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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2016 
 
 https://archive.org/details/mitoyashikitaleoOOmacl 
 
A BUDGET OF LETTERS FROM JAPAN 
 
 By ARTHUR COLLINS MACLAYi A.M., LL.B. 
 
 “ It is not unworthy of a place beside the best and most in- 
 structive of the lighter descriptive books relating to the Empire.” 
 — Japan Weekly Mail y Yokohama. 
 
 14 It still is the most intelligent and thorough work in existence 
 as a study of Japanese character.” — New York Herald. 
 
 “ No other modern book on Japan gives so full, authentic, and 
 entertaining an account as this.” — Brooklyn Daily Times. 
 
 “This book is a charming picture of Japan.” — The Critic , 
 New York City. 
 
 “ As far as it goes, and considering the extent of Buddhism it 
 goes far, this volume furnishes an effective reply to the assaults 
 of Canon Taylor, both early and late, a reply which not only 
 leaves the Canon in a poor position, but which gives to it the 
 ridiculous aspect of a series of elaborate charges which were 
 already effectually disposed of before they were put into print.” 
 — The Independent , New York City. 
 
 One vol., crown octavo cloth 
 
 Price, $2.00 
 
MI TO YASHIKI 
 
 A TALE OF OLD JAPAN 
 
 BEING A FEUDAL ROMANCE DESCRIPTIVE OF THE DECLINE OF 
 THE SHOGUNATE AND OF THE DOWNFALL OF THE 
 POWER OF THE TOKUGAWA FAMILY 
 
 BY 
 
 y 
 
 ARTHUR COLLINS MACLAY, A.M., LL.B. 
 
 AUTHOR OF "A BUDGET OF LETTERS FROM JAPAN ” 
 
 SECOND EDITION 
 
 G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 LONDON 
 
 =7 
 
 WBST TWENTY-THIRD ST. 27 KING WILLIAM ST., STRAND 
 
 <Jbe Jnicktrbockcr jprtss 
 
 1890 
 
COPYRIGHT 1889 
 
 BY ARTHUR COLLINS MACLAY 
 
 [All rights reserved ] 
 
 Ube Ifcnfcfcerbocfccr press, IRcw JJorb 
 
 Electrotypcd and Printed by 
 
 G. P. Putnam’s Sons 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In the year 1875, when I was in the service of the 
 Japanese government at Tokio, it chanced that my place 
 of residence was located north of the old Yedo castle 
 grounds, while my office lay to the south of them, thus 
 rendering it necessary for me to pass twice each day 
 through the centre of that vast system of feudal fortifica- 
 tion. One stormy day, as I was trudging homeward in 
 company with an inveterate pedestrian, — a young Eng- 
 lishman who persisted in taking “constitutional exer- 
 cise ” in all kinds of weather, — he suddenly halted 
 at the bridge that crossed the broad moat before 
 the Sakurada gateway and exclaimed : “ Here is the 
 spot where was enacted the most thrilling episode in 
 modern Japanese history. On a day like this, about 
 fourteen years ago, the de facto ruler of the Japanese 
 empire was attacked at the head of this bridge, in the 
 very midst of his guards, by a band of seventeen Mito 
 ronins, and was ignominiously beheaded. For adroit- 
 ness and daring I will match the deed against any found 
 in the annals of any nation.” Being deeply interested 
 in his graphic account of the tragedy, I eagerly read up 
 all the narratives of the sanguinary occurrence that 
 could be found, and came to the conclusion that the 
 affair was worthy to be woven into the warp and woof of 
 a romance by some novelist, — little imagining, however, 
 that I myself would ever attempt such a work. For 
 many years the incidents of this thrilling episode in 
 Japanese history have lain fallow in my mind. After 
 the cordial and flattering reception accorded to my “ Bud- 
 
IV 
 
 Preface. 
 
 get of Letters ” three years ago, I began to seriously con- 
 sider the matter of writing a Japanese romance based on 
 this historic fact. While yet undecided as to what course 
 to pursue in the premises, I happened to read in the 
 New York Independent an article concerning Japanese 
 novels, wherein the writer expressed the hope that some 
 American author would work up this realm of romance, 
 saying : “ There is a vast stock to draw from. Judicious 
 selections, easy to make, will be gladly received, we are 
 sure. No small proportion of such stock is historical. 
 When not entirely that, or when the incidents of the 
 several tales are woven of truth and fable, facts and 
 the wildest legends, the inlook it gives us into states of 
 Japan’s national existence, which are fast passing away, 
 are too valuable to be neglected.” 
 
