unbeaten tracks in japan-第21节

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picturesque。　　Ikari　is　crowded　together　on　a　hill　slope；　and　its
short；　primitive…looking　street；　with　its　warm　browns　and　greys；　is
quite　attractive　in　〃the　clear　shining　after　rain。〃　　My　halting…
place　is　at　the　express　office　at　the　top　of　the　hilla　place　like
a　big　barn；　with　horses　at　one　end　and　a　living…room　at　the　other；
and　in　the　centre　much　produce　awaiting　transport；　and　a　group　of
people　stripping　mulberry　branches。　　The　nearest　daimiyo　used　to
halt　here　on　his　way　to　Tokiyo；　so　there　are　two　rooms　for
travellers；　called　daimiyos'　rooms；　fifteen　feet　high；　handsomely
ceiled　in　dark　wood；　the　shoji　of　such　fine　work　as　to　merit　the
name　of　fret…work；　the　fusuma　artistically　decorated；　the　mats
clean　and　fine；　and　in　the　alcove　a　sword…rack　of　old　gold　lacquer。
Mine　is　the　inner　room；　and　Ito　and　four　travellers　occupy　the
outer　one。　　Though　very　dark；　it　is　luxury　after　last　night。　　The
rest　of　the　house　is　given　up　to　the　rearing　of　silk…worms。　　The
house…masters　here　and　at　Fujihara　are　not　used　to　passports；　and
Ito；　who　is　posing　as　a　town…bred　youth；　has　explained　and　copied
mine；　all　the　village　men　assembling　to　hear　it　read　aloud。　　He
does　not　know　the　word　used　for　〃scientific　investigation；〃　but；　in
the　idea　of　increasing　his　own　importance　by　exaggerating　mine；　I
hear　him　telling　the　people　that　I　am　gakusha；　i。e。　learned！　　There
is　no　police…station　here；　but　every　month　policemen　pay
domiciliary　visits　to　these　outlying　yadoyas　and　examine　the
register　of　visitors。

This　is　a　much　neater　place　than　the　last；　but　the　people　look
stupid　and　apathetic；　and　I　wonder　what　they　think　of　the　men　who
have　abolished　the　daimiyo　and　the　feudal　regime；　have　raised　the
eta　to　citizenship；　and　are　hurrying　the　empire　forward　on　the
tracks　of　western　civilisation！

Since　shingle　has　given　place　to　thatch　there　is　much　to　admire　in
the　villages；　with　their　steep　roofs；　deep　eaves　and　balconies；　the
warm　russet　of　roofs　and　walls；　the　quaint　confusion　of　the
farmhouses；　the　hedges　of　camellia　and　pomegranate；　the　bamboo
clumps　and　persimmon　orchards；　and　（in　spite　of　dirt　and　bad
smells）　the　generally　satisfied　look　of　the　peasant　proprietors。

No　food　can　be　got　here　except　rice　and　eggs；　and　I　am　haunted　by
memories　of　the　fowls　and　fish　of　Nikko；　to　say　nothing　of　the
〃flesh　pots〃　of　the　Legation；　and


〃a　sorrow's　crown　of　sorrow
Is　remembering　happier　things！〃


The　mercury　falls　to　70　degrees　at　night；　and　I　generally　awake
from　cold　at　3　a。m。；　for　my　blankets　are　only　summer　ones；　and　I
dare　not　supplement　them　with　a　quilt；　either　for　sleeping　on　or
under；　because　of　the　fleas　which　it　contains。　　I　usually　retire
about　7。30；　for　there　is　almost　no　twilight；　and　very　little
inducement　for　sitting　up　by　the　dimness　of　candle　or　andon；　and　I
have　found　these　days　of　riding　on　slow；　rolling；　stumbling　horses
very　severe；　and　if　I　were　anything　of　a　walker；　should　certainly
prefer　pedestrianism。　　I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XII



