unbeaten tracks in japan-第26节

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mosquitoes；　villains　with　spotted　legs；　which　bite　and　poison　one
without　the　warning　hum。　　The　night　mosquitoes　are　legion。　　There
are　no　walks　except　in　the　streets　and　the　public　gardens；　for
Niigata　is　built　on　a　sand　spit；　hot　and　bare。　　Neither　can　you　get
a　view　of　it　without　climbing　to　the　top　of　a　wooden　look…out。

Niigata　is　a　Treaty　Port　without　foreign　trade；　and　almost　without
foreign　residents。　　Not　a　foreign　ship　visited　the　port　either　last
year　or　this。　　There　are　only　two　foreign　firms；　and　these　are
German；　and　only　eighteen　foreigners；　of　which　number；　except　the
missionaries；　nearly　all　are　in　Government　employment。　　Its　river；
the　Shinano；　is　the　largest　in　Japan；　and　it　and　its　affluents
bring　down　a　prodigious　volume　of　water。　　But　Japanese　rivers　are
much　choked　with　sand　and　shingle　washed　down　from　the　mountains。
In　all　that　I　have　seen；　except　those　which　are　physically　limited
by　walls　of　hard　rock；　a　river…bed　is　a　waste　of　sand；　boulders；
and　shingle；　through　the　middle　of　which；　among　sand…banks　and
shallows；　the　river　proper　takes　its　devious　course。　　In　the
freshets；　which　occur　to　a　greater　or　less　extent　every　year；
enormous　volumes　of　water　pour　over　these　wastes；　carrying　sand　and
detritus　down　to　the　mouths；　which　are　all　obstructed　by　bars。　　Of
these　rivers　the　Shinano；　being　the　biggest；　is　the　most
refractory；　and　has　piled　up　a　bar　at　its　entrance　through　which
there　is　only　a　passage　seven　feet　deep；　which　is　perpetually
shallowing。　　The　minds　of　engineers　are　much　exercised　upon　the
Shinano；　and　the　Government　is　most　anxious　to　deepen　the　channel
and　give　Western　Japan　what　it　has　nota　harbour；　but　the　expense
of　the　necessary　operation　is　enormous；　and　in　the　meantime　a
limited　ocean　traffic　is　carried　on　by　junks　and　by　a　few　small
Japanese　steamers　which　call　outside。　｛13｝　　There　is　a　British
Vice…Consulate；　but；　except　as　a　step；　few　would　accept　such　a
dreary　post　or　outpost。

But　Niigata　is　a　handsome；　prosperous　city　of　50；000　inhabitants；
the　capital　of　the　wealthy　province　of　Echigo；　with　a　population　of
one　and　a　half　millions；　and　is　the　seat　of　the　Kenrei；　or
provincial　governor；　of　the　chief　law　courts；　of　fine　schools；　a
hospital；　and　barracks。　　It　is　curious　to　find　in　such　an　excluded
town　a　school　deserving　the　designation　of　a　college；　as　it
includes　intermediate；　primary；　and　normal　schools；　an　English
school　with　150　pupils；　organised　by　English　and　American　teachers；
an　engineering　school；　a　geological　museum；　splendidly　equipped
laboratories；　and　the　newest　and　most　approved　scientific　and
educational　apparatus。　　The　Government　Buildings；　which　are　grouped
near　Mr。　Fyson's；　are　of　painted　white　wood；　and　are　imposing　from
their　size　and　their　innumerable　glass　windows。　　There　is　a　large
hospital　｛14｝　arranged　by　a　European　doctor；　with　a　medical　school
attached；　and　it；　the　Kencho；　the　Saibancho；　or　Court　House；　the
schools；　the　barracks；　and　a　large　bank；　which　is　rivalling　them
all；　have　a　go…ahead；　Europeanised　look；　bold；　staring；　and
tasteless。　　There　are　large　public　gardens；　very　well　laid　out；　and
with　finely　gravelled　walks。　　There　are　300　street　lamps；　which
burn　the　mineral　oil　of　the　district。

Yet；　because　the　riotous　Shinano　persistently　bars　it　out　from　the
sea；　its　natural　highway；　the　capital　of　one　of　the　richest
provinces　of　Japan　is　〃left　out　in　the　cold；〃　and　the　province
itself；　which　yields　not　only　rice；　silk；　tea；　hemp；　ninjin；　and
indigo；　in　large　quantities；　but　gold；　copper；　coal；　and　petroleum；
has　to　send　most　of　its　produce　to　Yedo　across　ranges　of　mountains；
on　the　backs　of　pack…horses；　by　roads　scarcely　less　infamous　than
the　one　by　which　I　came。

