unbeaten tracks in japan-第15节

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smoothed　over　by　a　folded　futon；　or　wadded　cotton　quilt；　and　I　was
then　fourteen　inches　above　the　animal's　back；　with　my　feet　hanging
over　his　neck。　　You　must　balance　yourself　carefully；　or　you　bring
the　whole　erection　over；　but　balancing　soon　becomes　a　matter　of
habit。　　If　the　horse　does　not　stumble；　the　pack…saddle　is　tolerable
on　level　ground；　but　most　severe　on　the　spine　in　going　up　hill；　and
so　intolerable　in　going　down　that　I　was　relieved　when　I　found　that
I　had　slid　over　the　horse's　head　into　a　mud…hole；　and　you　are　quite
helpless；　as　he　does　not　understand　a　bridle；　if　you　have　one；　and
blindly　follows　his　leader；　who　trudges　on　six　feet　in　front　of
him。

The　hard　day's　journey　ended　in　an　exquisite　yadoya；　beautiful
within　and　without；　and　more　fit　for　fairies　than　for　travel…soiled
mortals。　　The　fusuma　are　light　planed　wood　with　a　sweet　scent；　the
matting　nearly　white；　the　balconies　polished　pine。　　On　entering；　a
smiling　girl　brought　me　some　plum…flower　tea　with　a　delicate　almond
flavour；　a　sweetmeat　made　of　beans　and　sugar；　and　a　lacquer　bowl　of
frozen　snow。　　After　making　a　difficult　meal　from　a　fowl　of　much
experience；　I　spent　the　evening　out　of　doors；　as　a　Japanese
watering…place　is　an　interesting　novelty。

There　is　scarcely　room　between　the　lake　and　the　mountains　for　the
picturesque　village　with　its　trim　neat　houses；　one　above　another；
built　of　reddish　cedar　newly　planed。　　The　snow　lies　ten　feet　deep
here　in　winter；　and　on　October　10　the　people　wrap　their　beautiful
dwellings　up　in　coarse　matting；　not　even　leaving　the　roofs
uncovered；　and　go　to　the　low　country　till　May　10；　leaving　one　man
in　charge；　who　is　relieved　once　a　week。　　Were　the　houses　mine　I
should　be　tempted　to　wrap　them　up　on　every　rainy　day！　　I　did　quite
the　wrong　thing　in　riding　here。　　It　is　proper　to　be　carried　up　in　a
kago；　or　covered　basket。

The　village　consists　of　two　short　streets；　8　feet　wide　composed
entirely　of　yadoyas　of　various　grades；　with　a　picturesquely　varied
frontage　of　deep　eaves；　graceful　balconies；　rows　of　Chinese
lanterns；　and　open　lower　fronts。　　The　place　is　full　of　people；　and
the　four　bathing…sheds　were　crowded。　　Some　energetic　invalids　bathe
twelve　times　a　day！　　Every　one　who　was　walking　about　carried　a　blue
towel　over　his　arm；　and　the　rails　of　the　balconies　were　covered
with　blue　towels　hanging　to　dry。　　There　can　be　very　little
amusement。　　The　mountains　rise　at　once　from　the　village；　and　are　so
covered　with　jungle　that　one　can　only　walk　in　the　short　streets　or
along　the　track　by　which　I　came。　　There　is　one　covered　boat　for
excursions　on　the　lake；　and　a　few　geishas　were　playing　the　samisen；
but；　as　gaming　is　illegal；　and　there　is　no　place　of　public　resort
except　the　bathing…sheds；　people　must　spend　nearly　all　their　time
in　bathing；　sleeping；　smoking；　and　eating。　　The　great　spring　is
beyond　the　village；　in　a　square　tank　in　a　mound。　　It　bubbles　up
with　much　strength；　giving　off　fetid　fumes。　　There　are　broad　boards
laid　at　intervals　across　it；　and　people　crippled　with　rheumatism　go
and　lie　for　hours　upon　them　for　the　advantage　of　the　sulphurous
steam。　　The　temperature　of　the　spring　is　130　degrees　F。；　but　after
the　water　has　travelled　to　the　village；　along　an　open　wooden　pipe；
it　is　only　84　degrees。　　Yumoto　is　over　4000　feet　high；　and　very
cold。

IRIMICHI。Before　leaving　Yumoto　I　saw　the　modus　operandi　of　a
〃squeeze。〃　　I　asked　for　the　bill；　when；　instead　of　giving　it　to　me；
the　host　ran　upstairs　and　asked　Ito　how　much　it　should　be；　the　two
dividing　the　overcharge。　　Your　servant　gets　a　〃squeeze〃　on
everything　you　buy；　and　on　your　hotel　expenses；　and；　as　it　is
managed　very　adroitly；　and　you　cannot　prevent　it；　it　is　best　not　to
worry　about　it　so　long　as　it　keeps　within　reasonable　limits。　　I。　L。
B。



LETTER　X



Peaceful　MonotonyA　Japanese　SchoolA　Dismal　DittyPunishmentA
Children's　PartyA　Juvenile　BelleFemale　NamesA　Juvenile　Drama…
…NeedleworkCalligraphyArranging　FlowersKanayaDaily　Routine…
…An　Evening's　EntertainmentPlanning　RoutesThe　God…shelf。

IRIMICHI；　Nikko；　June　23。

My　peacefully　monotonous　life　here　is　nearly　at　an　end。　　The　people
are　so　quiet　and　kindly；　though　almost　too　still；　and　I　have
learned　to　know　something　of　the　externals　of　village　life；　and
have　become　quite　fond　of　the　place。