A　Fantastic　JumbleThe　〃Quiver〃　of　PovertyThe　Water…shedFrom
Bad　to　WorseThe　Rice　Planter's　HolidayA　Diseased　CrowdAmateur
DoctoringWant　of　CleanlinessRapid　EatingPremature　Old　Age。

KURUMATOGE；　June　30。

After　the　hard　travelling　of　six　days　the　rest　of　Sunday　in　a　quiet
place　at　a　high　elevation　is　truly　delightful！　　Mountains　and
passes；　valleys　and　rice　swamps；　forests　and　rice　swamps；　villages
and　rice　swamps；　poverty；　industry；　dirt；　ruinous　temples；
prostrate　Buddhas；　strings　of　straw…shod　pack…horses；　long；　grey；
featureless　streets；　and　quiet；　staring　crowds；　are　all　jumbled　up
fantastically　in　my　memory。　　Fine　weather　accompanied　me　through
beautiful　scenery　from　Ikari　to　Yokokawa；　where　I　ate　my　lunch　in
the　street　to　avoid　the　innumerable　fleas　of　the　tea…house；　with　a
circle　round　me　of　nearly　all　the　inhabitants。　　At　first　the
children；　both　old　and　young；　were　so　frightened　that　they　ran
away；　but　by　degrees　they　timidly　came　back；　clinging　to　the　skirts
of　their　parents　（skirts；　in　this　case；　being　a　metaphorical
expression）；　running　away　again　as　often　as　I　looked　at　them。　　The
crowd　was　filthy　and　squalid　beyond　description。　　Why　should　the
〃quiver〃　of　poverty　be　so　very　full？　one　asks　as　one　looks　at　the
swarms　of　gentle；　naked；　old…fashioned　children；　born　to　a　heritage
of　hard　toil；　to　be；　like　their　parents；　devoured　by　vermin；　and
pressed　hard　for　taxes。　　A　horse　kicked　off　my　saddle　before　it　was
girthed；　the　crowd　scattered　right　and　left；　and　work；　which　had
been　suspended　for　two　hours　to　stare　at　the　foreigner；　began
again。

A　long　ascent　took　us　to　the　top　of　a　pass　2500　feet　in　height；　a
projecting　spur　not　30　feet　wide；　with　a　grand　view　of　mountains
and　ravines；　and　a　maze　of　involved　streams；　which　unite　in　a
vigorous　torrent；　whose　course　we　followed　for　some　hours；　till　it
expanded　into　a　quiet　river；　lounging　lazily　through　a　rice　swamp
of　considerable　extent。　　The　map　is　blank　in　this　region；　but　I
judged；　as　I　afterwards　found　rightly；　that　at　that　pass　we　had
crossed　the　water…shed；　and　that　the　streams　thenceforward　no
longer　fall　into　the　Pacific；　but　into　the　Sea　of　Japan。　　At
Itosawa　the　horses　produced　stumbled　so　intolerably　that　I　walked
the　last　stage；　and　reached　Kayashima；　a　miserable　village　of
fifty…seven　houses；　so　exhausted　that　I　could　not　go　farther；　and
was　obliged　to　put　up　with　worse　accommodation　even　than　at
Fujihara；　with　less　strength　for　its　hardships。

The　yadoya　was　simply　awful。　　The　daidokoro　had　a　large　wood　fire
burning　in　a　trench；　filling　the　whole　place　with　stinging　smoke；
from　which　my　room；　which　was　merely　screened　off　by　some
dilapidated　shoji；　was　not　exempt。　　The　rafters　were　black　and
shiny　with　soot　and　moisture。　　The　house…master；　who　knelt
persistently　on　the　floor　of　my　room　till　he　was　dislodged　by　Ito；
apologised　for　the　dirt　of　his　house；　as　well　he　might。　　Stifling；
dark；　and　smoky；　as　my　room　was；　I　had　to　close　the　paper　windows；
owing　to　the　crowd　which　assembled　in　the　street。　　There　was
neither　rice　nor　soy；　and　Ito；　who　values　his　own　comfort；　began　to
speak　to　the　house…master　and　servants　loudly　and　roughly；　and　to
throw　my　things　abouta　style　of　acting　which　I　promptly
terminated；　for　nothing　could　be　more　hurtful　to　a　foreigner；　or
more　unkind　to　the　people；　than　for　a　servant　to　be　rude　and
bullying；　and　the　man　was　most　polite；　and　never　approached　me　but
on　bended　knees。　　When　I　gave　him　my　passport；　as　the　custom　is；　he
touched　his　forehead　with　it；　and　then　touched　the　earth　with　his
forehead。

