Comfortdisappears——FineScenery——AnAlarm——AFarm-house——AnunusualCostume——BridlingaHorse——FemaleDressandUgliness——
Babies——MyMago——BeautiesoftheKinugawa——Fujihara——MyServant——
Horse-shoes——AnabsurdMistake。
Ito’sinformantswereright。ComfortwasleftbehindatNikko！
Alittlewomanbroughttwodepressed-lookingmaresatsixthismorning；mysaddleandbridlewereputonone，andItoandthebaggageontheother；myhostsandIexchangedcordialgoodwishesandobeisances，and，withthewomendraggingmysorrymarebyaroperoundhernose，weleftthegloriousshrinesandsolemncryptomeriagrovesofNikkobehind，passeddownitslong，cleanstreet，andwheretheInMemoriamavenueisdensestanddarkestturnedofftotheleftbyapathlikethebedofabrook，whichafterwards，asamostatrocioustrail，woundaboutamongtheroughbouldersoftheDaiya，whichitcrossesoftenontemporarybridgesoftimberscoveredwithbranchesandsoil。AftercrossingoneofthelowspursoftheNikkosanmountains，wewoundamongravineswhosesteepsidesareclothedwithmaple，oak，magnolia，elm，pine，andcryptomeria，linkedtogetherbyfestoonsoftheredundantWistariachinensis，andbrightenedbyazaleaandsyringaclusters。
Everyvistawasblockedbysomegrandmountain，waterfallsthundered，brightstreamsglancedthroughthetrees，andintheglorioussunshineofJunethecountrylookedmostbeautiful。
Wetravelledlessthanarianhour，asitwasamerefloundereitheramongrocksorindeepmud，thewomaninhergirt-updressandstrawsandalstrudgingbravelyalong，tillshesuddenlyflungawaytherope，criedout，andranbackwards，perfectlyscaredbyabiggreysnake，withredspots，muchembarrassedbyalargefrogwhichhewouldnotletgo，though，likemostofhiskind，hewasalarmedbyhumanapproach，andmadedesperateeffortstoswallowhisvictimandwriggleintothebushes。AftercrawlingforthreehourswedismountedatthemountainfarmofKohiaku，ontheedgeofaricevalley，andthewomancountedherpackagestoseethattheywereallright，andwithoutwaitingforagratuityturnedhomewardswithherhorses。Ipitchedmychairintheverandahofahousenearafewpoordwellingsinhabitedbypeasantswithlargefamilies，thehousebeinginthebarn-yardofarichsakemaker。I
waitedanhour，grewfamished，gotsomeweakteaandboiledbarley，waitedanotherhour，andyetanother，forallthehorseswereeatingleavesonthemountains。Therewasalittlestir。Mencarriedsheavesofbarleyhomeontheirbacks，andstackedthemundertheeaves。Children，withbarelytherudimentsofclothing，stoodandwatchedmehourafterhour，andadultswerenotashamedtojointhegroup，fortheyhadneverseenaforeignwoman，afork，oraspoon。DoyourememberasentenceinDr。Macgregor’slastsermon？“Whatstrangesightssomeofyouwillsee！“Couldtherebeastrangeronethanadecent-lookingmiddle-agedmanlyingonhischestintheverandah，raisedonhiselbows，andintentlyreadingabook，clothedonlyinapairofspectacles？Besidesthatcuriouspieceofstilllife，womenfrequentlydrewwaterfromawellbytheprimitivecontrivanceofabeamsuspendedacrossanupright，withthebucketatoneendandastoneattheother。
Whenthehorsesarrivedthemensaidtheycouldnotputonthebridle，but，aftermuchtalk，itwasmanagedbytwoofthemviolentlyforcingopenthejawsoftheanimal，whileathirdseizedapropitiousmomentforslippingthebitintohermouth。Atthenextchangeabridlewasathingunheardof，andwhenIsuggestedthatthecreaturewouldopenhermouthvoluntarilyifthebitwerepressedclosetoherteeth，thestanders-bymockinglysaid，“Nohorseeveropenshismouthexcepttoeatortobite，“andwereonlyconvincedafterIhadputonthebridlemyself。Thenewhorseshadarockinggaitlikecamels，andIwasgladtodispensewiththematKisagoi，asmalluplandhamlet，averypoorplace，withpoverty-
strickenhouses，childrenverydirtyandsorelyafflictedbyskinmaladies，andwomenwithcomplexionsandfeatureshardenedbysevereworkandmuchwoodsmokeintopositiveugliness，andwithfiguresanythingbutstatuesque。
