judge　of　the　effect　that　he　is　producing。　　The　shaving　the　face
  till　it　is　smooth　and　shiny；　and　the　cutting；　waxing；　and　tying　of
  the　queue　with　twine　made　of　paper；　are　among　the　evening　sights　of
  Nikko。
  Lacquer　and　things　curiously　carved　in　wood　are　the　great
  attractions　of　the　shops；　but　they　interest　me　far　less　than　the
  objects　of　utility　in　Japanese　daily　life；　with　their　ingenuity　of
  contrivance　and　perfection　of　adaptation　and　workmanship。　　A　seed
  shop；　where　seeds　are　truly　idealised；　attracts　me　daily。　　Thirty
  varieties　are　offered　for　sale；　as　various　in　form　as　they　are　in
  colour；　and　arranged　most　artistically　on　stands；　while　some　are
  put　up　in　packages　decorated　with　what　one　may　call　a　facsimile　of
  the　root；　leaves；　and　flower；　in　water…colours。　　A　lad　usually　lies
  on　the　mat　behind　executing　these　very　creditable　picturesfor
  such　they　arewith　a　few　bold　and　apparently　careless　strokes　with
  his　brush。　　He　gladly　sold　me　a　peony　as　a　scrap　for　a　screen　for　3
  sen。　　My　purchases；　with　this　exception；　were　necessaries　onlya
  paper　waterproof　cloak；　〃a　circular；〃　black　outside　and　yellow
  inside；　made　of　square　sheets　of　oiled　paper　cemented　together；　and
  some　large　sheets　of　the　same　for　covering　my　baggage；　and　I
  succeeded　in　getting　Ito　out　of　his　obnoxious　black　wide…awake　into
  a　basin…shaped　hat　like　mine；　for；　ugly　as　I　think　him；　he　has　a
  large　share　of　personal　vanity；　whitens　his　teeth；　and　powders　his
  face　carefully　before　a　mirror；　and　is　in　great　dread　of　sunburn。
  He　powders　his　hands　too；　and　polishes　his　nails；　and　never　goes
  out　without　gloves。
  To…morrow　I　leave　luxury　behind　and　plunge　into　the　interior；
  hoping　to　emerge　somehow　upon　the　Sea　of　Japan。　　No　information　can
  be　got　here　except　about　the　route　to　Niigata；　which　I　have　decided
  not　to　take；　so；　after　much　study　of　Brunton's　map；　I　have　fixed
  upon　one　place；　and　have　said　positively；　〃I　go　to　Tajima。〃　　If　I
  reach　it　I　can　get　farther；　but　all　I　can　learn　is；　〃It's　a　very
  bad　road；　it's　all　among　the　mountains。〃　　Ito；　who　has　a　great
  regard　for　his　own　comforts；　tries　to　dissuade　me　from　going　by
  saying　that　I　shall　lose　mine；　but；　as　these　kind　people　have
  ingeniously　repaired　my　bed　by　doubling　the　canvas　and　lacing　it
  into　holes　in　the　side　poles；　｛9｝　and　as　I　have　lived　for　the　last
  three　days　on　rice；　eggs；　and　coarse　vermicelli　about　the　thickness
  and　colour　of　earth…worms；　this　prospect　does　not　appal　me！　　In
  Japan　there　is　a　Land　Transport　Company；　called　Riku…un…kaisha；
  with　a　head…office　in　Tokiyo；　and　branches　in　various　towns　and
  villages。　　It　arranges　for　the　transport　of　travellers　and
  merchandise　by　pack…horses　and　coolies　at　certain　fixed　rates；　and
  gives　receipts　in　due　form。　　It　hires　the　horses　from　the　farmers；
  and　makes　a　moderate　profit　on　each　transaction；　but　saves　the
  traveller　from　difficulties；　delays；　and　extortions。　　The　prices
  vary　considerably　in　different　districts；　and　are　regulated　by　the
  price　of　forage；　the　state　of　the　roads；　and　the　number　of　hireable