I　found　nothing　that　I　could　eat　except　black　beans　and　boiled
cucumbers。　　The　room　was　dark；　dirty；　vile；　noisy；　and　poisoned　by
sewage　odours；　as　rooms　unfortunately　are　very　apt　to　be。　　At　the
end　of　the　rice　planting　there　is　a　holiday　for　two　days；　when　many
offerings　are　made　to　Inari；　the　god　of　rice　farmers；　and　the
holiday…makers　kept　up　their　revel　all　night；　and　drums；　stationary
and　peripatetic；　were　constantly　beaten　in　such　a　way　as　to　prevent
sleep。

A　little　boy；　the　house…master's　son；　was　suffering　from　a　very　bad
cough；　and　a　few　drops　of　chlorodyne　which　I　gave　him　allayed　it　so
completely　that　the　cure　was　noised　abroad　in　the　earliest　hours　of
the　next　morning；　and　by　five　o'clock　nearly　the　whole　population
was　assembled　outside　my　room；　with　much　whispering　and　shuffling
of　shoeless　feet；　and　applications　of　eyes　to　the　many　holes　in　the
paper　windows。　　When　I　drew　aside　the　shoji　I　was　disconcerted　by
the　painful　sight　which　presented　itself；　for　the　people　were
pressing　one　upon　another；　fathers　and　mothers　holding　naked
children　covered　with　skin…disease；　or　with　scald…head；　or
ringworm；　daughters　leading　mothers　nearly　blind；　men　exhibiting
painful　sores；　children　blinking　with　eyes　infested　by　flies　and
nearly　closed　with　ophthalmia；　and　all；　sick　and　well；　in　truly
〃vile　raiment；〃　lamentably　dirty　and　swarming　with　vermin；　the　sick
asking　for　medicine；　and　the　well　either　bringing　the　sick　or
gratifying　an　apathetic　curiosity。　　Sadly　I　told　them　that　I　did
not　understand　their　manifold　〃diseases　and　torments；〃　and　that；　if
I　did；　I　had　no　stock　of　medicines；　and　that　in　my　own　country　the
constant　washing　of　clothes；　and　the　constant　application　of　water
to　the　skin；　accompanied　by　friction　with　clean　cloths；　would　be
much　relied　upon　by　doctors　for　the　cure　and　prevention　of　similar
cutaneous　diseases。　　To　pacify　them　I　made　some　ointment　of　animal
fat　and　flowers　of　sulphur；　extracted　with　difficulty　from　some
man's　hoard；　and　told　them　how　to　apply　it　to　some　of　the　worst
cases。　　The　horse；　being　unused　to　a　girth；　became　fidgety　as　it
was　being　saddled；　creating　a　STAMPEDE　among　the　crowd；　and　the
mago　would　not　touch　it　again。　　They　are　as　much　afraid　of　their
gentle　mares　as　if　they　were　panthers。　　All　the　children　followed
me　for　a　considerable　distance；　and　a　good　many　of　the　adults　made
an　excuse　for　going　in　the　same　direction。

These　people　wear　no　linen；　and　their　clothes；　which　are　seldom
washed；　are　constantly　worn；　night　and　day；　as　long　as　they　will
hold　together。　　They　seal　up　their　houses　as　hermetically　as