picturesque。 Ikari is crowded together on a hill slope； and its
short； primitive…looking street； with its warm browns and greys； is
quite attractive in 〃the clear shining after rain。〃 My halting…
place is at the express office at the top of the hilla place like
a big barn； with horses at one end and a living…room at the other；
and in the centre much produce awaiting transport； and a group of
people stripping mulberry branches。 The nearest daimiyo used to
halt here on his way to Tokiyo； so there are two rooms for
travellers； called daimiyos' rooms； fifteen feet high； handsomely
ceiled in dark wood； the shoji of such fine work as to merit the
name of fret…work； the fusuma artistically decorated； the mats
clean and fine； and in the alcove a sword…rack of old gold lacquer。
Mine is the inner room； and Ito and four travellers occupy the
outer one。 Though very dark； it is luxury after last night。 The
rest of the house is given up to the rearing of silk…worms。 The
house…masters here and at Fujihara are not used to passports； and
Ito； who is posing as a town…bred youth； has explained and copied
mine； all the village men assembling to hear it read aloud。 He
does not know the word used for 〃scientific investigation；〃 but； in
the idea of increasing his own importance by exaggerating mine； I
hear him telling the people that I am gakusha； i。e。 learned！ There
is no police…station here； but every month policemen pay
domiciliary visits to these outlying yadoyas and examine the
register of visitors。
This is a much neater place than the last； but the people look
stupid and apathetic； and I wonder what they think of the men who
have abolished the daimiyo and the feudal regime； have raised the
eta to citizenship； and are hurrying the empire forward on the
tracks of western civilisation！
Since shingle has given place to thatch there is much to admire in
the villages； with their steep roofs； deep eaves and balconies； the
warm russet of roofs and walls； the quaint confusion of the
farmhouses； the hedges of camellia and pomegranate； the bamboo
clumps and persimmon orchards； and （in spite of dirt and bad
smells） the generally satisfied look of the peasant proprietors。
No food can be got here except rice and eggs； and I am haunted by
memories of the fowls and fish of Nikko； to say nothing of the
〃flesh pots〃 of the Legation； and
〃a sorrow's crown of sorrow
Is remembering happier things！〃
The mercury falls to 70 degrees at night； and I generally awake
from cold at 3 a。m。； for my blankets are only summer ones； and I
dare not supplement them with a quilt； either for sleeping on or
under； because of the fleas which it contains。 I usually retire
about 7。30； for there is almost no twilight； and very little
inducement for sitting up by the dimness of candle or andon； and I
have found these days of riding on slow； rolling； stumbling horses
very severe； and if I were anything of a walker； should certainly
prefer pedestrianism。 I。 L。 B。
LETTER XII
A Fantastic JumbleThe 〃Quiver〃 of PovertyThe Water…shedFrom
Bad to WorseThe Rice Planter's HolidayA Diseased CrowdAmateur
DoctoringWant of CleanlinessRapid EatingPremature Old Age。
KURUMATOGE； June 30。
After the hard travelling of six days the rest of Sunday in a quiet
place at a high elevation is truly delightful！ Mountains and
passes； valleys and rice swamps； forests and rice swamps； villages
and rice swamps； poverty； industry； dirt； ruinous temples；
prostrate Buddhas； strings of straw…shod pack…horses； long； grey；
featureless streets； and quiet； staring crowds； are all jumbled up
fantastically in my memory。 Fine weather accompanied me through
beautiful scenery from Ikari to Yokokawa； where I ate my lunch in
the street to avoid the innumerable fleas of the tea…house； with a
circle round me of nearly all the inhabitants。 At first the
children； both old and young； were so frightened that they ran
away； but by degrees they timidly came back； clinging to the skirts
of their parents （skirts； in this case； being a metaphorical
expression）； running away again as often as I looked at them。 The
crowd was filthy and squalid beyond description。 Why should the
〃quiver〃 of poverty be so very full？ one asks as one looks at the
swarms of gentle； naked； old…fashioned children； born to a heritage
of hard toil； to be； like their parents； devoured by vermin； and
pressed hard for taxes。 A horse kicked off my saddle before it was
girthed； the crowd scattered right and left； and work； which had
been suspended for two hours to stare at the foreigner； began
again。
