按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
should do so。 The bone was visible； and easily removed with a
crochet needle。 An hour later the mother sent a tray with a
quantity of cakes and coarse confectionery upon it as a present；
with the piece of dried seaweed which always accompanies a gift。
Before night seven people with sore legs applied for 〃advice。〃 The
sores were all superficial and all alike； and their owners said
that they had been produced by the incessant rubbing of the bites
of ants。
On this summer day the country looks as prosperous as it is
beautiful； and one would not think that acute poverty could exist
in the steep…roofed village of Nojiri； which nestles at the foot of
the hill； but two hempen ropes dangling from a cryptomeria just
below tell the sad tale of an elderly man who hanged himself two
days ago； because he was too poor to provide for a large family；
and the house…mistress and Ito tell me that when a man who has a
young family gets too old or feeble for work he often destroys
himself。
My hostess is a widow with a family； a good…natured； bustling
woman； with a great love of talk。 All day her house is open all
round； having literally no walls。 The roof and solitary upper room
are supported on posts； and my ladder almost touches the kitchen
fire。 During the day…time the large matted area under the roof has
no divisions； and groups of travellers and magos lie about； for
every one who has toiled up either side of Kurumatoge takes a cup
of 〃tea with eating；〃 and the house…mistress is busy the whole day。
A big well is near the fire。 Of course there is no furniture； but
a shelf runs under the roof； on which there is a Buddhist god…
house； with two black idols in it； one of them being that much…
worshipped divinity； Daikoku； the god of wealth。 Besides a rack
for kitchen utensils； there is only a stand on which are six large
brown dishes with food for salesalt shell…fish； in a black
liquid； dried trout impaled on sticks； sea slugs in soy； a paste
made of pounded roots； and green cakes made of the slimy river
confervae； pressed and driedall ill…favoured and unsavoury
viands。 This afternoon a man without clothes was treading flour
paste on a mat； a traveller in a blue silk robe was lying on the
floor smoking； and five women in loose attire； with elaborate
chignons and blackened teeth； were squatting round the fire。 At
the house…mistress's request I wrote a eulogistic description of
the view from her house； and read it in English； Ito translating
it； to the very great satisfaction of the assemblage。 Then I was
asked to write on four fans。 The woman has never heard of England。
It is not 〃a name to conjure with〃 in these wilds。 Neither has she
heard of America。 She knows of Russia as a great power； and； of
course； of China； but there her knowledge ends； though she has been
at Tokiyo and Kiyoto。
July 1。I was just falling asleep last night； in spite of
mosquitoes and fleas； when I was roused by much talking and loud
outcries of poultry； and Ito； carrying a screaming； refractory hen；
and a man and woman whom he had with difficulty bribed to part with
it； appeared by my bed。 I feebly said I would have it boiled for
breakfast； but when Ito called me this morning he told me with a
most rueful face that just as he was going to kill it it had
escaped to the woods！ In order to understand my feelings you must
have experienced what it is not to have tasted fish； flesh； or
fowl； for ten days！ The alternative was eggs and some of the paste
which the man was treading yesterday on the mat cut into strips and
boiled！ It was coarse flour and buckwheat； so； you see； I have
learned not to be particular！
I。 L。 B。
LETTER XIV
An Infamous RoadMonotonous GreeneryAbysmal DirtLow LivesThe
Tsugawa YadoyaPolitenessA Shipping PortA Barbarian Devil。
TSUGAWA； July 2。
Yesterday's journey was one of the most severe I have yet had； for
in ten hours of hard travelling I only accomplished fifteen miles。
The road from Kurumatoge westwards is so infamous that the stages
are sometimes little more than a mile。 Yet it is by it； so far at
least as the Tsugawa river； that the produce and manufactures of
the rich plain of Aidzu； with its numerous towns； and of a very
large interior district； must find an outlet at Niigata。 In
defiance of all modern ideas； it goes straight up and straight down
hill； at a gradient that I should be afraid to hazard a guess at；
and at present it is a perfect quagmire； into which great stones
have been thrown； some of which have subsided edgewise； and others
