第20章

IhavewalkedaboutagreatdealinNiigata，andwhenwithMrs。

Fyson，whoistheonlyEuropeanladyhereatpresent，andherlittleRuth，aprettySaxonchildofthreeyearsold，wehavebeenfollowedbyanimmensecrowd，asthesightofthisfaircreature，withgoldencurlsfallingoverhershoulders，ismostfascinating。

Bothmenandwomenhavegentle，winningwayswithinfants，andRuth，insteadofbeingafraidofthecrowds，smilesuponthem，bowsinJapanesefashion，speakstotheminJapanese，andseemsalittledisposedtoleaveherownpeoplealtogether。Itismostdifficulttomakeherkeepwithus，andtwoorthreetimes，onmissingherandlookingback，wehaveseenherseated，nativefashion，inaringinacrowdofseveralhundredpeople，receivingahomageandadmirationfromwhichshewasmostunwillinglytorn。TheJapanesehaveaperfectpassionforchildren，butitisnotgoodforEuropeanchildrentobemuchwiththem，astheycorrupttheirmorals，andteachthemtotelllies。

TheclimateofNiigataandofmostofthisgreatprovincecontrastsunpleasantlywiththeregionontheothersideofthemountains，warmedbythegulf-streamoftheNorthPacific，inwhichtheautumnandwinter，withtheirstillatmosphere，bracingtemperature，andblueandsunnyskies，arethemostdelightfulseasonsoftheyear。

Thirty-twodaysofsnow-falloccuronanaverage。Thecanalsandriversfreeze，andeventherapidShinanosometimesbearsahorse。

InJanuaryandFebruarythesnowliesthreeorfourfeetdeep，aveilofcloudsobscuresthesky，peopleinhabittheirupperroomstogetanydaylight，pack-horsetrafficissuspended，pedestriansgoaboutwithdifficultyinroughsnow-shoes，andfornearlysixmonthsthecoastisunsuitablefornavigation，owingtotheprevalenceofstrong，cold，north-westwinds。Inthiscitypeopleinwaddedclothes，withonlytheireyesexposed，creepaboutundertheverandahs。Thepopulationhuddlesroundhibachisandshivers，forthemercury，whichrisesto92degreesinsummer，fallsto15

degreesinwinter。Andallthisisinlatitude37degrees55’——

threedegreessouthofNaples！

TheCanal-sideatNiigata——AwfulLoneliness——Courtesy——Dr。Palm’sTandem——ANoisyMatsuri——AJoltingJourney——TheMountainVillages——

WinterDismalness——AnOut-of-the-worldHamlet——CrowdedDwellings——

RidingaCow——“DrunkandDisorderly“——AnEnforcedRest——LocalDiscouragements——HeavyLoads——AbsenceofBeggary——SlowTravelling。

Twoforeignladies，twofair-hairedforeigninfants，along-hairedforeigndog，andaforeigngentleman，who，withouttheseaccompaniments，mighthaveescapednotice，attractedalargebutkindlycrowdtothecanalsidewhenIleftNiigata。Thenativesboreawaythechildrenontheirshoulders，theFysonswalkedtotheextremityofthecanaltobidmegood-bye，thesampanshotoutuponthebroad，swirlingfloodoftheShinano，andanawfulsenseoflonelinessfelluponme。WecrossedtheShinano，poledupthenarrow，embankedShinkawa，hadadesperatestrugglewiththefloodedAganokawa，weremuchimpededbystringsofnauseousmanure-

boatsonthenarrow，discolouredKajikawa，wonderedattheinterminablemelonandcucumberfields，andattheoddriverlife，and，afterhardpolingforsixhours，reachedKisaki，havingaccomplishedexactlytenmiles。Thenthreekurumaswithtrottingrunnerstookustwentymilesatthelowrateof4。5senperri。Inoneplaceaboardclosedtheroad，but，onrepresentingtothechiefmanofthevillagethatthetravellerwasaforeigner，hecourteouslyallowedmetopass，theExpressAgenthavingaccompaniedmethusfartoseethatI“gotthroughallright。“Theroadwastolerablypopulousthroughouttheday’sjourney，andthefarmingvillageswhichextendedmuchoftheway——Tsuiji，Kasayanage，Mono，andMari——wereneat，andmanyofthefarmshadbamboofencestoscreenthemfromtheroad。Itwas，onthewhole，apleasantcountry，andthepeople，thoughlittleclothed，didnotlookeitherpoororverydirty。Thesoilwasverylightandsandy。