A long ascent took us to the top of a pass 2500 feet in height； a
projecting spur not 30 feet wide； with a grand view of mountains
and ravines； and a maze of involved streams； which unite in a
vigorous torrent； whose course we followed for some hours； till it
expanded into a quiet river； lounging lazily through a rice swamp
of considerable extent。 The map is blank in this region； but I
judged； as I afterwards found rightly； that at that pass we had
crossed the water…shed； and that the streams thenceforward no
longer fall into the Pacific； but into the Sea of Japan。 At
Itosawa the horses produced stumbled so intolerably that I walked
the last stage； and reached Kayashima； a miserable village of
fifty…seven houses； so exhausted that I could not go farther； and
was obliged to put up with worse accommodation even than at
Fujihara； with less strength for its hardships。
The yadoya was simply awful。 The daidokoro had a large wood fire
burning in a trench； filling the whole place with stinging smoke；
from which my room； which was merely screened off by some
dilapidated shoji； was not exempt。 The rafters were black and
shiny with soot and moisture。 The house…master； who knelt
persistently on the floor of my room till he was dislodged by Ito；
apologised for the dirt of his house； as well he might。 Stifling；
dark； and smoky； as my room was； I had to close the paper windows；
owing to the crowd which assembled in the street。 There was
neither rice nor soy； and Ito； who values his own comfort； began to
speak to the house…master and servants loudly and roughly； and to
throw my things abouta style of acting which I promptly
terminated； for nothing could be more hurtful to a foreigner； or
more unkind to the people； than for a servant to be rude and
bullying； and the man was most polite； and never approached me but
on bended knees。 When I gave him my passport； as the custom is； he
touched his forehead with it； and then touched the earth with his
forehead。
I found nothing that I could eat except black beans and boiled
cucumbers。 The room was dark； dirty； vile； noisy； and poisoned by
sewage odours； as rooms unfortunately are very apt to be。 At the
end of the rice planting there is a holiday for two days； when many
offerings are made to Inari； the god of rice farmers； and the
holiday…makers kept up their revel all night； and drums； stationary
and peripatetic； were constantly beaten in such a way as to prevent
sleep。
A little boy； the house…master's son； was suffering from a very bad
cough； and a few drops of chlorodyne which I gave him allayed it so
completely that the cure was noised abroad in the earliest hours of
the next morning； and by five o'clock nearly the whole population
was assembled outside my room； with much whispering and shuffling
of shoeless feet； and applications of eyes to the many holes in the
paper windows。 When I drew aside the shoji I was disconcerted by
the painful sight which presented itself； for the people were
pressing one upon another； fathers and mothers holding naked
children covered with skin…disease； or with scald…head； or
ringworm； daughters leading mothers nearly blind； men exhibiting
painful sores； children blinking with eyes infested by flies and
nearly closed with ophthalmia； and all； sick and well； in truly
〃vile raiment；〃 lamentably dirty and swarming with vermin； the sick
asking for medicine； and the well either bringing the sick or
gratifying an apathetic curiosity。 Sadly I told them that I did
not understand their manifold 〃diseases and torments；〃 and that； if
I did； I had no stock of medicines； and that in my own country the
constant washing of clothes； and the constant application of water
to the skin； accompanied by friction with clean cloths； would be
much relied upon by doctors for the cure and prevention of similar
cutaneous diseases。 To pacify them I made some ointment of animal
fat and flowers of sulphur； extracted with difficulty from some
man's hoard； and told them how to apply it to some of the worst
cases。 The horse； being unused to a girth； became fidgety as it
was being saddled； creating a STAMPEDE among the crowd； and the
mago would not touch it again。 They are as much afraid of their
gentle mares as if they were panthers。 All the children followed
me for a considerable distance； and a good many of the adults made
an excuse for going in the same direction。
These people wear no linen； and their clothes； which are seldom
washed； are constantly worn； night and day； as long as they will
hold together。 They seal up their houses as hermetically as