attempts　upon　his　life　in　Japan。　　He　and　Lady　Parkes　were　most
  truly　kind；　and　encourage　me　so　heartily　in　my　largest　projects　for
  travelling　in　the　interior；　that　I　shall　start　as　soon　as　I　have
  secured　a　servant。　　When　they　went　away　they　jumped　into　kurumas；
  and　it　was　most　amusing　to　see　the　representative　of　England
  hurried　down　the　street　in　a　perambulator　with　a　tandem　of　coolies。
  As　I　look　out　of　the　window　I　see　heavy；　two…wheeled　man…carts
  drawn　and　pushed　by　four　men　each；　on　which　nearly　all　goods；
  stones　for　building；　and　all　else；　are　carried。　　The　two　men　who
  pull　press　with　hands　and　thighs　against　a　cross…bar　at　the　end　of
  a　heavy　pole；　and　the　two　who　push　apply　their　shoulders　to　beams
  which　project　behind；　using　their　thick；　smoothly…shaven　skulls　as
  the　motive　power　when　they　push　their　heavy　loads　uphill。　　Their
  cry　is　impressive　and　melancholy。　　They　draw　incredible　loads；　but；
  as　if　the　toil　which　often　makes　every　breath　a　groan　or　a　gasp
  were　not　enough；　they　shout　incessantly　with　a　coarse；　guttural
  grunt；　something　like　Ha　huida；　Ho　huida；　wa　ho；　Ha　huida；　etc。
  I。　L。　B。
  LETTER　III
  Yedo　and　TokiyoThe　Yokohama　RailroadThe　Effect　of　MisfitsThe
  Plain　of　YedoPersonal　PeculiaritiesFirst　Impressions　of　Tokiyo…
  …H。　B。　M。's　LegationAn　English　Home。
  H。B。M。's　LEGATION；　YEDO；　May　24。
  I　have　dated　my　letter　Yedo；　according　to　the　usage　of　the　British
  Legation；　but　popularly　the　new　name　of　Tokiyo；　or　Eastern　Capital；
  is　used；　Kiyoto；　the　Mikado's　former　residence；　having　received　the
  name　of　Saikio；　or　Western　Capital；　though　it　has　now　no　claim　to
  be　regarded　as　a　capital　at　all。　　Yedo　belongs　to　the　old　regime
  and　the　Shogunate；　Tokiyo　to　the　new　regime　and　the　Restoration；
  with　their　history　of　ten　years。　　It　would　seem　an　incongruity　to
  travel　to　Yedo　by　railway；　but　quite　proper　when　the　destination　is
  Tokiyo。
  The　journey　between　the　two　cities　is　performed　in　an　hour　by　an
  admirable；　well…metalled；　double…track　railroad；　18　miles　long；
  with　iron　bridges；　neat　stations；　and　substantial　roomy　termini；
  built　by　English　engineers　at　a　cost　known　only　to　Government；　and
  opened　by　the　Mikado　in　1872。　　The　Yokohama　station　is　a　handsome
  and　suitable　stone　building；　with　a　spacious　approach；　ticket…
  offices　on　our　plan；　roomy　waiting…rooms　for　different　classes
  uncarpeted；　however；　in　consideration　of　Japanese　clogsand
  supplied　with　the　daily　papers。　　There　is　a　department　for　the
  weighing　and　labelling　of　luggage；　and　on　the　broad；　covered；　stone
  platform　at　both　termini　a　barrier　with　turnstiles；　through　which；
  except　by　special　favour；　no　ticketless　person　can　pass。　　Except
  the　ticket…clerks；　who　are　Chinese；　and　the　guards　and　engine…
  drivers；　who　are　English；　the　officials　are　Japanese　in　European
  dress。　　Outside　the　stations；　instead　of　cabs；　there　are　kurumas；
  which　carry　luggage　as　well　as　people。　　Only　luggage　in　the　hand　is
  allowed　to　go　free；　the　rest　is　weighed；　numbered；　and　charged　for；
  a　corresponding　number　being　given　to　its　owner　to　present　at　his
