noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第12节

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or　old　comers　left。　　The　unavoidable　preliminary　exercise　and　the

crisp　air　whetted　all　our　appetites。　　So　I　doubt　not　she　drove　a

thriving　trade；　although　to　Western　ideas　of　value　her　charges　were

infinitesimally　small。　



Midday　halts　for　lunch　are　godsends　to　tramps　who　travel　with　porters。

They　compel　the　porters　to　catch　up；　and　give　the　hirer　opportunity

to　say　things　which　at　least　relieve　him；　if　they　do　no　good。　　I　had

begun　to　fear　ours　would　deprive　me　of　this　pleasure；　and　indeed　had

got　so　far　on　in　my　meal　as　to　care　little　whether　they　did；　when

automatically　they　appeared。　　Fortunately　they　needed　but　a　short　rest；

and　as　the　descent　on　the　Noto　side　was　much　steeper　than　on　the　other；

half　an　hour's　walk　brought　us　to　the　level　of　kuruma　once　more。　



A　bit　of　lane　almost　English　in　look；　bowered　in　trees　and　winding

delightfully　like　some　human　stream；　led　us　to　a　teahouse。　　While　we

were　ordering　chaises　a　lot　of　children　gathered　to　inspect　us；　thus

kindly　giving　us　our　first　view　of　the　natives。　　They　looked　more

open…eyed　than　Japanese　generally；　but　such　effect　may　have　been　due

to　wonder。　　At　all　events；　the　stare；　if　it　was　a　stare；　seemed　like

a　silent　sort　of　welcome。　



Leaving　the　children　still　gazing　after　us　we　bowled　away　toward

Nanao；　and　in　the　course　of　time　caught　our　first　glimpse　of　it　from

the　upper　end　of　a　sweep　of　meadows。　　It　sat　by　the　water's　edge　at

the　head　of　a　landlocked　bay；　the　nearer　arm　of　the　inland　sea；　and

an　apology　for　shipping　rode　in　the　offing。　　It　seemed　a　very

fair…sized　town；　and　altogether　a　more　lively　place　than　I　had

thought　to　find。　　Clearly　its　life　was　as　engrossing　to　it　as　if　no

wall　of　hills　notching　the　sky　shut　out　the　world　beyond。　　Having

heard；　however；　that　a　watering…place　called　Wakura　was　the　sight　of

the　province；　and　learning　now　that　it　was　but　six　miles　further；　we

decided；　as　it　was　yet　early　in　the　afternoon；　to　push　on；　and　take

the　capital　later。　　We　did　take　it　later；　very　much　later　the　next

night；　than　was　pleasing。　



Wakura；　indeed；　was　the　one　thing　in　Noto；　except　the　charcoal；　which

had　an　ultra…Noto…rious　reputation。　　Rumors　of　it　had　reached　us　as

far　away　as　Shinshiu；　and　with　every　fresh　inquiry　we　made　as　we

advanced　the　rumors　had　gathered　strength。　　Our　informants　spoke　of

it　with　the　vague　respect　accorded　hearsay　honor。　　Clearly；　it　was　no

place　to　pass　by。　



The　road　to　it　from　Nanao　was　not　noteworthy；　but　for　two　things；　one

officially　commended　to　sight…seers；　the　other　not。　　The　first　was　a

curious　water…worn　rock　upon　the　edge　of　the　bay；　some　waif　of　a

boulder；　doubtless；　since　it　stuck　up　quite　alone　out　of　the　sand。

A　shrine　perched　atop；　and　a　larger　temple　encircled　it　below；　to　which

its　fantastic　cuttings　served　as　gateway　and　garden。　　The　uncommended

sight　was　a　neighboring　paddyfield；　in　which　a　company　of　frogs；

caught　trespassing；　stood　impaled　on　sticks　a　foot　high；　as　awful

warnings　to　their　kind。　　Beyond　this　the　way　passed　through　a　string

of　clay　cuttings　following　the　coast；　and　in　good　time　rolled　us　into

the　midst　of　a　collection　of　barnlike　buildings　which　it　seemed　was

Wakura。　



The　season　for　the　baths　had　not　yet　begun；　so　that　the　number　of

people　at　the　hotels　was　still　quite　small。　　Not　so　the　catalogue　of

complaints　for　which　they　were　visited。　　The　list　appalled　me　as　I

sat　on　the　threshold　of　my　prospective　lodging；　listening　to　mine

host's　encomiums　on　the　virtues　of　the　waters。　　He　expatiated

eloquently　on　both　the　quantity　and　quality　of　the　cures；　quite

unsuspicious　that　at　each　fresh　recommendation　he　was　in　my　eyes

depreciating　his　own　wares。　　Did　he　hope　that　among　such　a　handsome

choice　of　diseases　I　might　at　least　have　one！　　I　was　very　near　to

beating　a　hasty　retreat　on　the　spot。　　For　the　accommodation　in

Japanese　inns　is　of　a　distressingly　communistic　character　at　best；

and　although　at　present　there　were　few　patients　in　the　place；　the

germs　were　presumably　still　there　on　the　lookout　for　a　victim。　



Immediate　comfort；　however；　getting　the　better　of　problematical　risk；

I　went　in。　　The　room　allotted　me　lay　on　the　ground　floor　just　off　the

garden；　and　I　had　not　been　there　many　minutes　before　I　became　aware；

as　one　does；　that　I　was　being　stared　at。　　The　culprit　instantly

pretended；　with　a　very　sheepish　air；　to　be　only　taking　a　walk。　　He

was　the　vanguard　of　an　army　of　the　curious。　　The　people　in　the　next

room　were　much　exercised　over　the　new　arrival；　and　did　all　decency

allowed　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　me；　for　which　in　time　they　were

