第36章

类别:其他 作者:Isabella Lucy Bird字数:5064更新时间:18/12/27 09:01:20
EvenGinsainomawasnotParadiseafterdark,andIwasactuallydriventobedearlybythenumberofmosquitoes。Itoisinanexcellenthumouronthistour。Likeme,helikesthefreedomoftheHokkaido。Heismuchmorepoliteandagreeablealso,andveryproudoftheGovernor’sshomon,withwhichheswaggersintohotelsandTransportOffices。Inevergetonsowellaswhenhearrangesforme。Saturdaywasgreyandlifeless,andtherideofsevenmilesherealongasandyroadthroughmonotonousforestandswamp,withthevolcanoononesideandlowwoodedhillsontheother,waswearisomeandfatiguing。Isawfivelargesnakesallinaheap,andanumbermoretwistingthroughthegrass。Therearenovillages,butseveralverypoortea-houses,andontheothersideoftheroadlongshedswithtroughshollowedlikecanoesoutofthetrunksoftrees,containinghorsefood。Herenobodywalks,andthemenrideataquickrun,sittingonthetopsoftheirpack-saddleswiththeirlegscrossedabovetheirhorses’necks,andwearinglargehatslikecoal-scuttlebonnets。Thehorsesareinfestedwithticks,hundredsupononeanimalsometimes,andoccasionallytheybecomesomadfromtheirritationthattheythrowthemselvessuddenlyontheground,androlloverloadandrider。Isawthisdonetwice。Theticksoftentransferthemselvestotheriders。 Moriisalarge,ramshacklevillage,nearthesouthernpointofVolcanoBay——awild,dreary-lookingplaceonasandyshore,withanumberofjoroyasanddisreputablecharacters。Severaloftheyadoyasarenotrespectable,butIratherlikethisone,andithasaveryfineviewofthevolcano,whichformsonepointofthebay。 Morihasnoanchorage,thoughithasanunfinishedpier345feetlong。Thesteamferryacrossthemouthofthebayishere,andthereisaverydifficultbridle-trackrunningfornearly100milesroundthebaybesides,andaroadintotheinterior。Butitisaforlorn,decayedplace。Lastnighttheinnwasverynoisy,assometravellersinthenextroomtominehiredgeishas,whoplayed,sang,anddancedtilltwointhemorning,andthewholepartyimbibedsakefreely。Inthiscomparativelynorthernlatitudethesummerisalreadywaning。TheseedsoftheblossomswhichwereintheirglorywhenIarrivedareripe,andhereandthereatingeofyellowonahillside,orascarletsprayofmaple,heraldsthegloriesandthecoolnessofautumn。 Aloudyellof“steamer,“coupledwiththeinformationthat“shecouldnotwaitoneminute,“brokeinupongoandeverythingelse,andinabroilingsunwehurrieddowntothepier,andwithaheapofJapanese,whofilledtwoscows,wereputonboardasteamernotbiggerthanalargedeckedsteamlaunch,wherethenativeswereallpackedintoacoveredhole,andIwasconductedwithmuchceremonytotheforecastle,aplaceatthebow5feetsquare,fullofcoilsofrope,shutin,andlefttosolitudeanddignity,andthestareofeighteyes,whichperseveringlygloweredthroughthewindows! Thesteamerhadbeenkeptwaitingformeontheothersidefortwodays,totheinfinitedisgustoftwoforeigners,whowishedtoreturntoHakodate,andtomine。 Itwasasplendidday,withfoamcrestsonthewonderfullybluewater,andtheredashesofthevolcano,whichformsthesouthpointofthebay,glowedinthesunlight。Thiswretchedsteamer,whoseboilersaresooften“sick“thatshecanneverbereliedupon,istheonlymeansofreachingthenewcapitalwithouttakingamostdifficultandcircuitousroute。Tocontinuethepierandputacapablegoodsteamerontheferrywouldbeausefulexpenditureofmoney。Thebreezewasstrongandinourfavour,butevenwiththisittookussixwearyhourstosteamtwenty-fivemiles,anditwaseightatnightbeforewereachedthebeautifulandalmostland-lockedbayofMororan,withsteep,woodedsides,anddeepwaterclosetotheshore,deepenoughfortheforeignshipsofwarwhichoccasionallyanchorthere,muchtothedetrimentofthetown。