noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第11节

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trouble　was　quite　gratuitous。　　Most　surprisingly　the　innkeepers'

story　on　this　occasion　proved　to　be　entirely　true；　a　possibility　I

had　never　entertained　for　a　second；　and　furthermore　it　appeared　that

our　present　inn　was　the　one　in　which　I　had　been　offered　rooms　but　had

refused；　disliking　its　exterior。　



Such　is　the　reward　for　acting　on　general　principles。　







IX。



Over　the　Arayama　Pass。



The　morning　that　was　to　give　me　my　self…promised　land　crept　on　tiptoe

into　the　room　on　the　third　story；　and　touched　me　where　I　slept；　and

on　pushing　the　shoji　apart　and　looking　out；　I　beheld　as　fair　a　day　as

heart　could　wish。　　A　faint　misty　vapor；　like　a　bridal　veil；　was　just

lifting　from　off　the　face　of　things；　and　letting　the　sky　show　through

in　blue…eyed　depths。　　It　was　a　morning　of　desire；　bashful　for　its

youth　as　yet；　but　graced　with　a　depth　of　atmosphere　sure　to　expand

into　a　full；　warm；　perfect　noon；　and　I　hastened　to　be　out　and　become

a　part　of　it。　



Three　jinrikishas　stood　waiting　our　coming　at　the　door；　and　amidst　a

pelting　of　sayonara　from　the　whole　household；　we　dashed　off　as

proudly　as　possible　down　the　main　street　of　the　town；　to　the

admiration　of　many　lookers…on。　The　air；　laden　with　moisture；　left

kisses　on　our　cheeks　as　we　hurried　by；　while　the　sunshine　fell　in

long　scarfs　of　gauzy　shimmer　over　the　shoulders　of　the　eastern　hills。　

The　men　in　the　shafts　felt　the　fillip　of　it　all　and　encouraged　one

another　with　lusty　cries；　a　light…heartedness　that　lent　them　heels。　

Even　the　peasants　in　the　fields　seemed　to　wish　us　well；　as　they

looked　up　from　their　work　to　grin　good…humoredly。　



We　value　most　what　we　attain　with　difficulty。　　It　was　on　this

principle　no　doubt　that　the　road　considerately　proceeded　to　give　out。　

It　degenerated　indeed　very　rapidly　after　losing　sight　of　the　town；

and　soon　was　no　more　than　a　collection　of　holes　strung　on　ruts；　that

made　travel　in　perambulators　tiring　alike　to　body　and　soul。　　At　last；

after　five　miles　of　floundering；　it　gave　up　all　pretence　at　a

wheel…way；　and　deposited　us　at　a　wayside　teahouse　at　the　foot　of　a

little　valley；　the　first　step　indeed　up　the　Arayama　pass。　　Low　hills

had　closed　in　on　the　right；　shutting　off　the　sea；　and　the　ridge

dividing　Noto　from　Etchiu　rose　in　higher　lines　upon　the　left。　



Here　we　hired　porters；　securing　them　from　the　neighboring　fields；

for　they　were　primarily　peasants；　and　were　porters　only　as　we　were

tramps；　by　virtue　of　the　country。　　Porterage　being　the　sole　means　of

transport；　they　came　to　carry　our　things　as　they　would　have　carried

their　own；　in　skeleton　hods　strapped　to　their　backs。　　In　this　they

did　not　differ　from　the　Japanese　custom　generally；　but　in　one　point

they　showed　a　strange　advance　over　their　fellows。　　They　were

wonderfully　methodical　folk。　　They　paid　no　heed　to　our　hurry；　and

instead　of　shouldering　the　baggage　they　proceeded　to　weigh　it；　each

manload　by　itself；　on　a　steelyard　of　wood　six　feet　long；　the　results

they　then　worked　out　conscientiously　on　an　abacus。　　After　which　I

paid　accordingly。　　Truly　an　equitable　adjustment　between　man　and　man；

at　which　I　lost　only　the　time　it　took。　　Then　we　started。　



From　the　teahouse　the　path　rose　steadily　enough　for　so　uneducated　a

way；　leaving　the　valley　to　contract　into　an　open　glen。　　The　day；

in　the　mean　time；　came　out　as　it　had　promised；　full　and　warm；　fine

basking　weather；　as　a　certain　snake　in　the　path　seemed　to　think。　　So；

I　judge；　did　the　porters。　　If　it　be　the　pace　that　kills；　these　simple

folk　must　be　a　long…lived　race。　　They　certainly　were　very　careful　not

to　hurry　themselves。　　Had　they　been　hired　for　life；　so　thrifty　a

husbanding　of　their　strength　would　have　been　most　gratifying　to

witness；　unluckily　they　were　mine　only　for　the　job。　　They　moved；　one

foot　after　the　other；　with　a　mechanical　precision；　exhausting　even　to

look　at。　　To　keep　with　them　was　practically　impossible　for　an　ordinary

pedestrian。　　Nothing　short　of　a　woman　shopping　could　worthily　have

matched　their　pace。　　In　sight　their　speed　was　snail…like；　out　of　it

they　would　appear　to　have　stopped；　so　far　did　they　fall　behind。

Once　I　thought　they　had　turned　back。　



The　path　we　were　following　was　the　least　traveled　of　the　only　two

possible　entrances　into　Noto　by　land。　　It　was　a　side　or　postern　gate

to　the　place；　over　a　gap　on　the　northern　end　of　a　mountain　wall；

the　main　approach　lying　along　its　other　flank。　　For　a　high　range　of