  horses。　　For　a　ri；　nearly　2。5　miles；　they　charge　from　6　to　10　sen
  for　a　horse　and　the　man　who　leads　it；　for　a　kuruma　with　one　man
  from　4　to　9　sen　for　the　same　distance；　and　for　baggage　coolies
  about　the　same。　　＇This　Transport　Company　is　admirably　organised。　　I
  employed　it　in　journeys　of　over　1200　miles；　and　always　found　it
  efficient　and　reliable。＇　　I　intend　to　make　use　of　it　always；　much
  against　Ito's　wishes；　who　reckoned　on　many　a　prospective　〃squeeze〃
  in　dealings　with　the　farmers。
  My　journey　will　now　be　entirely　over　〃unbeaten　tracks；〃　and　will
  lead　through　what　may　be　called　〃Old　Japan；〃　and　as　it　will　be
  natural　to　use　Japanese　words　for　money　and　distances；　for　which
  there　are　no　English　terms；　I　give　them　here。　　A　yen　is　a　note
  representing　a　dollar；　or　about　3s。　7d。　of　our　money；　a　sen　is
  something　less　than　a　halfpenny；　a　rin　is　a　thin　round　coin　of　iron
  or　bronze；　with　a　square　hole　in　the　middle；　of　which　10　make　a
  sen；　and　1000　a　yen；　and　a　tempo　is　a　handsome　oval　bronze　coin
  with　a　hole　in　the　centre；　of　which　5　make　4　sen。　　Distances　are
  measured　by　ri；　cho；　and　ken。　　Six　feet　make　one　ken；　sixty　ken　one
  cho；　and　thirty…six　cho　one　ri；　or　nearly　2。5　English　miles。　　When
  I　write　of　a　road　I　mean　a　bridle…path　from　four　to　eight　feet
  wide；　kuruma　roads　being　specified　as　such。　　I。　L。　B。
  LETTER　XI
  Comfort　disappearsFine　SceneryAn　AlarmA　Farm…houseAn
  unusual　CostumeBridling　a　HorseFemale　Dress　and　Ugliness
  BabiesMy　MagoBeauties　of　the　KinugawaFujiharaMy　Servant
  Horse…shoesAn　absurd　Mistake。
  FUJIHARA；　June　24。
  Ito's　informants　were　right。　　Comfort　was　left　behind　at　Nikko！
  A　little　woman　brought　two　depressed…looking　mares　at　six　this
  morning；　my　saddle　and　bridle　were　put　on　one；　and　Ito　and　the
  baggage　on　the　other；　my　hosts　and　I　exchanged　cordial　good　wishes
  and　obeisances；　and；　with　the　women　dragging　my　sorry　mare　by　a
  rope　round　her　nose；　we　left　the　glorious　shrines　and　solemn
  cryptomeria　groves　of　Nikko　behind；　passed　down　its　long；　clean
  street；　and　where　the　In　Memoriam　avenue　is　densest　and　darkest
  turned　off　to　the　left　by　a　path　like　the　bed　of　a　brook；　which
  afterwards；　as　a　most　atrocious　trail；　wound　about　among　the　rough
  boulders　of　the　Daiya；　which　it　crosses　often　on　temporary　bridges
  of　timbers　covered　with　branches　and　soil。　　After　crossing　one　of
  the　low　spurs　of　the　Nikkosan　mountains；　we　wound　among　ravines
  whose　steep　sides　are　clothed　with　maple；　oak；　magnolia；　elm；　pine；
  and　cryptomeria；　linked　together　by　festoons　of　the　redundant
  Wistaria　chinensis；　and　brightened　by　azalea　and　syringa　clusters。
  Every　vista　was　blocked　by　some　grand　mountain；　waterfalls
  thundered；　bright　streams　glanced　through　the　trees；　and　in　the
  glorious　sunshine　of　June　the　country　looked　most　beautiful。
  We　travelled　less　than　a　ri　an　hour；　as　it　was　a　mere　flounder
  either　among　rocks　or　in　deep　mud；　the　woman　in　her　girt…up　dress
  and　straw　sandals　trudging　bravely　along；　till　she　suddenly　flung
  away　the　rope；　cried　out；　and　ran　backwards；　perfectly　scared　by　a
  big　grey　snake；　with　red　spots；　much　embarrassed　by　a　large　frog