 I have accordingly endeavored to picture in this tale 
 of old Japan the workings of that wonderful system of 
 espionage that characterized the Tokugawa dynasty 
 of Shoguns, — a system that covered the empire like 
 a net, and which was interwoven with innumerable 
 incidents of the most thrilling interest. I have also 
 depicted in mild colors the official corruption peculiar 
 in a marked degree to the regime of the later Sho- 
 guns. And, finally, I have endeavored to picture the 
 amazement and bewilderment of keen pagan intellects, 
 strongly imbued with atheistical ideas, when brought 
 in contact with the mighty realities of the Christian civil- 
 ization of the nineteenth century. While freely availing 
 myself of the license and the latitude accorded to the 
 novelist, yet in historic and geographical matters I have 
 striven to lay accurate details before the reader. Through 
 the meshes of the assassination scene I have woven the 
 thread of Sir Rutherford Alcock’s brilliant description 
 of that romantic event. In those portions of the book 
 into which I have incorporated the atheistical objections 
 of pagan intellects to Christianity I have, two or three 
 times, found the Japanese ideas on the subject so com- 
 pletely covered by some expressions used in a recent 
 magazine controversy in the United States between 
 
Preface. 
 
 v 
 
 Christianized intellects, that I have taken those expres- 
 sions verbatim and have woven them into my text after 
 having enclosed them within quotation marks. 
 
 In conclusion, I would state that the title Mito 
 Yashiki means, when liberally rendered into English, 
 “ The feudal palace of the Prince of Mito ” ; and it is 
 pronounced, like all Japanese words, after the Con- 
 tinental method , — i having the sound of e, and a having 
 the broad sound. The accent should be placed on the 
 first syllable of each word, and o should be lon^. Thus, 
 when slowly pronounced, Mito Yashiki = Me-to Yah'- 
 she-ke. When quickly pronounced, as it always is in 
 ordinary conversation, Yashiki sounds as if it contained 
 but two syllables, — thus, Yash'-ke. 
 
 Arthur C. Maclay. 
 
 55 Liberty St., New York City 
 October i, 18S9. 
 

 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PACE 
 
 I. — The Nakashima F amily i 
 
 In — K ioto in the Year 1853 . * . .17 
 
 III. — An Evening on the Kamogawa Shoals 2S 
 
 IV. — A Courier Despatch 51 
 
 V. — A Mutual Compact 61 
 
 VI. — Tys Plot Thickens 73 
 
 VII. — An Overland Journey 89 
 
 VIII. — Yedo 107 
 
 IX. — Mito Yashiki 115 
 
 X. — Life at Mito Yashiki 128 
 
 XI. — A Brief Interview with the Old Prince 141 
 
 XII. — A Change of Scene 152 
 
 XIII. — Ship Ahoy ! .161 
 
 XIV. — Shadows 171 
 
 XV. — When Greek Meets Greek .... 186 
 
 XVI. — A Convocation at the Citadel . . . 197 
 
 XVII. — Hikon£ Castle 214 
 
 XVIII. — A Metaphysical Siesta 227 
 
 XIX. — Orange Blossoms 246 
 
 XX. — A Retrospect 258 
 
 XXI. — Iyesada 266 
 
 XXII. — Iyemochi . 275 
 
 XXIII. — The Entering in of the Wedge . . . 280 
 
 XXIV. — The Cat Plays with the Mouse . . 291 
 
 XXV. — And the Mouse Escapes 304 
 
viii Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 XXVI. — An Unexpected Meeting 316 
 
 XXVII. — The Flight 324 
 
 XXVIII. — Mountain Scenes 332 
 
 XXIX. — The Conspiracy 366 
 
 XXX. — “ Beware the Ides of March ! ” . . . 373 
 
 XXXI. — The Fate of the Head 382 
 
 XXXII. — A Brief Historic Resume 390 
 
 XXXIII. — The Dav^i of a New Era 399 
 
 XXXIV. — Light Breaks through the Clouds . . . 409 
 
 XXXV. — The Light of the World 422 
 
 Conclusion 454 
 
MITO YASHIKI. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE NAKASHIMA FAMILY. 
 
