bale　the　boat　when　it　was　half…full　of　water；　the　shores　were
  silent　and　pretty；　and　almost　without　population　till　we　reached
  the　large　town　of　Araya；　which　straggles　along　a　high　bank　for　a
  considerable　distance；　and　after　nine　peaceful　hours　we　turned　off
  from　the　main　stream　of　the　Omono　just　at　the　outskirts　of　Kubota；
  and　poled　up　a　narrow；　green　river；　fringed　by　dilapidated　backs　of
  houses；　boat…building　yards；　and　rafts　of　timber　on　one　side；　and
  dwelling…houses；　gardens；　and　damp　greenery　on　the　other。　　This
  stream　is　crossed　by　very　numerous　bridges。
  I　got　a　cheerful　upstairs　room　at　a　most　friendly　yadoya；　and　my
  three　days　here　have　been　fully　occupied　and　very　pleasant。
  〃Foreign　food〃a　good　beef…steak；　an　excellent　curry；　cucumbers；
  and　foreign　salt　and　mustard；　were　at　once　obtained；　and　I　felt　my
  〃eyes　lightened〃　after　partaking　of　them。
  Kubota　is　a　very　attractive　and　purely　Japanese　town　of　36；000
  people；　the　capital　of　Akita　ken。　　A　fine　mountain；　called
  Taiheisan；　rises　above　its　fertile　valley；　and　the　Omono　falls　into
  the　Sea　of　Japan　close　to　it。　　It　has　a　number　of　kurumas；　but；
  owing　to　heavy　sand　and　the　badness　of　the　roads；　they　can　only　go
  three　miles　in　any　direction。　　It　is　a　town　of　activity　and　brisk
  trade；　and　manufactures　a　silk　fabric　in　stripes　of　blue　and　black；
  and　yellow　and　black；　much　used　for　making　hakama　and　kimonos；　a
  species　of　white　silk　crepe　with　a　raised　woof；　which　brings　a　high
  price　in　Tokiyo　shops；　fusuma；　and　clogs。　　Though　it　is　a　castle
  town；　it　is　free　from　the　usual　〃deadly…lively〃　look；　and　has　an
  air　of　prosperity　and　comfort。　　Though　it　has　few　streets　of　shops；
  it　covers　a　great　extent　of　ground　with　streets　and　lanes　of
  pretty；　isolated　dwelling…houses；　surrounded　by　trees；　gardens；　and
  well…trimmed　hedges；　each　garden　entered　by　a　substantial　gateway。
  The　existence　of　something　like　a　middle　class　with　home　privacy
  and　home　life　is　suggested　by　these　miles　of　comfortable　〃suburban
  residences。〃　　Foreign　influence　is　hardly　at　all　felt；　there　is　not
  a　single　foreigner　in　Government　or　any　other　employment；　and　even
  the　hospital　was　organised　from　the　beginning　by　Japanese　doctors。
  This　fact　made　me　greatly　desire　to　see　it；　but；　on　going　there　at
  the　proper　hour　for　visitors；　I　was　met　by　the　Director　with
  courteous　but　vexatious　denial。　　No　foreigner　could　see　it；　he
  said；　without　sending　his　passport　to　the　Governor　and　getting　a
  written　order；　so　I　complied　with　these　preliminaries；　and　8　a。m。
  of　the　next　day　was　fixed　for　my　visit　Ito；　who　is　lazy　about
  interpreting　for　the　lower　orders；　but　exerts　himself　to　the　utmost
  on　such　an　occasion　as　this；　went　with　me；　handsomely　clothed　in
  silk；　as　befitted　an　〃Interpreter；〃　and　surpassed　all　his　former
  efforts。
  The　Director　and　the　staff　of　six　physicians；　all　handsomely
  dressed　in　silk；　met　me　at　the　top　of　the　stairs；　and　conducted　me
  to　the　management　room；　where　six　clerks　were　writing。　　Here　there
  was　a　table；　solemnly　covered　with　a　white　cloth；　and　four　chairs；
