noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第14节

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sunshine　without　pointed　the　shade　within；　making　even　the　room　seem

more　shadowy　than　it　was。　　I　began　to　feel　creeping　over　me　that

strange　touch　of　sadness　that　attends　the　supreme　moment　of　success；

though　fulfillment　be　so　trifling　a　thing　as　a　journey's　bourne。　

Great　or　little；　real　or　fancied；　the　feeling　is　the　same　in　kind。　

The　mind　seems　strangely　like　the　eye。　　Satisfy　some　emotion　it　has

been　dwelling　on；　and　the　relaxed　nerves　at　once　make　you　conscious

of　the　complementary　tint。　



Then　other　inns　in　Japan　came　up　regretfully　across　the　blue　distance

of　the　intervening　years；　midday　halts；　where　an　hour　of　daydream　lay

sandwiched　in　between　two　half　days　of　tramp。　　And　I　thought　of　the

companions　now　so　far　away。　　Having　heard　the　tune　in　a　minor　key；

these　came　in　as　chords　of　some　ampler　variation；　making　a　kind　of

symphony　of　sentiment；　where　I　was　brought　back　ever　and　anon　to　the

simple　motif。　　And　the　teahouse　maidens　entered　and　went　out　again

like　mutes　in　my　mind's　scene。　



I　doubt　not　the　country　beyond　is　all　very　commonplace；　but　it　might

be　an　Eldorado　from　the　gilding　fancy　gave　it　then。　　I　was　told　the

hills　were　not　high；　and　that　eighteen　miles　on　foot　would　land　the

traveler　at　Wakamatsu　on　the　sea　of　Japan；　fronting　Korea；　but　seeing

only　the　sea；　and　I　feel　tolerably　sure　there　is　nothing　there　to

repay　the　tramp。　　When　a　back　has　bewitched　you　in　the　street；　it　is

a　fatal　folly　to　try　to　see　the　face。　　You　will　only　be　disillusioned

if　you　do。　







XII。　



At　Sea　Again。　



I　was　roused　from　my　mid…Noto　reverie　by　tidings　that　our　boat　was

ready　and　waiting　just　below　the　bridge。　　This　was　not　the　steamer

which　had　long　since　gone　on　its　way；　but　a　small　boat　of　the　country

we　had　succeeded　in　chartering　for　the　return　voyage。　　The　good

inn…folk；　who　had　helped　in　the　hiring；　hospitably　came　down　to　the

landing　to　see　us　off。　



The　boat；　like　all　Japanese　small　boats；　was　in　build　between　a

gondola　and　a　dory；　and　dated　from　a　stage　in　the　art　of　rowing　prior

to　the　discovery　that　to　sit　is　better　than　to　stand　even　at　work。　

Ours　was　a　small　specimen　of　its　class；　that　we　might　the　quicker

compass　the　voyage　to　Nanao；　which　the　boatmen　averred　to　be　six　ri

（fifteen　miles）。　　My　estimate；　prompted　perhaps　by　interest；　and

certainly　abetted　by　ignorance；　made　it　about　half　that　distance。

My　argument；　conclusive　enough　to　myself；　proved　singularly　unshaking

to　the　boatmen；　who　would　neither　abate　the　price　in　consequence　nor

diminish　their　own　allowance　of　the　time　to　be　taken。　



The　boat　had　sweeps　both　fore　and　aft；　each　let　in　by　a　hole　in　the

handle　to　a　pin　on　the　gunwale。　　She　was　also　provided　with　a　sail

hoisting　on　a　spar　that　fitted　in　amidships。　　The　sail　was　laced

vertically：　a　point；　by　the　way；　for　telling　a　Japanese　junk　from　a

Chinese　one　at　sea；　for　Cathay　always　laces　horizontally。　



Whatever　our　private　beliefs　on　the　probable　length　of　the　voyage；

both　crew　and　passengers　agreed　charmingly　in　one　hope；　namely；　that

there　might　be　as　little　rowing　about　it　as　possible。　　Our　reasons

for　this　differed；　it　is　true；　but　as　neither　side　volunteered

theirs；　the　difference　mattered　not。　　So　we　slipped　down　the　canal。　



The　hoopskirt　fisher…dames　were　just　where　we　had　left　them　some

hours　before；　and　were　still　too　much　absorbed　in　doing　nothing　to

waste　time　looking　at　us。　　I　would　gladly　have　bothered　them　for　a

peep　at　their　traps；　but　that　it　seemed　a　pity　to　intrude　upon　so

engrossing　a　pursuit。　　Besides；　I　feared　their　apathy　might　infect

the　crew。　　Our　mariners；　though　hired　only　for　the　voyage；　did　not

seem　averse　to　making　a　day　of　it；　as　it　was。　



One　thing；　however；　I　was　bent　on　stopping　to　inspect；　cost　what　it

might　in　delay　or　discipline；　and　that　was　a　fish…lookout。　　To　have

seen　the　thing　from　a　steamer's　deck　merely　whetted　desire　for　nearer

acquaintance。　　To　gratify　the　wish　was　not　difficult；　for　the　shore

was　dotted　with　them　like　blind　light…houses　off　the　points。　　I　was

for　making　for　the　first　visible；　but　the　boatmen；　with　an　eye　to

economy　of　labor；　pointed　out　that　there　was　one　directly　in　our　path

round　the　next　headland。　　So　I　curbed　my　curiosity　till　on　turning

the　corner　it　came　into　view。　　As　good　luck　would　have　it；　it　was

inhabited。　



We　pulled　up　alongside；　gave　its　occupants　good…day；　and　asked　leave

