noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第25部分

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There　was　something　uncanny　in　their　commonplaceness　in　so　uncommon

a　place。　　While　we　were　still　wondering　at　the　whereabouts　of　their

owner；　another　turn　disclosed　him　by　a　sort　of　cove　where　his　boat

lay　drawn　up。　　Indeed；　it　was　an　ideal　spot　for　an　angler；　and　a

lucrative　one　as　well；　for　the　river　is　naturally　full　of　fish。

Were　I　the　angler　I　have　seen　others；　I　would　encamp　here　for　the

rest　of　my　life　and　feed　off　such　phosphoric　diet　as　I　might　catch；

to　the　quickening　of　the　brain　and　the　composing　of　the　body。

But　fortunately　man　has　more　of　the　river　than　of　the　rock　in　his

composition；　and　whether　he　will　or　no　is　steadily　being　hurried　past

such　nicks　in　life　toward　other　adventures　beyond。　



The　rapids　here　were；　if　anything；　finer　than　those　above　Mitsushima。　

Of　them　in　all　there　are　said　to　be　more　than　thirty。　　Some　have

nicknames；　as　〃the　Turret；〃　〃the　Adze；〃　〃Boiling　Rice；〃　and　〃the

Mountain　Bath。〃　Indeed；　probably　all　of　them　have　distinctive

appellations；　but　one　cannot　ask　the　names　of　everybody　in　a

procession。　　There　were　some　bad　enough　to　give　one　a　sensation。

Two　of　the　worst　rocks　have　been　blown　up；　but　enough　still　remain　to

point　a　momentary　moral　or　adorn　an　after　tale。　　All　were　exhilarating。

Through　even　the　least　bad　I　should　have　been　more　than　sorry　to　have

come　alone。　　But　confiding　trust　in　the　boatmen　was　not　misplaced；

for　if　questionable　in　their　morals；　they　were　above　reproach　in

their　water…craft。　



The　rapids　were　incidents；　the　gorge　we　had　always　with　us；　superb

cleft　that　it　was；　hewn　as　by　some　giant　axe；　notching　the　mountain

chain　imperiously　for　passage。　　Hour　followed　hour　with　the　same

setting。　　How　the　river　first　took　it　into　its　head　to　come　through

so　manifestly　unsuitable　a　place　is　a　secret　for　the　geologist　to

tell。　　But　I　for　one　wish　I　had　been　by　to　see。　



From　morning　till　noon　we　raced　with　the　water　at　the　bottom　of　the

canon。　　Each　turn　was　like；　and　yet　unlike；　the　one　before；　so　that　I

wonder　that　I　have　other　than　a　blurred　composite　picture　on　my

mind's　plate。　　Yet　certain　bits　have　picked　themselves　out　and　ousted

the　rest；　and　the　river　comes　up　to　me　in　thought　as　vivid　as　in

life。　



These　repeated　disclosures　that　disclosed　nothing　lulled　us　at　last

into　a　happy　unconsciousness　of　end　in　this　subterranean　passage　to　a

lower　world。　　Though　we　were　cleaving　the　mountain　chain　in　part

against　the　grain；　indeed　because　we　were；　it　showed　no　sign　of

giving　out；　until　without　premonition　a　curve　shot　us　out　at　the　foot

of　a　village　perched　so　perpendicularly　on　terraces　that　it　almost

overhung　the　stream。　　It　was　called　Nishinoto；　and　consisted　of　a

street　that　sidled　up　between　the　dwellings　in　a　more　than　alpine

way。　　Up　it　we　climbed　aerially　to　a　teahouse　for　lunch；　but　not

before　I　had　directed　the　boatmen　to　discharge　the　smuggled　goods。　



In　another　hour　we　were　under　way　again　less　the　uninvited　bales；

which；　left　sitting　all　alone　on　the　sands；　mutely　reproached　us　till

they　could　be　seen　no　more。　　At　the　first　bend　the　gorge　closed　round

about　us　as　rugged　as　ever。　　The　rapids　were　not　so　dangerous　as

those　above；　but　the　stream　was　still　fast　if　less　furious。　　When　we

looked　at　the　water　we　did　not　appear　to　be　moving　at　all；　and　when

we　looked　up　again　at　the　bank　we　almost　lost　our　balance　for　the

sudden　start。　



Then　gradually　a　change　crept　over　the　face　of　things。　　The　stream

grew　a　thought　more　steady；　the　canon　a　shade　less　wild。　　We　passed

through　some　more　rapids；our　last；　the　boatmen　said。　　The　river

began　to　widen；　the　mountains　standing　more　respectfully　apart。

They　let　us　see　nothing　new；　but　they　showed　us　more　of　themselves；

and　grand　buttresses　they　made。　　Then　the　reaches　grew　longer；　and　other

