第8章

ACooliefallsill——PeasantCostume——VarietiesinThreshing——TheTochigiyadoya——FarmingVillages——ABeautifulRegion——AnInMemoriamAvenue——ADoll’sStreet——Nikko——TheJourney’sEnd——CoolieKindliness。

Byseventhenextmorningthericewaseaten，theroomasbareasifithadneverbeenoccupied，thebillof80senpaid，thehouse-

masterandservantswithmanysayonaras，orfarewells，hadprostratedthemselves，andwewereawayinthekurumasatarapidtrot。Atthefirsthaltmyrunner，akindly，good-naturedcreature，butabsolutelyhideous，wasseizedwithpainandvomiting，owing，hesaid，todrinkingthebadwateratKasukabe，andwasleftbehind。Hepleasedmemuchbythehonestindependentwayinwhichheprovidedasubstitute，strictlyadheringtohisbargain，andneveraskingforagratuityonaccountofhisillness。

HehadbeensokindandhelpfulthatIfeltquitesadatleavinghimthereill，——onlyacoolie，tobesure，onlyanatomamongthe34，000，000oftheEmpire，butnotlessprecioustoourFatherinheaventhananyother。Itwasabrilliantday，withthemercury86

degreesintheshade，buttheheatwasnotoppressive。AtnoonwereachedtheTone，andIrodeonacoolie’stattooedshouldersthroughtheshallowpart，andthen，withthekurumas，someill-

disposedpack-horses，andanumberoftravellers，crossedinaflat-bottomedboat。Theboatmen，travellers，andcultivators，werenearlyoraltogetherwithoutclothes，butthericherfarmersworkedinthefieldsincurvedbamboohatsaslargeasumbrellas，kimonoswithlargesleevesnotgirtup，andlargefansattachedtotheirgirdles。Manyofthetravellerswhomwemetwerewithouthats，butshieldedthefrontoftheheadbyholdingafanbetweenitandthesun。Probablytheinconvenienceofthenationalcostumeforworkingmenpartlyaccountsforthegeneralpracticeofgettingridofit。Itissuchahindrance，eveninwalking，thatmostpedestrianshave“theirloinsgirdedup“bytakingthemiddleofthehematthebottomofthekimonoandtuckingitunderthegirdle。This，inthecaseofmany，showswoven，tight-fitting，elastic，whitecottonpantaloons，reachingtotheankles。AfterferryinganotherriveratavillagefromwhichasteamerpliestoTokiyo，thecountrybecamemuchmorepleasing，therice-fieldsfewer，thetrees，houses，andbarnslarger，and，inthedistance，highhillsloomedfaintlythroughthehaze。Muchofthewheat，ofwhichtheydon’tmakebread，butvermicelli，isalreadybeingcarried。Youseewheatstacks，tenfeethigh，movingslowly，andwhileyouarewondering，youbecomeawareoffourfeetmovingbelowthem；forallthecropiscarriedonhorses’ifnotonhumanbacks。

Iwenttoseeseveralthreshing-floors，——clean，openspacesoutsidebarns，——wherethegrainislaidonmatsandthreshedbytwoorfourmenwithheavyrevolvingflails。Anothermethodisforwomentobeatoutthegrainonracksofsplitbamboolaidlengthwise；andI

sawyetathirdpractisedbothinthefieldsandbarn-yards，inwhichwomenpasshandfulsofstalksbackwardsthroughasortofcardinginstrumentwithsharpironteethplacedinaslantingposition，whichcutsofftheears，leavingthestalkunbruised。

Thisisprobably“thesharpthreshinginstrumenthavingteeth“

mentionedbyIsaiah。Theearsarethenrubbedbetweenthehands。

Inthisregionthewheatwaswinnowedaltogetherbyhand，andafterthewindhaddriventhechaffaway，thegrainwaslaidoutonmatstodry。Sicklesarenotused，butthereapertakesahandfulofstalksandcutsthemoffclosetothegroundwithashort，straightknife，fixedatarightanglewiththehandle。Thewheatissowninrowswithwidespacesbetweenthem，whichareutilisedforbeansandothercrops，andnosoonerisitremovedthandaikon(Raphanussativus)，cucumbers，orsomeothervegetable，takesitsplace，asthelandundercarefultillageandcopiousmanuringbearstwo，andeventhree，crops，intheyear。Thesoilistrenchedforwheatasforallcropsexceptrice，notaweedistobeseen，andthewholecountrylookslikeawell-keptgarden。Thebarnsinthisdistrictareveryhandsome，andmanyoftheirgrandroofshavethatconcavesweepwithwhichwearefamiliarinthepagoda。Theeavesareofteneightfeetdeep，andthethatchthreefeetthick。Severalofthefarm-yardshavehandsomegatewaysliketheancient“lychgates“