 In the year 1853 of the Christian era, there dwelt in 
 a little hamlet nestled in a sequestered glen at the foot 
 of the Atago Mountains, in the western part of the 
 province of Yamashiro, near to the city of Kioto, in the 
 central part of Japan, an obscure family bearing the 
 name of Nakashima. They traced their ancestry back 
 to the eighth century of our era, to a certain kugt, or 
 court noble, attached to the imperial household in 
 Kioto. Those were days of affluence and power for the 
 family ; but as the Mikado was stripped of one preroga- 
 tive after another, and as successive sources of revenue 
 were cut off, from that time until the seventeenth cen- 
 tury, by ambitious and unscrupulous generals, who 
 grasped all the executive and administrative functions 
 pertaining to his office, the imperial household was re- 
 duced to great poverty, and was obliged to cast adrift 
 many courtiers, retainers, and descendants of ancient 
 kugls through lack of means wherewith to support them. 
 
 In the year 1600, Nakashima Isami, one of these 
 ronin descendants, enlisted in the service of Tokugawa 
 Iyeyas, and was engaged in many desperate battles under 
 that valiant and victorious warrior, subduing factious 
 chieftains in various parts of the realm. But during the 
 years of profound peace that prevailed throughout the 
 empire subsequent to the founding of the Tokugawa 
 
 1 
 
2 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 dynasty of Shoguns, the art of war did not require such 
 multitudes of followers ; and, as the Shoguns could not 
 support all who might desire to enlist in their service, it 
 naturally came to pass that those samurai who were 
 without money or influence were compelled to resort to 
 peaceful avocations for their livelihood. 
 
 Of this luckless number was Nakashima Toyada, one 
 of the descendants of Nakashima Isami. Finding him- 
 self politely released from further fealty to the house of 
 Tokugawa, and excused from all further necessity of eat- 
 ing the rice of his recent master, he reluctantly became 
 ronin, and drifted from Yedo to Kioto about the mid- 
 dle of the last century. In vain did he seek to attach 
 himself to the service, either of the Mikado or to that 
 of some kugt ; for the tide of wealth and of power had 
 set toward Yedo, and gloom and poverty had settled 
 upon the ancient court of the empire. 
 
 Seeking in vain for some other employment that should 
 harmonize with his notions of the dignity of a samurai 
 and a patrician of the realm, he finally purchased, with 
 what scanty funds he possessed, a small piece of land 
 beside the frothing waters that rushed headlong from 
 their sources in Atago-Yama, and dashed wildly through 
 the glen among the foot-hills a few miles northwest of 
 Kioto. There he built a modest cottage and established 
 his family shrine. Having a thorough knowledge of the 
 native literature, and being no tyro in the art of fencing, 
 he derived a fair living from giving instruction in these 
 branches to the youth of Kioto. He also had a natural 
 talent for sketching and for painting in water-colors, 
 and, although it was considered far beneath the dignity 
 of a samurai to earn money like an artisan, yet being 
 endowed with a fair share of good sense (which revealed 
 no reason why the lofty notions of a class that furnished 
 him not a grain of rice should be held precious in his 
 sight), he deemed it best to pocket his dignity and to 
 derive all the revenue possible from ornamenting choice 
 fans and screens with his brush, — the beauty of the 
 surrounding country furnishing many inspired scenes. 
 
The Nakashima Family. 
 
 3 
 
 Thus employed, he passed the balance of his days in 
 serene contentment. And his son, following his ex- 
 ample, gradually accumulated sufficient funds wherewith 
 to purchase adjoining land, and to considerably enhance 
 the value of the estate by careful horticulture. 
 
 The present head of the family, grandson of the origi- 
 nal settler, Nakashima Yotori by name, was an urbane 
 gentleman of fifty winters. He lived in the old home- 
 stead, or rather upon the site of the old homestead, 
 for the original building had been so frequently repaired 
 that there was but little of the former material left in it. 
 
