unbeaten tracks in japan-第10部分

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from　Kasukabe　to　Tochigi　was　from　bad　to　worse。　　I　nearly　abandoned
Japanese　travelling　altogether；　and；　if　last　night　had　not　been　a
great　improvement；　I　think　I　should　have　gone　ignominiously　back　to
Tokiyo。　　The　yadoya　was　a　very　large　one；　and；　as　sixty　guests　had
arrived　before　me；　there　was　no　choice　of　accommodation；　and　I　had
to　be　contented　with　a　room　enclosed　on　all　sides　not　by　fusuma　but
shoji；　and　with　barely　room　for　my　bed；　bath；　and　chair；　under　a
fusty　green　mosquito　net　which　was　a　perfect　nest　of　fleas。　　One
side　of　the　room　was　against　a　much…frequented　passage；　and　another
opened　on　a　small　yard　upon　which　three　opposite　rooms　also　opened；
crowded　with　some　not　very　sober　or　decorous　travellers。　　The　shoji
were　full　of　holes；　and　often　at　each　hole　I　saw　a　human　eye。
Privacy　was　a　luxury　not　even　to　be　recalled。　　Besides　the　constant
application　of　eyes　to　the　shoji；　the　servants；　who　were　very　noisy
and　rough；　looked　into　my　room　constantly　without　any　pretext；　the
host；　a　bright；　pleasant…looking　man；　did　the　same；　jugglers；
musicians；　blind　shampooers；　and　singing　girls；　all　pushed　the
screens　aside；　and　I　began　to　think　that　Mr。　Campbell　was　right；
and　that　a　lady　should　not　travel　alone　in　Japan。　　Ito；　who　had　the
room　next　to　mine；　suggested　that　robbery　was　quite　likely；　and
asked　to　be　allowed　to　take　charge　of　my　money；　but　did　not　decamp
with　it　during　the　night！　　I　lay　down　on　my　precarious　stretcher
before　eight；　but　as　the　night　advanced　the　din　of　the　house
increased　till　it　became　truly　diabolical；　and　never　ceased　till
after　one。　　Drums；　tom…toms；　and　cymbals　were　beaten；　kotos　and
samisens　screeched　and　twanged；　geishas　（professional　women　with
the　accomplishments　of　dancing；　singing；　and　playing）　danced；
accompanied　by　songs　whose　jerking　discords　were　most　laughable；
story…tellers　recited　tales　in　a　high　key；　and　the　running　about
and　splashing　close　to　my　room　never　ceased。　　Late　at　night　my
precarious　shoji　were　accidentally　thrown　down；　revealing　a　scene
of　great　hilarity；　in　which　a　number　of　people　were　bathing　and
throwing　water　over　each　other。

The　noise　of　departures　began　at　daylight；　and　I　was　glad　to　leave
at　seven。　　Before　you　go　the　fusuma　are　slidden　back；　and　what　was
your　room　becomes　part　of　a　great；　open；　matted　spacean
arrangement　which　effectually　prevents　fustiness。　　Though　the　road
was　up　a　slight　incline；　and　the　men　were　too　tired　to　trot；　we
made　thirty　miles　in　nine　hours。　　The　kindliness　and　courtesy　of
the　coolies　to　me　and　to　each　other　was　a　constant　source　of
pleasure　to　me。　　It　is　most　amusing　to　see　the　elaborate　politeness
of　the　greetings　of　men　clothed　only　in　hats　and　maros。　　The　hat　is
invariably　removed　when　they　speak　to　each　other；　and　three
profound　bows　are　never　omitted。

Soon　after　leaving　the　yadoya　we　passed　through　a　wide　street　with
the　largest　and　handsomest　houses　I　have　yet　seen　on　both　sides。
They　were　all　open　in　front；　their　highly…polished　floors　and
passages　looked　like　still　water；　the　kakemonos；　or　wall…pictures；
on　their　side…walls　were　extremely　beautiful；　and　their　mats　were
very　fine　and　white。　　There　were　large　gardens　at　the　back；　with
fountains　and　flowers；　and　streams；　crossed　by　light　stone　bridges；
sometimes　flowed　through　the　houses。　　From　the　signs　I　supposed
them　to　be　yadoyas；　but　on　asking　Ito　why　we　had　not　put　up　at　one
of　them；　he　replied　that　they　were　all　kashitsukeya；　or　tea…houses
of　disreputable　charactera　very　sad　fact。　｛8｝

