unbeaten tracks in japan-第20章

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ought　to　sell　at　6d。　　You　say　3s。；　she　laughs　and　says　3s。　6d。；　you
say　2s。；　she　laughs　again　and　says　3s。；　offering　you　the　tabako…
bon。　　Eventually　the　matter　is　compromised　by　your　giving　her　1s。；
at　which　she　appears　quite　delighted。　　With　a　profusion　of　bows　and
〃sayo　naras〃　on　each　side；　you　go　away　with　the　pleasant　feeling　of
having　given　an　industrious　woman　twice　as　much　as　the　thing　was
worth　to　her；　and　less　than　what　it　is　worth　to　you！

There　are　several　barbers'　shops；　and　the　evening　seems　a　very　busy
time　with　them。　　This　operation　partakes　of　the　general　want　of
privacy　of　the　life　of　the　village；　and　is　performed　in　the　raised
open　front　of　the　shop。　　Soap　is　not　used；　and　the　process　is　a
painful　one。　　The　victims　let　their　garments　fall　to　their　waists；
and　each　holds　in　his　left　hand　a　lacquered　tray　to　receive　the
croppings。　　The　ugly　Japanese　face　at　this　time　wears　a　most
grotesque　expression　of　stolid　resignation　as　it　is　held　and　pulled
about　by　the　operator；　who　turns　it　in　all　directions；　that　he　may
judge　of　the　effect　that　he　is　producing。　　The　shaving　the　face
till　it　is　smooth　and　shiny；　and　the　cutting；　waxing；　and　tying　of
the　queue　with　twine　made　of　paper；　are　among　the　evening　sights　of
Nikko。

Lacquer　and　things　curiously　carved　in　wood　are　the　great
attractions　of　the　shops；　but　they　interest　me　far　less　than　the
objects　of　utility　in　Japanese　daily　life；　with　their　ingenuity　of
contrivance　and　perfection　of　adaptation　and　workmanship。　　A　seed
shop；　where　seeds　are　truly　idealised；　attracts　me　daily。　　Thirty
varieties　are　offered　for　sale；　as　various　in　form　as　they　are　in
colour；　and　arranged　most　artistically　on　stands；　while　some　are
put　up　in　packages　decorated　with　what　one　may　call　a　facsimile　of
the　root；　leaves；　and　flower；　in　water…colours。　　A　lad　usually　lies
on　the　mat　behind　executing　these　very　creditable　picturesfor
such　they　arewith　a　few　bold　and　apparently　careless　strokes　with
his　brush。　　He　gladly　sold　me　a　peony　as　a　scrap　for　a　screen　for　3
sen。　　My　purchases；　with　this　exception；　were　necessaries　onlya
paper　waterproof　cloak；　〃a　circular；〃　black　outside　and　yellow
inside；　made　of　square　sheets　of　oiled　paper　cemented　together；　and
some　large　sheets　of　the　same　for　covering　my　baggage；　and　I
succeeded　in　getting　Ito　out　of　his　obnoxious　black　wide…awake　into
a　basin…shaped　hat　like　mine；　for；　ugly　as　I　think　him；　he　has　a
large　share　of　personal　vanity；　whitens　his　teeth；　and　powders　his
face　carefully　before　a　mirror；　and　is　in　great　dread　of　sunburn。
He　powders　his　hands　too；　and　polishes　his　nails；　and　never　goes
out　without　gloves。

To…morrow　I　leave　luxury　behind　and　plunge　into　the　interior；
hoping　to　emerge　somehow　upon　the　Sea　of　Japan。　　No　information　can
be　got　here　except　about　the　route　to　Niigata；　which　I　have　decided
not　to　take；　so；　after　much　study　of　Brunton's　map；　I　have　fixed
upon　one　place；　and　have　said　positively；　〃I　go　to　Tajima。〃　　If　I
reach　it　I　can　get　farther；　but　all　I　can　learn　is；　〃It's　a　very
bad　road；　it's　all　among　the　mountains。〃　　Ito；　who　has　a　great
regard　for　his　own　comforts；　tries　to　dissuade　me　from　going　by
saying　that　I　shall　lose　mine；　but；　as　these　kind　people　have
ingeniously　repaired　my　bed　by　doubling　the　canvas　and　lacing　it
into　holes　in　the　side　poles；　｛9｝　and　as　I　have　lived　for　the　last
three　days　on　rice；　eggs；　and　coarse　vermicelli　about　the　thickness
and　colour　of　earth…worms；　this　prospect　does　not　appal　me！　　In
Japan　there　is　a　Land　Transport　Company；　called　Riku…un…kaisha；
with　a　head…office　in　Tokiyo；　and　branches　in　various　towns　and
villages。　　It　arranges　for　the　transport　of　travellers　and
merchandise　by　pack…horses　and　coolies　at　certain　fixed　rates；　and
gives　receipts　in　due　form。　　It　hires　the　horses　from　the　farmers；
and　makes　a　moderate　profit　on　each　transaction；　but　saves　the
traveller　from　difficulties；　delays；　and　extortions。　　The　prices
vary　considerably　in　different　districts；　and　are　regulated　by　the
price　of　forage；　the　state　of　the　roads；　and　the　number　of　hireable
horses。　　For　a　ri；　nearly　2。5　miles；　they　charge　from　6　to　10　sen
for　a　horse　and　the　man　who　leads　it；　for　a　kuruma　with　one　man
from　4　to　9　sen　for　the　same　distance；　and　for　baggage　coolies
about　the　same。　　＇This　Transport　Company　is　admirably　organised。　　I
employed　it　in　journeys　of　over　1200　miles；　and　always　found　it
efficient　and　reliable。＇　　I　intend　to　make　use　of　it　always；　much
against　Ito's　wishes；　who　reckoned　on　many　a　prospective　〃squeeze〃
in　dealings　with　the　farmers。

