unbeaten tracks in japan-第43节

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a　most　forlorn　and　tumble…down　place；　given　up　to　felling　timber
and　making　shingles；　and　timber　in　all　its　formslogs；　planks；
faggots；　and　shinglesis　heaped　and　stalked　about。　　It　looks　more
like　a　lumberer's　encampment　than　a　permanent　village；　but　it　is
beautifully　situated；　and　unlike　any　of　the　innumerable　villages
that　I　have　ever　seen。

The　street　is　long　and　narrow；　with　streams　in　stone　channels　on
either　side；　but　these　had　overflowed；　and　men；　women；　and　children
were　constructing　square　dams　to　keep　the　water；　which　had　already
reached　the　doma；　from　rising　over　the　tatami。　　Hardly　any　house
has　paper　windows；　and　in　the　few　which　have；　they　are　so　black
with　smoke　as　to　look　worse　than　none。　　The　roofs　are　nearly　flat；
and　are　covered　with　shingles　held　on　by　laths　and　weighted　with
large　stones。　　Nearly　all　the　houses　look　like　temporary　sheds；　and
most　are　as　black　inside　as　a　Barra　hut。　　The　walls　of　many　are
nothing　but　rough　boards　tied　to　the　uprights　by　straw　ropes。

In　the　drowning　torrent；　sitting　in　puddles　of　water；　and　drenched
to　the　skin　hours　before；　we　reached　this　very　primitive　yadoya；
the　lower　part　of　which　is　occupied　by　the　daidokoro；　a　party　of
storm…bound　students；　horses；　fowls；　and　dogs。　　My　room　is　a
wretched　loft；　reached　by　a　ladder；　with　such　a　quagmire　at　its
foot　that　I　have　to　descend　into　it　in　Wellington　boots。　　It　was
dismally　grotesque　at　first。　　The　torrent　on　the　unceiled　roof
prevented　Ito　from　hearing　what　I　said；　the　bed　was　soaked；　and　the
water；　having　got　into　my　box；　had　dissolved　the　remains　of　the
condensed　milk；　and　had　reduced　clothes；　books；　and　paper　into　a
condition　of　universal　stickiness。　　My　kimono　was　less　wet　than
anything　else；　and；　borrowing　a　sheet　of　oiled　paper；　I　lay　down　in
it；　till　roused　up　in　half　an　hour　by　Ito　shrieking　above　the　din
on　the　roof　that　the　people　thought　that　the　bridge　by　which　we　had
just　entered　would　give　way；　and；　running　to　the　river　bank；　we
joined　a　large　crowd；　far　too　intensely　occupied　by　the　coming
disaster　to　take　any　notice　of　the　first　foreign　lady　they　had　ever
seen。

The　Hirakawa；　which　an　hour　before　was　merely　a　clear；　rapid
mountain　stream；　about　four　feet　deep；　was　then　ten　feet　deep；　they
said；　and　tearing　along；　thick　and　muddy；　and　with　a　fearful　roar；


〃And　each　wave　was　crested　with　tawny　foam；
Like　the　mane　of　a　chestnut　steed。〃


Immense　logs　of　hewn　timber；　trees；　roots；　branches；　and　faggots；
were　coming　down　in　numbers。　　The　abutment　on　this　side　was　much
undermined；　but；　except　that　the　central　pier　trembled　whenever　a
log　struck　it；　the　bridge　itself　stood　firmso　firm；　indeed；　that
two　men；　anxious　to　save　some　property　on　the　other　side；　crossed
it　after　I　arrived。　　Then　logs　of　planed　timber　of　large　size；　and
joints；　and　much　wreckage；　came　downfully　forty　fine　timbers；
thirty　feet　long；　for　the　fine　bridge　above　had　given　way。　　Most　of
the　harvest　of　logs　cut　on　the　Yadate　Pass　must　have　been　lost；　for
over　300　were　carried　down　in　the　short　time　in　which　I　watched　the
river。　　This　is　a　very　heavy　loss　to　this　village；　which　lives　by
the　timber　trade。　　Efforts　were　made　at　a　bank　higher　up　to　catch
them　as　they　drifted　by；　but　they　only　saved　about　one　in　twenty。
It　was　most　exciting　to　see　the　grand　way　in　which　these　timbers
came　down；　and　the　moment　in　which　they　were　to　strike　or　not　to
strike　the　pier　was　one　of　intense　suspense。　　After　an　hour　of　this
two　superb　logs；　fully　thirty　feet　long；　came　down　close　together；
and；　striking　the　central　pier　nearly　simultaneously；　it　shuddered
horribly；　the　great　bridge　parted　in　the　middle；　gave　an　awful
groan　like　a　living　thing；　plunged　into　the　torrent；　and　re…
appeared　in　the　foam　below　only　as　disjointed　timbers　hurrying　to
the　sea。　　Not　a　vestige　remained。　　The　bridge　below　was　carried
away　in　the　morning；　so；　till　the　river　becomes　fordable；　this
little　place　is　completely　isolated。　　On　thirty　miles　of　road；　out
of　nineteen　bridges　only　two　remain；　and　the　road　itself　is　almost
wholly　carried　away！



LETTER　XXVIII（Continued）



Scanty　ResourcesJapanese　ChildrenChildren's　GamesA　Sagacious
ExampleA　Kite　CompetitionPersonal　Privations。

