noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第25节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



showed　the　just　perceptible　cone　of　Fuji。　



The　Shiwojiri　toge　is　not　a　high　pass；　and　yet　it　does　duty　as　part

of　a　great　divide。　　A　drop　of　water；　falling　on　the　Shiwojiri　side；

if　it　chance　to　meet　with　other　drops　before　it　be　snatched　up　again

into　the　sky；　wanders　into　the　sea　of　Japan；　while　its　fellow；　coming

to　earth　not　a　yard　away；　ends　at　last　in　the　Pacific　ocean。　　Our　way

now　lay　with　the　latter。　　For　the　Tenriugawa；　or　River　of　the

Heavenly　Dragon；　takes　its　rise　in　the　lake　of　Suwa；　a　bowl　of　water

a　couple　of　miles　or　more　across。　　It　trickles　out　insignificantly

enough　at　one　end；　gathers　strength　for　fifty　miles　of　flow；　and　then

for　another　hundred　cuts　its　way　clean　across　a　range　of　mountains。　

How　it　ever　got　through　originally；　and　why；　are　interesting

mysteries。　　Its　gorge　is　now　from　one　to　two　thousand　feet　deep；

cleft；　not　through　a　plateau；　but　through　the　axis　of　a　mountain

chain。　　In　most　places　there　is　not　a　yard　to　spare。　



We　were　still　a　doubtful　day　off　from　where　it　is　customary　to　take　a

boat。　　We　had　started　somewhat　late；　stopped　for　the　lack　of　umbrella；

and　now　were　committed　to　a　digression　for　letters　I　expected　at

Shimonosuwa。　　I　never　order　my　letters　to　meet　me　on　the　line　of

march　but　I　bitterly　repent　having　chosen　that　special　spot。

There　is　always　some　excellent　reason　why　it　turns　out　most

inconvenient。　　But　as　yet　I　was　hopeful；　for　I　thought　I　knew　the

speed　of　the　basha；　and　the　day　was　still　young。　



The　day　had　grown　older　and　I　wiser　by　the　time　my　letters　were　read；

with　their　strange　perfume　from　outre…mer；　the　horses　harnessed

afresh；　and　we　under　way　once　more；　clattering　down　the　main　street

of　the　village。　　It　was　not　only　in　the　village　that　we　made　a　stir。　

A　basha　is　equal　to　the　occasion　anywhere。　　The　whole　countryside

stopped　in　its　tracks　to　turn　and　stare　as　we　passed；　and　at　one

point　we　came　in　for　a　perfect　ovation；　for　our　passage　and　the

noonday　recess　of　a　school　happening　to　coincide；　the　children；

at　that　moment　let　loose；　instantly　dashed　after　us　pell…mell；　in　a

mass；　shouting。　　One　or　two　of　them　were　so　eager　in　the　chase　that

they　minded　not　where　they　went；　and；　tripping　over　stones　or　ruts；

fell　headlong　in　the　mud。　　The　rest　pursued　us　panting；　each

according　to　his　legs；　and　gave　over　at　last　only　for　want　of　wind。　



The　guard　was　supremely　happy。　　What　time　the　upper　half　of　him　was

too　tired　to　toot　the　lower　half　spent　in　hopping　off　his　seat　and　on

again　upon　imaginary　duty。　　Meanwhile；　in　spite　of　enlivenments　not

included　in　the　bill；　my　old　dislike　was　slowly　but　surely　coming

back。　　I　began　to　be　uneasy　on　the　score　of　time。　　The　speed　was　not

what　hope　and　the　company　had　led　me　to　expect。　　I　went　through　some

elaborate　rule…of…three　calculation　between　the　distance；　the　speed；

and　the　time；　and；　as　far　as　I　could　make　out；　it　began　to　look

questionable　whether　we　should　arrive　that　night　at　all。　　I　had

already　played　the　part　of　goad　out　of　precaution；　I　now　had　to　take

to　it　in　good　earnest；futiley；　to　boot。　　Meanwhile　my　body　was　as

uneasy　as　my　mind。　　In　the　first　place；　the　seats　faced　sideways；　so

that　we　progressed　after　the　fashion　of　crabs。　　Secondly；　the　vehicle

hardly　made　apologies　for　springs。　　We　were　rattled　about　like

parched　corn　in　a　hopper。　



What　a　blessed　trick　of　memory　that；　of　winnowing　the　joys　of　travel

from　its　discomforts；　and　letting　the　latter　slip　unconsciously　away！

The　dust　and　the　heat　and　the　thousand　petty　annoyances　pass　with　the

fact　to　be　forgotten；　while　the　snow…hooded　mountains　and　the　deep

blue　sky　and　the　smiling　fields　stay　with　us；　a　part　of　ourselves。　

That　drive　seems　golden　as　I　look　back　upon　it；　yet　how　sadly

discomforting　it　was　at　the　time！



Toward　afternoon　a　rumor　became　current　that　the　road　had　been　washed

away　ahead；　and　that　the　basha　would　have　to　stop　some　miles　short　of

where　we　had　hoped　to　be　that　night。　　This　was　disheartening。

For　with　all　its　shortcomings　the　basha　was　undeniably　faster　than

perambulators。　　The　rumor　gathered　substance　as　we　advanced；　until　in

consequence　we　ceased　to　advance　at　all。　　At　a　certain　village；

called　Miyada；　the　basha　drew　up；　and　we　were　informed　that　it　was

impossible　to　proceed　further。　



There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　hire　kuruma。　　The　men　were　a　rascally