Therewere，infact，“pinebarrens，“sandyridgeswithnothingonthembutspindlyScotchfirsandfirscrub；butthesandylevelsbetweenthem，beingheavilymanuredandcultivatedlikegardens，boresplendidcropsofcucumberstrainedlikepeas，melons，vegetablemarrow，Arumesculentum，sweetpotatoes，maize，tea，tiger-lilies，beans，andonions；andextensiveorchardswithapplesandpearstrainedlaterallyontrellis-workeightfeethigh，wereanoveltyinthelandscape。

Thoughwewerealldaydrawingnearertomountainswoodedtotheirsummitsontheeast，theamountofvegetationwasnotburdensome，thericeswampswerefew，andtheairfeltdrierandlessrelaxing。

Asmyrunnersweretrottingmerrilyoveroneofthepinebarrens，I

metDr。Palmreturningfromoneofhismedico-religiousexpeditions，withatandemoftwonakedcoolies，whoweregoingoverthegroundatagreatpace，andIwishedthatsomeofthemoststaiddirectorsoftheEdinburghMedicalMissionarySocietycouldhavetheshockofseeinghim！IshallnotseeaEuropeanagainforsomeweeks。FromTsuiji，averyneatvillage，wherewechangedkurumas，wewerejoltedalongoverashinglyroadtoNakajo，aconsiderabletownjustwithintreatylimits。TheJapanesedoctorsthere，asinsomeotherplaces，areDr。Palm’scordialhelpers，andfiveorsixofthem，whomheregardsaspossessingtherarevirtuesofcandour，earnestness，andsingle-mindedness，andwhohavestudiedEnglishmedicalworks，haveclubbedtogethertoestablishadispensary，and，underDr。Palm’sinstructions，areevencarryingouttheantiseptictreatmentsuccessfully，aftersomeludicrousfailures！

WedashedthroughNakajoaskuruma-runnersalwaysdashthroughtownsandvillages，gotoutofitinadrizzleuponanavenueoffirs，threeorfourdeep，whichextendsfromNakajotoKurokawa，andforsomemilesbeyondwerejoltedoveradampvalleyonwhichteaandricealternated，crossedtwobranchesoftheshinglyKurokawaonprecariousbridges，rattledintothetownofKurokawa，muchdecoratedwithflagsandlanterns，wherethepeoplewereallcongregatedatashrinewheretherewasmuchdrumming，andafewgirls，muchpaintedandbedizened，weredancingorposturingonaraisedandcoveredplatform，inhonourofthegodoftheplace，whosematsuriorfestivalitwas；andoutagain，tobemercilesslyjoltedunderthefirsinthetwilighttoasolitaryhousewheretheownermadesomedifficultyaboutreceivingus，ashislicencedidnotbegintillthenextday，buteventuallysuccumbed，andgavemehisoneupstairsroom，exactlyfivefeethigh，whichhardlyallowedofmystandinguprightwithmyhaton。Hethenrendereditsuffocatingbyclosingtheamado，forthereasonoftengiven，thatifheleftthemopenandthehousewasrobbed，thepolicewouldnotonlyblamehimseverely，butwouldnottakeanytroubletorecoverhisproperty。Hehadnorice，soIindulgedinafeastofdeliciouscucumbers。Ineversawsomanyeatenasinthatdistrict。Childrengnawthemalldaylong，andevenbabiesontheirmothers’backssuckthemwithavidity。Justnowtheyaresoldforasenadozen。