Wegotoffinover-crowdedsampans,andseveralpeoplefellintothewater,muchtotheirownamusement。Theservantsfromthedifferentyadoyasgodowntothejettyto“tout“ forguestswithlargepaperlanterns,andtheeffectofthese,oneaboveanother,wavingandundulating,withtheirsoftcolouredlight,wasasbewitchingasthereflectionofthestarsinthemotionlesswater。Mororanisasmalltownverypicturesquelysituatedonthesteepshoreofamostlovelybay,withanotherheight,richlywooded,aboveit,withshrinesapproachedbyflightsofstonestairs,andbehindthishillthereisthefirstAinovillagealongthiscoast。 Thelong,irregularstreetisslightlypicturesque,butIwasimpressedbothwiththeunusualsightofloafersandwiththedissolutelookoftheplace,arisingfromthenumberofjoroyas,andfromthenumberofyadoyasthatarealsohauntsofthevicious。 Icouldonlygetaverysmallroominaverypooranddirtyinn,buttherewerenomosquitoes,andIgotagoodmealoffish。OnsendingtoorderhorsesIfoundthateverythingwasarrangedformyjourney。TheGovernorsenthiscardearly,toknowiftherewereanythingIshouldliketoseeordo,but,asthemorningwasgreyandthreatening,Iwishedtopushon,andat9。30Iwasinthekurumaattheinndoor。Icallitthekurumabecauseitistheonlyone,andiskeptbytheGovernmentfortheconveyanceofhospitalpatients。Isatthereuncomfortablyandpatientlyforhalfanhour,myonlyamusementbeingtheflirtationsofItowithaveryprettygirl。Loiterersassembled,butnoonecametodrawthevehicle,andbydegreesthedismaltruthleakedoutthatthethreecoolieswhohadbeenimpressedfortheoccasionhadallabsconded,andthatfourpolicemenwereinsearchofthem。Iwalkedoninadawdlingwayupthesteephillwhichleadsfromthetown,metMr。 Akboshi,apleasantyoungJapanesesurveyor,whospokeEnglishandstigmatisedMororanas“theworstplaceinYezo;“and,afterfumingfortwohoursatthewasteoftime,wasovertakenbyItowiththehorses,inaboilingrage。“They’retheworstandwickedestcooliesinallJapan,“hestammered;“twomoreranaway,andnowthreearecoming,andhavegotpaidforfour,andthefirstthreewhoranawaygotpaid,andtheExpressman’ssoashamedforaforeigner,andtheGovernor’sinafuriousrage。“ Exceptforthelossoftimeitmadenodifferencetome,butwhenthekurumadidcomeuptherunnerswerethreesuchruffianly- lookingmen,andweredressedsowildlyinbarkcloth,that,insendingItoontwelvemilestosecurerelays,Isentmymoneyalongwithhim。Thesemen,thoughtherewerethreeinsteadoftwo,neverwentoutofawalk,and,asifonpurpose,tookthevehicleovereverystoneandintoeveryrut,andkeptupasavagechorusof“haes-ha,haes-hora“thewholetime,asiftheywerepullingstone- carts。TherearereallynorunnersoutofHakodate,andthemendon’tknowhowtopull,andhatedoingit。 MororanBayistrulybeautifulfromthetopoftheascent。ThecoastsceneryofJapangenerallyistheloveliestIhaveeverseen,exceptthatofaportionofwindwardHawaii,andthisyieldsinbeautytonone。Theirregulargreytown,withagreytempleontheheightabove,stragglesroundthelittlebayonasteep,woodedterrace;hills,denselywooded,andwithaperfectentanglementoflarge-leavedtrailers,descendabruptlytothewater’sedge;thefestoonsofthevinesaremirroredinthestillwaters;andabovethedarkforest,andbeyondthegleamingsea,risesthered,peakedtopofthevolcano。Thentheroaddipsabruptlytosandyswellings,risingintoboldheadlandshereandthere;andforthefirsttimeIsawthesurgeof5000milesofunbrokenoceanbreakupontheshore。GlimpsesofthePacific,anuncultivated,swampylevelquiteuninhabited,anddistanthillsmainlycoveredwithforest,madeupthelandscapetillIreachedHorobets,amixedJapaneseandAinovillagebuiltuponthesandnearthesea。 