fordable；　and　tore　up　such　of　a　road　as　there　is；　which　at　its　best
  is　a　mere　water…channel。　　Torrents；　bringing　tolerable…sized
  stones；　tore　down　the　track；　and　when　the　horses　had　been　struck
  two　or　three　times　by　these；　it　was　with　difficulty　that　they　could
  be　induced　to　face　the　rushing　water。　　Constantly　in　a　pass；　the
  water　had　gradually　cut　a　track　several　feet　deep　between　steep
  banks；　and　the　only　possible　walking　place　was　a　stony　gash　not
  wide　enough　for　the　two　feet　of　a　horse　alongside　of　each　other；
  down　which　water　and　stones　were　rushing　from　behind；　with　all
  manner　of　trailers　matted　overhead；　and　between　avoiding　being
  strangled　and　attempting　to　keep　a　tender…footed　horse　on　his　legs；
  the　ride　was　a　very　severe　one。　　The　poor　animal　fell　five　times
  from　stepping　on　stones；　and　in　one　of　his　falls　twisted　my　left
  wrist　badly。　　I　thought　of　the　many　people　who　envied　me　my　tour　in
  Japan；　and　wondered　whether　they　would　envy　me　that　ride！
  After　this　had　gone　on　for　four　hours；　the　track；　with　a　sudden　dip
  over　a　hillside；　came　down　on　Old　Mororan；　a　village　of　thirty　Aino
  and　nine　Japanese　houses；　very　unpromising…looking；　although
  exquisitely　situated　on　the　rim　of　a　lovely　cove。　　The　Aino　huts
  were　small　and　poor；　with　an　unusual　number　of　bear　skulls　on
  poles；　and　the　village　consisted　mainly　of　two　long　dilapidated
  buildings；　in　which　a　number　of　men　were　mending　nets。　　It　looked　a
  decaying　place；　of　low；　mean　lives。　　But　at　a　〃merchant's〃　there
  was　one　delightful　room　with　two　translucent　sidesone　opening　on
  the　village；　the　other　looking　to　the　sea　down　a　short；　steep
  slope；　on　which　is　a　quaint　little　garden；　with　dwarfed　fir…trees
  in　pots；　a　few　balsams；　and　a　red　cabbage　grown　with　much　pride　as
  a　〃foliage　plant。〃
  It　is　nearly　midnight；　but　my　bed　and　bedding　are　so　wet　that　I　am
  still　sitting　up　and　drying　them；　patch　by　patch；　with　tedious
  slowness；　on　a　wooden　frame　placed　over　a　charcoal　brazier；　which
  has　given　my　room　the　dryness　and　warmth　which　are　needed　when　a
  person　has　been　for　many　hours　in　soaked　clothing；　and　has　nothing
  really　dry　to　put　on。　　Ito　bought　a　chicken　for　my　supper；　but　when
  he　was　going　to　kill　it　an　hour　later　its　owner　in　much　grief
  returned　the　money；　saying　she　had　brought　it　up　and　could　not　bear
  to　see　it　killed。　　This　is　a　wild；　outlandish　place；　but　an
  intuition　tells　me　that　it　is　beautiful。　　The　ocean　at　present　is
  thundering　up　the　beach　with　the　sullen　force　of　a　heavy　ground…
  swell；　and　the　rain　is　still　falling　in　torrents。
  I。　L。　B。
  LETTER　XL
  〃More　than　Peace〃Geographical　DifficultiesUsu…takiSwimming
  the　OsharuA　Dream　of　BeautyA　Sunset　EffectA　Nocturnal　Alarm
  The　Coast　Ainos。
  LEBUNGE；　VOLCANO　BAY；　YEZO；
  September　6。
  〃Weary　wave　and　dying　blast
  Sob　and　moan　along　the　shore；
  All　is　peace　at　last。〃
  And　more　than　peace。　　It　was　a　heavenly　morning。　　The　deep　blue　sky
  was　perfectly　unclouded；　a　blue　sea　with　diamond　flash　and　a　〃many…
  twinkling　smile〃　rippled　gently　on　the　golden　sands　of　the　lovely
