第17章

Theirshoeswerealwayscominguntied，andtheyworeouttwosetsinfourmiles。Thetopofthepass，likethatofagreatmanyothers，isanarrowridge，onthefarthersideofwhichthetrackdipsabruptlyintoatremendousravine，alongwhosesidewedescendedforamileorsoincompanywithariverwhosereverberatingthunderdrownedallattemptsatspeech。Agloriousviewitwas，lookingdownbetweenthewoodedprecipicestoarollingwoodedplain，lyingindepthsofindigoshadow，boundedbyrangesofwoodedmountains，andovertoppedbyheightsheavilysplotchedwithsnow！Thevegetationwassignificantofamilderclimate。Themagnoliaandbamboore-appeared，andtropicalfernsmingledwiththebeautifulbluehydrangea，theyellowJapanlily，andthegreatbluecampanula。Therewasanoceanoftreesentangledwithabeautifultrailer(Actinidiapolygama)withaprofusionofwhiteleaves，which，atadistance，looklikegreatclustersofwhiteblossoms。Buttherankundergrowthoftheforestsofthisregionisnotattractive。Manyofitscomponentpartsdeservethenameofweeds，beinggawky，raggedumbels，coarsedocks，ranknettles，andmanyotherthingswhichIdon’tknow，andneverwishtoseeagain。Neartheendofthisdescentmymaretookthebitbetweenherteethandcarriedmeatanungainlygallopintothebeautifullysituated，precipitousvillageofIchikawa，whichisabsolutelysaturatedwithmoisturebythesprayofafinewaterfallwhichtumblesthroughthemiddleofit，anditstreesandroad-sidearegreenwiththeProtococcusviridis。TheTransportAgenttherewasawoman。Womenkeepyadoyasandshops，andcultivatefarmsasfreelyasmen。Boardsgivingthenumberofinhabitants，maleandfemale，andthenumberofhorsesandbullocks，areputupineachvillage，andInoticedinIchikawa，aseverywherehitherto，thatmenpreponderate。{12}I。L。B。

ThePlainofWakamatsu——LightCostume——TheTakataCrowd——ACongressofSchoolmasters——TimidityofaCrowd——BadRoads——ViciousHorses——

MountainScenery——APicturesqueInn——SwallowingaFish-bone——

PovertyandSuicide——AnInn-kitchen——EnglandUnknown！——MyBreakfastDisappears。

AshortridetookusfromIchikawatoaplainaboutelevenmilesbroadbyeighteenlong。ThelargetownofWakamatsustandsnearitssouthernend，anditissprinkledwithtownsandvillages。ThegreatlakeofIniwashiroisnotfaroff。Theplainisrichandfertile。Inthedistancethesteeproofsofitsvillages，withtheirgroves，lookverypicturesque。Asusualnotafenceorgateistobeseen，oranyotherhedgethanthetalloneusedasascreenforthedwellingsofthericherfarmers。

Badroadsandbadhorsesdetractedfrommyenjoyment。Onehourofagoodhorsewouldhavecarriedmeacrosstheplain；asitwas，sevenwearyhourswereexpendeduponit。Thedaydegenerated，andclosedinstill，hotrain；theairwasstiflingandelectric，thesaddleslippedconstantlyfrombeingtoobig，theshoesweremorethanusuallytroublesome，thehorsefliestormented，andthemenandhorsescrawled。Therice-fieldswereundergoingasecondprocessofpuddling，andmanyofthemenengagedinitworeonlyahat，andafanattachedtothegirdle。

AnavenueofcryptomeriaandtwohandsomeandsomewhatgildedBuddhisttemplesdenotedtheapproachtoaplaceofsomeimportance，andsuchTakatais，asbeingalargetownwithaconsiderabletradeinsilk，rope，andminjin，andtheresidenceofoneofthehigherofficialsofthekenorprefecture。Thestreetisamilelong，andeveryhouseisashop。Thegeneralaspectismeanandforlorn。Intheselittle-travelleddistricts，assoonasonereachesthemarginofatown，thefirstmanonemeetsturnsandfliesdownthestreet，callingouttheJapaneseequivalentof“Here’saforeigner！“andsoonblindandseeing，oldandyoung，clothedandnaked，gathertogether。Attheyadoyathecrowdassembledinsuchforcethatthehouse-masterremovedmetosomeprettyroomsinagarden；butthentheadultsclimbedonthehouse-