IwritethetruthasIseeit，andifmyaccountsconflictwiththoseoftouristswhowriteoftheTokaidoandNakasendo，ofLakeBiwaandHakone，itdoesnotfollowthateitherisinaccurate。ButtrulythisisanewJapantome，ofwhichnobookshavegivenmeanyidea，anditisnotfairyland。Themenmaybesaidtowearnothing。Fewofthewomenwearanythingbutashortpetticoatwoundtightlyroundthem，orbluecottontrousersverytightinthelegsandbaggyatthetop，withabluecottongarmentopentothewaisttuckedintotheband，andabluecottonhandkerchiefknottedroundthehead。Fromthedressnonotionofthesexofthewearercouldbegained，norfromthefaces，ifitwerenotfortheshaveneyebrowsandblackteeth。Theshortpetticoatistrulybarbarous-
looking，andwhenawomanhasanudebabyonherbackorinherarms，andstandsstaringvacantlyattheforeigner，Icanhardlybelievemyselfin“civilised“Japan。Agood-sizedchild，strongenoughtoholduphishead，seestheworldrightcheerfullylookingoverhismother’sshoulders，butitisaconstantdistresstometoseesmallchildrenofsixandsevenyearsoldluggingontheirbacksgristlybabies，whoseshornheadsarefrizzlinginthesunand“wobbling“aboutasthoughtheymustdropoff，theireyes，asnursessay，“lookingovertheirheads。“Anumberofsilk-wormsarekeptinthisregion，andintheopenbarnsgroupsofmeninnature’scostume，andwomenunclothedtotheirwaists，werebusystrippingmulberrybranches。Thehouseswereallpoor，andthepeopledirtybothintheirclothingandpersons。Someoftheyoungerwomenmightpossiblyhavebeencomely，ifsoapandwaterhadbeenplentifullyappliedtotheirfaces；butsoapisnotused，andsuchwashingasthegarmentsgetisonlytherubbingthemalittlewithsandinarunningstream。Iwillgiveyouanamusinginstanceofthewayinwhichonemaymakeabsurdmistakes。Iheardmanystoriesoftheviciousnessandaggressivenessofpack-horses，andwastoldthattheyweremuzzledtopreventthemfrompasturinguponthehaunchesoftheircompanionsandmakingvicioussnatchesatmen。Now，Ifindthatthemuzzleisonlytopreventthemfromeatingastheytravel。Maresareusedexclusivelyinthisregion，andtheyarethegentlestoftheirrace。Ifyouhavetheweightofbaggagereckonedatonehorse-load，thoughitshouldturnoutthattheweightistoogreatforaweaklyanimal，andtheTransportagentdistributesitamongtwooreventhreehorses，youonlypayforone；andthoughourcortegeonleavingKisagoiconsistedoffoursmall，shock-headedmareswhocouldhardlyseethroughtheirbushyforelocks，withthreeactivefoals，andonewomanandthreegirlstoleadthem，Ionlypaidfortwohorsesat7senari。
Mymago，withhertoil-hardened，thoroughlygood-naturedfacerenderedhideousbyblackteeth，worestrawsandals，bluecottontrouserswithavesttuckedintothem，aspoorandwornastheycouldbe，andabluecottontowelknottedroundherhead。Astheskylookedthreateningshecarriedastrawrain-cloak，athatchoftwoconnectedcapes，onefasteningattheneck，theotheratthewaist，andaflathatofflags，2。5feetindiameter，hungatherbacklikeashield。Upanddown，overrocksandthroughdeepmud，shetrudgedwithasteadystride，turningherkind，uglyfaceatintervalstoseeifthegirlswerefollowing。Ilikethefirmhardygaitwhichthisunbecomingcostumepermitsbetterthanthepainfulshuffleimposeduponthemorecivilisedwomenbytheirtightskirtsandhighclogs。
FromKohiakutheroadpassedthroughanirregulargrassyvalleybetweendensely-woodedhills，thevalleyitselftimberedwithpark-
