wound　tightly　round　them；　or　blue　cotton　trousers　very　tight　in　the
  legs　and　baggy　at　the　top；　with　a　blue　cotton　garment　open　to　the
  waist　tucked　into　the　band；　and　a　blue　cotton　handkerchief　knotted
  round　the　head。　　From　the　dress　no　notion　of　the　sex　of　the　wearer
  could　be　gained；　nor　from　the　faces；　if　it　were　not　for　the　shaven
  eyebrows　and　black　teeth。　　The　short　petticoat　is　truly　barbarous…
  looking；　and　when　a　woman　has　a　nude　baby　on　her　back　or　in　her
  arms；　and　stands　staring　vacantly　at　the　foreigner；　I　can　hardly
  believe　myself　in　〃civilised〃　Japan。　　A　good…sized　child；　strong
  enough　to　hold　up　his　head；　sees　the　world　right　cheerfully　looking
  over　his　mother's　shoulders；　but　it　is　a　constant　distress　to　me　to
  see　small　children　of　six　and　seven　years　old　lugging　on　their
  backs　gristly　babies；　whose　shorn　heads　are　frizzling　in　the　sun
  and　〃wobbling〃　about　as　though　they　must　drop　off；　their　eyes；　as
  nurses　say；　〃looking　over　their　heads。〃　　A　number　of　silk…worms　are
  kept　in　this　region；　and　in　the　open　barns　groups　of　men　in
  nature's　costume；　and　women　unclothed　to　their　waists；　were　busy
  stripping　mulberry　branches。　　The　houses　were　all　poor；　and　the
  people　dirty　both　in　their　clothing　and　persons。　　Some　of　the
  younger　women　might　possibly　have　been　comely；　if　soap　and　water
  had　been　plentifully　applied　to　their　faces；　but　soap　is　not　used；
  and　such　washing　as　the　garments　get　is　only　the　rubbing　them　a
  little　with　sand　in　a　running　stream。　　I　will　give　you　an　amusing
  instance　of　the　way　in　which　one　may　make　absurd　mistakes。　　I　heard
  many　stories　of　the　viciousness　and　aggressiveness　of　pack…horses；
  and　was　told　that　they　were　muzzled　to　prevent　them　from　pasturing
  upon　the　haunches　of　their　companions　and　making　vicious　snatches
  at　men。　　Now；　I　find　that　the　muzzle　is　only　to　prevent　them　from
  eating　as　they　travel。　　Mares　are　used　exclusively　in　this　region；
  and　they　are　the　gentlest　of　their　race。　　If　you　have　the　weight　of
  baggage　reckoned　at　one　horse…load；　though　it　should　turn　out　that
  the　weight　is　too　great　for　a　weakly　animal；　and　the　Transport
  agent　distributes　it　among　two　or　even　three　horses；　you　only　pay
  for　one；　and　though　our　cortege　on　leaving　Kisagoi　consisted　of
  four　small；　shock…headed　mares　who　could　hardly　see　through　their
  bushy　forelocks；　with　three　active　foals；　and　one　woman　and　three
  girls　to　lead　them；　I　only　paid　for　two　horses　at　7　sen　a　ri。
  My　mago；　with　her　toil…hardened；　thoroughly　good…natured　face
  rendered　hideous　by　black　teeth；　wore　straw　sandals；　blue　cotton
  trousers　with　a　vest　tucked　into　them；　as　poor　and　worn　as　they
  could　be；　and　a　blue　cotton　towel　knotted　round　her　head。　　As　the
  sky　looked　threatening　she　carried　a　straw　rain…cloak；　a　thatch　of
  two　connected　capes；　one　fastening　at　the　neck；　the　other　at　the
  waist；　and　a　flat　hat　of　flags；　2。5　feet　in　diameter；　hung　at　her
  back　like　a　shield。　　Up　and　down；　over　rocks　and　through　deep　mud；
  she　trudged　with　a　steady　stride；　turning　her　kind；　ugly　face　at
  intervals　to　see　if　the　girls　were　following。　　I　like　the　firm