have disappeared altogether。 It is the very worst road I ever rode
over； and that is saying a good deal！ Kurumatoge was the last of
seventeen mountain…passes； over 2000 feet high； which I have
crossed since leaving Nikko。 Between it and Tsugawa the scenery；
though on a smaller scale； is of much the same character as
hithertohills wooded to their tops； cleft by ravines which open
out occasionally to divulge more distant ranges； all smothered in
greenery； which； when I am ill…pleased； I am inclined to call 〃rank
vegetation。〃 Oh that an abrupt scaur； or a strip of flaming
desert； or something salient and brilliant； would break in； however
discordantly； upon this monotony of green！
The villages of that district must； I think； have reached the
lowest abyss of filthiness in Hozawa and Saikaiyama。 Fowls； dogs；
horses； and people herded together in sheds black with wood smoke；
and manure heaps drained into the wells。 No young boy wore any
clothing。 Few of the men wore anything but the maro； the women
were unclothed to their waists and such clothing as they had was
very dirty； and held together by mere force of habit。 The adults
were covered with inflamed bites of insects； and the children with
skin…disease。 Their houses were dirty； and； as they squatted on
their heels； or lay face downwards； they looked little better than
savages。 Their appearance and the want of delicacy of their habits
are simply abominable； and in the latter respect they contrast to
great disadvantage with several savage peoples that I have been
among。 If I had kept to Nikko； Hakone； Miyanoshita； and similar
places visited by foreigners with less time； I should have formed a
very different impression。 Is their spiritual condition； I often
wonder； much higher than their physical one？ They are courteous；
kindly； industrious； and free from gross crimes； but； from the
conversations that I have had with Japanese； and from much that I
see； I judge that their standard of foundational morality is very
low； and that life is neither truthful nor pure。
I put up here at a crowded yadoya； where they have given me two
cheerful rooms in the garden； away from the crowd。 Ito's great
desire on arriving at any place is to shut me up in my room and
keep me a close prisoner till the start the next morning； but here
I emancipated myself； and enjoyed myself very much sitting in the
daidokoro。 The house…master is of the samurai； or two…sworded
class； now； as such； extinct。 His face is longer； his lips
thinner； and his nose straighter and more prominent than those of
the lower class； and there is a difference in his manner and
bearing。 I have had a great deal of interesting conversation with
him。
In the same open space his clerk was writing at a lacquer desk of
the stereotyped forma low bench with the ends rolled overa
woman was tailoring； coolies were washing their feet on the itama；
and several more were squatting round the irori smoking and
drinking tea。 A coolie servant washed some rice for my dinner； but
before doing so took off his clothes； and the woman who cooked it
let her kimono fall to her waist before she began to work； as is
customary among respectable women。 The house…master's wife and Ito
talked about me unguardedly。 I asked what they were saying。 〃She
says；〃 said he； 〃that you are very politefor a foreigner；〃 he
added。 I asked what she meant； and found that it was because I
took off my boots before I stepped on the matting； and bowed when
they handed me the tabako…bon。
We walked through the town to find something eatable for to…
morrow's river journey； but only succeeded in getting wafers made
of white of egg and sugar； balls made of sugar and barley flour；
and beans coated with sugar。 Thatch； with its picturesqueness； has
disappeared； and the Tsugawa roofs are of strips of bark weighted
with large stones； but； as the houses turn their gable ends to the
street； and there is a promenade the whole way under the eaves； and
the street turns twice at right angles and terminates in temple
grounds on a bank above the river； it is less monotonous than most
Japanese towns。 It is a place of 3000 people； and a good deal of
produce is shipped from hence to Niigata by the river。 To…day it
is thronged with pack…horses。 I was much mobbed； and one child
formed the solitary exception to the general rule of politeness by
calling me a name equivalent to the Chinese Fan Kwai； 〃foreign；〃
but he was severely chidden； and a policeman has just called with
an apology。 A slice of fresh salmon has been produced； and I think
I never tasted anything so delicious。 I have finished the