we　ceased　to　advance　at　all。　　At　a　certain　village；

called　Miyada；　the　basha　drew　up；　and　we　were　informed　that　it　was

impossible　to　proceed　further。　



There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　hire　kuruma。　　The　men　were　a　rascally

lot；　and　made　gain　of　our　necessity。　　But　we　were　not　as　sorry　to

leave　the　basha　as　we　might　have　been；　and　the　reports　of

impassability　substantiated　themselves　before　we　had　got　a　mile　out。　

In　further　consolation；　the　kuruma　men　turned　out　well　on　the　road；

and　bowled　us　along　right　merrily。　　The　road　ran　along　the　skirts　of

the　mountains　on　the　right；　which　fell　in　one　long　sweep　to　the

river；　a　breadth　of　plain　unexpectedly　gored　by　streams。　　The　canons

were　startlingly　abrupt；　and　the　darkness　which　now　came　on　took

nothing　from　the　effect。　　A　sudden　zigzag　down　to　a　depth　of　a

hundred　feet；　a　careful　hitching　over　a　decrepit　bridge；　and　a　zigzag

up　the　other　side；　and　we　were　off　at　a　good　trot　again。　　This

dispatch　on　the　part　of　the　men　brought　us　in　much…improved　spirits

and　in　very　good　time　into　Iijima；　our　hoped…for　goal。　







XX。　



Down　the　Tenriugawa。　



We　had　made　arrangements　overnight　for　a　boat；　not　without　difficulty；

and　in　the　morning　we　started　in　kuruma　for　the　point　of　embarkation。　

We　were　eager　to　be　off　upon　our　voyage；　else　we　should　have　strolled

afoot　down　the　long　meadow　slope；　such　invitation　lay　in　it；　the　dew

sparkling　on　the　grass　blades；　the　freshly　tilled　earth　scenting　the

air；　and　the　larks　rising　like　rockets　up　into　the　sky　and　bursting

into　song　as　they　went。　　It　seemed　the　essence　of　spring；　and　we　had

a　mile　or　more　of　it　all　before　we　reached　the　brink　of　the　canon。　

For　even　here　the　river　had　begun　a　gorge　for　itself　through　the

plain。　　We　left　our　jinrikisha　at　the　top　and　zigzagged　on　foot　down

the　steep　descent；　and　straightway　departed　the　upper　life　of　fields

and　larks　and　sunshine　for　a　new　and　semi…subterranean　one。　　It　was

not　simply　a　change　of　scene；　it　was　a　complete　change　of　sphere。　

The　world　with　its　face　open　to　the　day　in　a　twinkling　had　ceased　to

be；　and　another　world；　a　world　of　dark　water　girt　by　shadowed　walls

of　rock　and　trees；　had　taken　its　place。　



Amid　farewell　wavings　from　the　jinrikisha　men　we　pushed　off　into　the

stream。　　In　spite　of　the　rush　of　the　water　and　the　creaking　of　the

oars；　a　strange　stillness　had　fallen　on　everything。　　The　swirling；

inky　flood　swept　us　on　past　the　hushed　banks；　heights　of　motionless

leaves　nearly　hiding　the　gray　old　rock。　　Occasionally　some　puff　of

wind　more　adventurous　than　its　fellows　swooped　down　to　make　the

leaves　quiver　a　moment；　and　then　died　away　in　awe；　while　here　and

there　a　bird　flew　in　and　out　among　the　branches　with　strangely

subdued　twitter。　



Although　this　part　of　the　river　could　show　its　gorge　and　its　rapids；

it　made　only　the　preface　to　that　chapter　of　its　biography　we　had　come

to　read。　　At　Tokimata；　some　hours　further　down；　begins　the　voyage

proper。　　But　even　the　preface　was　imposing。　　The　black　water　glided

sinuous　along；　its　stealthy　course　every　now　and　again　interrupted　by

rapids；　where　the　sullen　flood　lashed　itself　to　a　passion　of　whitecaps

with　a　kind　of　hissing　roar。　　Down　these　we　shot；　the　boat　bowing

first　in　acquiescence；　and　then　plunging　as　madly　as　the　water

itself。　　It　was　hard　to　believe　that　both　boat　and　river　were　not

sentient　things。　



At　intervals　we　met　other　boats　toiling　slowly　up　stream；　pulled

laboriously　by　men　who　strained　along　the　bank　at　the　ends　of

