unbeaten tracks in japan-第49节

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water；　and　the　red　ashes　of　the　volcano；　which　forms　the　south
point　of　the　bay；　glowed　in　the　sunlight。　　This　wretched　steamer；
whose　boilers　are　so　often　〃sick〃　that　she　can　never　be　relied
upon；　is　the　only　means　of　reaching　the　new　capital　without　taking
a　most　difficult　and　circuitous　route。　　To　continue　the　pier　and
put　a　capable　good　steamer　on　the　ferry　would　be　a　useful
expenditure　of　money。　　The　breeze　was　strong　and　in　our　favour；　but
even　with　this　it　took　us　six　weary　hours　to　steam　twenty…five
miles；　and　it　was　eight　at　night　before　we　reached　the　beautiful
and　almost　land…locked　bay　of　Mororan；　with　steep；　wooded　sides；
and　deep　water　close　to　the　shore；　deep　enough　for　the　foreign
ships　of　war　which　occasionally　anchor　there；　much　to　the　detriment
of　the　town。　　We　got　off　in　over…crowded　sampans；　and　several
people　fell　into　the　water；　much　to　their　own　amusement。　　The
servants　from　the　different　yadoyas　go　down　to　the　jetty　to　〃tout〃
for　guests　with　large　paper　lanterns；　and　the　effect　of　these；　one
above　another；　waving　and　undulating；　with　their　soft　coloured
light；　was　as　bewitching　as　the　reflection　of　the　stars　in　the
motionless　water。　　Mororan　is　a　small　town　very　picturesquely
situated　on　the　steep　shore　of　a　most　lovely　bay；　with　another
height；　richly　wooded；　above　it；　with　shrines　approached　by　flights
of　stone　stairs；　and　behind　this　hill　there　is　the　first　Aino
village　along　this　coast。

The　long；　irregular　street　is　slightly　picturesque；　but　I　was
impressed　both　with　the　unusual　sight　of　loafers　and　with　the
dissolute　look　of　the　place；　arising　from　the　number　of　joroyas；
and　from　the　number　of　yadoyas　that　are　also　haunts　of　the　vicious。
I　could　only　get　a　very　small　room　in　a　very　poor　and　dirty　inn；
but　there　were　no　mosquitoes；　and　I　got　a　good　meal　of　fish。　　On
sending　to　order　horses　I　found　that　everything　was　arranged　for　my
journey。　　The　Governor　sent　his　card　early；　to　know　if　there　were
anything　I　should　like　to　see　or　do；　but；　as　the　morning　was　grey
and　threatening；　I　wished　to　push　on；　and　at　9。30　I　was　in　the
kuruma　at　the　inn　door。　　I　call　it　the　kuruma　because　it　is　the
only　one；　and　is　kept　by　the　Government　for　the　conveyance　of
hospital　patients。　　I　sat　there　uncomfortably　and　patiently　for
half　an　hour；　my　only　amusement　being　the　flirtations　of　Ito　with　a
very　pretty　girl。　　Loiterers　assembled；　but　no　one　came　to　draw　the
vehicle；　and　by　degrees　the　dismal　truth　leaked　out　that　the　three
coolies　who　had　been　impressed　for　the　occasion　had　all　absconded；
and　that　four　policemen　were　in　search　of　them。　　I　walked　on　in　a
dawdling　way　up　the　steep　hill　which　leads　from　the　town；　met　Mr。
Akboshi；　a　pleasant　young　Japanese　surveyor；　who　spoke　English　and
stigmatised　Mororan　as　〃the　worst　place　in　Yezo；〃　and；　after　fuming
for　two　hours　at　the　waste　of　time；　was　overtaken　by　Ito　with　the
horses；　in　a　boiling　rage。　　〃They're　the　worst　and　wickedest
coolies　in　all　Japan；〃　he　stammered；　〃two　more　ran　away；　and　now
three　are　coming；　and　have　got　paid　for　four；　and　the　first　three
who　ran　away　got　paid；　and　the　Express　man's　so　ashamed　for　a
foreigner；　and　the　Governor's　in　a　furious　rage。〃