ofsomeofourEnglishchurchyardsmuchmagnified。Asanimalsarenotusedformilk，draught，orfood，andtherearenopasturelands，boththecountryandthefarm-yardshaveasingularsilenceandaninanimatelook；amean-lookingdogandafewfowlsbeingtheonlyrepresentativesofdomesticanimallife。Ilongforthelowingofcattleandthebleatingofsheep。

AtsixwereachedTochigi，alargetown，formerlythecastletownofadaimiyo。Itsspecialmanufactureisropeofmanykinds，agreatdealofhempbeinggrownintheneighbourhood。Manyoftheroofsaretiled，andthetownhasamoresolidandhandsomeappearancethanthosethatwehadpreviouslypassedthrough。ButfromKasukabetoTochigiwasfrombadtoworse。InearlyabandonedJapanesetravellingaltogether，and，iflastnighthadnotbeenagreatimprovement，IthinkIshouldhavegoneignominiouslybacktoTokiyo。Theyadoyawasaverylargeone，and，assixtyguestshadarrivedbeforeme，therewasnochoiceofaccommodation，andIhadtobecontentedwitharoomenclosedonallsidesnotbyfusumabutshoji，andwithbarelyroomformybed，bath，andchair，underafustygreenmosquitonetwhichwasaperfectnestoffleas。Onesideoftheroomwasagainstamuch-frequentedpassage，andanotheropenedonasmallyarduponwhichthreeoppositeroomsalsoopened，crowdedwithsomenotverysoberordecoroustravellers。Theshojiwerefullofholes，andoftenateachholeIsawahumaneye。

Privacywasaluxurynoteventoberecalled。Besidestheconstantapplicationofeyestotheshoji，theservants，whowereverynoisyandrough，lookedintomyroomconstantlywithoutanypretext；thehost，abright，pleasant-lookingman，didthesame；jugglers，musicians，blindshampooers，andsinginggirls，allpushedthescreensaside；andIbegantothinkthatMr。Campbellwasright，andthataladyshouldnottravelaloneinJapan。Ito，whohadtheroomnexttomine，suggestedthatrobberywasquitelikely，andaskedtobeallowedtotakechargeofmymoney，butdidnotdecampwithitduringthenight！Ilaydownonmyprecariousstretcherbeforeeight，butasthenightadvancedthedinofthehouseincreasedtillitbecametrulydiabolical，andneverceasedtillafterone。Drums，tom-toms，andcymbalswerebeaten；kotosandsamisensscreechedandtwanged；geishas(professionalwomenwiththeaccomplishmentsofdancing，singing，andplaying)danced，——

accompaniedbysongswhosejerkingdiscordsweremostlaughable；

story-tellersrecitedtalesinahighkey，andtherunningaboutandsplashingclosetomyroomneverceased。Lateatnightmyprecariousshojiwereaccidentallythrowndown，revealingasceneofgreathilarity，inwhichanumberofpeoplewerebathingandthrowingwaterovereachother。

Thenoiseofdeparturesbeganatdaylight，andIwasgladtoleaveatseven。Beforeyougothefusumaaresliddenback，andwhatwasyourroombecomespartofagreat，open，mattedspace——anarrangementwhicheffectuallypreventsfustiness。Thoughtheroadwasupaslightincline，andthemenweretootiredtotrot，wemadethirtymilesinninehours。Thekindlinessandcourtesyofthecooliestomeandtoeachotherwasaconstantsourceofpleasuretome。Itismostamusingtoseetheelaboratepolitenessofthegreetingsofmenclothedonlyinhatsandmaros。Thehatisinvariablyremovedwhentheyspeaktoeachother，andthreeprofoundbowsareneveromitted。

SoonafterleavingtheyadoyawepassedthroughawidestreetwiththelargestandhandsomesthousesIhaveyetseenonbothsides。

