unbeaten tracks in japan-第49章

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which　are　absolute；　and　when　there　is　a　doubt；　instead　of　a
quarrelsome　suspension　of　the　game；　the　fiat　of　a　senior　child
decides　the　matter。　　They　play　by　themselves；　and　don't　bother
adults　at　every　turn。　　I　usually　carry　sweeties　with　me；　and　give
them　to　the　children；　but　not　one　has　ever　received　them　without
first　obtaining　permission　from　the　father　or　mother。　　When　that　is
gained　they　smile　and　bow　profoundly；　and　hand　the　sweeties　to
those　present　before　eating　any　themselves。　　They　are　gentle
creatures；　but　too　formal　and　precocious。

They　have　no　special　dress。　　This　is　so　queer　that　I　cannot　repeat
it　too　often。　　At　three　they　put　on　the　kimono　and　girdle；　which
are　as　inconvenient　to　them　as　to　their　parents；　and　childish　play
in　this　garb　is　grotesque。　　I　have；　however；　never　seen　what　we
call　child's　playthat　general　abandonment　to　miscellaneous
impulses；　which　consists　in　struggling；　slapping；　rolling；　jumping；
kicking；　shouting；　laughing；　and　quarrelling！　　Two　fine　boys　are
very　clever　in　harnessing　paper　carts　to　the　backs　of　beetles　with
gummed　traces；　so　that　eight　of　them　draw　a　load　of　rice　up　an
inclined　plane。　　You　can　imagine　what　the　fate　of　such　a　load　and
team　would　be　at　home　among　a　number　of　snatching　hands。　　Here　a
number　of　infants　watch　the　performance　with　motionless　interest；
and　never　need　the　adjuration；　〃Don't　touch。〃　　In　most　of　the
houses　there　are　bamboo　cages　for　〃the　shrill…voiced　Katydid；〃　and
the　children　amuse　themselves　with　feeding　these　vociferous
grasshoppers。　　The　channels　of　swift　water　in　the　street　turn　a
number　of　toy　water…wheels；　which　set　in　motion　most　ingenious
mechanical　toys；　of　which　a　model　of　the　automatic　rice…husker　is
the　commonest；　and　the　boys　spend　much　time　in　devising　and
watching　these；　which　are　really　very　fascinating。　　It　is　the
holidays；　but　〃holiday　tasks〃　are　given；　and　in　the　evenings　you
hear　the　hum　of　lessons　all　along　the　street　for　about　an　hour。
The　school　examination　is　at　the　re…opening　of　the　school　after　the
holidays；　instead　of　at　the　end　of　the　sessionan　arrangement
which　shows　an　honest　desire　to　discern　the　permanent　gain　made　by
the　scholars。

This　afternoon　has　been　fine　and　windy；　and　the　boys　have　been
flying　kites；　made　of　tough　paper　on　a　bamboo　frame；　all　of　a
rectangular　shape；　some　of　them　five　feet　square；　and　nearly　all
decorated　with　huge　faces　of　historical　heroes。　　Some　of　them　have
a　humming　arrangement　made　of　whale…bone。　　There　was　a　very
interesting　contest　between　two　great　kites；　and　it　brought　out　the
whole　population。　　The　string　of　each　kite；　for　30　feet　or　more
below　the　frame；　was　covered　with　pounded　glass；　made　to　adhere
very　closely　by　means　of　tenacious　glue；　and　for　two　hours　the
kite…fighters　tried　to　get　their　kites　into　a　proper　position　for
sawing　the　adversary's　string　in　two。　　At　last　one　was　successful；
and　the　severed　kite　became　his　property；　upon　which　victor　and
vanquished　exchanged　three　low　bows。　　Silently　as　the　people
watched　and　received　the　destruction　of　their　bridge；　so　silently
they　watched　this　exciting　contest。　　The　boys　also　flew　their　kites
while　walking　on　stiltsa　most　dexterous　performance；　in　which　few
were　able　to　take　partand　then　a　larger　number　gave　a　stilt　race。
The　most　striking　out…of…door　games　are　played　at　fixed　seasons　of
the　year；　and　are　not　to　be　seen　now。

There　are　twelve　children　in　this　yadoya；　and　after　dark　they
regularly　play　at　a　game　which　Ito　says　〃is　played　in　the　winter　in
every　house　in　Japan。〃　　The　children　sit　in　a　circle；　and　the
adults　look　on　eagerly；　child…worship　being　more　common　in　Japan
than　in　America；　and；　to　my　thinking；　the　Japanese　form　is　the
best。