Except　for　the　loss　of　time　it　made　no　difference　to　me；　but　when
the　kuruma　did　come　up　the　runners　were　three　such　ruffianly…
looking　men；　and　were　dressed　so　wildly　in　bark　cloth；　that；　in
sending　Ito　on　twelve　miles　to　secure　relays；　I　sent　my　money　along
with　him。　　These　men；　though　there　were　three　instead　of　two；　never
went　out　of　a　walk；　and；　as　if　on　purpose；　took　the　vehicle　over
every　stone　and　into　every　rut；　and　kept　up　a　savage　chorus　of
〃haes…ha；　haes…hora〃　the　whole　time；　as　if　they　were　pulling　stone…
carts。　　There　are　really　no　runners　out　of　Hakodate；　and　the　men
don't　know　how　to　pull；　and　hate　doing　it。

Mororan　Bay　is　truly　beautiful　from　the　top　of　the　ascent。　　The
coast　scenery　of　Japan　generally　is　the　loveliest　I　have　ever　seen；
except　that　of　a　portion　of　windward　Hawaii；　and　this　yields　in
beauty　to　none。　　The　irregular　grey　town；　with　a　grey　temple　on　the
height　above；　straggles　round　the　little　bay　on　a　steep；　wooded
terrace；　hills；　densely　wooded；　and　with　a　perfect　entanglement　of
large…leaved　trailers；　descend　abruptly　to　the　water's　edge；　the
festoons　of　the　vines　are　mirrored　in　the　still　waters；　and　above
the　dark　forest；　and　beyond　the　gleaming　sea；　rises　the　red；　peaked
top　of　the　volcano。　　Then　the　road　dips　abruptly　to　sandy
swellings；　rising　into　bold　headlands　here　and　there；　and　for　the
first　time　I　saw　the　surge　of　5000　miles　of　unbroken　ocean　break
upon　the　shore。　　Glimpses　of　the　Pacific；　an　uncultivated；　swampy
level　quite　uninhabited；　and　distant　hills　mainly　covered　with
forest；　made　up　the　landscape　till　I　reached　Horobets；　a　mixed
Japanese　and　Aino　village　built　upon　the　sand　near　the　sea。

In　these　mixed　villages　the　Ainos　are　compelled　to　live　at　a
respectful　distance　from　the　Japanese；　and　frequently　out…number
them；　as　at　Horobets；　where　there　are　forty…seven　Aino　and　only
eighteen　Japanese　houses。　　The　Aino　village　looks　larger　than　it
really　is；　because　nearly　every　house　has　a　kura；　raised　six　feet
from　the　ground　by　wooden　stilts。　　When　I　am　better　acquainted　with
the　houses　I　shall　describe　them；　at　present　I　will　only　say　that
they　do　not　resemble　the　Japanese　houses　so　much　as　the　Polynesian；
as　they　are　made　of　reeds　very　neatly　tied　upon　a　wooden　framework。
They　have　small　windows；　and　roofs　of　a　very　great　height；　and
steep　pitch；　with　the　thatch　in　a　series　of　very　neat　frills；　and
the　ridge　poles　covered　with　reeds；　and　ornamented。　　The　coast
Ainos　are　nearly　all　engaged　in　fishing；　but　at　this　season　the　men
hunt　deer　in　the　forests。　　On　this　coast　there　are　several　names
compounded　with　bets　or　pets；　the　Aino　for　a　river；　such　as
Horobets；　Yubets；　Mombets；　etc。

