noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第17节

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even　the　best　of　guidebooks；　as　this　one　really　was；　may　turn　outa

cover　to　many　shortcomings。　



Its　description　of　the　crossing　of　the　Harinoki　toge　implied　a

generality　of　performances　that　carried　conviction。　　If　he　who　read

might　not　run；　he　had；　at　least；　every　assurance　given　him　that　he

would　be　able　to　walk。　　That　the　writer　might　not　only　have　been　the

first　to　cross；　but　the　last；　as　well；　was　not　evident　from　the　text。　

Nor　was　it　there　apparent　that　the　path　which　was　spoken　of　as

difficult　and　described　as　〃hanging　to　the　precipitous　side　of　the

cliff；〃　might　have　become　tired　of　hanging　thus　for　the　sake　of

travelers　who　never　came；　and　have　given　itself　over　at　last　to　the

abyss。　



In　the　book；　the　dead　past　still　lived　an　ever…youthful　present。

In　truth；　however；　the　path　at　the　time　of　the　account；　some　twelve

years　before；　had　just　been　made　by　the　samurai　of　Kaga　to　join　them

to　the　capital。　　Since　then　the　road　by　the　sea　had　been　built；　and

the　Harinoki　pass　had　ceased　to　be　in　practice　what　it　purported　to

be　in　print。　　It　had　in　a　double　sense　reverted　to　type。　　There　was

small　wonder　at　this；　for　it　was　a　very　Cerberus　of　a　pass　at　best；

with　three　heads　to　it。　　The　farthest　from　Etchiu　was　the　Harinoki

toge　proper。　



The　guidebook　and　a　friend　had　gone　over　one　season；　and　the　guidebook

had　induced　another　friend　to　accompany　him　again　the　year　after。　

Whether　there　were　any　unpersonally　conducted　ascents　I　am　not　sure。　

But　at　any　rate；　all　this　happened　in　the　early　days；　for　years　the

Harinoki　toge　had　had　rest。　



We　ought　to　have　taken　warning　from　the　general　skepticism　we　met

with　at　Toyama；　when　we　proposed　the　pass。　　But　with　the　fatal　faith

of　a　man　in　his　guidebook；　we　ignored　the　native　forebodings。　

Besides；　there　were　just　people　enough　who　knew　nothing　about　it；　and

therefore　thought　it　could　be　done；　to　encourage　us　in　our　delusion。　

Accordingly　we　left　Toyama　after　lunch　in　the　best　of　spirits；　in

jinrikisha；　for　Kamidaki；　or　Upper　Fall；　to　which　there　professed　to

be　a　jinrikisha　road。　　The　distance　was　three　ri；　seven　miles　and　a

half。　　Before　we　had　gone　one　of　them　the　road　gave　out；　and　left　us

to　tack　on　foot　in　paths　through　the　rice…fields；　which　in　one　long

inclination　kept　mounting　before　us。　　Just　before　reaching　the　village；

a　huge　tree　in　full　faint　purple　bloom　showed　up　a　little　to　the　left。

Under　a　sudden　attack　of　botanical　zeal；　I　struck　across　lots　to

investigate；　and　after　much　tacking　among　the　paddy　dykes　found；

to　my　surprise；　on　reaching　it；　that　the　flowers　came　from　a　huge

wistaria　that　had　coiled　itself　up　the　tree。　　The　vine　must　have　been

at　least　six　feet　round　at　the　base；　and　had　a　body　horribly　like　an

enormous　boa　that　swung　from　branches　high　in　air。　　The　animal　look

of　the　vegetable　parasite　was　so　lifelike　that　one　both　longed　and

loathed　to　touch　it　at　the　same　time。　



At　Kamidaki；　after　the　usual　delay；　we　found　porters；　who　echoed　the

doubts　of　the　people　of　Toyama；　and　went　with　us　protesting。　　Half　an

hour　after　this　we　came　to　the　Jindogawa；　a　river　of　variable

importance。　　It　looked　to　have　been　once　the　bed　of　a　mighty　glacier

that　should　have　swept　grandly　round　from　unseen　fastnesses　among　the

hills。　　At　the　time　of　our　visit；　it　was；　for　the　most　part；　a　waste

of　stones　through　which　two　larger　and　several　lesser　streams　were　in

much　worry　to　find　their　way　to　the　sea。　　The　two　larger　were　just

big　enough　to　be　unfordable；　so　a　Charon　stationed　at　each　ferried

the　country　folk　across。　　At　the　smaller；　after　picking　out　the

likeliest　spots；　we　took　off　our　shoes　and　socks　and　waded；　and　then；

upon　the　other　side；　sat　some　time　on　stones；　ill…modeled　to　that

end；　to　draw　our　things　on　again。　



Our　way　now　led　up　the　left　bankthe　right　bank；　according　to

aquatic　convention；　which　pleasingly　supposes　you　to　be　descending

the　stream。　　It　lay　along　a　plateau　which　I　doubt　not　to　have　been

the　river's　prehistoric　bed；　so　evidently　had　the　present　one　been

chiseled　out　of　it　to　a　further　depth　of　over　fifty　feet。　　At　first

the　path　struck　inland；　astutely　making　a　chord　to　the　river's　bow；

an　unsuspected　sign　of　intelligence　in　a　path。　　It　was　adventurous；

too；　for　soon　after　coming　out　above　the　brink；　it　began　upon

acrobatic　feats　in　which　it　showed　itself　nationally　proficient。

A　narrow　aqueduct　had　been　cut　out　of　the　side　of　the　cliff；　and　along