From　proverbial　philosophy　to　personal　privation　is　rather　a
descent；　but　owing　to　the　many　detentions　on　the　journey　my　small
stock　of　foreign　food　is　exhausted；　and　I　have　been　living　here　on
rice；　cucumbers；　and　salt　salmonso　salt　that；　after　being　boiled
in　two　waters；　it　produces　a　most　distressing　thirst。　　Even　this
has　failed　to…day；　as　communication　with　the　coast　has　been　stopped
for　some　time；　and　the　village　is　suffering　under　the　calamity　of
its　stock　of　salt…fish　being　completely　exhausted。　　There　are　no
eggs；　and　rice　and　cucumbers　are　very　like　the　〃light　food〃　which
the　Israelites　〃loathed。〃　　I　had　an　omelette　one　day；　but　it　was
much　like　musty　leather。　　The　Italian　minister　said　to　me　in
Tokiyo；　〃No　question　in　Japan　is　so　solemn　as　that　of　food；〃　and
many　others　echoed　what　I　thought　at　the　time　a　most　unworthy
sentiment。　　I　recognised　its　truth　to…day　when　I　opened　my　last
resort；　a　box　of　Brand's　meat　lozenges；　and　found　them　a　mass　of
mouldiness。　　One　can　only　dry　clothes　here　by　hanging　them　in　the
wood　smoke；　so　I　prefer　to　let　them　mildew　on　the　walls；　and　have
bought　a　straw　rain…coat；　which　is　more　reliable　than　the　paper
waterproofs。　　I　hear　the　hum　of　the　children　at　their　lessons　for
the　last　time；　for　the　waters　are　falling　fast；　and　we　shall　leave
in　the　morning。

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XXIX



Hope　deferredEffects　of　the　FloodActivity　of　the　PoliceA
Ramble　in　DisguiseThe　Tanabata　FestivalMr。　Satow's　Reputation。

KUROISHI；　August　5。

After　all　the　waters　did　not　fall　as　was　expected；　and　I　had　to
spend　a　fourth　day　at　Ikarigaseki。　　We　left　early　on　Saturday；　as
we　had　to　travel　fifteen　miles　without　halting。　　The　sun　shone　on
all　the　beautiful　country；　and　on　all　the　wreck　and　devastation；　as
it　often　shines　on　the　dimpling　ocean　the　day　after　a　storm。　　We
took　four　men；　crossed　two　severe　fords　where　bridges　had　been
carried　away；　and　where　I　and　the　baggage　got　very　wet；　saw　great
devastations　and　much　loss　of　crops　and　felled　timber；　passed　under
a　cliff；　which　for　200　feet　was　composed　of　fine　columnar　basalt　in
six…sided　prisms；　and　quite　suddenly　emerged　on　a　great　plain；　on
which　green　billows　of　rice　were　rolling　sunlit　before　a　fresh
north　wind。　　This　plain　is　liberally　sprinkled　with　wooded　villages
and　surrounded　by　hills；　one　low　range　forming　a　curtain　across　the
base　of　Iwakisan；　a　great　snow…streaked　dome；　which　rises　to　the
west　of　the　plain　to　a　supposed　height　of　5000　feet。　　The　water　had
risen　in　most　of　the　villages　to　a　height　of　four　feet；　and　had
washed　the　lower　part　of　the　mud　walls　away。　　The　people　were　busy
drying　their　tatami；　futons；　and　clothing；　reconstructing　their
dykes　and　small　bridges；　and　fishing　for　the　logs　which　were　still
coming　down　in　large　quantities。

In　one　town　two　very　shabby　policemen　rushed　upon　us；　seized　the
bridle　of　my　horse；　and　kept　me　waiting　for　a　long　time　in　the
middle　of　a　crowd；　while　they　toilsomely　bored　through　the
passport；　turning　it　up　and　down；　and　holding　it　up　to　the　light；
as　though　there　were　some　nefarious　mystery　about　it。　　My　horse
stumbled　so　badly　that　I　was　obliged　to　walk　to　save　myself　from
another　fall；　and；　just　as　my　powers　were　failing；　we　met　a　kuruma；
which　by　good　management；　such　as　being　carried　occasionally；
brought　me　into　Kuroishi；　a　neat　town　of　5500　people；　famous　for
the　making　of　clogs　and　combs；　where　I　have　obtained　a　very　neat；
airy；　upstairs　room；　with　a　good　view　over　the　surrounding　country
and　of　the　doings　of　my　neighbours　in　their　back　rooms　and　gardens。
Instead　of　getting　on　to　Aomori　I　am　spending　three　days　and　two
nights　here；　and；　as　the　weather　has　improved　and　my　room　is
remarkably　cheerful；　the　rest　has　been　very　pleasant。　　As　I　have
said　before；　it　is　difficult　to　get　any　information　about　anything
even　a　few　miles　off；　and　even　at　the　Post　Office　they　cannot　give
any　intelligence　as　to　the　date　of　the　sailings　of　the　mail　steamer
between　Aomori；　twenty　miles　off；　and　Hakodate。

The　police　were　not　satisfied　with　seeing　my　passport；　but　must
also　see　me；　and　four　of　them　paid　me　a　polite　but　domiciliary
visit　the　evening　of　my　arrival。　　That　evening　the　sound　of
drumming　was　ceaseless；　and　soon　after　I　was　in　bed　Ito　announced
that　there　was　something　really　worth　seeing；　so　I　went　out　in　my
kimono　and　without　my　hat；　and　in　this　disguise　altogether　escaped
recognition　as　a　foreigner。　　Kuroishi　is　unlighted；　and