 Like all structures in Japan, it was built almost en- 
 tirely of wood. The roof was tiled ; the gable ends were 
 plastered with lime, the upper story had a balcony along 
 its front side overlooking the garden and the stream ; and 
 along the edge of the balcony railing was a shelf upon 
 which was ranged a row of porcelain flower-pots of 
 various colors and designs, containing chrysanthemums 
 of many brilliant hues, and also containing several sprouts 
 of a species of thick-leaved cactus of dwarfed proportions, 
 from whose broken leaves exuded a thick oil that was 
 used by the ladies as a pomatum for the hair, serving to 
 keep it in shape with it* gum-like tenacity. From this 
 balcony a fine view of the glen could be obtained. 
 Along the front and along the back of the lower story of 
 the house, were wide verandas, whose polished floors 
 abundantly testified to the tidiness of the worthy house- 
 wife ; and the ends of the house were neatly plastered in 
 white in the spaces between the broad wooden uprights 
 and the cross-beams, thus presenting a unique panelled 
 appearance quite pleasing to the eye. 
 
 The rooms in the house were separated, not by parti- 
 tions, but by s/iojees (sliding doors made of wood and 
 paper), set loosely in grooves so as to render them easily 
 removable in hot weather. The floors were all covered 
 with tatamis (thick rush mats). A broad ladder with 
 wide steps instead of rounds gives access to the upper 
 story, which is fitted up in exactly the same manner as 
 the lower one. In order to prevent the rain driving 
 
4 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 through the house when storms chance to hurl themselves 
 against either of its exposed sides, deep grooves were 
 placed along the outer edges of the balconies and of the 
 verandas into which may be slipped ahme doors ( “ rain 
 doors ” made of light wood). At nighttime these were 
 always brought forth from the closet at the end of each 
 balcony and at the end of each veranda, and were slid 
 into their respective places and bolted there, thus making 
 the house quite dark inside, and serving not only to 
 prevent the pouring in of sudden and violent tempests, 
 but also to obstruct the ingress of all intruders. As a 
 matter of course the house had neither garret nor cellar, 
 as such appurtenances were unknown in the empire. 
 
 The road that leaves Kioto toward the northwest, after 
 winding through temple grounds and groves of maple 
 and cherry-trees, continues its devious course through 
 several miles of gradually ascending country until it 
 merges in the foot-hills of Atago-Yama where, when it 
 reaches our hamlet, it passes beside the boxwood hedge 
 that separates the front yard of our homestead from the 
 highway. Through this evergreen barrier, ingress may 
 be obtained by means of a gateway, whose heavy wooden 
 portals stand ajar from daylight until nightfall, giving to 
 passing travellers bright glimpses of the home-life within. 
 
 Entering the front yard, we find ourselves facing the 
 veranda where the O-kami-san is busily engaged in sweep- 
 ing off the dust — exemplary housewife as she is. On the 
 right-hand side the yard is separated from that of the 
 next-door neighbor by a hedge of hollyhock shrubbery, 
 while on the left-hand side high copses of camellia bushes 
 ranged together closely in a line before a closely woven 
 bamboo fence served admirably to shut off intrusive in- 
 spection in that direction. Upon a bamboo trellis beside 
 this fence there crept a morning-glory vine, while in the 
 middle of the yard a grotesquely trimmed pine tree over- 
 shadowed with its spreading branches a large porcelain 
 basin full of water, wherein gold-fishes were sporting 
 amid the shadows cast upon the tiny waves by the clouds 
 and leaves overhead ; and copses of fragrant olea beside 
 
The Nakashima Family. 
 
 5 
 
 the gateway and at the ends of the veranda, that filled the 
 air with delicious perfume during the autumn months, 
 together with clumps of flowering almonds and sweet- 
 scented jessamines, gave forth perpetually their subtle 
 charms, and abundantly testified to the taste and the skill 
 of the inmates of the dwelling. A stately cherry-tree be- 
 side the wood-lined well at the end of the house seemed 
 buoyed up with clouds of pink and white blossoms, 
 which sprinkled the grass with showers of petals. 
 
 At the back of the house the ground was laid out in a 
 neat garden, where were carefully cultivated long rows 
 of radishes and leeks. A bamboo fence separated this 
 garden from the adjoining one, and also from the girdle 
 of underbrush that skirted the dark woods upon the 
 steep mountain-side that sloped upwards from the fence. 
 