hundreds　of　feet　of　tow…rope；　the　ropes　themselves　invisible　at　first

for　distance；　so　that　we　were　aware　only　of　men　walking　along　the

shore　in　attitudes　of　impossible　equilibrium；　and　of　boats　that

followed　them　doglike　from　pure　affection。　　It　would　seem　weary　work

even　for　canal…boating。　　It　takes　weeks　to　toil　up　what　it　once　took

only　hours　to　float　down。　　As　we　sped　past　the　return　convoys；

we　seemed　sad　profligates；　thus　wantonly　to　be　squandering　such

dearly…won　vantage　of　position。　　The　stream　which　meant　money　to　them

was；　like　money；　hard　come　and　easy　go。　



Still　the　stream　hurried　us　on。　　We　hugged　the　cliffs；　now　on　one

side；　now　on　the　other；　only　to　have　them　slip　by　us　the　quicker。　

Bend　after　bend　opened；　spread　out；　and　closed。　　The　scene　changed

every　minute；　and　yet　was　always　the　same。　　Then　at　times　we　were

vouchsafed　openings　in　the　surrounding　hills；　narrow　bits　of

foreground；　hints　of　a　something　that　existed　beyond。　



For　three　hours　and　more　we　kept　on　in　our　serpentine　course；　for　the

river　meandered　as　whimsically　as　if　it　still　had　a　choice　of　its　own

in　the　matter。　　Then　gradually　the　land　about　began　to　make　overtures

toward　sociability。　　The　trees　on　the　banks　disappeared；　the　banks

themselves　decreased　in　height；　then　the　river　took　to　a　more　genial

flow；　and　presently　we　were　ware　of　the　whole　countryside　to　the

right　coming　down　in　one　long　sweep　to　the　water's　edge。　



The　preface　was　over。　　The　stream　was　to　have　a　breathing　spell　of

air　and　sunlight　before　its　great　plunge　into　sixty　miles　of　twilight

canon。　　With　a　quick　turn　of　his　rudder　oar　the　boatman　in　the　stern

brought　the　flat…bottomed　craft　round；　and　in　a　jiffy　she　lay　beached

on　the　shingle　at　Tokimata。　　It　was　now　high　noon。　



The　greater　part　of　the　village　kindly　superintended　the　operation　of

disembarking；　and　then　the　more　active　of　its　inhabitants　trotted

before　as　guides　to　the　inn。　　For　our　boat　would　go　no　further；　and

therefore　all　our　belongings　had　to　come　out。　　It　was　only　when　we

inquired　for　further　conveyance　that　the　crowd　showed　signs　of

satiety　and　edged　off。　　To　our　importunities　on　this　head　the

populace　were　statuesque　or　worse。　　A　Japanese　assent　is　not　always

the　most　encouraging　of　replies；　and　a　Japanese　〃No〃　touches　in　you　a

depth　not　unlike　despair。　　They　have　a　way　of　hinting　the　utter

hopelessness　of　your　wish；　past；　present；　and　to　come；　an　eternity　of

impossibility　to　make　you　regret　that　you　ever　were　born。　　After　we

had　reached　the　inn；　and　had　stated　our　wants　to　a　more　informed

audience；　we　were　told　that　the　nautical　part　of　the　inhabitants　were

in　the　fields；　gathering　mulberry　leaves　for　the　silkworms。　　From　the

bribe　we　offered　to　induce　a　change　in　pursuit；　we　judged　money　to　be

no　object　to　them。　　There　remained　nothing；　therefore；　but　the　police。　



It　is　good　policy　never　to　invoke　the　law　except　in　the　last

extremity；　for　you　are　pretty　safe　to　have　some　flaw　shown　up　in

you　before　you　are　through　with　it。　　The　law　in　this　case　was

represented；　Yejiro　found；　by　a　person　still　yellow　with　the

jaundice。　　He　met　the　demand　for　boatmen　with　the　counter　demand　for

the　passport；　and　when　this　was　produced　his　official　eye　at　once

detected　its　anachronism。　



〃This；〃　said　he；　〃is　not　in　order。　　I　do　not　see　how　you　can　go　on　at

all。〃



To　add　artificial　impossibility　to　natural；　was　too　much。　　Yejiro

answered　that　he　had　better　come　to　the　inn；　which　he　accordingly

did。　　Poor　man！　　I　pitied　him。　　For；　in　the　first　place；　he　was　still