The　Niigata　of　the　Government；　with　its　signs　of　progress　in　a
western　direction；　is　quite　unattractive…looking　as　compared　with
the　genuine　Japanese　Niigata；　which　is　the　neatest；　cleanest；　and
most　comfortable…looking　town　I　have　yet　seen；　and　altogether　free
from　the　jostlement　of　a　foreign　settlement。　　It　is　renowned　for
the　beautiful　tea…houses；　which　attract　visitors　from　distant
places；　and　for　the　excellence　of　the　theatres；　and　is　the　centre
of　the　recreation　and　pleasure　of　a　large　district。　　It　is　so
beautifully　clean　that；　as　at　Nikko；　I　should　feel　reluctant　to
walk　upon　its　well…swept　streets　in　muddy　boots。　　It　would　afford　a
good　lesson　to　the　Edinburgh　authorities；　for　every　vagrant　bit　of
straw；　stick；　or　paper；　is　at　once　pounced　upon　and　removed；　and　no
rubbish　may　stand　for　an　instant　in　its　streets　except　in　a　covered
box　or　bucket。　　It　is　correctly　laid　out　in　square　divisions；
formed　by　five　streets　over　a　mile　long；　crossed　by　very　numerous
short　ones；　and　is　intersected　by　canals；　which　are　its　real
roadways。　　I　have　not　seen　a　pack…horse　in　the　streets；　everything
comes　in　by　boat；　and　there　are　few　houses　in　the　city　which　cannot
have　their　goods　delivered　by　canal　very　near　to　their　doors。
These　water…ways　are　busy　all　day；　but　in　the　early　morning；　when
the　boats　come　in　loaded　with　the　vegetables；　without　which　the
people　could　not　exist　for　a　day；　the　bustle　is　indescribable。　　The
cucumber　boats　just　now　are　the　great　sight。　　The　canals　are
usually　in　the　middle　of　the　streets；　and　have　fairly　broad
roadways　on　both　sides。　　They　are　much　below　the　street　level；　and
their　nearly　perpendicular　banks　are　neatly　faced　with　wood；　broken
at　intervals　by　flights　of　stairs。　　They　are　bordered　by　trees；
among　which　are　many　weeping　willows；　and；　as　the　river　water　runs
through　them；　keeping　them　quite　sweet；　and　they　are　crossed　at
short　intervals　by　light　bridges；　they　form　a　very　attractive
feature　of　Niigata。

The　houses　have　very　steep　roofs　of　shingle；　weighted　with　stones；
and；　as　they　are　of　very　irregular　heights；　and　all　turn　the　steep
gables　of　the　upper　stories　streetwards；　the　town　has　a
picturesqueness　very　unusual　in　Japan。　　The　deep　verandahs　are
connected　all　along　the　streets；　so　as　to　form　a　sheltered
promenade　when　the　snow　lies　deep　in　winter。　　With　its　canals　with
their　avenues　of　trees；　its　fine　public　gardens；　and　clean；
picturesque　streets；　it　is　a　really　attractive　town；　but　its
improvements　are　recent；　and　were　only　lately　completed　by　Mr。
Masakata　Kusumoto；　now　Governor　of　Tokiyo。　　There　is　no　appearance
of　poverty　in　any　part　of　the　town；　but　if　there　be　wealth；　it　is
carefully　concealed。　　One　marked　feature　of　the　city　is　the　number
of　streets　of　dwelling…houses　with　projecting　windows　of　wooden
slats；　through　which　the　people　can　see　without　being　seen；　though
at　night；　when　the　andons　are　lit；　we　saw；　as　we　walked　from　Dr。
Palm's；　that　in　most　cases　families　were　sitting　round　the　hibachi
in　a　deshabille　of　the　scantiest　kind。

The　fronts　are　very　narrow；　and　the　houses　extend　backwards　to　an
amazing　length；　with　gardens　in　which　flowers；　shrubs；　and
mosquitoes　are　grown；　and　bridges　are　several　times　repeated；　so　as
to　give　the　effect　of　fairyland　as　you　look　through　from　the
street。　　The　principal　apartments　in　all　Japanese　houses　are　at　the
back；　looking　out　on　these　miniature　landscapes；　for　a　landscape　is
skilfully　dwarfed　into　a　space　often　not　more　than　30　feet　square。
A　lake；　a　rock…work；　a　bridge；　a　stone　lantern；　and　a　deformed
pine；　are　indispensable；　but　whenever　circumstances　and　means　admit
of　it；　quaintnesses　of　all　kinds　are　introduced。　　Small　pavilions；
retreats　for　tea…making；　reading；　sleeping　in　quiet　and　coolness；
fishing　under　cover；　and　drinking　sake；　bronze　pagodas；　cascades
falling　from　the　mouths　of　bronze　dragons；　rock　caves；　with　gold
and　silver　fish　darting　in　and　out；　lakes　with　rocky　islands；
streams　crossed　by　green　bridges；　just　high　enough　to　allow　a　rat
or　frog　to　pass　under；　lawns；　and　slabs　of　stone　for　crossing　them
in　wet　weather；　grottoes；　hills；　valleys；　groves　of　miniature
palms；　cycas；　and　bamboo；　and　dwarfed　trees　of　many　kinds；　of
purplish　and　dull　green　hues；　are　cut　into　startling　likenesses　of
beasts　and　creeping　things；　or　stretch　distorted　arms　over　tiny
lakes。

I　have　walked　about　a　great　deal　in　Niigata；　and　when　with　Mrs。
Fyson；　who　is　the　only　European　lady　here　at　present；　and　her
little　Ruth；　a　pretty　Saxon　child　of　three　years　old；　we　have　been
followed　by　an　immense　crowd；　as　the　sight　of　this　fair　creature；
with　golden　curls　falling　over　her　shoulders；　is　most　fascinating。
Both　men　and　women　have　gentle；　winning　ways　with　infants；　and
Ruth；　instead　of　being　afraid　of　the　crowds；　smiles　upon　them；　bows
in　Japanese　fashion；　speaks　to　them　in　Japanese；　and　seems　a　little
disposed　to　leave　her　own　people　altogether。　　It　is　most　difficult
to　make　her　keep　with　us；　and　two　or　three　times；　on　missing　her
and　looking　back；　we　have　seen　her　seated；　native　fashion；　in　a
ring　in　a　crowd　of　several　hundred　people；　receiving　a　homage　and
admiration　from　which　she　was　most　unwillingly　torn。　　The　Japanese
have　a　perfect　passion　for　children；　but　it　is　not　good　for
European　children　to　be　much　with　them；　as　they　corrupt　their
morals；　and　teach　them　to　tell　lies。

The　climate　of　Niigata　and　of　most　of　this　great　province　contrasts
unpleasantly　with　th