at　Shirasawa；　it　has　been　falling　in　such　sheets　as　I　have　only
  seen　for　a　few　minutes　at　a　time　on　the　equator。　　I　have　been　here
  storm…staid　for　two　days；　with　damp　bed；　damp　clothes；　damp
  everything；　and　boots；　bag；　books；　are　all　green　with　mildew。　　And
  still　the　rain　falls；　and　roads；　bridges；　rice…fields；　trees；　and
  hillsides　are　being　swept　in　a　common　ruin　towards　the　Tsugaru
  Strait；　so　tantalisingly　near；　and　the　simple　people　are　calling　on
  the　forgotten　gods　of　the　rivers　and　the　hills；　on　the　sun　and
  moon；　and　all　the　host　of　heaven；　to　save　them　from　this　〃plague　of
  immoderate　rain　and　waters。〃　　For　myself；　to　be　able　to　lie　down
  all　day　is　something；　and　as　〃the　mind；　when　in　a　healthy　state；
  reposes　as　quietly　before　an　insurmountable　difficulty　as　before　an
  ascertained　truth；〃　so；　as　I　cannot　get　on；　I　have　ceased　to　chafe；
  and　am　rather　inclined　to　magnify　the　advantages　of　the　detention；
  a　necessary　process；　as　you　would　think　if　you　saw　my　surroundings！
  The　day　before　yesterday；　in　spite　of　severe　pain；　was　one　of　the
  most　interesting　of　my　journey。　　As　I　learned　something　of　the
  force　of　fire　in　Hawaii；　I　am　learning　not　a　little　of　the　force　of
  water　in　Japan。　　We　left　Shirasawa　at　noon；　as　it　looked　likely　to
  clear；　taking　two　horses　and　three　men。　　It　is　beautiful　scenerya
  wild　valley；　upon　which　a　number　of　lateral　ridges　descend；
  rendered　strikingly　picturesque　by　the　dark　pyramidal　cryptomeria；
  which　are　truly　the　glory　of　Japan。　　Five　of　the　fords　were　deep
  and　rapid；　and　the　entrance　on　them　difficult；　as　the　sloping
  descents　were　all　carried　away；　leaving　steep　banks；　which　had　to
  be　levelled　by　the　mattocks　of　the　mago。　　Then　the　fords　themselves
  were　gone；　there　were　shallows　where　there　had　been　depths；　and
  depths　where　there　had　been　shallows；　new　channels　were　carved；　and
  great　beds　of　shingle　had　been　thrown　up。　　Much　wreckage　lay　about。
  The　road　and　its　small　bridges　were　all　gone；　trees　torn　up　by　the
  roots　or　snapped　short　off　by　being　struck　by　heavy　logs　were
  heaped　together　like　barricades；　leaves　and　even　bark　being　in　many
  cases　stripped　completely　off；　great　logs　floated　down　the　river　in
  such　numbers　and　with　such　force　that　we　had　to　wait　half　an　hour
  in　one　place　to　secure　a　safe　crossing；　hollows　were　filled　with
  liquid　mud；　boulders　of　great　size　were　piled　into　embankments；
  causing　perilous　alterations　in　the　course　of　the　river；　a　fertile
  valley　had　been　utterly　destroyed；　and　the　men　said　they　could
  hardly　find　their　way。
  At　the　end　of　five　miles　it　became　impassable　for　horses；　and；　with
  two　of　the　mago　carrying　the　baggage；　we　set　off；　wading　through
  water　and　climbing　along　the　side　of　a　hill；　up　to　our　knees　in
  soft　wet　soil。　　The　hillside　and　the　road　were　both　gone；　and　there
  were　heavy　landslips　along　the　whole　valley。　　Happily　there　was　not
  much　of　this　exhausting　work；　for；　just　as　higher　and　darker
  ranges；　densely　wooded　with　cryptomeria；　began　to　close　us　in；　we
  emerged　upon　a　fine　new　road；　broad　enough　for　a　carriage；　which；