  little　bay；　and　opposite；　forty　miles　away；　the　pink　summit　of　the
  volcano　of　Komono…taki；　forming　the　south…western　point　of　Volcano
  Bay；　rose　into　a　softening　veil　of　tender　blue　haze。　　There　was　a
  balmy　breeziness　in　the　air；　and　tawny　tints　upon　the　hill；　patches
  of　gold　in　the　woods；　and　a　scarlet　spray　here　and　there　heralded
  the　glories　of　the　advancing　autumn。　　As　the　day　began；　so　it
  closed。　　I　should　like　to　have　detained　each　hour　as　it　passed。　　It
  was　thorough　enjoyment。　　I　visited　a　good　many　of　the　Mororan
  Ainos；　saw　their　well…grown　bear　in　its　cage；　and；　tearing　myself
  away　with　difficulty　at　noon；　crossed　a　steep　hill　and　a　wood　of
  scrub　oak；　and　then　followed　a　trail　which　runs　on　the　amber　sands
  close　to　the　sea；　crosses　several　small　streams；　and　passes　the
  lonely　Aino　village　of　Maripu；　the　ocean　always　on　the　left　and
  wooded　ranges　on　the　right；　and　in　front　an　apparent　bar　to　farther
  progress　in　the　volcano　of　Usu…taki；　an　imposing　mountain；　rising
  abruptly　to　a　height　of　nearly　3000　feet；　I　should　think。
  In　Yezo；　as　on　the　main　island；　one　can　learn　very　little　about　any
  prospective　route。　　Usually　when　one　makes　an　inquiry　a　Japanese
  puts　on　a　stupid　look；　giggles；　tucks　his　thumbs　into　his　girdle；
  hitches　up　his　garments；　and　either　professes　perfect　ignorance　or
  gives　one　some　vague　second…hand　information；　though　it　is　quite
  possible　that　he　may　have　been　over　every　foot　of　the　ground
  himself　more　than　once。　　Whether　suspicion　of　your　motives　in
  asking；　or　a　fear　of　compromising　himself　by　answering；　is　at　the
  bottom　of　this　I　don't　know；　but　it　is　most　exasperating　to　a
  traveller。　　In　Hakodate　I　failed　to　see　Captain　Blakiston；　who　has
  walked　round　the　whole　Yezo　sea…board；　and　all　I　was　able　to　learn
  regarding　this　route　was　that　the　coast　was　thinly　peopled　by
  Ainos；　that　there　were　Government　horses　which　could　be　got；　and
  that　one　could　sleep　where　one　got　them；　that　rice　and　salt　fish
  were　the　only　food；　that　there　were　many　〃bad　rivers；〃　and　that　the
  road　went　over　〃bad　mountains；〃　that　the　only　people　who　went　that
  way　were　Government　officials　twice　a　year；　that　one　could　not　get
  on　more　than　four　miles　a　day；　that　the　roads　over　the　passes　were
  〃all　big　stones；〃　etc。　etc。　　So　this　Usu…taki　took　me　altogether　by
  surprise；　and　for　a　time　confounded　all　my　carefully…constructed
  notions　of　locality。　　I　had　been　told　that　the　one　volcano　in　the
  bay　was　Komono…taki；　near　Mori；　and　this　I　believed　to　be　eighty
  miles　off；　and　there；　confronting　me；　within　a　distance　of　two
  miles；　was　this　grand；　splintered；　vermilion…crested　thing；　with　a
  far　nobler　aspect　than　that　of　〃THE〃　volcano；　with　a　curtain　range
  in　front；　deeply　scored；　and　slashed　with　ravines　and　abysses　whose
  purple　gloom　was　unlighted　even　by　the　noon…day　sun。　　One　of　the
  peaks　was　emitting　black　smoke　from　a　deep　crater；　another　steam
  and　white　smoke　from　various　rents　and　fissures　in　its　side
  vermilion　peaks；　smoke；　and　steam　all　rising　into　a　sky　of
  brilliant　blue；　and　the　atmosphere　was　so　clear　that　I　saw
