camellias　and　feathery　bamboo　against　backgrounds　of　cryptomeria
  contrast　with　the　grey　monotone　of　British　winters；　and；　alighting
  at　a　farm　road　too　rough　for　a　carriage；　we　passed　through　fields
  and　hedgerows　to　an　erection　which　looks　too　insignificant　for　such
  solemn　use。　　Don't　expect　any　ghastly　details。　　A　longish　building
  of　〃wattle　and　dab；〃　much　like　the　northern　farmhouses；　a　high
  roof；　and　chimneys　resembling　those　of　the　〃oast　houses〃　in　Kent；
  combine　with　the　rural　surroundings　to　suggest　〃farm　buildings〃
  rather　than　the　〃funeral　pyre；〃　and　all　that　is　horrible　is　left　to
  the　imagination。
  The　end　nearest　the　road　is　a　little　temple；　much　crowded　with
  images；　and　small；　red；　earthenware　urns　and　tongs　for　sale　to　the
  relatives　of　deceased　persons；　and　beyond　this　are　four　rooms　with
  earthen　floors　and　mud　walls；　nothing　noticeable　about　them　except
  the　height　of　the　peaked　roof　and　the　dark　colour　of　the　plaster。
  In　the　middle　of　the　largest　are　several　pairs　of　granite　supports
  at　equal　distances　from　each　other；　and　in　the　smallest　there　is　a
  solitary　pair。　　This　was　literally　all　that　was　to　be　seen。　　In　the
  large　room　several　bodies　are　burned　at　one　time；　and　the　charge　is
  only　one　yen；　about　3s。　8d。；　solitary　cremation　costing　five　yen。
  Faggots　are　used；　and　1s。　worth　ordinarily　suffices　to　reduce　a
  human　form　to　ashes。　　After　the　funeral　service　in　the　house　the
  body　is　brought　to　the　cremation　ground；　and　is　left　in　charge　of
  the　attendant；　a　melancholy；　smoked…looking　man；　as　well　he　may　be。
  The　richer　people　sometimes　pay　priests　to　be　present　during　the
  burning；　but　this　is　not　usual。　　There　were　five　〃quick…tubs〃　of
  pine　hooped　with　bamboo　in　the　larger　room；　containing　the　remains
  of　coolies；　and　a　few　oblong　pine　chests　in　the　small　rooms
  containing　those　of　middle…class　people。　　At　8　p。m。　each　〃coffin〃
  is　placed　on　the　stone　trestles；　the　faggots　are　lighted
  underneath；　the　fires　are　replenished　during　the　night；　and　by　6
  a。m。　that　which　was　a　human　being　is　a　small　heap　of　ashes；　which
  is　placed　in　an　urn　by　the　relatives　and　is　honourably　interred。
  In　some　cases　the　priests　accompany　the　relations　on　this　last
  mournful　errand。　　Thirteen　bodies　were　burned　the　night　before　my
  visit；　but　there　was　not　the　slightest　odour　in　or　about　the
  building；　and　the　interpreter　told　me　that；　owing　to　the　height　of
  the　chimneys；　the　people　of　the　neighbourhood　never　experience　the
  least　annoyance；　even　while　the　process　is　going　on。　　The
  simplicity　of　the　arrangement　is　very　remarkable；　and　there　can　be
  no　reasonable　doubt　that　it　serves　the　purpose　of　the　innocuous　and
  complete　destruction　of　the　corpse　as　well　as　any　complicated
  apparatus　（if　not　better）；　while　its　cheapness　places　it　within　the
  reach　of　the　class　which　is　most　heavily　burdened　by　ordinary
  funeral　expenses。　｛23｝　　This　morning　the　Governor　sent　his
  secretary　to　present　me　with　a　translation　of　an　interesting
  account　of　the　practice　of　cremation　and　its　introduction　into
  Japan。