  hardy　gait　which　this　unbecoming　costume　permits　better　than　the
  painful　shuffle　imposed　upon　the　more　civilised　women　by　their
  tight　skirts　and　high　clogs。
  From　Kohiaku　the　road　passed　through　an　irregular　grassy　valley
  between　densely…wooded　hills；　the　valley　itself　timbered　with　park…
  like　clumps　of　pine　and　Spanish　chestnuts；　but　on　leaving　Kisagoi
  the　scenery　changed。　　A　steep　rocky　tract　brought　us　to　the
  Kinugawa；　a　clear　rushing　river；　which　has　cut　its　way　deeply
  through　coloured　rock；　and　is　crossed　at　a　considerable　height　by　a
  bridge　with　an　alarmingly　steep　curve；　from　which　there　is　a　fine
  view　of　high　mountains；　and　among　them　Futarayama；　to　which　some　of
  the　most　ancient　Shinto　legends　are　attached。　　We　rode　for　some
  time　within　hearing　of　the　Kinugawa；　catching　magnificent　glimpses
  of　it　frequentlyturbulent　and　locked　in　by　walls　of　porphyry；　or
  widening　and　calming　and　spreading　its　aquamarine　waters　over　great
  slabs　of　pink　and　green　rock；　lighted　fitfully　by　the　sun；　or
  spanned　by　rainbows；　or　pausing　to　rest　in　deep　shady　pools；　but
  always　beautiful。　　The　mountains　through　which　it　forces　its　way　on
  the　other　side　are　precipitous　and　wooded　to　their　summits　with
  coniferae；　while　the　less　abrupt　side；　along　which　the　tract　is
  carried；　curves　into　green　knolls　in　its　lower　slopes；　sprinkled
  with　grand　Spanish　chestnuts　scarcely　yet　in　blossom；　with　maples
  which　have　not　yet　lost　the　scarlet　which　they　wear　in　spring　as
  well　as　autumn；　and　with　many　flowering　trees　and　shrubs　which　are
  new　to　me；　and　with　an　undergrowth　of　red　azaleas；　syringa；　blue
  hydrangeathe　very　blue　of　heavenyellow　raspberries；　ferns；
  clematis；　white　and　yellow　lilies；　blue　irises；　and　fifty　other
  trees　and　shrubs　entangled　and　festooned　by　the　wistaria；　whose
  beautiful　foliage　is　as　common　as　is　that　of　the　bramble　with　us。
  The　redundancy　of　the　vegetation　was　truly　tropical；　and　the
  brilliancy　and　variety　of　its　living　greens；　dripping　with　recent
  rain；　were　enhanced　by　the　slant　rays　of　the　afternoon　sun。
  The　few　hamlets　we　passed　are　of　farm…houses　only；　the　deep…eaved
  roofs　covering　in　one　sweep　dwelling…house；　barn；　and　stable。　　In
  every　barn　unclothed　people　were　pursuing　various　industries。　　We
  met　strings　of　pack…mares；　tied　head　and　tail；　loaded　with　rice　and
  sake；　and　men　and　women　carrying　large　creels　full　of　mulberry
  leaves。　　The　ravine　grew　more　and　more　beautiful；　and　an　ascent
  through　a　dark　wood　of　arrowy　cryptomeria　brought　us　to　this
  village　exquisitely　situated；　where　a　number　of　miniature　ravines；
  industriously　terraced　for　rice；　come　down　upon　the　great　chasm　of
  the　Kinugawa。　　Eleven　hours　of　travelling　have　brought　me　eighteen
  miles！
  IKARI；　June　25。Fujihara　has　forty…six　farm…houses　and　a　yadoya
  all　dark；　damp；　dirty；　and　draughty；　a　combination　of　dwelling…
  house；　barn；　and　stable。　　The　yadoya　consisted　of　a　daidokoro；　or
  open　kitchen；　and　stable　below；　and　a　small　loft　above；　capable　of
  division；　and　I　found　on　returning　from　a　walk　six　Japanese　in