My　journey　will　now　be　entirely　over　〃unbeaten　tracks；〃　and　will
lead　through　what　may　be　called　〃Old　Japan；〃　and　as　it　will　be
natural　to　use　Japanese　words　for　money　and　distances；　for　which
there　are　no　English　terms；　I　give　them　here。　　A　yen　is　a　note
representing　a　dollar；　or　about　3s。　7d。　of　our　money；　a　sen　is
something　less　than　a　halfpenny；　a　rin　is　a　thin　round　coin　of　iron
or　bronze；　with　a　square　hole　in　the　middle；　of　which　10　make　a
sen；　and　1000　a　yen；　and　a　tempo　is　a　handsome　oval　bronze　coin
with　a　hole　in　the　centre；　of　which　5　make　4　sen。　　Distances　are
measured　by　ri；　cho；　and　ken。　　Six　feet　make　one　ken；　sixty　ken　one
cho；　and　thirty…six　cho　one　ri；　or　nearly　2。5　English　miles。　　When
I　write　of　a　road　I　mean　a　bridle…path　from　four　to　eight　feet
wide；　kuruma　roads　being　specified　as　such。　　I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XI



Comfort　disappearsFine　SceneryAn　AlarmA　Farm…houseAn
unusual　CostumeBridling　a　HorseFemale　Dress　and　Ugliness
BabiesMy　MagoBeauties　of　the　KinugawaFujiharaMy　Servant
Horse…shoesAn　absurd　Mistake。

FUJIHARA；　June　24。

Ito's　informants　were　right。　　Comfort　was　left　behind　at　Nikko！

A　little　woman　brought　two　depressed…looking　mares　at　six　this
morning；　my　saddle　and　bridle　were　put　on　one；　and　Ito　and　the
baggage　on　the　other；　my　hosts　and　I　exchanged　cordial　good　wishes
and　obeisances；　and；　with　the　women　dragging　my　sorry　mare　by　a
rope　round　her　nose；　we　left　the　glorious　shrines　and　solemn
cryptomeria　groves　of　Nikko　behind；　passed　down　its　long；　clean
street；　and　where　the　In　Memoriam　avenue　is　densest　and　darkest
turned　off　to　the　left　by　a　path　like　the　bed　of　a　brook；　which
afterwards；　as　a　most　atrocious　trail；　wound　about　among　the　rough
boulders　of　the　Daiya；　which　it　crosses　often　on　temporary　bridges
of　timbers　covered　with　branches　and　soil。　　After　crossing　one　of
the　low　spurs　of　the　Nikkosan　mountains；　we　wound　among　ravines
whose　steep　sides　are　clothed　with　maple；　oak；　magnolia；　elm；　pine；
and　cryptomeria；　linked　together　by　festoons　of　the　redundant
Wistaria　chinensis；　and　brightened　by　azalea　and　syringa　clusters。
Every　vista　was　blocked　by　some　grand　mountain；　waterfalls
thundered；　bright　streams　glanced　through　the　trees；　and　in　the
glorious　sunshine　of　June　the　country　looked　most　beautiful。

We　travelled　less　than　a　ri　an　hour；　as　it　was　a　mere　flounder
either　among　rocks　or　in　deep　mud；　the　woman　in　her　girt…up　dress
and　straw　sandals　trudging　bravely　along；　till　she　suddenly　flung
away　the　rope；　cried　out；　and　ran　backwards；　perfectly　scared　by　a
big　grey　snake；　with　red　spots；　much　embarrassed　by　a　large　frog
which　he　would　not　let　go；　though；　like　most　of　his　kind；　he　was
alarmed　by　human　approach；　and　made　desperate　efforts　to　swallow
his　victim　and　wriggle　into　the　bushes。　　After　crawling　for　three
hours　we　dismounted　at　the　mountain　farm　of　Kohiaku；　on　the　edge　of
a　rice　valley；　and　the　woman　counted　her　packages　to　see　that　they
were　all　right；　and　without　waiting　for　a　gratuity　turned　homewards
with　her　horses。　　I　pitched　my　chair　in　the　verandah　of　a　house
near　a　few　poor　dwellings　inhabited　by　peasants　with　large
families；　the　house　being　in　the　barn…yard　of　a　rich　sake　maker。　　I
waited　an　hour；　grew　famished；　got　some　weak　tea　and　boiled　barley；
waited　another　hour；　and　yet　another；　for　all　the　horses　were
eating　leaves　on　the　mountains。　　There　was　a　little　stir。　　Men
carried　sheaves　of　barley　home　on　their　backs；　and　stacked　them
under　the　eaves。　　Children；　with　barely　the　rudiments　of　clothing；
stood　and　watched　me　hour　after　hour；　and　adults　were　not