 The scenery surrounding the hamlet was subdued and 
 beautiful. From the front balcony of the homestead you 
 gazed upon the slopes down to the glittering sands of the 
 mountain stream. Deep verdure embowered the oppo- 
 site side of the glen, where cooling cascades among the 
 ravines invited during the hot summer months throngs 
 of pleasure-seekers from the sultry city. Numerous 
 copses of feathery bamboo trees appeared like nodding 
 plumes amid the darker foliage of chestnut, beech, oak 
 and cryptomeria that screened the lairs of the wild boar 
 and the retreats of the deer, which, during the summer 
 and the autumn months, invaded the precincts of the 
 hamlet and devoured more than their fair proportion of 
 the sweet potatoes and the watermelons. 
 
 Either up or down the glen the view was circumscribed 
 with deeply wooded hills and with towering crags, which 
 sheltered the place so effectually from the wintry winds 
 that orange-trees grew around the hamlet, and the sago- 
 palm flourished beside the hedges, and the roses, 
 camellias, and chrysanthemums bloomed out-doors in 
 midwinter. The soft mantle of snow which, at rare inter- 
 vals, descended upon the landscape, faded like a dream 
 before the powerful rays of the midday sun. The stream 
 was never frozen, and the plash of its waves washing the 
 
6 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 sands against the pebbles and the boulders in its chan- 
 nel, filled the air with soft whisperings, which the children 
 likened to the murmurings of vast throngs of monkeys 
 in mighty convocation amid the secluded forests in the 
 uplands where they dwelt. 
 
 But let us leave the balcony and inspect in detail the 
 interior arrangements of the house, beginning with the 
 reception room down stairs. This large room extends 
 from the front veranda to the back veranda. As we 
 enter it from the front yard, we have on our left hand a 
 couple of closets in which the bedding has been stowed 
 away for the day. A little beyond, on the same side of 
 the room, is a space raised a few inches above the floor, 
 allotted to the few ornamental things usually found in 
 native houses, and which is usually the most picturesque 
 portion of the interior ; here you will see the handsomely 
 lacquered sword-rack ; here also is the sombre-looking 
 lacquered chest containing the suit of armor in which 
 Nakashima Isami fought at the battle of Sekigahara, two 
 hundred and fifty-three years ago, and which still shows 
 upon the massive bronze helmet the long and deep scar 
 left by the keen sword of some powerful warrior of the 
 League, whose routed legions were chased by the relent- 
 less Tokugawa Iyeyas far into the night, and whose 
 fierce soldiers frequently turned and stretched low many 
 an ardent pursuer whose heedless zeal had carried him 
 away from the supporting body of troops into some fatal 
 ambuscade. 
 
 Above this warlike display is a shelf holding a pair of 
 blue vases. Above this again are two brackets whereon 
 are placed two handsomely lacquered boxes containing 
 writing utensils, seals, and correspondence. While yet 
 higher up, across the top of the space, are little closets 
 where the ladies keep their best dresses and choice 
 girdles ; each lady has but one gala suit, which will serve 
 for many years, fearing nothing from change of style in 
 a country where styles vary but little in a century. At 
 each corner of this space is a post composed of the 
 trunk of a small tree, the bark of which has not been 
 
The Nakashima Family. 
 
 7 
 
 removed, and whose knot-holes have been polished until 
 they shine. The charming rusticity of this place is sug- 
 gestive of the primitive, mode of living in primeval 
 times, when saplings and trees propped up the thatch of 
 ancient huts. The wall beyond the closets and the 
 sanctum is decorated with hanging scrolls, upon which 
 are designs of birds, flowers, and mountain scenery, and 
 which, as the breeze plays through the room, gently flut- 
 ter from the wall like trailing banners, and fall back into 
 position, tapping it with the ivory ends of the sticks on 
 which they are mounted. 
 