uninhabited　hills　nearly　dams　the　peninsula　across；　falling　on　the

right　side　straight　into　the　sea；　but　leaving　on　the　other　a　lowland

ligature　that　binds　Noto　to　Kaga。　　To　get　from　Kaga　into　Etchiu；　the

range　has　to　be　crossed　lower　down。　　Our　dip　in　the　chain　was　called

the　Arayama　toge　or　Rough　Mountain　pass；　and　was　perhaps　fifteen

hundred　feet　high；　but　pleasingly　modeled　in　its　lines　after　one　ten

times　its　height。　



Half…way　up　the　tug　of　the　last　furlong；　where　the　ascent　became

steep　enough　for　zig…zags；　I　turned　to　look　back。　　Down　away　from　me

fell　the　valley；　slipping　by　reason　of　its　own　slope　out　into　the

great　Etchiu　plain。　　Here　and　there　showed　bits　of　the　path　in

corkscrew；　from　my　personal　standpoint　all　perfectly　porterless。　

Over　the　low　hills；　to　the　left；　lay　the　sea；　the　crescent　of　its

great　beach　sweeping　grandly　round　into　the　indistinguishable

distance。　　Back　of　it　stretched　the　Etchiu　plain；　but　beyond　that；

nothing。　　The　mountains　that　should　have　bounded　it　were　lost　to

sight　in　the　spring　haze。　



Mechanically　my　eyes　followed　up　into　the　languid　blue；　when　suddenly

they　chanced　upon　a　little　cloud；　for　cloud　I　took　it　to　be。

Yet　something　about　it　struck　me　as　strange；　and　scanning　it　more

closely；　by　this　most　natural　kind　of　second　sight；　I　marked　the

unmistakable　glisten　of　snow。　　It　was　a　snow　peak　towering　there　in

isolated　majesty。　　As　I　gazed　it　grew　on　me　with　ineffable　grandeur；

sparkling　with　a　faint　saffron　glamour　of　its　own。　　Shifting　my　look

a　little　I　saw　another　and　then　another　of　the　visions；　like　puffs　of

steam；　rising　above　the　plain。　　Half　apparitions；　below　a　certain

line；　the　snow　line；　they　vanished　into　air；　for　between　them　and　the

solid　earth　there　looked　to　be　blue　sky。　　The　haze　of　distance；　on

this　soft　May　day；　hid　their　lower　slopes　and　left　the　peaks　to　tower

alone　into　the　void。　　They　were　the　giants　of　the　Tateyama　range；

standing　there　over　against　me　inaccessibly　superb。　



A　pair　of　teahouses；　rivals；　crowned　the　summit　of　the　pass；　which；

like　most　Japanese　passes；　was　a　mere　knife…edge　of　earth。　　With　a

quickened　pulse　if　a　slackened　gait；　I　topped　the　crest；　walked

straight　past　the　twin　teahouses　and　their　importunities　to　stop

another　half…dozen　paces　to　the　brink；　and　in　one　sweep　looked　down

over　a　thousand　feet　on　the　western　side。　　Noto；　eyelashed　by　the

branches　of　a　tree　just　breaking　into　leaf；　lay　open　to　me　below。　



After　the　first　glow　of　attainment；　this　initial　view　was；　I　will

confess；　disillusioning。　　Instead　of　what　unfettered　fancy　had　led　me

to　expect；　I　saw　only　a　lot　of　terraced　rice…fields　backed　by　ranges


of　low　hills；　for　all　the　world　a　parquet　in　green　and　brown　tiles。　

And　yet；　as　the　wish　to　excuse　prompted　me　to　think；　was　this　not；

after　all；　as　it　should　be？　　For　I　was　looking　but　at　the　entrance　to

the　land；　its　outer　hallway；　as　it　were；　Nanao；　its　capital；　its

inland　sea；　all　its　beyond　was　still　shut　from　me　by　the　nearer

hills。　　And　feeling　thus　at　liberty　to　be　amused；　I　forthwith　saw　it

as　a　satire　on　panoramas　generally。　



Panoramic　views　are　painfully　plain。　　They　must　needs　be　mappy　at

best；　for　your　own　elevation　flattens　all　below　it　to　one　topographic

level。　　Field　and　woodland；　town　or　lake；　show　by　their　colors　only

as　if　they　stood　in　print；　and　you　might　as　well　lay　any　good　atlas

on　the　floor　and　survey　it　from　the　lofty　height　of　a　footstool。　

Such　being　the　inevitable；　it　was　refreshing　to　see　the　thing　in

caricature。　　No　pains；　evidently；　had　been　spared　by　the　inhabitants

to　make　their　map　realistic。　　There　the　geometric　lines　all　stood　in

ludicrous　insistence；　any　child　could　have　drawn　the　thing　as

mechanically。　



The　two　teahouses　were　well　patronized　by　wayfarers　of　both　sexes；

resting　after　their　climb。　　Some　simply　sipped　tea；　chatting；　others

made　a　regular　meal　of　the　opportunity。　　The　greater　number　sat；　as

we　did；　on　the　sill；　for　the　trouble　of　taking　off　their　straw　sandals。

Our　landlady　was　the　model　of　what　a　landlady　should　be；　for　it　was

apparently　a　feminine　establishment。　　If　there　was　a　man　attached　to

it；　he　kept　himself　discreetly　in　the　background。　　She　was　a　kind；

sympathetic　soul；　with　a　word　for　every　one；　and　a　deliberateness　of

action　as　effective　as　it　was　efficient。　　And　in　the　midst　of　it　all；

she　kept　up　a　refrain　of　welcomes　and　good…bys；　as　newcomers　appeared

or　old　comers　left。　　The　unavoidable　preliminary　exercise　and　th