Theywereallopeninfront；theirhighly-polishedfloorsandpassageslookedlikestillwater；thekakemonos，orwall-pictures，ontheirside-wallswereextremelybeautiful；andtheirmatswereveryfineandwhite。Therewerelargegardensattheback，withfountainsandflowers，andstreams，crossedbylightstonebridges，sometimesflowedthroughthehouses。FromthesignsIsupposedthemtobeyadoyas，butonaskingItowhywehadnotputupatoneofthem，herepliedthattheywereallkashitsukeya，ortea-housesofdisreputablecharacter——averysadfact。{8}

Aswejourneyedthecountrybecameprettierandprettier，rollinguptoabruptwoodedhillswithmountainsinthecloudsbehind。Thefarmingvillagesarecomfortableandemboweredinwood，andthericherfarmerssecludetheirdwellingsbyclosely-clippedhedges，orratherscreens，twofeetwide，andoftentwentyfeethigh。Teagrewneareveryhouse，anditsleaveswerebeinggatheredanddriedonmats。Signsofsilkculturebegantoappearinshrubberiesofmulberrytrees，andwhiteandsulphuryellowcocoonswerelyinginthesunalongtheroadinflattrays。Numbersofwomensatinthefrontsofthehousesweavingcottonclothfifteenincheswide，andcottonyarn，mostlyimportedfromEngland，wasbeingdyedinallthevillages——thedyeusedbeinganativeindigo，thePolygonumtinctorium。Oldwomenwerespinning，andyoungandoldusuallypursuedtheiravocationswithwise-lookingbabiestuckedintothebacksoftheirdresses，andpeeringcunninglyovertheirshoulders。

Evenlittlegirlsofsevenandeightwereplayingatchildren’sgameswithbabiesontheirbacks，andthosewhoweretoosmalltocarryrealoneshadbigdollsstrappedoninsimilarfashion。

Innumerablevillages，crowdedhouses，andbabiesinall，giveonetheimpressionofaverypopulouscountry。

Asthedayworeoninitsbrightnessandglorythepicturesbecamemorevariedandbeautiful。Greatsnow-slashedmountainslookedoverthefoothills，onwhosesteepsidesthedarkbluegreenofpineandcryptomeriawaslightedupbythespringtintsofdeciduoustrees。ThereweregrovesofcryptomeriaonsmallhillscrownedbyShintoshrines，approachedbygrandflightsofstonestairs。Theredgoldoftheharvestfieldscontrastedwiththefreshgreenandexquisiteleafageofthehemp；roseandwhiteazaleaslightedupthecopse-woods；andwhenthebroadroadpassedintothecolossalavenueofcryptomeriawhichovershadowsthewaytothesacredshrinesofNikko，andtremuloussunbeamsandshadowsfleckedthegrass，IfeltthatJapanwasbeautiful，andthatthemudflatsofYedowereonlyanuglydream！

TworoadsleadtoNikko。IavoidedtheoneusuallytakenbyUtsunomiya，andbydoingsolostthemostmagnificentofthetwoavenues，whichextendsfornearlyfiftymilesalongthegreathighwaycalledtheOshiu-kaido。AlongtheReiheishi-kaido，theroadbywhichIcame，itextendsforthirtymiles，andthetwo，brokenfrequentlybyvillages，convergeuponthevillageofImaichi，eightmilesfromNikko，wheretheyunite，andonlyterminateattheentranceofthetown。TheyaresaidtohavebeenplantedasanofferingtotheburiedShogunsbyamanwhowastoopoortoplaceabronzelanternattheirshrines。Agrandermonumentcouldnothavebeendevised，andtheyareprobablythegrandestthingsoftheirkindintheworld。TheavenueoftheReiheishi-kaidoisagoodcarriageroadwithslopingbankseightfeethigh，coveredwithgrassandferns。Atthetopofthesearethecryptomeria，thentwograssywalks，andbetweentheseandthecultivationascreenofsaplingsandbrushwood。Agreatmanyofthetreesbecometwoatfourfeetfromtheground。Manyofthestemsaretwenty-sevenfeetingirth；theydonotdiminishorbranchtilltheyhavereachedaheightoffrom50to60feet，andtheappearanceofaltitudeisaidedbythelongitudinalsplittingofthereddishcolouredbarkintostripsabouttwoincheswide。

Thetreesarepyramidal，andatalittledistanceresemblecedars。