noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第15部分

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and　kept　up　a　shouting　out　of　mere　delight。　　In　truth　we　all　enjoyed

the　dissipated　squandering　in　a　few　minutes　of　the　energy　of　position

we　had　so　laboriously　gained　by　toiling　up　the　other　side。　　Over　the

bridge　we　rattled；　bowled　along　the　level　stretch；　and　then　into　the

gorge　and　once　more　down；　till　in　another　ten　minutes　the　last　fall

had　shot　us　out　into　the　plain　with　mental　momentum　enough　to　carry

us　hilariously　into　Imaisurugi；　where　we　put　up　for　the　night。　



At　breakfast　the　next　morning　the　son　of　the　house；　an　engaging　lad；

presented　me　with　an　unexpected　dish；　three　fossil　starfish　on　a

platter。　　They　were　found；　he　said；　in　numbers；　on　the　sides　of　the

hill　hard　by；　a　fact　which　would　go　to　prove　that　this　part　of　Japan

has　been　making　in　later　geologic　time。　　Indeed；　I　take　it　the　better

part　of　Etchiu　has　thus　been　cast　up　by　the　sea；　and　now　lies　between

its　semicircle　of　peaks　and　its　crescent　of　beach；　like　a　young　moon

in　the　western　sky；　a　new　bay　of　ricefield　in　the　old　bay's　arms。

We　had　come　by　way　of　its　ocean　terminator　along　its　fringe　of　sand；

we　were　now　to　cross　its　face。　



As　we　pulled　out　from　the　town　and　entered　the　great　plain　of

paddyfields　it　was　like　adventuring　ourselves　in　some　vast　expanse　of

ocean；　cut　up　only　by　islets　of　trees。　　So　level　the　plain　and　so

still　the　air　on　this　warm　May　morning；　the　clumps　shimmered　in

mirage　in　the　distance　like　things　at　sea。　　Farmhouses　and　peasants

at　work　in　the　fields　loomed　up　as　ships；　past　which　we　slowly　tacked

and　then　dropped　them　out　of　sight　behind。　　And　still　no　end　of　the

same　infinite　level。　　New　clumps　rose　doubtfully　afar；　took　on　form

and　vanished　in　their　turn。　　Our　men　rolled　along　at　a　good　six…knot

gait；　and　mile　went　to　join　mile　with　little　perceptible　effect　on

the　surroundings。　　Only　the　misty　washes　of　the　mountains；　glistening

in　spots　with　snow；　came　out　to　the　south　and　then　swung　slowly　round

like　the　sun　himself。　　Occasionally；　we　rolled　into　a　village　of

which　I　duly　inquired　the　distance　from　the　last　known　point。　　One　of

these；　Takaoka；　was　a　very　large　place　and　stretched　a　mile　or　more

along　the　road；　with　ramifications　to　the　side。　



At　last　we　neared　some　foothills　which　we　crossed　by　a　baby　pass；　and

from　the　farther　side　looked　off　against　the　distant　Tateyama　range。　

Descending　again；　another　stretch　of　plain　brought　us　to　Toyama；

the　old　feudal　capital　of　the　province。　　It　is　still　a　bustling　town；

and　does　a　brisk　business；　I　was　told；　in　patent　medicine；　which　is

hawked　over　Japan　generally　and　cures　everything。　　But　the　former

splendor　of　the　place　has　left　it　forever。　　The　rooms　in　the　inn；

where　neighboring　daimyos　were　wont　to　rest　on　their　journeys

through；　are　still　superb　with　carving；　lacquer　and　paintings；　but　no

daimyo　will　ever　again　hold　his　traveling　court　before　their　tokonoma。

The　man　perchance　may　again　tarry　there；　but　the　manner　of　it　all　has

gone　to　join　the　past。　　Now　he　who　wills　may　ensconce　himself　in　the

daimyo's　corner；　and　fancy　himself　a　feudal　lord；　nor　will　the

breeding　of　those　about　him　disillusion　his　midday　dream。　



The　castle　they　have　turned　into　a　public　school；　and　as　I　strolled