jaundiced；　and；　in　the　second；　although　conscious　of　guilt　as　I　was；

I　was　much　the　less　disturbed　of　the　two。　　I　was　getting　used　to

being　a　self…smuggler；　while　he；　as　the　Japanese　say；　was　〃taihen

komarimasu〃　（exceedingly　〃know　not　what　to　do〃）；　a　phrase　which　is　a

national　complaint。　　In　this　instance　he　had　cause。　　What　to　do　with

so　hardened　a　sinner　was　a　problem　passing　his　powers。　　Here　was　a

law…breaker　who　by　rights　should　at　once　be　bundled　back　to　Tokyo

under　police　surveillance。　　But　he　could　not　go　himself；　he　had　no

one　to　send；　and　furthermore　the　delinquent　seemed　only　too　willing

to　escort　himself　there；　free　of　government　expense；　as　speedily　as

possible。　　All　I　had　to　do　was　to　whet　his　perception　that　the　sooner

boatmen　were　got　the　sooner　I　should　be　on　the　right　side　of　the　law

again。　　After　some　conflict　with　himself　he　went　in　search　of　men。　



I　was　left　to　study　the　carp…pond；　with　its　gold　and　silver　fish；

the　pivot　of　attention　of　the　pretty　little　garden　court　which　stood

handy　to　the　kitchen。　　This　juxtaposition　was　no　accident；　for　such

ponds　are　landscape　and　larder　in　one。　　Between　meals　the　fish　are

scenery；　at　the　approach　of　the　dinner　hour　they　turn　into　game。

The　inn　guest　having　sufficiently　enjoyed　the　gambols　of　future　repasts；

picks　out　his　dish　to　suit　his　taste　or　capacity；　and　the　fish　is

instantly　netted　and　translated　to　the　gridiron。　　The　survivors；　none

the　wiser；　continue　to　steamboat　about；　intent　on　their　own　dinners；

flashing　their　colors　as　they　turn　their　armored　sides　in　and　out　of

the　light。　　Eccentric　nature　has　fitted　these　prototypes　of　navigation

with　all　the　modern　improvements。　　Double　and　even　triple　sets　of

screws　are　common　things　in　tails；　and　sometimes　the　fins；　too；　are

duplex。　　As　for　me；　I　had　neither　the　heart　nor　the　stomach　to　help

depopulate　the　pond。　　But　I　took　much　mechanical　delight　in　their

motions；　so　I　fed　them　instead　of　they　me。　



I　had　my　choice　between　doing　this　and　watching　the　late　boatmen　at

their　dinner　in　the　distance。　　No　doubt　moods　have　an　aesthetic

conscience　of　their　own；they　demand　appropriate　setting；　for　I　was

annoyed　at　the　hilarity　of　these　men　over　their　midday　meal。　　I　bore

them　no　malice；　but　I　own　I　should　have　preferred　not　to　have　seen

them　thus　making　free　with　time　they　had　declared　themselves　unable

to　sell　to　me。　



Thanks　in　part　to　my　quality　of　outlaw；　and　in　part　to　four　hours'

propitiation　of　the　gods　of　delay；　the　jaundiced　policeman　finally

succeeded　in　beating　up　a　crew。　　There　were　four　conscripts　in　all；

kerchiefed；　not　to　say　petticoated；　in　the　native　nautical　costume；

a　costume　not　due　to　being　fresh…water　sailors；　since　their　salt…water

cousins　are　given　to　a　like　disguise　of　sex。　　These　mariners　made　us

wait　while　they　finished　their　preparations。　　It　meant　a　long　voyage

to　them；a　facilis　descensus　Averni；　sed　revocare　gradum；a　very

long　pull。　　Then　the　bow　was　poled　off；　the　current　took　us　in　its

arms　and　swung　us　out　into　the　stream；　and　the　crowd　on　the　shingle

dropped　perspectively　astern。　



While　I　was　still　standing　gazing　at　lessening　Tokimata；　I　heard　a

cry　from　behind　me；　and；　turning；　ducked　just　in　time　to　escape　being

unceremoniously　somersaulted　into　the　water　by　a　hawser　stretched

from　bank　to　bank　at　a　level　singularly　suited　to　such　a　trick。

The　rope　was　the　stationary　half　of　a　ferry　to　which　I　had　neglected

to　make　timely　obeisance。　　It　marked；　indeed；　an　incipient　stage　in

the　art　of　suspension　bridges；　the　ferryboat　itself　supporting　a　part

of　the　weight；　while　t