likeclumpsofpineandSpanishchestnuts；butonleavingKisagoithescenerychanged。AsteeprockytractbroughtustotheKinugawa，aclearrushingriver，whichhascutitswaydeeplythroughcolouredrock，andiscrossedataconsiderableheightbyabridgewithanalarminglysteepcurve，fromwhichthereisafineviewofhighmountains，andamongthemFutarayama，towhichsomeofthemostancientShintolegendsareattached。WerodeforsometimewithinhearingoftheKinugawa，catchingmagnificentglimpsesofitfrequently——turbulentandlockedinbywallsofporphyry，orwideningandcalmingandspreadingitsaquamarinewatersovergreatslabsofpinkandgreenrock，lightedfitfullybythesun，orspannedbyrainbows，orpausingtorestindeepshadypools，butalwaysbeautiful。Themountainsthroughwhichitforcesitswayontheothersideareprecipitousandwoodedtotheirsummitswithconiferae，whilethelessabruptside，alongwhichthetractiscarried，curvesintogreenknollsinitslowerslopes，sprinkledwithgrandSpanishchestnutsscarcelyyetinblossom，withmapleswhichhavenotyetlostthescarletwhichtheywearinspringaswellasautumn，andwithmanyfloweringtreesandshrubswhicharenewtome，andwithanundergrowthofredazaleas，syringa，bluehydrangea——theveryblueofheaven——yellowraspberries，ferns，clematis，whiteandyellowlilies，blueirises，andfiftyothertreesandshrubsentangledandfestoonedbythewistaria，whosebeautifulfoliageisascommonasisthatofthebramblewithus。
Theredundancyofthevegetationwastrulytropical，andthebrilliancyandvarietyofitslivinggreens，drippingwithrecentrain，wereenhancedbytheslantraysoftheafternoonsun。
Thefewhamletswepassedareoffarm-housesonly，thedeep-eavedroofscoveringinonesweepdwelling-house，barn，andstable。Ineverybarnunclothedpeoplewerepursuingvariousindustries。Wemetstringsofpack-mares，tiedheadandtail，loadedwithriceandsake，andmenandwomencarryinglargecreelsfullofmulberryleaves。Theravinegrewmoreandmorebeautiful，andanascentthroughadarkwoodofarrowycryptomeriabroughtustothisvillageexquisitelysituated，whereanumberofminiatureravines，industriouslyterracedforrice，comedownuponthegreatchasmoftheKinugawa。Elevenhoursoftravellinghavebroughtmeeighteenmiles！
IKARI，June25——Fujiharahasforty-sixfarm-housesandayadoya——
alldark，damp，dirty，anddraughty，acombinationofdwelling-
house，barn，andstable。Theyadoyaconsistedofadaidokoro，oropenkitchen，andstablebelow，andasmallloftabove，capableofdivision，andIfoundonreturningfromawalksixJapaneseinextremedeshabilleoccupyingthepartthroughwhichIhadtopass。
OnthisbeingremediedIsatdowntowrite，butwassoondrivenuponthebalcony，undertheeaves，bymyriadsoffleas，whichhoppedoutofthematsassandhoppersdooutoftheseasand，andeveninthebalcony，hoppedovermyletter。Thereweretwoouterwallsofhairymudwithlivingcreaturescrawlinginthecracks；
cobwebshungfromtheuncoveredrafters。Thematswerebrownwithageanddirt，thericewasmusty，andonlypartiallycleaned，theeggshadseenbetterdays，andtheteawasmusty。
IsaweverythingoutofdoorswithIto——thepatientindustry，theexquisitelysituatedvillage，theeveningavocations，thequietdulness——andthencontemplateditallfrommybalconyandreadthesentence(fromapaperintheTransactionsoftheAsiaticSociety)
whichhadledmetodevisethisjourney，“Thereisamostexquisitelypicturesque，butdifficult，routeupthecourseoftheKinugawa，whichseemsalmostasunknowntoJapaneseastoforeigners。“Therewasapurelemon-colouredskyabove，andslushafootdeepbelow。Aroad，atthistimeaquagmire，intersectedbyarapidstream，crossedinmanyplacesbyplanks，runsthroughthevillage。Thisstreamisatonce“lavatory“and“drinkingfountain。“Peoplecomebackfromtheirwork，sitontheplanks，takeofftheirmuddyclothesandwringthemout，andbathetheirfeetinthecurrent。Oneithersidearethedwellings，infrontofwhicharemuch-decayedmanureheaps，andthewomenwereengagedinbreakingthemupandtreadingthemintoapulpwiththeirbarefeet。Allwearthevestandtrousersattheirwork，butonlytheshortpetticoatsintheirhouses，andIsawseveralrespectablemothersoffamiliescrosstheroadandpayvisitsinthisgarmentonly，withoutanysenseofimpropriety。Theyoungerchildrenwearnothingbutastringandanamulet。Thepersons，clothing，andhousesarealivewithvermin，andifthewordsqualorcanbeappliedtoindependentandindustriouspeople，theyweresqualid。