roofswhichoverlookedit，andthechildrenonapalisadeattheend，whichbrokedownundertheirweight，andadmittedthewholeinundation；sothatIhadtoclosetheshoji，withthefatiguingconsciousnessduringthewholetimeofnominalrestofamultitudesurgingoutside。Thenfivepolicemeninblackalpacafrock-coatsandwhitetrousersinvadedmyprecariousprivacy，desiringtoseemypassport——ademandnevermadebeforeexceptwhereIhaltedforthenight。IntheirEuropeanclothestheycannotbowwithJapanesepunctiliousness，buttheywereverypolite，andexpressedgreatannoyanceatthecrowd，anddispersedit；buttheyhadhardlydisappearedwhenitgatheredagain。WhenIwentoutIfoundfully1000peoplehelpingmetorealisehowthecrowdedcitiesofJudeasentforthpeopleclothedmuchasthesearewhentheMiracle-WorkerfromGalileearrived，butnotwhatthefatigueofthecrowdingandbuzzingmusthavebeentoOnewhohadbeenpreachingandworkingduringthelongday。TheseJapanesecrowds，however，arequietandgentle，andneverpressrudelyuponone。Icouldnotfinditinmyhearttocomplainofthemexcepttoyou。Fourofthepolicemenreturned，andescortedmetotheoutskirtsofthetown。Thenoisemadeby1000peopleshufflingalonginclogsisliketheclatterofahail-storm。

Afterthistherewasadismaltrampoffivehoursthroughrice-

fields。Themoistclimateandthefatigueofthismanneroftravellingaredeterioratingmyhealth，andthepaininmyspine，whichhasbeendailyincreasing，wassoseverethatIcouldneitherridenorwalkformorethantwentyminutesatatime；andthepacewassoslowthatitwassixwhenwereachedBange，acommercialtownof5000people，literallyinthericeswamp，mean，filthy，damp，anddecaying，andfullofanoverpoweringstenchfromblack，slimyditches。Themercurywas84degrees，andhotrainfellfastthroughthemotionlessair。Wedismountedinashedfullofbalesofdriedfish，whichgaveoffanoverpoweringodour，andwetanddirtypeoplecrowdedintostareattheforeignertilltheairseemedunbreathable。

Butthereweresignsofprogress。Athreedays’congressofschoolmasterswasbeingheld；candidatesforvacantsituationswerebeingexamined；therewerelengthyeducationaldiscussionsgoingon，speciallyonthesubjectofthevalueoftheChineseclassicsasapartofeducation；andeveryinnwascrowded。

Bangewasmalarious:therewassomuchmalariousfeverthattheGovernmenthadsentadditionalmedicalassistance；thehillswereonlyarioff，anditseemedessentialtogoon。Butnotahorsecouldbegottill10p。m。；theroadwasworsethantheoneIhadtravelled；thepainbecamemoreacute，andImoreexhausted，andI

wasobligedtoremain。Thenfollowedawearyhour，inwhichtheExpressAgent’sfiveemissariesweresearchingforaroom，andconsiderablyafterdarkIfoundmyselfinaramblingoldover-

crowdedyadoya，wheremyroomwasmainlybuiltonpilesabovestagnantwater，andthemosquitoeswereinsuchswarmsastomaketheairdense，andafterafeverishandmiserablenightIwasgladtogetupearlyanddepart。

Fully2000peoplehadassembled。AfterIwasmountedIwasonthepointofremovingmyDollondfromthecase，whichhungonthesaddlehorn，whenaregularstampedeoccurred，oldandyoungrunningasfastastheypossiblycould，childrenbeingknockeddowninthehasteoftheirelders。ItosaidthattheythoughtIwastakingoutapistoltofrightenthem，andImadehimexplainwhattheobjectreallywas，fortheyareagentle，harmlesspeople，whomonewouldnotannoywithoutsincereregret。InmanyEuropeancountries，andcertainlyinsomepartsofourown，asolitarylady-

travellerinaforeigndresswouldbeexposedtorudeness，insult，andextortion，ifnottoactualdanger；butIhavenotmetwithasingleinstanceofincivilityorrealovercharge，andthereisnorudenessevenaboutthecrowding。ThemagoareanxiousthatI

shouldnotgetwetorbefrightened，andveryscrupulousinseeingthatallstrapsandloosethingsaresafeattheendofthejourney，and，insteadofhangingaboutaskingforgratuities，orstoppingtodrinkandgossip，theyquicklyunloadthehorses，getapaperfromtheTransportAgent，andgohome。Onlyyesterdayastrapwasmissing，and，thoughitwasafterdark，themanwentbackariforit，andrefusedtotakesomesenwhichIwishedtogivehim，sayinghewasresponsiblefordeliveringeverythingrightatthejourney’send。Theyaresokindandcourteoustoeachother，whichisverypleasing。Itoisnotpleasingorpoliteinhismannertome，butwhenhespeakstohisownpeoplehecannotfreehimselffromtheshacklesofetiquette，andbowsasprofoundlyandusesasmanypolitephrasesasanybodyelse。