into　its　close　I　met　bands　of　boys　in　foreign　lycee…like　uniform

trooping　out；　chubby…faced　youngsters　in　stiff　visored　caps。　　Girls

there　were　too；　in　knots　of　twos　and　threes；　pretty　little　things　in

semi…European　dress；　their　hair　done　a　la　grecque；　stuck　with　a

single　flower；　who　stopped　in　their　chatter　to　stare　at　me。　　To　think

that　the　feudal　times　are　to　them　as　much　a　tale　as　the　making　of　the

plain　itself　where　its　ruins　stand　already　mantled　with　green！







XIV。　



The　Harinoki　Toge。　



There　now　befell　us　a　sad　piece　of　experience；　the　result　of　misplaced

confidence　in　the　guidebook。　　Ours　was　the　faith　a　simple　public　pins

upon　print。　　Le　journal；　c'est　un　jeune　homme；　as　Balzac　said；　and

even　the　best　of　guidebooks；　as　this　one　really　was；　may　turn　outa

cover　to　many　shortcomings。　



Its　description　of　the　crossing　of　the　Harinoki　toge　implied　a

generality　of　performances　that　carried　conviction。　　If　he　who　read

might　not　run；　he　had；　at　least；　every　assurance　given　him　that　he

would　be　able　to　walk。　　That　the　writer　might　not　only　have　been　the

first　to　cross；　but　the　last；　as　well；　was　not　evident　from　the　text。　

Nor　was　it　there　apparent　that　the　path　which　was　spoken　of　as

difficult　and　described　as　〃hanging　to　the　precipitous　side　of　the

cliff；〃　might　have　become　tired　of　hanging　thus　for　the　sake　of

travelers　who　never　came；　and　have　given　itself　over　at　last　to　the

abyss。　



In　the　book；　the　dead　past　still　lived　an　ever…youthful　present。

In　truth；　however；　the　path　at　the　time　of　the　account；　some　twelve

years　before；　had　just　been　made　by　the　samurai　of　Kaga　to　join　them

to　the　capital。　　Since　then　the　road　by　the　sea　had　been　built；　and

the　Harinoki　pass　had　ceased　to　be　in　practice　what　it　purported　to

be　in　print。　　It　had　in　a　double　sense　reverted　to　type。　　There　was

small　wonder　at　this；　for　it　was　a　very　Cerberus　of　a　pass　at　best；

with　three　heads　to　it。　　The　farthest　from　Etchiu　was　the　Harinoki

toge　proper。　



The　guidebook　and　a　friend　had　gone　over　one　season；　and　the　guidebook

had　induced　another　friend　to　accompany　him　again　the　year　after。　

Whether　there　were　any　unpersonally　conducted　ascents　I　am　not　sure。　

But　at　any　rate；　all　this　happened　in　the　early　days；　for　years　the

Harinoki　toge　had　had　rest。　



We　ought　to　have　taken　warning　from　the　general　skepticism　we　met

with　at　Toyama；　when　we　proposed　the　pass。　　But　with　the　fatal　faith

of　a　man　in　his　guidebook；　we　ignored　the　native　forebodings。　

Besides；　there　were　just　people　enough　who　knew　nothing　about　it；　and

therefore　thought　it　could　be　done；　to　encourage　us　in　our　delusion。　

Accordingly　we　left　Toyama　after　lunch　in　the　best　of　spirits；　in

jinrikisha；　for　Kamidaki；　or　Upper　Fall；　to　which　there　professed　to

be　a　jinrikisha　road。　　The　distance　was　three　ri；　seven　miles　and　a

half。　　Before　we　had　gone　one　of　them　the　road　gave　out；　and　left　us

to　tack　on　foot　in　paths　through　the　rice…fields；　which　in　one　long

inclination　kept　mounting　before　us。　　Just　before　reaching　the　village；

a　huge　tree　in　full　faint　purple　bloom　showed　up　a　little　to　the　left。

Under　a　sudden　attack　of　botanical　zeal；　I　struck　across　lots　to

investigate；　and　after　much　tacking　among　the　paddy　dykes　found；

to　my　surprise；　on　reaching　it；　that　the　flowers　came　from　a　huge