lot；　and　made　gain　of　our　necessity。　　But　we　were　not　as　sorry　to

leave　the　basha　as　we　might　have　been；　and　the　reports　of

impassability　substantiated　themselves　before　we　had　got　a　mile　out。　

In　further　consolation；　the　kuruma　men　turned　out　well　on　the　road；

and　bowled　us　along　right　merrily。　　The　road　ran　along　the　skirts　of

the　mountains　on　the　right；　which　fell　in　one　long　sweep　to　the

river；　a　breadth　of　plain　unexpectedly　gored　by　streams。　　The　canons

were　startlingly　abrupt；　and　the　darkness　which　now　came　on　took

nothing　from　the　effect。　　A　sudden　zigzag　down　to　a　depth　of　a

hundred　feet；　a　careful　hitching　over　a　decrepit　bridge；　and　a　zigzag

up　the　other　side；　and　we　were　off　at　a　good　trot　again。　　This

dispatch　on　the　part　of　the　men　brought　us　in　much…improved　spirits

and　in　very　good　time　into　Iijima；　our　hoped…for　goal。　







XX。　



Down　the　Tenriugawa。　



We　had　made　arrangements　overnight　for　a　boat；　not　without　difficulty；

and　in　the　morning　we　started　in　kuruma　for　the　point　of　embarkation。　

We　were　eager　to　be　off　upon　our　voyage；　else　we　should　have　strolled

afoot　down　the　long　meadow　slope；　such　invitation　lay　in　it；　the　dew

sparkling　on　the　grass　blades；　the　freshly　tilled　earth　scenting　the

air；　and　the　larks　rising　like　rockets　up　into　the　sky　and　bursting

into　song　as　they　went。　　It　seemed　the　essence　of　spring；　and　we　had

a　mile　or　more　of　it　all　before　we　reached　the　brink　of　the　canon。　

For　even　here　the　river　had　begun　a　gorge　for　itself　through　the

plain。　　We　left　our　jinrikisha　at　the　top　and　zigzagged　on　foot　down

the　steep　descent；　and　straightway　departed　the　upper　life　of　fields

and　larks　and　sunshine　for　a　new　and　semi…subterranean　one。　　It　was

not　simply　a　change　of　scene；　it　was　a　complete　change　of　sphere。　

The　world　with　its　face　open　to　the　day　in　a　twinkling　had　ceased　to

be；　and　another　world；　a　world　of　dark　water　girt　by　shadowed　walls

of　rock　and　trees；　had　taken　its　place。　



Amid　farewell　wavings　from　the　jinrikisha　men　we　pushed　off　into　the

stream。　　In　spite　of　the　rush　of　the　water　and　the　creaking　of　the

oars；　a　strange　stillness　had　fallen　on　everything。　　The　swirling；

inky　flood　swept　us　on　past　the　hushed　banks；　heights　of　motionless

leaves　nearly　hiding　the　gray　old　rock。　　Occasionally　some　puff　of

wind　more　adventurous　than　its　fellows　swooped　down　to　make　the

leaves　quiver　a　moment；　and　then　died　away　in　awe；　while　here　and

there　a　bird　flew　in　and　out　among　the　branches　with　strangely

subdued　twitter。　



Although　this　part　of　the　river　could　show　its　gorge　and　its　rapids；

it　made　only　the　preface　to　that　chapter　of　its　biography　we　had　come

to　read。　　At　Tokimata；　some　hours　further　down；　begins　the　voyage

proper。　　But　even　the　preface　was　imposing。　　The　black　water　glided

sinuous　along；　its　stealthy　course　every　now　and　again　interrupted　by

rapids；　where　the　sullen　flood　lashed　itself　to　a　passion　of　whitecaps

with　a　kind　of　hissing　roar。　　Down　these　we　shot；　the　boat　bowing

first　in　acquiescence；　and　then　plunging　as　madly　as　the　water

itself。　　It　was　hard　to　believe　that　both　boat　and　river　were　not

sentient　things。　



At　intervals　we　met　other　boats　toiling　slowly　up　stream；　pulled

laboriously　by　men　who　strained　along　the　bank　at　the　ends　of

hundreds　of　feet　of　tow…rope；　the　ropes　themselves　invisible　at　first

for　distance；　so　that　we　were　aware　only　of　men　walking　along　the

shore　in　attitudes　of　impossible　equilibrium；　and　of　boats　that

followed　them　doglike　from　pure　affection。　　It　would　seem　weary　work

even　for　canal…boating。　　It　takes　weeks　to　toil　up　what　it　once　took

only　hours　to　float　down。　　As　we　sped　past　the　return　convoys；

we　seemed　sad　profligates；　thus　wantonly　to　be　squandering　such

dearly…won　vantage　of　position。　　The　stream　which　meant　money　to　them

was；　like　money；　hard　come　and　easy　go。　



Still　the　stream　hurried　us　on。　　We　hugged　the　cliffs；　now　on　one

side；　now　on　the　other；　only　to　have　them　slip　by　us　the　quicker。　

Bend　after　bend　opened；　spread　out；　and　closed。　　The　scene　changed

every　minute；　and　yet　was　always　the　same。　　Then　at　times　we　were

vouchsafed　openings　in　the　surrounding　hills；　narrow　bits　of

foreground；　hints　of　a　something　that　existed　beyond。　



For　three　hours　and　more　we　kept　on　in　our　serpentine　course；　for　the

river　meandered　as　whimsically　as　if　it　still　had　a　choice　of　its　own

in　the　matter。　　Then　gradually　the　land　about　began　to　make　overtures

toward　sociability。　　The　trees　on　the　banks　disappeared；　the　banks

themselves　decreased