unbeaten tracks in japan-第18部分

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houses　are　alive　with　vermin；　and　if　the　word　squalor　can　be
applied　to　independent　and　industrious　people；　they　were　squalid。
Beetles；　spiders；　and　wood…lice　held　a　carnival　in　my　room　after
dark；　and　the　presence　of　horses　in　the　same　house　brought　a　number
of　horseflies。　　I　sprinkled　my　stretcher　with　insect　powder；　but　my
blanket　had　been　on　the　floor　for　one　minute；　and　fleas　rendered
sleep　impossible。　　The　night　was　very　long。　　The　andon　went　out；
leaving　a　strong　smell　of　rancid　oil。　　The　primitive　Japanese　dog
a　cream…coloured　wolfish…looking　animal；　the　size　of　a　collie；　very
noisy　and　aggressive；　but　as　cowardly　as　bullies　usually　arewas
in　great　force　in　Fujihara；　and　the　barking；　growling；　and
quarrelling　of　these　useless　curs　continued　at　intervals　until
daylight；　and　when　they　were　not　quarrelling；　they　were　howling。
Torrents　of　rain　fell；　obliging　me　to　move　my　bed　from　place　to
place　to　get　out　of　the　drip。　　At　five　Ito　came　and　entreated　me　to
leave；　whimpering；　〃I've　had　no　sleep；　there　are　thousands　and
thousands　of　fleas！〃　　He　has　travelled　by　another　route　to　the
Tsugaru　Strait　through　the　interior；　and　says　that　he　would　not
have　believed　that　there　was　such　a　place　in　Japan；　and　that　people
in　Yokohama　will　not　believe　it　when　he　tells　them　of　it　and　of　the
costume　of　the　women。　　He　is　〃ashamed　for　a　foreigner　to　see　such　a
place；〃　he　says。　　His　cleverness　in　travelling　and　his　singular
intelligence　surprise　me　daily。　　He　is　very　anxious　to　speak　GOOD
English；　as　distinguished　from　〃common〃　English；　and　to　get　new
words；　with　their　correct　pronunciation　and　spelling。　　Each　day　he
puts　down　in　his　note…book　all　the　words　that　I　use　that　he　does
not　quite　understand；　and　in　the　evening　brings　them　to　me　and　puts
down　their　meaning　and　spelling　with　their　Japanese　equivalents。
He　speaks　English　already　far　better　than　many　professional
interpreters；　but　would　be　more　pleasing　if　he　had　not　picked　up
some　American　vulgarisms　and　free…and…easy　ways。　　It　is　so
important　to　me　to　have　a　good　interpreter；　or　I　should　not　have
engaged　so　young　and　inexperienced　a　servant；　but　he　is　so　clever
that　he　is　now　able　to　be　cook；　laundryman；　and　general　attendant；
as　well　as　courier　and　interpreter；　and　I　think　it　is　far　easier
for　me　than　if　he　were　an　older　man。　　I　am　trying　to　manage　him；
because　I　saw　that　he　meant　to　manage　me；　specially　in　the　matter
of　〃squeezes。〃　　He　is　intensely　Japanese；　his　patriotism　has　all
the　weakness　and　strength　of　personal　vanity；　and　he　thinks
everything　inferior　that　is　foreign。　　Our　manners；　eyes；　and　modes
of　eating　appear　simply　odious　to　him。　　He　delights　in　retailing
stories　of　the　bad　manners　of　Englishmen；　describes　them　as
〃roaring　out　ohio　to　every　one　on　the　road；〃　frightening　the　tea…
house　nymphs；　kicking　or　slapping　their　coolies；　stamping　over
white　mats　in　muddy　boots；　acting　generally　like　ill…bred　Satyrs；
exciting　an　ill…concealed　hatred　in　simple　country　districts；　and
bringing　themselves　and　their　country　into　contempt　and　ridicule。
｛10｝　　He　is　very　anxious　about　my　good　behaviour；　and　as　I　am
equally　anxious　to　be　courteous　everywhere　in　Japanese　fashion；　and
not　to　violate　the　general　rules　of　Japanese　etiquette；　I　take　his
suggestions　as　to　what　I　ought　to　do　and　avoid　in　very　good　part；
and　my　bows　are　growing　more　profound　every　day！　　The　people　are　so
kind　and　courteous；　that　it　is　truly　brutal　in　foreigners　not　to　be
kind　and　courteous　to　them。　　You　will　observe　that　I　am　entirely
dependent　on　Ito；　not　only　for　travelling　arrangements；　but　for
making　inquiries；　gaining　information；　and　even　for　companionship；
such　as　it　is；　and　our　being　mutually　embarked　on　a　hard　and
adventurous　journey　will；　I　hope；　make　us　mutually　kind　and
considerate。　　Nominally；　he　is　a　Shintoist；　which　means　nothing。
At　Nikko　I　read　to　him　the　earlier　chapters　of　St。　Luke；　and　when　I
came　to　the　story　of　the　Prodigal　Son　I　was　interrupted　by　a
somewhat　scornful　laugh　and　the　remark；　〃Why；　all　this　is　our
Buddha　over　again！〃