As　we　journeyed　the　country　became　prettier　and　prettier；　rolling
up　to　abrupt　wooded　hills　with　mountains　in　the　clouds　behind。　　The
farming　villages　are　comfortable　and　embowered　in　wood；　and　the
richer　farmers　seclude　their　dwellings　by　closely…clipped　hedges；
or　rather　screens；　two　feet　wide；　and　often　twenty　feet　high。　　Tea
grew　near　every　house；　and　its　leaves　were　being　gathered　and　dried
on　mats。　　Signs　of　silk　culture　began　to　appear　in　shrubberies　of
mulberry　trees；　and　white　and　sulphur　yellow　cocoons　were　lying　in
the　sun　along　the　road　in　flat　trays。　　Numbers　of　women　sat　in　the
fronts　of　the　houses　weaving　cotton　cloth　fifteen　inches　wide；　and
cotton　yarn；　mostly　imported　from　England；　was　being　dyed　in　all
the　villagesthe　dye　used　being　a　native　indigo；　the　Polygonum
tinctorium。　　Old　women　were　spinning；　and　young　and　old　usually
pursued　their　avocations　with　wise…looking　babies　tucked　into　the
backs　of　their　dresses；　and　peering　cunningly　over　their　shoulders。
Even　little　girls　of　seven　and　eight　were　playing　at　children's
games　with　babies　on　their　backs；　and　those　who　were　too　small　to
carry　real　ones　had　big　dolls　strapped　on　in　similar　fashion。
Innumerable　villages；　crowded　houses；　and　babies　in　all；　give　one
the　impression　of　a　very　populous　country。

As　the　day　wore　on　in　its　brightness　and　glory　the　pictures　became
more　varied　and　beautiful。　　Great　snow…slashed　mountains　looked
over　the　foothills；　on　whose　steep　sides　the　dark　blue　green　of
pine　and　cryptomeria　was　lighted　up　by　the　spring　tints　of
deciduous　trees。　　There　were　groves　of　cryptomeria　on　small　hills
crowned　by　Shinto　shrines；　approached　by　grand　flights　of　stone
stairs。　　The　red　gold　of　the　harvest　fields　contrasted　with　the
fresh　green　and　exquisite　leafage　of　the　hemp；　rose　and　white
azaleas　lighted　up　the　copse…woods；　and　when　the　broad　road　passed
into　the　colossal　avenue　of　cryptomeria　which　overshadows　the　way
to　the　sacred　shrines　of　Nikko；　and　tremulous　sunbeams　and　shadows
flecked　the　grass；　I　felt　that　Japan　was　beautiful；　and　that　the
mud　flats　of　Yedo　were　only　an　ugly　dream！

Two　roads　lead　to　Nikko。　　I　avoided　the　one　usually　taken　by
Utsunomiya；　and　by　doing　so　lost　the　most　magnificent　of　the　two
avenues；　which　extends　for　nearly　fifty　miles　along　the　great
highway　called　the　Oshiu…kaido。　　Along　the　Reiheishi…kaido；　the
road　by　which　I　came；　it　extends　for　thirty　miles；　and　the　two；
broken　frequently　by　villages；　converge　upon　the　village　of
Imaichi；　eight　miles　from　Nikko；　where　they　unite；　and　only
terminate　at　the　entrance　of　the　town。　　They　are　said　to　have　been
planted　as　an　offering　to　the　buried　Shoguns　by　a　man　who　was　too
poor　to　place　a　bronze　lantern　at　their　shrines。　　A　grander
monument　could　not　have　been　devised；　and　they　are　probably　the
grandest　things　of　their　kind　in　the　world。　　The　avenue　of　the
Reiheishi…kaido　is　a　good　carriage　road　with　sloping　banks　eight
feet　high；　covered　with　grass　and　ferns。　　At　the　top　of　these　are
the　cryptomeria；　then　two　grassy　walks；　and　between　these　and　the
cultivation　a　screen　of　saplings　and　brushwood。　　A　great　many　of
the　trees　become　two　at　four　feet　from　the　ground。　　Many　of　the
stems　are　twenty…seven　feet　in　girth；　they　do　not　diminish　or
branch　till　they　have　reached　a　height　of　from　50　to　60　feet；　and
the　appearance　of　altitude　is　aided　by　the　longitudinal　splitting
of　the　reddish　coloured　bark　into　strips　about　two　inches　wide。
The　trees　are　pyramidal；　and　at　a　little　distance　resemble　cedars。
There　is　a　deep　solemnity　about　this　glorious　avenue　with　its　broad
shade　and　dancing　lights；　and　the　rare　glimpses　of　high　mountains。
Instinct　alone　would　tell　one　that　it　leads　to　something　which　must
be　grand　and　beautiful　like　itself。　　It　is　broken　occasionally　by
small　villages　with　big　bells　suspended　between　double　poles；　by
wayside　shrines　with　offerings　of　rags　and　flowers；　by　stone
effigies　of　Buddha　and　his　disciples；　mostly　defaced　or　overthrown；
all　wearing　the　same　expression　of　beatified　rest　and　indifference
to　mundane　affairs；　and　by　temples　of　lacquered　wood　falling　to
decay；　whose　bells　sent　their　surpassingly　sweet　tones　far　on　the
evening　air。