wistaria　that　had　coiled　itself　up　the　tree。　　The　vine　must　have　been

at　least　six　feet　round　at　the　base；　and　had　a　body　horribly　like　an

enormous　boa　that　swung　from　branches　high　in　air。　　The　animal　look

of　the　vegetable　parasite　was　so　lifelike　that　one　both　longed　and

loathed　to　touch　it　at　the　same　time。　



At　Kamidaki；　after　the　usual　delay；　we　found　porters；　who　echoed　the

doubts　of　the　people　of　Toyama；　and　went　with　us　protesting。　　Half　an

hour　after　this　we　came　to　the　Jindogawa；　a　river　of　variable

importance。　　It　looked　to　have　been　once　the　bed　of　a　mighty　glacier

that　should　have　swept　grandly　round　from　unseen　fastnesses　among　the

hills。　　At　the　time　of　our　visit；　it　was；　for　the　most　part；　a　waste

of　stones　through　which　two　larger　and　several　lesser　streams　were　in

much　worry　to　find　their　way　to　the　sea。　　The　two　larger　were　just

big　enough　to　be　unfordable；　so　a　Charon　stationed　at　each　ferried

the　country　folk　across。　　At　the　smaller；　after　picking　out　the

likeliest　spots；　we　took　off　our　shoes　and　socks　and　waded；　and　then；

upon　the　other　side；　sat　some　time　on　stones；　ill…modeled　to　that

end；　to　draw　our　things　on　again。　



Our　way　now　led　up　the　left　bankthe　right　bank；　according　to

aquatic　convention；　which　pleasingly　supposes　you　to　be　descending

the　stream。　　It　lay　along　a　plateau　which　I　doubt　not　to　have　been

the　river's　prehistoric　bed；　so　evidently　had　the　present　one　been

chiseled　out　of　it　to　a　further　depth　of　over　fifty　feet。　　At　first

the　path　struck　inland；　astutely　making　a　chord　to　the　river's　bow；

an　unsuspected　sign　of　intelligence　in　a　path。　　It　was　adventurous；

too；　for　soon　after　coming　out　above　the　brink；　it　began　upon

acrobatic　feats　in　which　it　showed　itself　nationally　proficient。

A　narrow　aqueduct　had　been　cut　out　of　the　side　of　the　cliff；　and　along

its　outer　embankment；　which　was　two　feet　wide；　the　path　proceeded　to

balance。　　The　aqueduct　had　given　way　in　spots；　which　caused　the　path

to　take　to　some　rickety　boards　put　there　for　its　benefit。　　After　this

exhibition　of　daring；　it　descended　to　the　stream；　to　rise　again　later。

Meanwhile　night　came　on　and　the　river　bottom　began　to　fill　with　what

looked　to　be　mist；　but　was　in　reality　smoke。　　This　gave　a　weird

effect　to　the　now　mountainous　settings。　　Into　the　midst　of　it　we

descended　to　a　suspension　bridge　of　twisted　strands　of　the　wistaria

vine；　ballasted　at　the　ends　with　boulders　piled　from　the　river's　bed。　

The　thing　swayed　cheerfully　as　we　passed　over。　



On　the　top　of　the　opposite　bank　stood　perched　a　group　of　houses；　not

enough　to　make　a　village；　and　far　too　humble　to　support　an　inn。

But　in　their　midst　rose　a　well…to…do　temple；　where；　according　to　the

guidebook；　good　lodging　was　to　be　had。　　It　may　indeed　be　so。　　For　our

part　we　were　not　so　much　as　granted　entry。　　An　acolyte；　who　parleyed

with　us　through　the　darkness；　reported　the　priest　away　on　business；

and　refused　to　let　us　in　on　any　terms。　　Several　bystanders　gathered

during　the　interview；　and　had　it　not　been　for　one　of　them　we　might

have　been　there　yet。　　From　this　man　we　elicited　the　information　that

another　hamlet　lay　half　a　mile　further　up；　whose　head…man；　he　thought；

might　be　willing　to　house　us。　　We　followed　straight　on　until　some

buildings　showed　in　still　blacker　silhouette　against　the　black　sky；

and　there；　after　some　groping　in　th