  after　crossing　two　ravines　on　fine　bridges；　plunges　into　the　depths
  of　a　magnificent　forest；　and　then　by　a　long　series　of　fine　zigzags
  of　easy　gradients　ascends　the　pass　of　Yadate；　on　the　top　of　which；
  in　a　deep　sandstone　cutting；　is　a　handsome　obelisk　marking　the
  boundary　between　Akita　and　Aomori　ken。　　This　is　a　marvellous　road
  for　Japan；　it　is　so　well　graded　and　built　up；　and　logs　for
  travellers'　rests　are　placed　at　convenient　distances。　　Some　very
  heavy　work　in　grading　and　blasting　has　been　done　upon　it；　but　there
  are　only　four　miles　of　it；　with　wretched　bridle　tracks　at　each　end。
  I　left　the　others　behind；　and　strolled　on　alone　over　the　top　of　the
  pass　and　down　the　other　side；　where　the　road　is　blasted　out　of　rock
  of　a　vivid　pink　and　green　colour；　looking　brilliant　under　the
  trickle　of　water。　　I　admire　this　pass　more　than　anything　I　have
  seen　in　Japan；　I　even　long　to　see　it　again；　but　under　a　bright　blue
  sky。　　It　reminds　me　much　of　the　finest　part　of　the　Brunig　Pass；　and
  something　of　some　of　the　passes　in　the　Rocky　Mountains；　but　the
  trees　are　far　finer　than　in　either。　　It　was　lonely；　stately；　dark；
  solemn；　its　huge　cryptomeria；　straight　as　masts；　sent　their　tall
  spires　far　aloft　in　search　of　light；　the　ferns；　which　love　damp　and
  shady　places；　were　the　only　undergrowth；　the　trees　flung　their
  balsamy；　aromatic　scent　liberally　upon　the　air；　and；　in　the
  unlighted　depths　of　many　a　ravine　and　hollow；　clear　bright　torrents
  leapt　and　tumbled；　drowning　with　their　thundering　bass　the　musical
  treble　of　the　lighter　streams。　　Not　a　traveller　disturbed　the
  solitude　with　his　sandalled　footfall；　there　was　neither　song　of
  bird　nor　hum　of　insect。
  In　the　midst　of　this　sublime　scenery；　and　at　the　very　top　of　the
  pass；　the　rain；　which　had　been　light　but　steady　during　the　whole
  day；　began　to　come　down　in　streams　and　then　in　sheets。　　I　have　been
  so　rained　upon　for　weeks　that　at　first　I　took　little　notice　of　it；
  but　very　soon　changes　occurred　before　my　eyes　which　concentrated　my
  attention　upon　it。　　The　rush　of　waters　was　heard　everywhere；　trees
  of　great　size　slid　down；　breaking　others　in　their　fall；　rocks　were
  rent　and　carried　away　trees　in　their　descent；　the　waters　rose
  before　our　eyes；　with　a　boom　and　roar　as　of　an　earthquake　a
  hillside　burst；　and　half　the　hill；　with　a　noble　forest　of
  cryptomeria；　was　projected　outwards；　and　the　trees；　with　the　land
  on　which　they　grew；　went　down　heads　foremost；　diverting　a　river
  from　its　course；　and　where　the　forest…covered　hillside　had　been
  there　was　a　great　scar；　out　of　which　a　torrent　burst　at　high
  pressure；　which　in　half　an　hour　carved　for　itself　a　deep　ravine；
  and　carried　into　the　valley　below　an　avalanche　of　stones　and　sand。
  Another　hillside　descended　less　abruptly；　and　its　noble　groves
  found　themselves　at　the　bottom　in　a　perpendicular　position；　and
  will　doubtless　survive　their　transplantation。　　Actually；　before　my
  eyes；　this　fine　new　road　was　torn　away　by　hastily　improvised
  torrents；　or　blocked　by　landslips　in　several　places；　and　a　little
  lower；　in　one　moment；　a　hundred　yards　of　it　disappeared；　and　with