its　outer　embankment；　which　was　two　feet　wide；　the　path　proceeded　to

balance。　　The　aqueduct　had　given　way　in　spots；　which　caused　the　path

to　take　to　some　rickety　boards　put　there　for　its　benefit。　　After　this

exhibition　of　daring；　it　descended　to　the　stream；　to　rise　again　later。

Meanwhile　night　came　on　and　the　river　bottom　began　to　fill　with　what

looked　to　be　mist；　but　was　in　reality　smoke。　　This　gave　a　weird

effect　to　the　now　mountainous　settings。　　Into　the　midst　of　it　we

descended　to　a　suspension　bridge　of　twisted　strands　of　the　wistaria

vine；　ballasted　at　the　ends　with　boulders　piled　from　the　river's　bed。　

The　thing　swayed　cheerfully　as　we　passed　over。　



On　the　top　of　the　opposite　bank　stood　perched　a　group　of　houses；　not

enough　to　make　a　village；　and　far　too　humble　to　support　an　inn。

But　in　their　midst　rose　a　well…to…do　temple；　where；　according　to　the

guidebook；　good　lodging　was　to　be　had。　　It　may　indeed　be　so。　　For　our

part　we　were　not　so　much　as　granted　entry。　　An　acolyte；　who　parleyed

with　us　through　the　darkness；　reported　the　priest　away　on　business；

and　refused　to　let　us　in　on　any　terms。　　Several　bystanders　gathered

during　the　interview；　and　had　it　not　been　for　one　of　them　we　might

have　been　there　yet。　　From　this　man　we　elicited　the　information　that

another　hamlet　lay　half　a　mile　further　up；　whose　head…man；　he　thought；

might　be　willing　to　house　us。　　We　followed　straight　on　until　some

buildings　showed　in　still　blacker　silhouette　against　the　black　sky；

and　there；　after　some　groping　in　the　dark　and　a　second　uncanny

conversation　through　a　loophole；for　the　place　was　already　boarded

up　for　the　night；we　were　finally　taken　in。　



The　house　was　a　generous　instance　of　a　mountain　farmhouse。

The　floors　were　innocent　of　mats；　and　the　rooms　otherwise　pitiably

barnlike。　　Yet　an　air　of　largeness　distinguished　the　whole。　　It　was

clearly　the　home　of　a　man　of　standing　in　his　community；　one　who　lived

amply　the　only　life　he　knew。　　You　felt　you　already　knew　the　man　from

his　outer　envelope。　　And　this　in　some　sort　prepared　me　for　a　little

scene　I　was　shortly　to　witness。　　For　while　waiting　for　Yejiro　to　get

dinner　ready　I　became　aware　that　something　was　going　on　in　what　stood

for　hall；　and　on　pushing　the　shoji　gently　apart　I　beheld　the　whole

household　at　evening　prayers　before　an　altar　piece；　lighted　by

candles　and　glittering　with　gilded　Buddhas　and　bronze　lotus　flowers。　

The　father　intoned　the　service　from　a　kind　of　breviary；　and　the

family　joined　from　time　to　time　in　the　responses。　　There　was　a

sincerity　and　a　sweet　simplicity　about　the　act　that　went　to　my　heart

and　held　me　there。　　At　the　close　of　it　the　family　remained　bowed

while　the　intoner　reverently　put　out　the　lights　and　folded　the　doors

upon　the　images　within。　　Locked　in　that　little　case　lay　all　the

luxury　which　the　family　could　afford；　and　to　which　the　rest　of　the

house　was　stranger。　　There　is　something　touching　in　any　heartfelt

belief；　and　something　pathetic　too。　



This　peaceful　parenthesis　was　hardly　past　before　the　trials　of　travel

intruded　themselves　again。　　The　porters　proved　refractory。　　They　had

agreed　to　come　only　as　far　as　they　could；　and　now　they　refused　to

proceed　further。　　Here　was　a　pretty　pass。　　To　turn　back　now　was　worse

than　not　to　have　set　out　at　all。　　Besides；　we　had　not　yet　even　come

in　sight　of　the　enemy。　　Yejiro　reasoned　with　them　for　some　hours　in

the　kitchen；　occasionally　pausing　for　lack　of　further　argument　to

report　his　want　of　progress。　　It　seemed　the　men　valued　their　lives

above　a　money　consideration；　strangely　enough。　　They　made　no　bones

about　it；　the　thing　was　too　dangerous。　　The　streams　they　declared

impassable；　and　the　charcoal　burners　the　only　men　who　knew　the　path。　

Yejiro　at　once　had　these　witnesses　subpoenaed；　and　by　good　luck　one　of

them　came；　who；　on　being　questioned；　repeated　all　the　porters　had

said。　　But　Yejiro's　blood　was　up；　and　he　boldly　played　his　last

trump。　　He　threatened　them　with　the　arm　of　the　law；　a　much　more

effective　weapon　in　Japan　than　elsewhere。　　He　proposed；　in　fine；　to

walk　three　ri　down　the　valley　to　the　nearest　police　station　and　fetch

a　policeman　who　should　compel　them　to　move　on。　　It　is　perhaps　open　to

doubt　whether　even　a　Japanese　policeman's　omnipotence　would　have

extended　so　far。　　But　the　threat；　though　not　conclusive；　had　some

effect。　　This　strategic　stroke　I　only　learnt　of　later；　and　I　laughed

heartily　when　I　did。　　That　night；　however；　it　was　no　laughing　matter；

and　I　began　to