Imaichi；　where　the　two　stately　aisles　unite；　is　a　long　uphill
street；　with　a　clear　mountain　stream　enclosed　in　a　stone　channel；
and　crossed　by　hewn　stone　slabs　running　down　the　middle。　　In　a　room
built　over　the　stream；　and　commanding　a　view　up　and　down　the
street；　two　policemen　sat　writing。　　It　looks　a　dull　place　without
much　traffic；　as　if　oppressed　by　the　stateliness　of　the　avenues
below　it　and　the　shrines　above　it；　but　it　has　a　quiet　yadoya；　where
I　had　a　good　night's　rest；　although　my　canvas　bed　was　nearly　on　the
ground。　　We　left　early　this　morning　in　drizzling　rain；　and　went
straight　up　hill　under　the　cryptomeria　for　eight　miles。　　The
vegetation　is　as　profuse　as　one　would　expect　in　so　damp　and　hot　a
summer　climate；　and　from　the　prodigious　rainfall　of　the　mountains；
every　stone　is　covered　with　moss；　and　the　road…sides　are　green　with
the　Protococcus　viridis　and　several　species　of　Marchantia。　　We　were
among　the　foothills　of　the　Nantaizan　mountains　at　a　height　of　1000
feet；　abrupt　in　their　forms；　wooded　to　their　summits；　and　noisy
with　the　dash　and　tumble　of　a　thousand　streams。　　The　long　street　of
Hachiishi；　with　its　steep…roofed；　deep…eaved　houses；　its　warm
colouring；　and　its　steep　roadway　with　steps　at　intervals；　has　a
sort　of　Swiss　picturesqueness　as　you　enter　it；　as　you　must；　on
foot；　while　your　kurumas　are　hauled　and　lifted　up　the　steps；　nor　is
the　resemblance　given　by　steep　roofs；　pines；　and　mountains　patched
with　coniferae；　altogether　lost　as　you　ascend　the　steep　street；　and
see　wood　carvings　and　quaint　baskets　of　wood　and　grass　offered
everywhere　for　sale。　　It　is　a　truly　dull；　quaint　street；　and　the
people　come　out　to　stare　at　a　foreigner　as　if　foreigners　had　not
become　common　events　since　1870；　when　Sir　H。　and　Lady　Parkes；　the
first　Europeans　who　were　permitted　to　visit　Nikko；　took　up　their
abode　in　the　Imperial　Hombo。　　It　is　a　doll's　street　with　small　low
houses；　so　finely　matted；　so　exquisitely　clean；　so　finically　neat；
so　light　and　delicate；　that　even　when　I　entered　them　without　my
boots　I　felt　like　a　〃bull　in　a　china　shop；〃　as　if　my　mere　weight
must　smash　through　and　destroy。　　The　street　is　so　painfully　clean
that　I　should　no　more　think　of　walking　over　it　in　muddy　boots　than
over　a　drawing…room　carpet。　　It　has　a　silent　mountain　look；　and
most　of　its　shops　sell　specialties；　lacquer　work；　boxes　of
sweetmeats　made　of　black　beans　and　sugar；　all　sorts　of　boxes；
trays；　cups；　and　stands；　made　of　plain；　polished　wood；　and