rewarded。　　Visitors　lodged　farther　off　took　aimless　strolls　to　the

verandas；　and　looked　at　me　when　they　thought　I　was　not　looking　at

them。　　All　envied　the　servants；　who　out…did　Abra　by　coming　when　I

called　nobody；　and　then　lingering　to　talk。　　Altogether　I　was　more　of

a　notoriety　than　I　ever　hope　to　be　again；　especially　as　any　European

would　have　done　them　as　well。　　My　public　would　have　been　greater；　as

I　afterwards　learned；　if　Yejiro　had　not　been　holding　rival　court　in

the　kitchen。　



Between　us　we　were　given　a　good　deal　of　local　information。　　One　bit

failed　to　cause　me　unmitigated　delight。　　We　were　not；　it　appeared；

the　first　foreigners　to　set　foot　in　Wakura。　　Two　Europeans　had；　in　a

quite　uncalled…for　way；　descended　upon　the　place　the　summer　before；

up　to　which　time；　indeed；　the　spot　had　been　virgin　to　Caucasians。　

Lured　by　the　fame　of　the　springs；　these　men　had　come　from　Kanazawa　in

Kaga；　where　they　were　engaged　in　teaching　chemistry；　to　make　a　test

of　the　waters。　　I　believe　they　discovered　nothing　startling。　　I　could

have　predicted　as　much　had　they　consulted　me　beforehand。　　They

neglected　to　do　so；　and　the　result　was　they　came；　saw　and　conquered

what　little　novelty　the　place　had。　　I　was　quite　chagrined。　　It　simply

showed　how　betrodden　in　these　latter　days　the　world　is。　　There　is　not

so　much　as　a　remote　corner　of　it　but　falls　under　one　of　two　heads；

those　places　worth　seeing　which　have　already　been　seen；　and　those

that　have　not　been　seen　but　are　not　worth　seeing。　　Wakura　Onsen

struck　me　as　falling　into　the　latter　halves　of　both　categories。　



While　discussing　my　solitary　dinner　I　was　informed　by　Yejiro　that

some　one　wished　to　speak　with　me；　and　on　admitting　to　be　at　home；

the　local　prefect　was　ushered　in。　　He　came　ostensibly　to　vise　my

passport；　a　duty　usually　quite　satisfactorily　performed　by　any

policeman。　　The　excuse　was　transparent。　　He　really　came　that　he　might

see　for　himself　the　foreigner　whom　rumor　had　reported　to　have

arrived。　　As　a　passport　on　his　part　he　presented　me　with　some　pride

the　bit　of　autobiography　that　he　had　himself　once　been　in　Tokyo；

a　fact　which　in　his　mind　instantly　made　us　a　kind　of　brothers；

and　raised　us　both　into　a　common　region　of　superiority　to　our

surroundings。　　He　asked　affectionately　after　the　place；　and　I

answered　as　if　it　had　been　the　one　thought　in　both　our　hearts。

It　was　a　pleasing　little　comedy；　as　each　of　us　was　conscious　of

its　consciousness　by　the　other。　　Altogether　we　were　very　friendly。　



Between　two　such　Tokyoites　it　was；　of　course；　the　merest　formality　to

vise　a　passport；　but　being　one　imposed　by　law　he　kindly　ran　his　eye

over　mine。　　As　it　omitted　to　describe　my　personal　appearance　in　the

usual　carefully　minute　manner；　as　face　oval；　nose　ordinary；

complexion　medium；　and　so　forth；　identification　from　mere　looks　was

not　striking。　　So　he　had　to　take　me　on　trust　for　what　I　purported　to

be；　an　assumption　which　did　not　disconcert　him　in　the　least。　　With

writing　materials　which　he　drew　from　his　sleeve；　he　registered　me

then　and　there；　and；　the　demands　of　the　law　thus　complied　with　to　the

letter；　left　me　amid　renewed　civilities　to　sleep　the　sleep　of　the

just。







X。



An　Inland　Sea。



They　had　told　us　overnight　that　a　small　steamer　plied　every　other　day

through　Noto's　unfamed　inland　sea；　leaving　the　capital　early　in　the

morning；　and　touching　shortly　after　at　Wakura。　　As　good　luck　would

have　it；　the　morrow　happened　not　to　be　any　other　day；　so　we　embraced

the　opportunity　to　embark　in　her　ourselves。　　On　her；　it　would　be　more

accurate　to　say；　for　she　proved　such　a　mite　that　her　cabin　was　barely

possible　and　anything　but　desirable。　　By　squatting　down　and　craning

my　neck　I　peered　in　at　the　entrance；　a　feat　which　was　difficult

enough。　　She　was；　in　truth；　not　much　bigger　than　a　ship's　gig；　but

she　had　a　soul　out　of　all　proportion　to　her　size。　　The　way　it

throbbed　and　strained　and　set　her　whole　little　frame　quivering　with

excitement；　made　me　think　every　moment　that　she　was　about　to　explode。　

The　fact　that　she　was　manned　exclusively　by　Japanese　did　not　entirely

reassure　me。　



There　was　an　apology　for　a　deck　forward；　to　which；　when　we　were　well

under　way；　I　clambered　over　the　other　passengers。　　I　was　just　sitting

down　there　to　enjoy　a　comfortable　pipe　when　I　was　startlingly

requested　by