To…day's　journey；　though　very　rough；　has　been　rather　pleasant。　　The
rain　moderated　at　noon；　and　I　left　Fujihara　on　foot；　wearing　my
American　〃mountain　dress〃　and　Wellington　boots；the　only　costume
in　which　ladies　can　enjoy　pedestrian　or　pack…horse　travelling　in
this　country；with　a　light　straw　matthe　waterproof　of　the
regionhanging　over　my　shoulders；　and　so　we　plodded　on　with　two
baggage　horses　through　the　ankle…deep　mud；　till　the　rain　cleared
off；　the　mountains　looked　through　the　mist；　the　augmented　Kinugawa
thundered　below；　and　enjoyment　became　possible；　even　in　my　half…fed
condition。　　Eventually　I　mounted　a　pack…saddle；　and　we　crossed　a
spur　of　Takadayama　at　a　height　of　2100　feet　on　a　well…devised
series　of　zigzags；　eight　of　which　in　one　place　could　be　seen　one
below　another。　　The　forest　there　is　not　so　dense　as　usual；　and　the
lower　mountain　slopes　are　sprinkled　with　noble　Spanish　chestnuts。
The　descent　was　steep　and　slippery；　the　horse　had　tender　feet；　and；
after　stumbling　badly；　eventually　came　down；　and　I　went　over　his
head；　to　the　great　distress　of　the　kindly　female　mago。　　The　straw
shoes　tied　with　wisps　round　the　pasterns　are　a　great　nuisance。　　The
〃shoe　strings〃　are　always　coming　untied；　and　the　shoes　only　wear
about　two　ri　on　soft　ground；　and　less　than　one　on　hard。　　They　keep
the　feet　so　soft　and　spongy　that　the　horses　can't　walk　without　them
at　all；　and　as　soon　as　they　get　thin　your　horse　begins　to　stumble；
the　mago　gets　uneasy；　and　presently　you　stop；　four　shoes；　which　are
hanging　from　the　saddle；　are　soaked　in　water　and　are　tied　on　with
much　coaxing；　raising　the　animal　fully　an　inch　above　the　ground。
Anything　more　temporary　and　clumsy　could　not　be　devised。　　The
bridle　paths　are　strewn　with　them；　and　the　children　collect　them　in
heaps　to　decay　for　manure。　　They　cost　3　or　4　sen　the　set；　and　in
every　village　men　spend　their　leisure　time　in　making　them。

At　the　next　stage；　called　Takahara；　we　got　one　horse　for　the
baggage；　crossed　the　river　and　the　ravine；　and　by　a　steep　climb
reached　a　solitary　yadoya　with　the　usual　open　front　and　irori；
round　which　a　number　of　people；　old　and　young；　were　sitting。　　When
I　arrived　a　whole　bevy　of　nice…looking　girls　took　to　flight；　but
were　soon　recalled　by　a　word　from　Ito　to　their　elders。　　Lady
Parkes；　on　a　side…saddle　and　in　a　riding…habit；　has　been　taken　for
a　man　till　the　people　saw　her　hair；　and　a　young　friend　of　mine；　who
is　very　pretty　and　has　a　beautiful　complexion；　when　travelling
lately　with　her　husband；　was　supposed　to　be　a　man　who　had　shaven
off　his　beard。　　I　wear　a　hat；　which　is　a　thing　only　worn　by　women
in　the　fields　as　a　protection　from　sun　and　rain；　my　eyebrows　are
unshaven；　and　my　teeth　are　unblackened；　so　these　girls　supposed　me
to　be　a　foreign　man。　　Ito　in　explanation　said；　〃They　haven't　seen
any；　but　everybody　brings　them　tales　how　rude　foreigners　are　to
girls；　and　they　are　awful　scared。〃　　There　was　nothing　eatable　but
rice　and　eggs；　and　I　ate　them　under　the　concentrated　stare　of
eighteen　pairs　of　dark　eyes。　　The　hot　springs；　to　which　many　people
afflicted　with　sores　resort；　are　by　the　river；　at　the　bottom　of　a
rude　flight　of　steps；　in　an　open　shed；　but　I　could　not　ascertain
their　temperature；　as　a　number　of　men　and　women　were　sitting　in　the
water。　　They　bathe　four　times　a　day；　and　remain　for　an　hour　at　a
time。

