unbeaten tracks in japan-第1节

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Unbeaten　Tracks　in　Japan

by　Isabella　L。　Bird


AN　ACCOUNT　OF　TRAVELS　IN　THE　INTERIOR
INCLUDING　VISITS　TO　THE　ABORIGINES　OF　YEZO　AND
THE　SHRINE　OF　NIKKO　BY　ISABELLA　L。　BIRD




PREFACE



Having　been　recommended　to　leave　home；　in　April　1878；　in　order　to
recruit　my　health　by　means　which　had　proved　serviceable　before；　I
decided　to　visit　Japan；　attracted　less　by　the　reputed　excellence　of
its　climate　than　by　the　certainty　that　it　possessed；　in　an　especial
degree；　those　sources　of　novel　and　sustained　interest　which　conduce
so　essentially　to　the　enjoyment　and　restoration　of　a　solitary
health…seeker。　　The　climate　disappointed　me；　but；　though　I　found
the　country　a　study　rather　than　a　rapture；　its　interest　exceeded　my
largest　expectations。

This　is　not　a　〃Book　on　Japan；〃　but　a　narrative　of　travels　in　Japan；
and　an　attempt　to　contribute　something　to　the　sum　of　knowledge　of
the　present　condition　of　the　country；　and　it　was　not　till　I　had
travelled　for　some　months　in　the　interior　of　the　main　island　and　in
Yezo　that　I　decided　that　my　materials　were　novel　enough　to　render
the　contribution　worth　making。　　From　Nikko　northwards　my　route　was
altogether　off　the　beaten　track；　and　had　never　been　traversed　in
its　entirety　by　any　European。　　I　lived　among　the　Japanese；　and　saw
their　mode　of　living；　in　regions　unaffected　by　European　contact。
As　a　lady　travelling　alone；　and　the　first　European　lady　who　had
been　seen　in　several　districts　through　which　my　route　lay；　my
experiences　differed　more　or　less　widely　from　those　of　preceding
travellers；　and　I　am　able　to　offer　a　fuller　account　of　the
aborigines　of　Yezo；　obtained　by　actual　acquaintance　with　them；　than
has　hitherto　been　given。　　These　are　my　chief　reasons　for　offering
this　volume　to　the　public。

It　was　with　some　reluctance　that　I　decided　that　it　should　consist
mainly　of　letters　written　on　the　spot　to　my　sister　and　a　circle　of
personal　friends；　for　this　form　of　publication　involves　the
sacrifice　of　artistic　arrangement　and　literary　treatment；　and
necessitates　a　certain　amount　of　egotism；　but；　on　the　other　hand；
it　places　the　reader　in　the　position　of　the　traveller；　and　makes
him　share　the　vicissitudes　of　travel；　discomfort；　difficulty；　and
tedium；　as　well　as　novelty　and　enjoyment。　　The　〃beaten　tracks；〃
with　the　exception　of　Nikko；　have　been　dismissed　in　a　few
sentences；　but　where　their　features　have　undergone　marked　changes
within　a　few　years；　as　in　the　case　of　Tokiyo　（Yedo）；　they　have　been
sketched　more　or　less　slightly。　　Many　important　subjects　are
necessarily　passed　over。

In　Northern　Japan；　in　the　absence　of　all　other　sources　of
information；　I　had　to　learn　everything　from　the　people　themselves；
through　an　interpreter；　and　every　fact　had　to　be　disinterred　by
careful　labour　from　amidst　a　mass　of　rubbish。　　The　Ainos　supplied
the　information　which　is　given　concerning　their　customs；　habits；
and　religion；　but　I　had　an　opportunity　of　comparing　my　notes　with
some　taken　about　the　same　time　by　Mr。　Heinrich　Von　Siebold　of　the
Austrian　Legation；　and　of　finding　a　most　satisfactory　agreement　on
all　points。