The　village　of　Irimichi；　which　epitomises　for　me　at　present　the
village　life　of　Japan；　consists　of　about　three　hundred　houses　built
along　three　roads；　across　which　steps　in　fours　and　threes　are
placed　at　intervals。　　Down　the　middle　of　each　a　rapid　stream　runs
in　a　stone　channel；　and　this　gives　endless　amusement　to　the
children；　specially　to　the　boys；　who　devise　many　ingenious　models
and　mechanical　toys；　which　are　put　in　motion　by　water…wheels。　　But
at　7　a。m。　a　drum　beats　to　summon　the　children　to　a　school　whose
buildings　would　not　discredit　any　school…board　at　home。　　Too　much
Europeanised　I　thought　it；　and　the　children　looked　very
uncomfortable　sitting　on　high　benches　in　front　of　desks；　instead　of
squatting；　native　fashion。　　The　school　apparatus　is　very　good；　and
there　are　fine　maps　on　the　walls。　　The　teacher；　a　man　about　twenty…
five；　made　very　free　use　of　the　black…board；　and　questioned　his
pupils　with　much　rapidity。　　The　best　answer　moved　its　giver　to　the
head　of　the　class；　as　with　us。　　Obedience　is　the　foundation　of　the
Japanese　social　order；　and　with　children　accustomed　to
unquestioning　obedience　at　home　the　teacher　has　no　trouble　in
securing　quietness；　attention；　and　docility。　　There　was　almost　a
painful　earnestness　in　the　old…fashioned　faces　which　pored　over　the
school…books；　even　such　a　rare　event　as　the　entrance　of　a　foreigner
failed　to　distract　these　childish　students。　　The　younger　pupils
were　taught　chiefly　by　object　lessons；　and　the　older　were　exercised
in　reading　geographical　and　historical　books　aloud；　a　very　high　key
being　adopted；　and　a　most　disagreeable　tone；　both　with　the　Chinese
and　Japanese　pronunciation。　　Arithmetic　and　the　elements　of　some　of
the　branches　of　natural　philosophy　are　also　taught。　　The　children
recited　a　verse　of　poetry　which　I　understood　contained　the　whole　of
the　simple　syllabary。　　It　has　been　translated　thus：…


〃Colour　and　perfume　vanish　away。
What　can　be　lasting　in　this　world？
To…day　disappears　in　the　abyss　of　nothingness；
It　is　but　the　passing　image　of　a　dream；　and　causes　only　a　slight
trouble。〃


It　is　the　echo　of　the　wearied　sensualist's　cry；　〃Vanity　of
vanities；　all　is　vanity；〃　and　indicates　the　singular　Oriental
distaste　for　life；　but　is　a　dismal　ditty　for　young　children　to
learn。　　The　Chinese　classics；　formerly　the　basis　of　Japanese
education；　are　now　mainly　taught　as　a　vehicle　for　conveying　a
knowledge　of　the　Chinese　character；　in　acquiring　even　a　moderate
acquaintance　with　which　the　children　undergo　a　great　deal　of
useless　toil。

The　penalties　for　bad　conduct　used　to　be　a　few　blows　with　a　switch
on　the　front　of　the　leg；　or　a　slight　burn　with　the　moxa　on　the
forefingerstill　a　common　punishment　in　households；　but　I
understood　the　teacher　to　say　that　detention　in　the　school…house　is
the　only　punishment　now　resorted　to；　and　he　expressed　great
disapprobation　of　our　plan　of　imposing　an　added　task。　　When　twelve
o'clock　came　the　children　marched　in　orderly　fashion　out　of　the
school　grounds；　the　boys　in　one　division　and　the　girls　in　another；
after　which　they　quietly　dispersed。

On　going　home　the　children　dine；　and　in　the　evening　in　nearly　every
house　you　hear　the　monotonous　hum　of　the　preparation　of　lessons。
After　dinner　they　are　liberated　for　play；　but　the　girls　often　hang
about　the　house　with　babies　on　their　backs　the　whole　afternoon
nursing　dolls。　　One　evening　I　met　a　procession　of　sixty　boys　and
girls；　all　carrying　white　flags　with　black　balls；　except　the
leader；　who　carried　a　white　flag　with　a　gilded　ball；　and　they　sang；
or　rather　howled；　as　they　walked；　but　the　other　amusements　have
been　of　a　most　sedentary　kind。　　The　mechanical　toys；　worked　by
water…wheels　in　the　stream；　are　most　fascinating。

Formal　children's　parties　have　been　given　in　this　house；　for　which
formal　invitations；　in　the　name　of　the　house…child；　a　girl　of
twelve；　are　sent　out。　　About　3　p。m。　the　guests　arrive；　frequently
attended　by　servants；　and　this　child；　Haru；　receives　them　at　the
top　of　the　stone　steps；　and　conducts　each　into　the　reception　room；
where　they　are　arranged　according　to　some　well…understood　rules　of
precedence。　　Haru's　hair　is　drawn　back；　raised　in　front；　and
gathered　into　a　double　loop；　in　which　some　scarlet　crepe　is
twisted。　　Her　face　and　throat　are　much　whitened；　the　paint
terminating　in　three　points　at　the　back　of　the　neck；　from　which　all
the　short　hair　has　been　carefully　extracted　with　pincers。　　Her　lips
are　slightly　touched　with　red　paint；　and　her　face　looks　like　that
of　a　cheap　doll。　　She　wears　a　blue；　flowered　silk　kimono；　with
sleeves　touching　the　ground；　a　blue　girdle　lined　with　scarlet；　and
a　fold　of　scarlet　crepe　lies　between　her　painted　neck　and　her
kimono。　　On　her　little　feet　she　wears　white　tabi；　socks　of　cotton
cloth；　with　a　separate　place　for　the　great　toe；　so　as　to　allow　the
scarlet…covered　thongs　of　the　finely　lacquered　clogs；　which　she
pu