  SS。　〃Volga；〃　Christmas　Eve；　1878。The　snowy　dome　of　Fujisan
  reddening　in　the　sunrise　rose　above　the　violet　woodlands　of
  Mississippi　Bay　as　we　steamed　out　of　Yokohama　Harbour　on　the　19th；
  and　three　days　later　I　saw　the　last　of　Japana　rugged　coast；
  lashed　by　a　wintry　sea。
  I。　L。　B。
  Footnotes：
  ｛1｝　　This　is　an　altogether　exceptional　aspect　of　Fujisan；　under
  exceptional　atmospheric　conditions。　　The　mountain　usually　looks
  broader　and　lower；　and　is　often　compared　to　an　inverted　fan。
  ｛2｝　　I　continue　hereafter　to　use　the　Japanese　word　kuruma　instead
  of　the　Chinese　word　Jin…ri…ki…sha。　　Kuruma；　literally　a　wheel　or
  vehicle；　is　the　word　commonly　used　by　the　Jin…ri…ki…sha　men　and
  other　Japanese　for　the　〃man…power…carriage；〃　and　is　certainly　more
  euphonious。　　From　kuruma　naturally　comes　kurumaya　for　the　kuruma
  runner。
  ｛3｝　　Often　in　the　later　months　of　my　residence　in　Japan；　when　I
  asked　educated　Japanese　questions　concerning　their　history；
  religions；　or　ancient　customs；　I　was　put　off　with　the　answer；　〃You
  should　ask　Mr。　Satow；　he　could　tell　you。〃
  ｛4｝　　After　several　months　of　travelling　in　some　of　the　roughest
  parts　of　the　interior；　I　should　advise　a　person　in　average　health
  and　none　other　should　travel　in　Japannot　to　encumber　himself　with
  tinned　meats；　soups；　claret；　or　any　eatables　or　drinkables；　except
  Liebig's　extract　of　meat。
  ｛5｝　　I　visited　this　temple　alone　many　times　afterwards；　and　each
  visit　deepened　the　interest　of　my　first　impressions。　　There　is
  always　enough　of　change　and　novelty　to　prevent　the　interest　from
  flagging；　and　the　mild；　but　profoundly　superstitious；　form　of
  heathenism　which　prevails　in　Japan　is　nowhere　better　represented。
  ｛6｝　　The　list　of　my　equipments　is　given　as　a　help　to　future
  travellers；　especially　ladies；　who　desire　to　travel　long　distances
  in　the　interior　of　Japan。　　One　wicker　basket　is　enough；　as　I
  afterwards　found。
  ｛7｝　　My　fears；　though　quite　natural　for　a　lady　alone；　had　really　no
  justification。　　I　have　since　travelled　1200　miles　in　the　interior；
  and　in　Yezo；　with　perfect　safety　and　freedom　from　alarm；　and　I
  believe　that　there　is　no　country　in　the　world　in　which　a　lady　can
  travel　with　such　absolute　security　from　danger　and　rudeness　as　in
  Japan。
  ｛8｝　　In　my　northern　journey　I　was　very　frequently　obliged　to　put　up
  with　rough　and　dirty　accommodation；　because　the　better　sort　of
  houses　were　of　this　class。　　If　there　are　few　sights　which　shock　the
  traveller；　there　is　much　even　on　the　surface　to　indicate　vices
  which　degrade　and　enslave　the　manhood　of　Japan。
  ｛9｝　　I　advise　every　traveller　in　the　ruder　regions　of　Japan　to　take
  a　similar　stretcher　and　a　good　mosquito　net。　　With　these　he　may
  defy　all　ordinary　discomforts。
  ｛10｝　　This　can　only　be　true　of　the　behaviour　of　the　lowest
  excursionists　from　the　Treaty　Ports。
  ｛11｝　　Many　unpleasant　details　have　necessarily　been　omitted。　　If
  the　reader　requires　any　apology　for　those　which　are　given　here　and
  elsewhere；　it　must　be　found　in　my　desire　to　give　such　a　faithful
  picture　of　peasant　life；　as　I　saw　it　in　Northern　Japan；　as　may　be　a