InthesemixedvillagestheAinosarecompelledtoliveatarespectfuldistancefromtheJapanese,andfrequentlyout-numberthem,asatHorobets,wherethereareforty-sevenAinoandonlyeighteenJapanesehouses。TheAinovillagelookslargerthanitreallyis,becausenearlyeveryhousehasakura,raisedsixfeetfromthegroundbywoodenstilts。WhenIambetteracquaintedwiththehousesIshalldescribethem;atpresentIwillonlysaythattheydonotresembletheJapanesehousessomuchasthePolynesian,astheyaremadeofreedsveryneatlytieduponawoodenframework。 Theyhavesmallwindows,androofsofaverygreatheight,andsteeppitch,withthethatchinaseriesofveryneatfrills,andtheridgepolescoveredwithreeds,andornamented。ThecoastAinosarenearlyallengagedinfishing,butatthisseasonthemenhuntdeerintheforests。Onthiscoastthereareseveralnamescompoundedwithbetsorpets,theAinoforariver,suchasHorobets,Yubets,Mombets,etc。 IfoundthatItohadbeenengagedforawholehourinaviolentaltercation,whichwascausedbytheTransportAgentrefusingtosupplyrunnersforthekuruma,sayingthatnooneinHorobetswoulddrawone,butonmyproducingtheshomonIwasatoncestartedonmyjourneyofsixteenmileswiththreeJapaneselads,ItoridingontoShiraoitogetmyroomready。IthinkthattheTransportOfficesinYezoareinGovernmenthands。InafewminutesthreeAinosranoutofahouse,tookthekuruma,andwentthewholestagewithoutstopping。Theytookaboyandthreesaddledhorsesalongwiththemtobringthemback,androdeandhauledalternately,twoyouthsalwaysattachedtotheshafts,andamanpushingbehind。 Theywereverykind,andsocourteous,afteranewfashion,thatI quiteforgotthatIwasaloneamongsavages。Theladswereyoungandbeardless,theirlipswerethick,andtheirmouthsverywide,andIthoughtthattheyapproachedmorenearlytotheEskimotypethantoanyother。Theyhadmassesofsoftblackhairfallingoneachsideoftheirfaces。TheadultmanwasnotapureAino。Hisdarkhairwasnotverythick,andbothitandhisbeardhadanoccasionalauburngleam。IthinkIneversawafacemorecompletelybeautifulinfeaturesandexpression,withalofty,sad,far-off,gentle,intellectuallook,ratherthatofSirNoelPaton’s“Christ“thanofasavage。Hismannerwasmostgraceful,andhespokebothAinoandJapaneseinthelowmusicaltonewhichIfindisacharacteristicofAinospeech。TheseAinosnevertookofftheirclothes,butmerelyletthemfallfromoneorbothshoulderswhenitwasverywarm。 TheroadfromHorobetstoShiraoiisverysolitary,withnotmorethanfourorfivehousesthewholeway。Itisbroadandstraight,exceptwhenitascendshillsorturnsinlandtocrossrivers,andiscarriedacrossabroadswampylevel,coveredwithtallwildflowers,whichextendsfromthehighbeachthrownupbytheseafortwomilesinland,wherethereisaloftywallofwoodedrock,andbeyondthistheforest-coveredmountainsoftheinterior。OnthetopoftheraisedbeachtherewereAinohamlets,andoccasionallyanearlyoverpoweringstenchcameacrossthelevelfromtheshedsandapparatususedforextractingfish-oil。Ienjoyedtheafternoonthoroughly。ItissogoodtohavegotbeyondtheconfinesofstereotypedcivilisationandthetrammelsofJapanesetravellingtothesolitudeofnatureandanatmosphereoffreedom。Itwasgrey,withahard,darklineofoceanhorizon,andovertheweedylevelthegreyroad,withgreytelegraph-polesalongit,stretchedwearisomelylikeagreythread。Thebreezecameupfromthesea,rustledthereeds,andwavedthetallplumesoftheEulaliajaponica,andthethunderofthePacificsurgesboomedthroughtheairwithitsgrand,deepbass。Poetryandmusicpervadedthesolitude,andmyspiritwasrested。