to　mount。　　The　fishermen；　hospitable　souls；　offered　no　objection。　

This　seemed　to　me　the　more　courteous　on　their　part；　after　I　had　made

the　ascent；　for　there　were　two　of　them　in　the　basket；　and　a　visitor

materially　added　to　the　already　uneasy　weight。　　But　then　they　were

used　to　it。　　The　rungs　of　what　did　for　ladder　were　so　far　apart　as　to

necessitate　making　very　long　legs　of　it　in　places；　which　must　have

been　colossal　strides　for　the　owners。　　The　higher　I　clambered；　the

flimsier　the　structure　got。　　However；　I　arrived；　not　without

unnecessary　trepidation；　wormed　my　way　into　the　basket　and　crouched

down　in　some　uneasiness　of　mind。　　The　way　the　thing　swayed　and

wriggled　gave　me　to　believe　that　the　next　moment　we　should　all　be

shot　catapultwise　into　the　sea。　　To　call　it　topheavy　will　do　for　a

word；　but　nothing　but　experience　will　do　for　the　sensation。　　This

oscillation；　strangely　enough；　was　not　apparent　from　the　sea；　which

reminds　me　to　have　noticed　differences　due　the　point　of　view　before。　



I　was　greeted　by　an　extensive　outlook。　　The　shore；　perhaps　a　hundred

yards　away；　ran　shortly　into　a　fisher　hamlet；　and　then　into　a　long

line　of　half　submerged　rocks；　like　successive　touches　of　a　skipping

stone。　　Beyond　the　end　of　this　indefinite　point；　and　a　little　to　the

right　of　it；　stood　another　lookout。　　This　was　our　only　near　neighbor；

though　others　could　be　seen　in　miniature　in　the　distance；　faint

cobwebs　against　the　coast。　　The　bay　stretched　away　on　all　sides；

landlocked　at　last；　except　where　to　the　east　an　opening　gave　into　the

sea　of　Japan。　



To　a　dispassionate　observer　the　basket　may　have　been　twenty　feet

above　the　water。　　To　one　in　the　basket；　it　was　considerably　higher

and　its　height　was　emphasized　by　its　seeming　insecurity。

The　fishermen　were　very　much　at　home　in　it；　but　to　me　the　sensation

was　such　as　to　cause　strained　relations　between　my　will　to　stay　and

my　wish　to　be　gone。　



But　strong　feelings　are　so　easily　changed　into　their　opposites！　　I　can

imagine　one　of　these　eyries　a　delightful　setting　to　certain　moods。

A　deserted　one　should　be　the　place　of　places　for　reading　a　romance。　

The　solitude；　the　strangeness；　and　the　cradle…like　swing；　would　all

compose　to　shutting　out　the　world。　　To　paddle　there　some　May　morning；

tie　one's　boat　out　of　sight　beneath；　and　climb　up　into　the　nest　to

sit　alone　half　poised　in　the　sky　in　the　midst　of　the　sea；　should

savor　of　a　new　sensation。　　After　a　little　acclimatization　it　would

probably　become　a　passion。　　Certainly；　with　a　pipe；　it　should　induce

a　most　happy　frame　of　mind　for　a　French　novel。　　The　seeming　risk　of

the　one　situation　would　serve　to　point　those　of　the　other。　



The　fishermen　received　my　thanks　with　amiability；　watched　us　with

stolid　curiosity　as　we　pulled　off；　and　then　relapsed　into　their

former　semi…comatose　condition。　　Their　eyrie　slipped　perspectively

astern；　sank　lower　and　lower；　and　suddenly　was　lost　against　the

background　of　the　coast。　



The　favoring　breeze　we　were　always　hoping　for　never　came。　　This　was　a

bitter　disappointment　to　the　boatmen；　who　thus　found　themselves

prevented　from　more　than　occasional　whiffs　of　smoking。　　Once　we　had

out　the　spar　and　actually　hoisted　the　sail；　a　godsend　of　an　excuse　to

them　for　doing　nothing　for　the　next　few　minutes；　but　it　shortly　had

to　come　down　again　and　on　we　rowed。　



Our　surroundings　made　a　pretty　sight。　　A　foreground　of　water；　smooth

as　one　could　wish　had　he　nowhere　to　go；　with　illusive　cat's…paws　of

wind　playing　coyly　all　around；　marking　the　great　shield　with　dark

scratches；　and　never　coming　near　enough　to　be　caught　except　when　the

sail　was　down。　　Fold　upon　fold　of　low　hills　in　the　distance；　with

hamlets　showing　here　and　there　at　their　bases　by　the　sea。　　And　then；

almost　like　a　part　of　the　picture；　so　subtly　did　the　sensations

blend；　the　slow　cadenced　creak　of　the　sweeps　on　the　gunwale；　a

rhythmic　undercurrent　of　sound。　



At　intervals；　a　wayfarer　under　sail；　bound　the　other　way；　crept

slowly　by；　carrying；　as　it　seemed　to　our　envious　eyes；　his　own　capful

of　wind　with　him；　and　once　a　boat；　bound　our　way　and　not　under　sail；

passed　us　not　far　off。　　Our　boatmen　were　beautifully　blind　to　this

defeat　till　their　attention　had　been　specifically　called　to　it　for　an

explanation。　　They　then　declared　the　victor　to　be　lighter　than　we；

and　this　in　face　of　our　having　chosen　their　craft　for　just　that

quality。　　What　per　cent　of　such　statements；　I　wonder；　do　the　makers

expect　to　have　credited？　　And　if　any　appreciable　amoun