  destination。　　The　fares　are3d　class；　an　ichibu；　or　about　1s。；　2d
  class；　60　sen；　or　about　2s。　4d。；　and　1st　class；　a　yen；　or　about　3s。
  8d。　　The　tickets　are　collected　as　the　passengers　pass　through　the
  barrier　at　the　end　of　the　journey。　　The　English…built　cars　differ
  from　ours　in　having　seats　along　the　sides；　and　doors　opening　on
  platforms　at　both　ends。　　On　the　whole；　the　arrangements　are
  Continental　rather　than　British。　　The　first…class　cars　are
  expensively　fitted　up　with　deeply…cushioned；　red　morocco　seats；　but
  carry　very　few　passengers；　and　the　comfortable　seats；　covered　with
  fine　matting；　of　the　2d　class　are　very　scantily　occupied；　but　the
  3d　class　vans　are　crowded　with　Japanese；　who　have　taken　to
  railroads　as　readily　as　to　kurumas。　　This　line　earns　about
  8；000；000　a　year。
  The　Japanese　look　most　diminutive　in　European　dress。　　Each　garment
  is　a　misfit；　and　exaggerates　the　miserable　physique　and　the
  national　defects　of　concave　chests　and　bow　legs。　　The　lack　of
  〃complexion〃　and　of　hair　upon　the　face　makes　it　nearly　impossible
  to　judge　of　the　ages　of　men。　　I　supposed　that　all　the　railroad
  officials　were　striplings　of　17　or　18；　but　they　are　men　from　25　to
  40　years　old。
  It　was　a　beautiful　day；　like　an　English　June　day；　but　hotter；　and
  though　the　Sakura　（wild　cherry）　and　its　kin；　which　are　the　glory　of
  the　Japanese　spring；　are　over；　everything　is　a　young；　fresh　green
  yet；　and　in　all　the　beauty　of　growth　and　luxuriance。　　The　immediate
  neighbourhood　of　Yokohama　is　beautiful；　with　abrupt　wooded　hills；
  and　small　picturesque　valleys；　but　after　passing　Kanagawa　the
  railroad　enters　upon　the　immense　plain　of　Yedo；　said　to　be　90　miles
  from　north　to　south；　on　whose　northern　and　western　boundaries　faint
  blue　mountains　of　great　height　hovered　dreamily　in　the　blue　haze；
  and　on　whose　eastern　shore　for　many　miles　the　clear　blue　wavelets
  of　the　Gulf　of　Yedo　ripple；　always　as　then；　brightened　by　the　white
  sails　of　innumerable　fishing…boats。　　On　this　fertile　and　fruitful
  plain　stand　not　only　the　capital；　with　its　million　of　inhabitants；
  but　a　number　of　populous　cities；　and　several　hundred　thriving
  agricultural　villages。　　Every　foot　of　land　which　can　be　seen　from
  the　railroad　is　cultivated　by　the　most　careful　spade　husbandry；　and
  much　of　it　is　irrigated　for　rice。　　Streams　abound；　and　villages　of
  grey　wooden　houses　with　grey　thatch；　and　grey　temples　with
  strangely　curved　roofs；　are　scattered　thickly　over　the　landscape。
  It　is　all　homelike；　liveable；　and　pretty；　the　country　of　an
  industrious　people；　for　not　a　weed　is　to　be　seen；　but　no　very
  striking　features　or　peculiarities　arrest　one　at　first　sight；
  unless　it　be　the　crowds　everywhere。
  You　don't　take　your　ticket　for　Tokiyo；　but　for　Shinagawa　or
  Shinbashi；　two　of　the　many　villages　which　have　grown　together　into
  the　capital。　　Yedo　is　hardly　seen　before　Shinagawa　is　reached；　for
  it　has　no　smoke　and　no　long　chimneys；　its　temples　and　public
  buildings　are　seldom　lofty；　the　former　are　often　concealed　among
  thick　trees；　and　its　ordinary　houses　seldom　reach　a　height　of　20