We　left　for　the　five　miles'　walk　to　Ikari　in　a　torrent　of　rain　by　a
newly…made　path　completely　shut　in　with　the　cascading　Kinugawa；　and
carried　along　sometimes　low；　sometimes　high；　on　props　projecting
over　it　from　the　face　of　the　rock。　　I　do　not　expect　to　see　anything
lovelier　in　Japan。

The　river；　always　crystal…blue　or　crystal…green；　largely　increased
in　volume　by　the　rains；　forces　itself　through　gates　of　brightly…
coloured　rock；　by　which　its　progress　is　repeatedly　arrested；　and
rarely　lingers　for　rest　in　all　its　sparkling；　rushing　course。　　It
is　walled　in　by　high　mountains；　gloriously　wooded　and　cleft　by　dark
ravines；　down　which　torrents　were　tumbling　in　great　drifts　of　foam；
crashing　and　booming；　boom　and　crash　multiplied　by　many　an　echo；
and　every　ravine　afforded　glimpses　far　back　of　more　mountains；
clefts；　and　waterfalls；　and　such　over…abundant　vegetation　that　I
welcomed　the　sight　of　a　gray　cliff　or　bare　face　of　rock。　　Along　the
path　there　were　fascinating　details；　composed　of　the　manifold
greenery　which　revels　in　damp　heat；　ferns；　mosses；　confervae；
fungi；　trailers；　shading　tiny　rills　which　dropped　down　into
grottoes　feathery　with　the　exquisite　Trichomanes　radicans；　or
drooped　over　the　rustic　path　and　hung　into　the　river；　and　overhead
the　finely　incised　and　almost　feathery　foliage　of　several　varieties
of　maple　admitted　the　light　only　as　a　green　mist。　　The　spring　tints
have　not　yet　darkened　into　the　monotone　of　summer；　rose　azaleas
still　light　the　hillsides；　and　masses　of　cryptomeria　give　depth　and
shadow。　　Still；　beautiful　as　it　all　is；　one　sighs　for　something
which　shall　satisfy　one's　craving　for　startling　individuality　and
grace　of　form；　as　in　the　coco…palm　and　banana　of　the　tropics。　　The
featheriness　of　the　maple；　and　the　arrowy　straightness　and
pyramidal　form　of　the　cryptomeria；　please　me　better　than　all　else；
but　why　criticise？　　Ten　minutes　of　sunshine　would　transform　the
whole　into　fairyland。

There　were　no　houses　and　no　people。　　Leaving　this　beautiful　river
we　crossed　a　spur　of　a　hill；　where　all　the　trees　were　matted
together　by　a　very　fragrant　white　honeysuckle；　and　came　down　upon
an　open　valley　where　a　quiet　stream　joins　the　loud…tongued
Kinugawa；　and　another　mile　brought　us　to　this　beautifully…situated
hamlet　of　twenty…five　houses；　surrounded　by　mountains；　and　close　to
a　mountain　stream　called　the　Okawa。　　The　names　of　Japanese　rivers
give　one　very　little　geographical　information　from　their　want　of
continuity。　　A　river　changes　its　name　several　times　in　a　course　of
thirty　or　forty　miles；　according　to　the　districts　through　which　it
passes。　　This　is　my　old　friend　the　Kinugawa；　up　which　I　have　been
travelling　for　two　days。　　Want　of　space　is　a　great　aid　to　the
picturesque。　　Ikari　is　crowded　together　on　a　hill　slope；　and　its
short；　primitiv