hills　less　high　became　visible　ahead。　　By　all　signs　we　were　come　to

the　beginning　of　the　end。　　Another　turn；　and　we　were　confronted　with

a　real　view；a　very　hilly　view；　to　be　sure；　but　one　that　belonged　to

the　world　of　man。　



It　was　like　coming　out　of　a　tunnel　into　the　light。　



The　current　hurried　us　on。　　At　each　bend　the　hills　in　front　rose　less

wild　than　at　the　bend　before。　　Villages　began　to　dot　the　shores；

and　the　river　spread　out　and　took　its　ease。　　Another　curve；　and　we　no

longer　saw　hills　and　rocks　ahead。　　A　great　plain　stretched　before　us；

over　which　our　eyes　wandered　at　will。　　Looking　back；　we　marked　the

mountains　already　closing　up　in　line。　　I　tried　to　place　the　river's　gap；

but　the　barrier　had　grown　continuous　to　the　eye。　　Like　adventurers　in

a　fairy　tale；　the　opening　through　which　we　had　come　had　closed

unrecognizably　behind　us。　



In　front　all　was　plain；　every…day　plain；　with　people　tilling　it；

and　hamlets；　and　in　the　immediate　foreground；　right　athwart　our　course；

a　ferryboat　full　of　folk。　　As　we　bore　down　between　it　and　the　landing

place　two　men　gesticulated　at　us　from　the　bank。　　We　swerved　in　toward

them。　　They　shouted　something　to　the　boatmen；　and　Yejiro　turned　to

me。　　The　wayfarers　asked　if　we　would　let　them　go　with　us　to　the　sea。　

There　was　no　regular　conveyance；　and　they　much　desired　to　reach　the

Tokaido　that　night。　　What　would　I　do？



〃Oh！　Very　well；〃　said　I；　reluctantly；　〃take　them　on　board。〃



So　it　had　come　to　this；　after　our　romantic　solitary　voyage！　　We　were

to　end　as　a　common　carrier；　after　all。　　One　is　born　a　demigod；　the

French　say；　to　die　a　grocer。　



Our　passengers　were　honest　and　businesslike。　　Soon　after　coming

aboard　they　offered　to　pay　for　their　passage；　an　offer　I　politely

declined。　　Then　they　fell　to　chatting　with　Yejiro；　and　I　doubt　not　in

five　minutes　had　possessed　themselves　of　all　our　immediate　history。　



Meanwhile；　the　river　was　lazily　dropping　us　down　to　the　sea。　　On　the

left；　at　a　respectful　distance；　a　long；　low　rise；　like　a　bit　of

fortification；　ran　down　indefinitely　in　the　same　direction；　by　way　of

encouraging　the　stream。　　Pitiable　supposition！　　Was　this

meadow…meandering　bit　of　water　indeed　our　wild　Tenriugawa！　　It　seemed

impossible。　　Once　we　had　a　bathetic　bit　of　excitement　over　a　near

case　of　grounding；　where　the　water　had　spread　itself　out　to　ripple

down　to　a　lower　level。　　This　was　all　to　recall　the　past。　　The　stream

had　grown　steady　and　profitable。　　More　than　once　we　passed　craft

jarringly　mercantile；　and　even　some　highly　respectable　automations；

water…wheel　boats　anchored　in　the　current；　nose　to　tail；　in　a　long

line；　apparently　paddling　up　stream；　but　never　advancing　an　inch。　

And　all　these　sights　had　a　work…a…day；　machine　look　like　middle　age。　



The　afternoon　aged　to　match。　　The　sun　began　to　dip　behind　the　distant

hills；　and　then　toward　the　east；　in　front　of　us；　came　out　the　long

outline　of　the　Tokaido　bridge；　three　quarters　of　a　mile　in　length；

like　a　huge　caterpillar　crawling　methodically　across　the　river…bed。　

Gradually　we　drew　toward　it；　till　its　myriad　legs　glinted　in　the

sunset　glow；　and　then；　as　we　swept　under；　it　wheeled　round　to　become

instantly　a　gaunt　stalking　silhouette　against　the　sky。　　From　below　by

the　river's　mouth　the　roar　of　the　surf　came　forebodingly　up　out　of

the　ashen　east。　　But　in　the　west　was　still　a　glory；　and　as　I　turned

to　it　I　seemed　to　look　down　the　long　vista　of　the　journey　to　western

Noto　by　the　sea。　　I　thought　how　I　had　pictured　it　to　myself　before

starting；　and　then　how　little　the　facts　had　fitted　the　fancy。　　It　had

lost　and　gained；　if　no　longer　maiden；　it　was　mine；　and　the　glamour

that　fringes　the　future　had　but　changed　to　the　glamour　that　gilds　the

past。　　Distance　had　brought　it　all　back　again。　　Delays；　discomforts；

difficulties；　disappeared；　and　its　memory　rose　as　lovely　as　the　sky

past　which　I　looked。　　For　the　better　part　of　place　or　person　is　the

thought　it　leaves　behind。　











End