  feet。　　On　the　right　a　blue　sea　with　fortified　islands　upon　it；
  wooded　gardens　with　massive　retaining　walls；　hundreds　of　fishing…
  boats　lying　in　creeks　or　drawn　up　on　the　beach；　on　the　left　a　broad
  road　on　which　kurumas　are　hurrying　both　ways；　rows　of　low；　grey
  houses；　mostly　tea…houses　and　shops；　and　as　I　was　asking　〃Where　is
  Yedo？〃　the　train　came　to　rest　in　the　terminus；　the　Shinbashi
  railroad　station；　and　disgorged　its　200　Japanese　passengers　with　a
  combined　clatter　of　400　clogsa　new　sound　to　me。　　These　clogs　add
  three　inches　to　their　height；　but　even　with　them　few　of　the　men
  attained　5　feet　7　inches；　and　few　of　the　women　5　feet　2　inches；　but
  they　look　far　broader　in　the　national　costume；　which　also　conceals
  the　defects　of　their　figures。　　So　lean；　so　yellow；　so　ugly；　yet　so
  pleasant…looking；　so　wanting　in　colour　and　effectiveness；　the　women
  so　very　small　and　tottering　in　their　walk；　the　children　so　formal…
  looking　and　such　dignified　burlesques　on　the　adults；　I　feel　as　if　I
  had　seen　them　all　before；　so　like　are　they　to　their　pictures　on
  trays；　fans；　and　tea…pots。　　The　hair　of　the　women　is　all　drawn　away
  from　their　faces；　and　is　worn　in　chignons；　and　the　men；　when　they
  don't　shave　the　front　of　their　heads　and　gather　their　back　hair
  into　a　quaint　queue　drawn　forward　over　the　shaven　patch；　wear　their
  coarse　hair　about　three　inches　long　in　a　refractory　undivided　mop。
  Davies；　an　orderly　from　the　Legation；　met　me；one　of　the　escort
  cut　down　and　severely　wounded　when　Sir　H。　Parkes　was　attacked　in
  the　street　of　Kiyoto　in　March　1868　on　his　way　to　his　first　audience
  of　the　Mikado。　　Hundreds　of　kurumas；　and　covered　carts　with　four
  wheels　drawn　by　one　miserable　horse；　which　are　the　omnibuses　of
  certain　districts　of　Tokiyo；　were　waiting　outside　the　station；　and
  an　English　brougham　for　me；　with　a　running　betto。　　The　Legation
  stands　in　Kojimachi　on　very　elevated　ground　above　the　inner　moat　of
  the　historic　〃Castle　of　Yedo；〃　but　I　cannot　tell　you　anything　of
  what　I　saw　on　my　way　thither；　except　that　there　were　miles　of　dark；
  silent；　barrack…like　buildings；　with　highly　ornamental　gateways；
  and　long　rows　of　projecting　windows　with　screens　made　of　reedsthe
  feudal　mansions　of　Yedoand　miles　of　moats　with　lofty　grass
  embankments　or　walls　of　massive　masonry　50　feet　high；　with　kiosk…
  like　towers　at　the　corners；　and　curious；　roofed　gateways；　and　many
  bridges；　and　acres　of　lotus　leaves。　　Turning　along　the　inner　moat；
  up　a　steep　slope；　there　are；　on　the　right；　its　deep　green　waters；
  the　great　grass　embankment　surmounted　by　a　dismal　wall　overhung　by
  the　branches　of　coniferous　trees　which　surrounded　the　palace　of　the
  Shogun；　and　on　the　left　sundry　yashikis；　as　the　mansions　of　the
  daimiyo　were　called；　now　in　this　quarter　mostly　turned　into
  hospitals；　barracks；　and　Government　offices。　　On　a　height；　the　most
  conspicuous　of　them　all；　is　the　great　red　gateway　of　the　yashiki；
  now　occupied　by　the　French　Military　Mission；　formerly　the　residence
  of　Ii　Kamon　no　Kami；　one　of　the　great　actors　in　recent　historic
  events；　who　was　assassinated　not　far　off