 On the opposite side of the room, sliding doors sepa- 
 rate us from two smaller rooms : the one opening on the 
 front veranda being used during the day as a place for 
 sewing, smoking, and lounging, and during the night as 
 the bedchamber of the three brothers ; and that one 
 which opens on the back veranda being used as the 
 dining-room, and occasionally as a sleeping-room. Be- 
 yond these rooms, in a little wing attached to the other 
 end of the house, were the kitchen and the bath-room. 
 In the middle of the floor of each room was sunk a 
 granite block, which had been hollowed out sufficiently 
 to admit a few handfuls of ashes being placed therein to 
 serve as the bed for little heaps of burning charcoal, over 
 which the hands could be warmed in cold weather. 
 
 The household comprised the parents, three sons, one 
 daughter, and an old man-servant whose father and 
 grandfather had served the Nakashima family in a simi- 
 lar capacity. When Nakashima Toyada settled at the 
 base of Atago-Yama, he took a fancy to a young wood- 
 chopper who daily passed his gateway in the morning, 
 armed with an axe and a coil of rope, on his way up to 
 the well wooded ravines in the mountains, to gather 
 fagots and fire-wood for the city market ; and in the 
 evening he had always noticed how cheerfully he trudged 
 homeward, with his heavy load of wood tied upon his 
 back ; and, with that knowledge of human nature which 
 his military experience had developed in him, he per- 
 ceived in this youth qualities of faithfulness and industry 
 
8 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 which, if they could but be attached to his own interests 
 and to those of his family, would render the boy a valu- 
 able auxiliary to his household. Overtures were ac- 
 cordingly made to the young mountain boor, who, in 
 consideration of food, clothing, and wages equivalent to 
 one dollar per month, was induced to abandon his life 
 among the ravines, and take to gardening and light 
 household duties, which avocations proved so congenial 
 to his tastes that old age found him still thus engaged ; 
 and his descendants followed his example, thus making 
 the service hereditary, — an occurrence by no means un- 
 common during the peaceful times of Old Japan. 
 
 The youngest child was O-Hana, ayoung la$sof fifteen 
 summers, who, in addition to being the household pet, 
 possessed a comeliness of person and animation of feat- 
 ures that turned the heads of the young bloods from the 
 city to that extent, that the exchequer of the tea booth at 
 the head of the glen testified handsomely to the frequency 
 of their saunterings up the road to catch glimpses of the 
 witch of the hamlet. 
 
 Was she handsome ? Not according to your ideas, 
 perhaps, my Caucasian friend. Nevertheless, she was 
 certainly pretty. It is true that her jet-black hair, al- 
 though done up in a manner that might have met your 
 approval, was glistening with oily juice from the cactus 
 leaves, already described ; but her forehead was full, fair, 
 and shapely ; her heavy eyebrows and sparkling black 
 eyes were surely handsome ; the nose you will call the 
 weak feature of her face, because it is neither Roman, 
 Grecian, nor aquiline in profile, and is rather inclined to 
 flatness at the bridge ; but the rosy dimpled cheeks, the 
 small mirthful mouth, the pearly teeth, and the round 
 plump chin you will admit to be very pretty, and quite 
 sufficient to excuse the pronounced admiration of the 
 Kioto youth, meandering of a summer’s eve along the 
 road ; and, finally, you must admit without hesitation 
 that her delicately shaped hands and feet are above 
 criticism. She is only a little over five feet in height ; 
 but her demeanor is that of a refined and courteous 
 
The Nakashivia Family. 
 
 9 
 
 woman. She has ceased to romp through the hamlet 
 with childish glee, but nothing can stop her chasing the 
 butterflies through the garden shrubbery. One gorgeous 
 butterfly in particular she has nick-named Taiko-Sama, 
 because of his brilliant colors presenting such a warlike 
 appearance, resembling an army with many banners. 
 This martial fellow she chases on every available occa- 
 sion : no matter what her occupation may be — whether 
 it be rice-cooking, clothes-mending, or even the formid- 
 able attempt to satiate her marvellous appetite with 
 bowls of steaming rice, — she drops rice, needle, and 
 chopsticks, and darts off in wild pursuit of Japan’s most 
 famous warrior, until recalled by pangs of appetite, or by 
 duty. 
 
 Nor can lectures on propriety induce her to abandon 
 her favorite pastime of battledoor and shuttlecock. With 
 wooden tile in hand, she knocks the shuttlecock over the 
 hedge to the little lady in the adjoining yard, who mer- 
 rily sends it back with a hearty stroke until the continued 
 clicking of the two battledoors against the metallic ball 
 of the tiny shuttlecock beats with the regularity of clock- 
 work, to be disturbed only by the exultant laughter of 
 that one who triumphantly lands the tuft of white 
 feathers in her adversary’s domain. 
 