Itisamistaketoarriveatayadoyaafterdark。Evenifthebestroomsarenotfullittakesfullyanhourtogetmyfoodandtheroomready，andmeanwhileIcannotemploymytimeusefullybecauseofthemosquitoes。Therewasheavyrainallnight，accompaniedbythefirstwindthatIhaveheardsincelanding；andthefitfulcreakingofthepinesandthedrummingfromtheshrinemademegladtogetupatsunrise，orratheratdaylight，fortherehasnotbeenasunrisesinceIcame，orasunseteither。ThatdaywetravelledbySekkitoKawaguchiinkurumas，i。e。weweresometimesbumpedoverstones，sometimesdepositedontheedgeofaquagmire，andaskedtogetout；andsometimescompelledtowalkfortwoorthreemilesatatimealongtheinfamousbridle-trackabovetheriverArai，upwhichtwomencouldhardlypushandhaulanemptyvehicle；

and，astheyoftenhadtoliftthembodilyandcarrythemforsomedistance，IwasreallygladwhenwereachedthevillageofKawaguchitofindthattheycouldgonofarther，though，aswecouldonlygetonehorse，Ihadtowalkthelaststageinatorrentofrain，poorlyprotectedbymypaperwaterproofcloak。

WearenowinthemidstofthegreatcentralchainoftheJapanesemountains，whichextendsalmostwithoutabreakfor900miles，andisfrom40to100milesinwidth，brokenupintointerminablerangestraversableonlybysteeppassesfrom1000to5000feetinheight，withinnumerablerivers，ravines，andvalleys，theheightsandravinesheavilytimbered，theriversimpetuousandliabletofreshets，andthevalleysinvariablyterracedforrice。Itisinthevalleysthatthevillagesarefound，andregionsmoreisolatedIhaveneverseen，shutoutbybadroadsfromtherestofJapan。

Thehousesareverypoor，thesummercostumeofthemenconsistsofthemaroonly，andthatofthewomenoftrouserswithanopenshirt，andwhenwereachedKurosawalastnightithaddwindledtotrousersonly。Thereislittletraffic，andveryfewhorsesarekept，one，two，orthreeconstitutingthelivestockofalargevillage。Theshops，suchastheyare，containthebarestnecessariesoflife。Milletandbuckwheatratherthanrice，withtheuniversaldaikon，arethestaplesofdietTheclimateiswetinsummerandbitterlycoldinwinter。Evennowitiscomfortlessenoughforthepeopletocomeinwet，justtowarmthetipsoftheirfingersattheirori，stifledthewhilewiththestingingsmoke，whilethedampwindflapsthetornpaperofthewindowsabout，anddampdraughtssweeptheashesoverthetatamiuntilthehouseishermeticallysealedatnight。Thesepeopleneverknowanythingofwhatweregardascomfort，andinthelongwinter，whenthewretchedbridle-tracksareblockedbysnowandthefreezingwindblowsstrong，andthefamilieshuddleroundthesmokyfirebythedolefulglimmeroftheandon，withoutwork，books，orplay，toshiverthroughthelongeveningsinchillydreariness，andherdtogetherforwarmthatnightlikeanimals，theirconditionmustbeasmiserableasanythingshortofgrindingpovertycanmakeit。

IsawthingsattheirworstthatnightasItrampedintothehamletofNuma，downwhoseslopingstreetaswollenstreamwasrunning，whichthepeoplewerebankingoutoftheirhouses。Iwaswetandtired，andthewomanattheonewretchedyadoyametme，saying，“I’msorryit’sverydirtyandquiteunfitforsohonourableaguest；“andshewasright，fortheoneroomwasupaladder，thewindowswereintatters，therewasnocharcoalforahibachi，noeggs，andthericewassodirtyandsofullofasmallblackseedastobeunfittoeat。Worsethanall，therewasnoTransportOffice，thehamletdidnotpossessahorse，anditwasonlybysendingtoafarmerfivemilesoff，andbymuchbargaining，thatI

gotonthenextmorning。InestimatingthenumberofpeopleinagivennumberofhousesinJapan，itisusualtomultiplythehousesbyfive，butIhadthecuriositytowalkthroughNumaandgetItototranslatethetallieswhichhangoutsideallJapanesehouseswiththenames，number，andsexesoftheirinmates，andintwenty-