  everything　that　was　going　on　there　quite　distinctly；　especially
  when　I　attained　an　altitude　exceeding　that　of　the　curtain　range。
  It　was　not　for　two　days　that　I　got　a　correct　idea　of　its
  geographical　situation；　but　I　was　not　long　in　finding　out　that　it
  was　not　Komono…taki！　　There　is　much　volcanic　activity　about　it。　　I
  saw　a　glare　from　it　last　night　thirty　miles　away。　　The　Ainos　said
  that　it　was　〃a　god；〃　but　did　not　know　its　name；　nor　did　the
  Japanese　who　were　living　under　its　shadow。　　At　some　distance　from
  it　in　the　interior　rises　a　great　dome…like　mountain；　Shiribetsan；
  and　the　whole　view　is　grand。
  A　little　beyond　Mombets　flows　the　river　Osharu；　one　of　the　largest
  of　the　Yezo　streams。　　It　was　much　swollen　by　the　previous　day's
  rain；　and　as　the　ferry…boat　was　carried　away　we　had　to　swim　it；　and
  the　swim　seemed　very　long。　　Of　course；　we　and　the　baggage　got　very
  wet。　　The　coolness　with　which　the　Aino　guide　took　to　the　water
  without　giving　us　any　notice　that　its　broad；　eddying　flood　was　a
  swim；　and　not　a　ford；　was　very　amusing。
  From　the　top　of　a　steepish　ascent　beyond　the　Osharugawa　there　is　a
  view　into　what　looks　like　a　very　lovely　lake；　with　wooded
  promontories；　and　little　bays；　and　rocky　capes　in　miniature；　and
  little　heights；　on　which　Aino　houses；　with　tawny　roofs；　are
  clustered；　and　then　the　track　dips　suddenly；　and　deposits　one；　not
  by　a　lake　at　all；　but　on　Usu　Bay；　an　inlet　of　the　Pacific；　much
  broken　up　into　coves；　and　with　a　very　narrow　entrance；　only　obvious
  from　a　few　points。　　Just　as　the　track　touches　the　bay　there　is　a
  road…post；　with　a　prayer…wheel　in　it；　and　by　the　shore　an　upright
  stone　of　very　large　size；　inscribed　with　Sanskrit　characters；　near
  to　a　stone　staircase　and　a　gateway　in　a　massive　stone…faced
  embankment；　which　looked　much　out　of　keeping　with　the　general
  wildness　of　the　place。　　On　a　rocky　promontory　in　a　wooded　cove
  there　is　a　large；　rambling　house；　greatly　out　of　repair；　inhabited
  by　a　Japanese　man　and　his　son；　who　are　placed　there　to　look　after
  Government　interests；　exiles　among　500　Ainos。　　From　among　the
  number　of　rat…haunted；　rambling　rooms　which　had　once　been　handsome；
  I　chose　one　opening　on　a　yard　or　garden　with　some　distorted　yews　in
  it；　but　found　that　the　great　gateway　and　the　amado　had　no　bolts；
  and　that　anything　might　be　appropriated　by　any　one　with　dishonest
  intentions；　but　the　house…master　and　his　son；　who　have　lived　for
  ten　years　among　the　Ainos；　and　speak　their　language；　say　that
  nothing　is　ever　taken；　and　that　the　Ainos　are　thoroughly　honest　and
  harmless。　　Without　this　assurance　I　should　have　been　distrustful　of
  the　number　of　wide…mouthed　youths　who　hung　about；　in　the
  listlessness　and　vacuity　of　savagery；　if　not　of　the　bearded　men　who
  sat　or　stood　about　the　gateway　with　children　in　their　arms。
  Usu　is　a　dream　of　beauty　and　peace。　　There　is　not　much　difference
  between　the　height　of　high　and　low　water　on　this　coast；　and　the
  lake…like　illusion　would　have　been　perfect　had　it　not　been　that　the
  rocks　were　tinged　with　gold　for　a　foot　or　so　above　the　sea　by　a
  delicate　species　o