  on　which　the　Director；　the　Chief　Physician；　Ito；　and　I　sat；　and
  pipes；　tea；　and　sweetmeats；　were　produced。　　After　this；　accompanied
  by　fifty　medical　students；　whose　intelligent　looks　promise　well　for
  their　success；　we　went　round　the　hospital；　which　is　a　large　two…
  storied　building　in　semi…European　style；　but　with　deep　verandahs
  all　round。　　The　upper　floor　is　used　for　class…rooms；　and　the　lower
  accommodates　100　patients；　besides　a　number　of　resident　students。
  Ten　is　the　largest　number　treated　in　any　one　room；　and　severe　cases
  are　treated　in　separate　rooms。　　Gangrene　has　prevailed；　and　the
  Chief　Physician；　who　is　at　this　time　remodelling　the　hospital；　has
  closed　some　of　the　wards　in　consequence。　　There　is　a　Lock　Hospital
  under　the　same　roof。　　About　fifty　important　operations　are　annually
  performed　under　chloroform；　but　the　people　of　Akita　ken　are　very
  conservative；　and　object　to　part　with　their　limbs　and　to　foreign
  drugs。　　This　conservatism　diminishes　the　number　of　patients。
  The　odour　of　carbolic　acid　pervaded　the　whole　hospital；　and　there
  were　spray　producers　enough　to　satisfy　Mr。　Lister！　　At　the　request
  of　Dr。　K。　I　saw　the　dressing　of　some　very　severe　wounds　carefully
  performed　with　carbolised　gauze；　under　spray　of　carbolic　acid；　the
  fingers　of　the　surgeon　and　the　instruments　used　being　all　carefully
  bathed　in　the　disinfectant。　　Dr。　K。　said　it　was　difficult　to　teach
  the　students　the　extreme　carefulness　with　regard　to　minor　details
  which　is　required　in　the　antiseptic　treatment；　which　he　regards　as
  one　of　the　greatest　discoveries　of　this　century。　　I　was　very　much
  impressed　with　the　fortitude　shown　by　the　surgical　patients；　who
  went　through　very　severe　pain　without　a　wince　or　a　moan。　　Eye　cases
  are　unfortunately　very　numerous。　　Dr。　K。　attributes　their　extreme
  prevalence　to　overcrowding；　defective　ventilation；　poor　living；　and
  bad　light。
  After　our　round　we　returned　to　the　management　room　to　find　a　meal
  laid　out　in　English　stylecoffee　in　cups　with　handles　and　saucers；
  and　plates　with　spoons。　　After　this　pipes　were　again　produced；　and
  the　Director　and　medical　staff　escorted　me　to　the　entrance；　where
  we　all　bowed　profoundly。　　I　was　delighted　to　see　that　Dr。
  Kayabashi；　a　man　under　thirty；　and　fresh　from　Tokiyo；　and　all　the
  staff　and　students　were　in　the　national　dress；　with　the　hakama　of
  rich　silk。　　It　is　a　beautiful　dress；　and　assists　dignity　as　much　as
  the　ill…fitting　European　costume　detracts　from　it。　　This　was　a　very
  interesting　visit；　in　spite　of　the　difficulty　of　communication
  through　an　interpreter。
  The　public　buildings；　with　their　fine　gardens；　and　the　broad　road
  near　which　they　stand；　with　its　stone…faced　embankments；　are　very
  striking　in　such　a　far…off　ken。　　Among　the　finest　of　the　buildings
  is　the　Normal　School；　where　I　shortly　afterwards　presented　myself；
  but　I　was　not　admitted　till　I　had　shown　my　passport　and　explained
  my　objects　in　travelling。　　These　preliminaries　being　settled；　Mr。
  Tomatsu　Aoki；　the　Chief　Director；　and　Mr。　Shude　Kane　Nigishi；　the
  principal　teacher；　both　looking　more　like　monkeys　than　men　in　their