I　found　that　Ito　had　been　engaged　for　a　whole　hour　in　a　violent
altercation；　which　was　caused　by　the　Transport　Agent　refusing　to
supply　runners　for　the　kuruma；　saying　that　no　one　in　Horobets　would
draw　one；　but　on　my　producing　the　shomon　I　was　at　once　started　on
my　journey　of　sixteen　miles　with　three　Japanese　lads；　Ito　riding　on
to　Shiraoi　to　get　my　room　ready。　　I　think　that　the　Transport
Offices　in　Yezo　are　in　Government　hands。　　In　a　few　minutes　three
Ainos　ran　out　of　a　house；　took　the　kuruma；　and　went　the　whole　stage
without　stopping。　　They　took　a　boy　and　three　saddled　horses　along
with　them　to　bring　them　back；　and　rode　and　hauled　alternately；　two
youths　always　attached　to　the　shafts；　and　a　man　pushing　behind。
They　were　very　kind；　and　so　courteous；　after　a　new　fashion；　that　I
quite　forgot　that　I　was　alone　among　savages。　　The　lads　were　young
and　beardless；　their　lips　were　thick；　and　their　mouths　very　wide；
and　I　thought　that　they　approached　more　nearly　to　the　Eskimo　type
than　to　any　other。　　They　had　masses　of　soft　black　hair　falling　on
each　side　of　their　faces。　　The　adult　man　was　not　a　pure　Aino。　　His
dark　hair　was　not　very　thick；　and　both　it　and　his　beard　had　an
occasional　auburn　gleam。　　I　think　I　never　saw　a　face　more
completely　beautiful　in　features　and　expression；　with　a　lofty；　sad；
far…off；　gentle；　intellectual　look；　rather　that　of　Sir　Noel　Paton's
〃Christ〃　than　of　a　savage。　　His　manner　was　most　graceful；　and　he
spoke　both　Aino　and　Japanese　in　the　low　musical　tone　which　I　find
is　a　characteristic　of　Aino　speech。　　These　Ainos　never　took　off
their　clothes；　but　merely　let　them　fall　from　one　or　both　shoulders
when　it　was　very　warm。

The　road　from　Horobets　to　Shiraoi　is　very　solitary；　with　not　more
than　four　or　five　houses　the　whole　way。　　It　is　broad　and　straight；
except　when　it　ascends　hills　or　turns　inland　to　cross　rivers；　and
is　carried　across　a　broad　swampy　level；　covered　with　tall　wild
flowers；　which　extends　from　the　high　beach　thrown　up　by　the　sea　for
two　miles　inland；　where　there　is　a　lofty　wall　of　wooded　rock；　and
beyond　this　the　forest…covered　mountains　of　the　interior。　　On　the
top　of　the　raised　beach　there　were　Aino　hamlets；　and　occasionally　a
nearly　overpowering　stench　came　across　the　level　from　the　sheds　and
apparatus　used　for　extracting　fish…oil。　　I　enjoyed　the　afternoon
thoroughly。　　It　is　so　good　to　have　got　beyond　the　confines　of
stereotyped　civilisation　and　the　trammels　of　Japanese　travelling　to
the　solitude　of　nature　and　an　atmosphere　of　freedom。　　It　was　grey；
with　a　hard；　dark　line　of　ocean　horizon；　and　over　the　weedy　level
the　grey　road；　with　grey　telegraph…poles　along　it；　stretched
wearisomely　like　a　grey　thread。　　The　breeze　came　up　from　the　sea；
rustled　the　reeds；　and　waved　the　tall　plumes　of　the　Eulalia
japonica；　and　the　thunder　of　the　Pacific　surges　boomed　through　the
air　with　its　grand；　deep　bass。　　Poetry　and　music　pervaded　the
solitude；　and　my　spirit　was　rested。

Going　up　and　then　down　a　steep；　wooded　hill；　the　road　appeared　to
return　to　its　original　state　of　brushwood；　and　the　men　stopped　at
the　broken　edge　of　a　declivity　which　led　down　to　a　shingle　bank　and
a　foam…crested　river　of　clear；　blue…green　water；　strongly
impregnated　with　sulphur　from　some　medicinal　springs　above；　with　a
steep　bank　of　tangle　on　the　oppos