  them　a　fine　bridge；　which　was　deposited　aslant　across　the　torrent
  lower　down。
  On　the　descent；　when　things　began　to　look　very　bad；　and　the
  mountain…sides　had　become　cascades　bringing　trees；　logs；　and　rocks
  down　with　them；　we　were　fortunate　enough　to　meet　with　two　pack…
  horses　whose　leaders　were　ignorant　of　the　impassability　of　the　road
  to　Odate；　and　they　and　my　coolies　exchanged　loads。　　These　were
  strong　horses；　and　the　mago　were　skilful　and　courageous。　　They　said
  if　we　hurried　we　could　just　get　to　the　hamlet　they　had　left；　they
  thought；　but　while　they　spoke　the　road　and　the　bridge　below　were
  carried　away。　　They　insisted　on　lashing　me　to　the　pack…saddle。　　The
  great　stream；　whose　beauty　I　had　formerly　admired；　was　now　a　thing
  of　dread；　and　had　to　be　forded　four　times　without　fords。　　It
  crashed　and　thundered；　drowning　the　feeble　sound　of　human　voices；
  the　torrents　from　the　heavens　hissed　through　the　forest；　trees　and
  logs　came　crashing　down　the　hillsides；　a　thousand　cascades　added　to
  the　din；　and　in　the　bewilderment　produced　by　such　an　unusual
  concatenation　of　sights　and　sounds　we　stumbled　through　the　river；
  the　men　up　to　their　shoulders；　the　horses　up　to　their　backs。　　Again
  and　again　we　crossed。　　The　banks　being　carried　away；　it　was　very
  hard　to　get　either　into　or　out　of　the　water；　the　horses　had　to
  scramble　or　jump　up　places　as　high　as　their　shoulders；　all　slippery
  and　crumbling；　and　twice　the　men　cut　steps　for　them　with　axes。　　The
  rush　of　the　torrent　at　the　last　crossing　taxed　the　strength　of　both
  men　and　horses；　and；　as　I　was　helpless　from　being　tied　on；　I
  confess　that　I　shut　my　eyes！　　After　getting　through；　we　came　upon
  the　lands　belonging　to　this　villagerice…fields　with　the　dykes
  burst；　and　all　the　beautiful　ridge　and　furrow　cultivation　of　the
  other　crops　carried　away。　　The　waters　were　rising　fast；　the　men
  said　we　must　hurry；　they　unbound　me；　so　that　I　might　ride　more
  comfortably；　spoke　to　the　horses；　and　went　on　at　a　run。　　My　horse；
  which　had　nearly　worn　out　his　shoes　in　the　fords；　stumbled　at　every
  step；　the　mago　gave　me　a　noose　of　rope　to　clutch；　the　rain　fell　in
  such　torrents　that　I　speculated　on　the　chance　of　being　washed　off
  my　saddle；　when　suddenly　I　saw　a　shower　of　sparks；　I　felt
  unutterable　things；　I　was　choked；　bruised；　stifled；　and　presently
  found　myself　being　hauled　out　of　a　ditch　by　three　men；　and　realised
  that　the　horse　had　tumbled　down　in　going　down　a　steepish　hill；　and
  that　I　had　gone　over　his　head。　　To　climb　again　on　the　soaked　futon
  was　the　work　of　a　moment；　and；　with　men　running　and　horses
  stumbling　and　splashing；　we　crossed　the　Hirakawa　by　one　fine
  bridge；　and　half　a　mile　farther　re…crossed　it　on　another；　wishing
  as　we　did　so　that　all　Japanese　bridges　were　as　substantial；　for
  they　were　both　100　feet　long；　and　had　central　piers。
  We　entered　Ikarigaseki　from　the　last　bridge；　a　village　of　800
  people；　on　a　narrow　ledge　between　an　abrupt　hill　and　the　Hirakawa；
  a　most　forlorn　and　tumble…down　place；　given　up　to　felling　timber
  and　making　shingles；　and　timber　in　all　its