  contribution　to　the　general　sum　of　knowledge　of　the　country；　and；
  at　the　same　time；　serve　to　illustrate　some　of　the　difficulties
  which　the　Government　has　to　encounter　in　its　endeavour　to　raise
  masses　of　people　as　deficient　as　these　are　in　some　of　the　first
  requirements　of　civilisation。
  ｛12｝　　The　excess　of　males　over　females　in　the　capital　is　36；000；
  and　in　the　whole　Empire　nearly　half　a　million。
  ｛13｝　　By　one　of　these；　not　fitted　up　for　passengers；　I　have　sent
  one　of　my　baskets　to　Hakodate；　and　by　doing　so　have　come　upon　one
  of　the　vexatious　restrictions　by　which　foreigners　are　harassed。　　It
  would　seem　natural　to　allow　a　foreigner　to　send　his　personal
  luggage　from　one　Treaty　Port　to　another　without　going　through　a
  number　of　formalities　which　render　it　nearly　impossible；　but　it　was
  only　managed　by　Ito　sending　mine　in　his　own　name　to　a　Japanese　at
  Hakodate　with　whom　he　is　slightly　acquainted。
  ｛14｝　　This　hospital　is　large　and　well　ventilated；　but　has　not　as
  yet　succeeded　in　attracting　many　in…patients；　out…patients；
  specially　sufferers　from　ophthalmia；　are　very　numerous。　　The
  Japanese　chief　physician　regards　the　great　prevalence　of　the　malady
  in　this　neighbourhood　as　the　result　of　damp；　the　reflection　of　the
  sun's　rays　from　sand　and　snow；　inadequate　ventilation　and　charcoal
  fumes。
  ｛15｝　　Kak'ke；　by　William　Anderson；　F。R。C。S。　　Transactions　of
  English　Asiatic　Society　of　Japan；　January　1878。
  ｛16｝　　I　failed　to　learn　what　the　liquor　was　which　was　drunk　so
  freely；　but　as　no　unseemly　effects　followed　its　use；　I　think　it
  must　either　have　been　light　wine；　or　light　sake。
  ｛17｝　　I　venture　to　present　this　journal　letter；　with　a　few
  omissions；　just　as　it　was　written；　trusting　that　the　interest　which
  attaches　to　aboriginal　races　and　little…visited　regions　will　carry
  my　readers　through　the　minuteness　and　multiplicity　of　its　details。
  ｛18｝　　The　use　of　kerosene　in　matted　wooden　houses　is　a　new　cause　of
  conflagrations。　　It　is　not　possible　to　say　how　it　originated；　but
  just　before　Christmas　1879　a　fire　broke　out　in　Hakodate；　which　in　a
  few　hours　destroyed　20　streets；　2500　houses；　the　British　Consulate；
  several　public　buildings；　the　new　native　Christian　church；　and　the
  church　Mission　House；　leaving　11；000　people　homeless。
  ｛19｝　　I　went　over　them　with　the　Ainos　of　a　remote　village　on
  Volcano　Bay；　and　found　the　differences　in　pronunciation　very
  slight；　except　that　the　definiteness　of　the　sound　which　I　have
  represented　by　Tsch　was　more　strongly　marked。　　I　afterwards　went
  over　them　with　Mr。　Dening；　and　with　Mr。　Von　Siebold　at　Tokiyo；　who
  have　made　a　larger　collection　of　words　than　I　have；　and　it　is
  satisfactory　to　find　that　we　have　represented　the　words　in　the　main
  by　the　same　letters；　with　the　single　exception　that　usually　the
  sound　represented　by　them　by　the　letters　ch　I　have　given　as　Tsch；
  and　I　venture　to　think　that　is　the　most　correct　rendering。
  ｛20｝　　I　have　not　been　able　to　obtain　from　any　botanist　the　name　of
  the　tree　from　the　bark　of　which　the　thread　is　made；　but　suppose　it
  to　be　a　species　of　Tiliaceae。
  ｛21｝　　Yoshitsune　is　the