  which　he　would　not　let　go；　though；　like　most　of　his　kind；　he　was
  alarmed　by　human　approach；　and　made　desperate　efforts　to　swallow
  his　victim　and　wriggle　into　the　bushes。　　After　crawling　for　three
  hours　we　dismounted　at　the　mountain　farm　of　Kohiaku；　on　the　edge　of
  a　rice　valley；　and　the　woman　counted　her　packages　to　see　that　they
  were　all　right；　and　without　waiting　for　a　gratuity　turned　homewards
  with　her　horses。　　I　pitched　my　chair　in　the　verandah　of　a　house
  near　a　few　poor　dwellings　inhabited　by　peasants　with　large
  families；　the　house　being　in　the　barn…yard　of　a　rich　sake　maker。　　I
  waited　an　hour；　grew　famished；　got　some　weak　tea　and　boiled　barley；
  waited　another　hour；　and　yet　another；　for　all　the　horses　were
  eating　leaves　on　the　mountains。　　There　was　a　little　stir。　　Men
  carried　sheaves　of　barley　home　on　their　backs；　and　stacked　them
  under　the　eaves。　　Children；　with　barely　the　rudiments　of　clothing；
  stood　and　watched　me　hour　after　hour；　and　adults　were　not　ashamed
  to　join　the　group；　for　they　had　never　seen　a　foreign　woman；　a　fork；
  or　a　spoon。　　Do　you　remember　a　sentence　in　Dr。　Macgregor's　last
  sermon？　　〃What　strange　sights　some　of　you　will　see！〃　　Could　there
  be　a　stranger　one　than　a　decent…looking　middle…aged　man　lying　on
  his　chest　in　the　verandah；　raised　on　his　elbows；　and　intently
  reading　a　book；　clothed　only　in　a　pair　of　spectacles？　　Besides　that
  curious　piece　of　still　life；　women　frequently　drew　water　from　a
  well　by　the　primitive　contrivance　of　a　beam　suspended　across　an
  upright；　with　the　bucket　at　one　end　and　a　stone　at　the　other。
  When　the　horses　arrived　the　men　said　they　could　not　put　on　the
  bridle；　but；　after　much　talk；　it　was　managed　by　two　of　them
  violently　forcing　open　the　jaws　of　the　animal；　while　a　third　seized
  a　propitious　moment　for　slipping　the　bit　into　her　mouth。　　At　the
  next　change　a　bridle　was　a　thing　unheard　of；　and　when　I　suggested
  that　the　creature　would　open　her　mouth　voluntarily　if　the　bit　were
  pressed　close　to　her　teeth；　the　standers…by　mockingly　said；　〃No
  horse　ever　opens　his　mouth　except　to　eat　or　to　bite；〃　and　were　only
  convinced　after　I　had　put　on　the　bridle　myself。　　The　new　horses　had
  a　rocking　gait　like　camels；　and　I　was　glad　to　dispense　with　them　at
  Kisagoi；　a　small　upland　hamlet；　a　very　poor　place；　with　poverty…
  stricken　houses；　children　very　dirty　and　sorely　afflicted　by　skin
  maladies；　and　women　with　complexions　and　features　hardened　by
  severe　work　and　much　wood　smoke　into　positive　ugliness；　and　with
  figures　anything　but　statuesque。
  I　write　the　truth　as　I　see　it；　and　if　my　accounts　conflict　with
  those　of　tourists　who　write　of　the　Tokaido　and　Nakasendo；　of　Lake
  Biwa　and　Hakone；　it　does　not　follow　that　either　is　inaccurate。　　But
  truly　this　is　a　new　Japan　to　me；　of　which　no　books　have　given　me
  any　idea；　and　it　is　not　fairyland。　　The　men　may　be　said　to　wear
  nothing。　　Few　of　the　women　wear　anything　but　a　short　petticoat
  wound　tightly　round　them；　or　blue　cotton　trousers　very　tight　in　the
  legs　and　baggy　at　the　top；　with　a　blue　cotton　garment