Inanhourthemalariousplainwascrossed，andwehavebeenamongpilesofmountainseversince。Theinfamousroadwassoslipperythatmyhorsefellseveraltimes，andthebaggagehorse，withItouponhim，rolledheadoverheels，sendinghismiscellaneouspackinalldirections。GoodroadsarereallythemostpressingneedofJapan。ItwouldbefarbetteriftheGovernmentweretoenrichthecountrybysucharemunerativeoutlayasmakingpassableroadsforthetransportofgoodsthroughtheinterior，thantoimpoverishitbybuyingironcladsinEngland，andindulginginexpensivewesternvanities。

ThatsohorriblearoadshouldhavesogoodabridgeasthatbywhichwecrossedthebroadriverAganoissurprising。Itconsistsoftwelvelargescows，eachonesecuredtoastrongcableofplaitedwistari，whichcrossestheriveratagreatheight，soastoallowofthescowsandtheplankbridgewhichtheycarryrisingandfallingwiththetwelvefeetvariationofthewater。

Ito’sdisasterkepthimbackforanhour，andIsatmeanwhileonaricesackinthehamletofKatakado，acollectionofsteep-roofedhouseshuddledtogetherinaheightabovetheAgano。Itwasonemobofpack-horses，over200ofthem，biting，squealing，andkicking。BeforeIcoulddismount，oneviciouscreaturestruckatmeviolently，butonlyhitthegreatwoodenstirrup。Icouldhardlyfindanyplaceoutoftherangeofhoofsorteeth。Mybaggagehorseshowedgreatfuryafterhewasunloaded。Heattackedpeoplerightandleftwithhisteeth，struckoutsavagelywithhisforefeet，lashedoutwithhishindones，andtriedtopinhismasterupagainstawall。

Leavingthisfractiousscenewestruckagainthroughthemountains。

Theirrangeswereinterminable，andeveryviewfromeveryfreshridgegranderthanthelast，forwewerenowneartheloftyrangeoftheAidzuMountains，andthedouble-peakedBandaisan，theabruptprecipicesofItoyasan，andthegrandmassofMiyojintakeinthesouth-west，withtheirvastsnow-fieldsandsnow-filledravines，wereallvisibleatonce。Thesesummitsofnakedrockordazzlingsnow，risingabovethesmotheringgreeneryofthelowerrangesintoaheavenofdeliciousblue，gaveexactlythatindividualityandemphasiswhich，tomythinking，Japanesesceneryusuallylacks。

Ridingonfirst，IarrivedaloneatthelittletownofNozawa，toencounterthecuriosityofacrowd；and，afterarest，wehadaverypleasantwalkofthreemilesalongthesideofaridgeabovearapidriverwithfinegreycliffsonitsfartherside，withagrandviewoftheAidzugiants，violetcolouredinagoldensunset。

AtduskwecameuponthepicturesquevillageofNojiri，onthemarginofaricevalley，butIshrankfromspendingSundayinahole，and，havingspiedasolitaryhouseontheverybrowofahill1500feethigher，Idraggedouttheinformationthatitwasatea-

house，andcameuptoit。Ittookthree-quartersofanhourtoclimbtheseriesofprecipitouszigzagsbywhichthisremarkablepassissurmounted；darknesscameon，accompaniedbythunderandlightning，andjustaswearrivedatremendouszigzagofblueflamelitupthehouseanditsinterior，showingalargegroupsittingroundawoodfire，andthenallwasthickdarknessagain。Ithadamoststartlingeffect。Thishouseismagnificentlysituated，almosthangingovertheedgeoftheknife-likeridgeofthepassofKuruma，onwhichitissituated。ItistheonlyyadoyaIhavebeenatfromwhichtherehasbeenanyview。Thevillagesarenearlyalwaysinthevalleys，andthebestroomsareattheback，andhavetheirprospectslimitedbythepalingoftheconventionalgarden。