Some　of　the　Letters　give　a　less　pleasing　picture　of　the　condition
of　the　peasantry　than　the　one　popularly　presented；　and　it　is
possible　that　some　readers　may　wish　that　it　had　been　less
realistically　painted；　but　as　the　scenes　are　strictly
representative；　and　I　neither　made　them　nor　went　in　search　of　them；
I　offer　them　in　the　interests　of　truth；　for　they　illustrate　the
nature　of　a　large　portion　of　the　material　with　which　the　Japanese
Government　has　to　work　in　building　up　the　New　Civilisation。

Accuracy　has　been　my　first　aim；　but　the　sources　of　error　are　many；
and　it　is　from　those　who　have　studied　Japan　the　most　carefully；　and
are　the　best　acquainted　with　its　difficulties；　that　I　shall　receive
the　most　kindly　allowance　if；　in　spite　of　carefulness；　I　have
fallen　into　mistakes。

The　Transactions　of　the　English　and　German　Asiatic　Societies　of
Japan；　and　papers　on　special　Japanese　subjects；　including　〃A　Budget
of　Japanese　Notes；〃　in　the　Japan　Mail　and　Tokiyo　Times；　gave　me
valuable　help；　and　I　gratefully　acknowledge　the　assistance　afforded
me　in　many　ways　by　Sir　Harry　S。　Parkes；　K。C。B。；　and　Mr。　Satow　of
H。B。M。's　Legation；　Principal　Dyer；　Mr。　Chamberlain　of　the　Imperial
Naval　College；　Mr。　F。　V。　Dickins；　and　others；　whose　kindly　interest
in　my　work　often　encouraged　me　when　I　was　disheartened　by　my　lack
of　skill；　but；　in　justice　to　these　and　other　kind　friends；　I　am
anxious　to　claim　and　accept　the　fullest　measure　of　personal
responsibility　for　the　opinions　expressed；　which；　whether　right　or
wrong；　are　wholly　my　own。

The　illustrations；　with　the　exception　of　three；　which　are　by　a
Japanese　artist；　have　been　engraved　from　sketches　of　my　own　or
Japanese　photographs。

I　am　painfully　conscious　of　the　defects　of　this　volume；　but　I
venture　to　present　it　to　the　public　in　the　hope　that；　in　spite　of
its　demerits；　it　may　be　accepted　as　an　honest　attempt　to　describe
things　as　I　saw　them　in　Japan；　on　land　journeys　of　more　than　1400
miles。

Since　the　letters　passed　through　the　press；　the　beloved　and　only
sister　to　whom；　in　the　first　instance；　they　were　written；　to　whose
able　and　careful　criticism　they　owe　much；　and　whose　loving　interest
was　the　inspiration　alike　of　my　travels　and　of　my　narratives　of
them；　has　passed　away。

ISABELLA　L。　BIRD。



LETTER　I



First　View　of　JapanA　Vision　of　FujisanJapanese　Sampans
〃Pullman　Cars〃Undignified　LocomotionPaper　MoneyThe　Drawbacks
of　Japanese　Travelling。

ORIENTAL　HOTEL；　YOKOHAMA；
May　21。

Eighteen　days　of　unintermitted　rolling　over　〃desolate　rainy　seas〃
brought　the　〃City　of　Tokio〃　early　yesterday　morning　to　Cape　King；
and　by　noon　we　were　steaming　up　the　Gulf　of　Yedo；　quite　near　the
shore。　　The　day　was　soft　and　grey　with　a　little　faint　blue　sky；
and；　though　the　coast　of　Japan　is　much　more　prepossessing　than　most
coasts；　there　were　no　startling　surprises　either　of　colour　or　form。
Broken　wooded　ridges；　deeply　cleft；　rise　from　the　water's　edge；
gray；　deep…roofed　villages　cluster　about　the　mouths　of　the　ravines；
and　terraces　of　rice　cultivation；　bright　with　the　greenness　of
English　lawns；　run　up　to　a　great　height　among　dark　masses　of　upland
forest。　　The　populousness　of　the　coast　is　very　impressive；　and　the
gulf　everywhere　was　equally　peopled　with　fishing…boats；　of　which　we
passed　not　only　hundreds；　but　thousands；　in　five　hours。　　The　coast
and　sea　were　pale；　and　the　boats　were　pale　too；　their　hulls　being
unpainted　wood；　and　their　sails　pure　white　duck。　　Now　and　then　a
high…sterned　junk　drifted　by　like　a　phantom　galley；　then　we
slackened　speed　to　avoid　exterminating　a　fleet　of　triangular…
looking　fishing…boats　with　white　square　sails；　and　so　on　through
the　grayness　and　dumbness　hour　after　hour。