IKARIGASEKI。

I　have　well…nigh　exhausted　the　resources　of　this　place。　　They　are
to　go　out　three　times　a　day　to　see　how　much　the　river　has　fallen；
to　talk　with　the　house…master　and　Kocho；　to　watch　the　children's
games　and　the　making　of　shingles；　to　buy　toys　and　sweetmeats　and
give　them　away；　to　apply　zinc　lotion　to　a　number　of　sore　eyes　three
times　daily；　under　which　treatment；　during　three　days；　there　has
been　a　wonderful　amendment；　to　watch　the　cooking；　spinning；　and
other　domestic　processes　in　the　daidokoro；　to　see　the　horses；　which
are　also　actually　in　it；　making　meals　of　green　leaves　of　trees
instead　of　hay；　to　see　the　lepers；　who　are　here　for　some　waters
which　are　supposed　to　arrest；　if　not　to　cure；　their　terrible
malady；　to　lie　on　my　stretcher　and　sew；　and　read　the　papers　of　the
Asiatic　Society；　and　to　go　over　all　possible　routes　to　Aomori。　　The
people　have　become　very　friendly　in　consequence　of　the　eye　lotion；
and　bring　many　diseases　for　my　inspection；　most　of　which　would
never　have　arisen　had　cleanliness　of　clothing　and　person　been
attended　to。　　The　absence　of　soap；　the　infrequency　with　which
clothing　is　washed；　and　the　absence　of　linen　next　the　skin；　cause
various　cutaneous　diseases；　which　are　aggravated　by　the　bites　and
stings　of　insects。　　Scald…head　affects　nearly　half　the　children
here。

I　am　very　fond　of　Japanese　children。　　I　have　never　yet　heard　a　baby
cry；　and　I　have　never　seen　a　child　troublesome　or　disobedient。
Filial　piety　is　the　leading　virtue　in　Japan；　and　unquestioning
obedience　is　the　habit　of　centuries。　　The　arts　and　threats　by　which
English　mothers　cajole　or　frighten　children　into　unwilling
obedience　appear　unknown。　　I　admire　the　way　in　which　children　are
taught　to　be　independent　in　their　amusements。　　Part　of　the　home
education　is　the　learning　of　the　rules　of　the　different　games；
which　are　absolute；　and　when　there　is　a　doubt；　instead　of　a
quarrelsome　suspension　of　the　game；　the　fiat　of　a　senior　child
decides　the　matter。　　They　play　by　themselves；　and　don't　bother
adults　at　every　turn。　　I　usually　carry　sweeties　with　me；　and　give
them　to　the　children；　but　not　one　has　ever　received　them　without
first　obtaining　permission　from　the　father　or　mother。　　When　that　is
gained　they　smile　and　bow　profoundly；　and　hand　the　sweeties　to
those　present　before　eating　any　themselves。　　They　are　gentle
creatures；　but　too　formal　and　precocious。

They　have　no　special　dress。　　This　is　so　queer　that　I　cannot　repeat
it　too　often。　　At　three　they　put　on　the　kimono　and　girdle；　which
are　as　inconvenient　to　them　as　to　their　parents；　and　childish　play
in　this　garb　is　grotesque。　　I　have；　however；　never　seen　what　we
call　child's　playthat　general　abandonment　to　miscellaneous
impulses；　which　consists　in　struggling；　slapping；　rolling；　jumping；
kicking；　shouting；　laughing；　and　quarrelling！　　Two　fine　boys　are
very　clever　in　harnessing　paper　carts　to　the　backs　of　beetles　with
gummed　traces；　so　that　eight　of　them　draw　a　load　of　rice　up　an
inclined　plane。　　You　can　imagine　what　the　fate　of　such　a　load　and
team　would　be　at　home　among　a　number　of　snatching　hands。　　Here　a
number　of　infants　watch　the　performance　with　motionless　interest；
and　never　need　the　adjuration；　〃Don't　touch。〃　　In　most　of　the
houses　there　are　bamboo　cages　for　〃the　shrill…voiced　Katydid；〃　and
the　children　amuse　themselves　with　feeding　these　vociferous
grasshoppers。　　The　channels　of　swift　water　in　the　street　turn　a
number　of　toy　water…wheels；　which　set　in　motion　most　ingenious
mechanical　toys；　of　which　a　model　of　the　automatic　rice…husker　is
the　commonest；　and　the　boys　spend　much　time　in　devising　and
watching　these；　which　are　really　very　fascinating。　　It　is　the
holidays；　but　〃holiday　tasks〃　are　given；　and　in　the　evenings　you
hear　the　hum　of　lessons　all　along　the　street　for　about　an　hour。
The　school　examination　is　at　the　re…opening　of　the　school　after　the
holidays；　instead　of　at　the　end　of　the　sessionan　arrangement
which　shows　an　honest　desire　to　discern　the　permanent　gain　made　by
the　scholars。

This　afternoon　has　been　fine　and　windy；　and　the　boys　have　been
flying　kites；　made　of　tough　paper　on　a　bamboo　frame；　all　of　a
rectangular　shape；　some　of　them　five　feet　square；　and　nearly　all
decorated　with　huge　faces　of　historical　heroes。　　Some　of　them　have
a　humming　arrangement　made　of　whale…bone。　　There　was　a　very
interesting　contest　between　two　great　kites；　and　it　brought　out　the
whole　population。　　The　string　of　each　kite；　for　30　feet　or　more
below　the　frame；　was　covered　with　pounded　glass；　made　to　adhere
very　closely　by　means　of　tenacious　glue；　and　for　two　hours　the
kite…fighters　tried　to　get　their　kites　into　a　proper　position　for
sawing　the　adversary's　string　in　two。　　At　last　one　was　successful；
and　the　severed　kite　became　his　property；　upon　which　victor　and
vanquished　exchanged　three　low　bows。　　Silently　as　the　people
watched　and　received　the　destruction　of　their　bridge；　so　silently
they　watched　this　exciting　contest。　　Th