  European　clothes；　lionised　me。
  The　first　was　most　trying；　for　he　persisted　in　attempting　to　speak
  English；　of　which　he　knows　about　as　much　as　I　know　of　Japanese；　but
  the　last；　after　some　grotesque　attempts；　accepted　Ito's　services。
  The　school　is　a　commodious　Europeanised　building；　three　stories
  high；　and　from　its　upper　balcony　the　view　of　the　city；　with　its
  gray　roofs　and　abundant　greenery；　and　surrounding　mountains　and
  valleys；　is　very　fine。　　The　equipments　of　the　different　class…rooms
  surprised　me；　especially　the　laboratory　of　the　chemical　class…room；
  and　the　truly　magnificent　illustrative　apparatus　in　the　natural
  science　class…room。　　Ganot's　〃Physics〃　is　the　text　book　of　that
  department。
  I。　L。　B。
  LETTER　XXII
  A　Silk　FactoryEmployment　for　WomenA　Police　EscortThe　Japanese
  Police　Force。
  KUBOTA；　July　23。
  My　next　visit　was　to　a　factory　of　handloom　silk…weavers；　where　180
  hands；　half　of　them　women；　are　employed。　　These　new　industrial
  openings　for　respectable　employment　for　women　and　girls　are　very
  important；　and　tend　in　the　direction　of　a　much…needed　social
  reform。　　The　striped　silk　fabrics　produced　are　entirely　for　home
  consumption。
  Afterwards　I　went　into　the　principal　street；　and；　after　a　long
  search　through　the　shops；　bought　some　condensed　milk　with　the
  〃Eagle〃　brand　and　the　label　all　right；　but；　on　opening　it；　found　it
  to　contain　small　pellets　of　a　brownish；　dried　curd；　with　an
  unpleasant　taste！　　As　I　was　sitting　in　the　shop；　half　stifled　by
  the　crowd；　the　people　suddenly　fell　back　to　a　respectful　distance；
  leaving　me　breathing　space；　and　a　message　came　from　the　chief　of
  police　to　say　that　he　was　very　sorry　for　the　crowding；　and　had
  ordered　two　policemen　to　attend　upon　me　for　the　remainder　of　my
  visit。　　The　black　and　yellow　uniforms　were　most　truly　welcome；　and
  since　then　I　have　escaped　all　annoyance。　　On　my　return　I　found　the
  card　of　the　chief　of　police；　who　had　left　a　message　with　the　house…
  master　apologising　for　the　crowd　by　saying　that　foreigners　very
  rarely　visited　Kubota；　and　he　thought　that　the　people　had　never
  seen　a　foreign　woman。
  I　went　afterwards　to　the　central　police　station　to　inquire　about　an
  inland　route　to　Aomori；　and　received　much　courtesy；　but　no
  information。　　The　police　everywhere　are　very　gentle　to　the　people；…
  …a　few　quiet　words　or　a　wave　of　the　hand　are　sufficient；　when　they
  do　not　resist　them。　　They　belong　to　the　samurai　class；　and；
  doubtless；　their　naturally　superior　position　weighs　with　the
  heimin。　　Their　faces　and　a　certain　hauteur　of　manner　show　the
  indelible　class　distinction。　　The　entire　police　force　of　Japan
  numbers　23；300　educated　men　in　the　prime　of　life；　and　if　30　per
  cent　of　them　do　wear　spectacles；　it　does　not　detract　from　their
  usefulness。　　5600　of　them　are　stationed　at　Yedo；　as　from　thence
  they　can　be　easily　sent　wherever　they　are　wanted；　1004　at　Kiyoto；
  and　815　at　Osaka；　and　the　remaining　10；000　are　spread　over　the
  country。　　The　police　force　costs　something　over　400；000　pounds
  annually；　and　certainly　is　very　efficient　in　prese