For　long　I　looked　in　vain　for　Fujisan；　and　failed　to　see　it；　though
I　heard　ecstasies　all　over　the　deck；　till；　accidentally　looking
heavenwards　instead　of　earthwards；　I　saw　far　above　any　possibility
of　height；　as　one　would　have　thought；　a　huge；　truncated　cone　of
pure　snow；　13；080　feet　above　the　sea；　from　which　it　sweeps　upwards
in　a　glorious　curve；　very　wan；　against　a　very　pale　blue　sky；　with
its　base　and　the　intervening　country　veiled　in　a　pale　grey　mist。
｛1｝　　It　was　a　wonderful　vision；　and　shortly；　as　a　vision；　vanished。
Except　the　cone　of　Tristan　d'Acunhaalso　a　cone　of　snowI　never
saw　a　mountain　rise　in　such　lonely　majesty；　with　nothing　near　or
far　to　detract　from　its　height　and　grandeur。　　No　wonder　that　it　is
a　sacred　mountain；　and　so　dear　to　the　Japanese　that　their　art　is
never　weary　of　representing　it。　　It　was　nearly　fifty　miles　off　when
we　first　saw　it。

The　air　and　water　were　alike　motionless；　the　mist　was　still　and
pale；　grey　clouds　lay　restfully　on　a　bluish　sky；　the　reflections　of
the　white　sails　of　the　fishing…boats　scarcely　quivered；　it　was　all
so　pale；　wan；　and　ghastly；　that　the　turbulence　of　crumpled　foam
which　we　left　behind　us；　and　our　noisy；　throbbing　progress；　seemed
a　boisterous　intrusion　upon　sleeping　Asia。

The　gulf　narrowed；　the　forest…crested　hills；　the　terraced　ravines；
the　picturesque　grey　villages；　the　quiet　beach　life；　and　the　pale
blue　masses　of　the　mountains　of　the　interior；　became　more　visible。
Fuji　retired　into　the　mist　in　which　he　enfolds　his　grandeur　for
most　of　the　summer；　we　passed　Reception　Bay；　Perry　Island；　Webster
Island；　Cape　Saratoga；　and　Mississippi　BayAmerican　nomenclature
which　perpetuates　the　successes　of　American　diplomacyand　not　far
from　Treaty　Point　came　upon　a　red　lightship　with　the　words　〃Treaty
Point〃　in　large　letters　upon　her。　　Outside　of　this　no　foreign
vessel　may　anchor。

The　bustle　among　my　fellow…passengers；　many　of　whom　were　returning
home；　and　all　of　whom　expected　to　be　met　by　friends；　left　me　at
leisure；　as　I　looked　at　unattractive；　unfamiliar　Yokohama　and　the
pale　grey　land　stretched　out　before　me；　to　speculate　somewhat　sadly
on　my　destiny　on　these　strange　shores；　on　which　I　have　not　even　an
acquaintance。　　On　mooring　we　were　at　once　surrounded　by　crowds　of
native　boats　called　by　foreigners　sampans；　and　Dr。　Gulick；　a　near
relation　of　my　Hilo　friends；　came　on　board　to　meet　his　d