  extreme　deshabille　occupying　the　part　through　which　I　had　to　pass。
  On　this　being　remedied　I　sat　down　to　write；　but　was　soon　driven
  upon　the　balcony；　under　the　eaves；　by　myriads　of　fleas；　which
  hopped　out　of　the　mats　as　sandhoppers　do　out　of　the　sea　sand；　and
  even　in　the　balcony；　hopped　over　my　letter。　　There　were　two　outer
  walls　of　hairy　mud　with　living　creatures　crawling　in　the　cracks；
  cobwebs　hung　from　the　uncovered　rafters。　　The　mats　were　brown　with
  age　and　dirt；　the　rice　was　musty；　and　only　partially　cleaned；　the
  eggs　had　seen　better　days；　and　the　tea　was　musty。
  I　saw　everything　out　of　doors　with　Itothe　patient　industry；　the
  exquisitely　situated　village；　the　evening　avocations；　the　quiet
  dulnessand　then　contemplated　it　all　from　my　balcony　and　read　the
  sentence　（from　a　paper　in　the　Transactions　of　the　Asiatic　Society）
  which　had　led　me　to　devise　this　journey；　〃There　is　a　most
  exquisitely　picturesque；　but　difficult；　route　up　the　course　of　the
  Kinugawa；　which　seems　almost　as　unknown　to　Japanese　as　to
  foreigners。〃　　There　was　a　pure　lemon…coloured　sky　above；　and　slush
  a　foot　deep　below。　　A　road；　at　this　time　a　quagmire；　intersected　by
  a　rapid　stream；　crossed　in　many　places　by　planks；　runs　through　the
  village。　　This　stream　is　at　once　〃lavatory〃　and　〃drinking
  fountain。〃　　People　come　back　from　their　work；　sit　on　the　planks；
  take　off　their　muddy　clothes　and　wring　them　out；　and　bathe　their
  feet　in　the　current。　　On　either　side　are　the　dwellings；　in　front　of
  which　are　much…decayed　manure　heaps；　and　the　women　were　engaged　in
  breaking　them　up　and　treading　them　into　a　pulp　with　their　bare
  feet。　　All　wear　the　vest　and　trousers　at　their　work；　but　only　the
  short　petticoats　in　their　houses；　and　I　saw　several　respectable
  mothers　of　families　cross　the　road　and　pay　visits　in　this　garment
  only；　without　any　sense　of　impropriety。　　The　younger　children　wear
  nothing　but　a　string　and　an　amulet。　　The　persons；　clothing；　and
  houses　are　alive　with　vermin；　and　if　the　word　squalor　can　be
  applied　to　independent　and　industrious　people；　they　were　squalid。
  Beetles；　spiders；　and　wood…lice　held　a　carnival　in　my　room　after
  dark；　and　the　presence　of　horses　in　the　same　house　brought　a　number
  of　horseflies。　　I　sprinkled　my　stretcher　with　insect　powder；　but　my
  blanket　had　been　on　the　floor　for　one　minute；　and　fleas　rendered
  sleep　impossible。　　The　night　was　very　long。　　The　andon　went　out；
  leaving　a　strong　smell　of　rancid　oil。　　The　primitive　Japanese　dog
  a　cream…coloured　wolfish…looking　animal；　the　size　of　a　collie；　very
  noisy　and　aggressive；　but　as　cowardly　as　bullies　usually　arewas
  in　great　force　in　Fujihara；　and　the　barking；　growling；　and
  quarrelling　of　these　useless　curs　continued　at　intervals　until
  daylight；　and　when　they　were　not　quarrelling；　they　were　howling。
  Torrents　of　rain　fell；　obliging　me　to　move　my　bed　from　place　to
  place　to　get　out　of　the　drip。　　At　five　Ito　came　and　entreated　me　to
  leave；　whimpering；　〃I've　had　no　sleep；　there　are　thousands　and
  thousands　of　fleas！〃　　He　has　travelled　by　another　route　to　the
  Tsugaru　Strait　through　the　interi