 Our young lady’s household duties are not of a very 
 onerous nature. At daylight, she is up with her mother 
 helping to slide back the ahrni doors. Then she assists 
 in the preparation of breakfast : she cuts up the daikon 
 into dainty slices ; she washes out the rice and puts it 
 into the iron pot over the fire ; she broils a carp over the 
 glowing coals in the brazier, and, finally, when every 
 thing has been fully prepared, she helps to serve, the 
 meal. After breakfast, she sweeps out all the rooms and 
 washes off the verandas before settling herself down on 
 the mats for a season of sewing and gossiping with her 
 mother, at which occupation she will probably be inter- 
 rupted by the young lady from the next house, who 
 comes in to compare notes on their recent visit to the 
 festival at the Gihon temple in the city, when thousands 
 
IO 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 of people crowded in from the country and thronged the 
 numerous tea booths from morn till eve, feasting on 
 sweetmeats and oranges. This precious season of amia- 
 ble discourse will be prolonged until the shortening 
 shadows of the trees and shrubbery announce the 
 approach of high noon, when the session will be ad- 
 journed in order to make preparation for dinner. 
 
 In the afternoon she employs her time as seems most 
 agreeable to herself. Perhaps she will call on her young 
 neighbors ; possibly she may stroll up the ravine in 
 search of wild flowers ; or she may help the old servant 
 to trim the bushes and the hedges. And when the sun 
 begins to approach the summit of Atago-Yama, heralding 
 the speedy return of her father and brothers from the 
 city, she hastens to aid her mother in preparing the 
 evening meal. And with the closing day, the ahmt 
 doors are slid together, and early slumbers settle upon 
 the household. Thus passed the life of our young lady, 
 like the merry stream coursing through the glen, unevent- 
 ful and happy like that of her sisters throughout the 
 land. 
 
 Our young lady’s mother was a kind little body (she 
 was no larger than ned-san herself) upon whom forty-five 
 years had pressed but lightly. Though wrinkled in 
 forehead and face, yet her hair was raven-hued, and the 
 black had but slightly faded from her mild eyes. It was 
 evident that in her youth she must have borne a strong 
 resemblance to her daughter. She was the child of a 
 retainer of one of the kugts in Kioto. She had met her 
 destined husband when he gave fencing lessons to her 
 brothers in the large courtyard of her father’s house. 
 The daughters of samurai in feudal times frequently 
 were instructed in the use of weapons, and you will not 
 feel shocked to know that she also took lessons in the use 
 of the swords (particularly of the short one), and that she 
 learned all the motions of the graceful and pretty spear 
 exercise. Nor will it much surprise you to be informed 
 that at the age of eighteen she married her instructor and 
 admirer, and followed him to the hamlet among the 
 
The Nakashima Family. 
 
 1 1 
 
 ravines, where twenty-seven years of wedded life had 
 slipped away quietly and peacefully. 
 
 The three sons were hardy young fellows of somewhat 
 diverse temperaments. The youngest one, Kunisaburo, 
 was just entering upon his eighteenth year. He was 
 rather tall and slim, yet agile and muscular in a high 
 degree, being very skilful in fencing and archery. He 
 was gay and vivacious as became his years, but there was 
 no viciousness in his nature. The second son, Junzo, 
 was twenty-one years of age. He was rather low in 
 stature, but he was powerfully built ; and he was as wiry 
 and quick as a cat. He was put together upon the native 
 ideal of a soldier. In fact, in the fencing arena, he had 
 not his equal in Kioto, although some of the long-armed 
 samurai from Aidzu, comprising the garrison in the 
 S/iiro, allowed him to score but few points against then? 
 in the bouts. He was his father’s favorite assistant in 
 teaching the sword and spear exercises to the youth in 
 Kioto ; for the old gentleman was becoming too old and 
 rheumatic to bend and unbend himself with the great 
 quickness required in delivering the terrific cuts and 
 thrusts. He would, therefore, sit upon the veranda over- 
 looking the combatants, and would give forth a series of 
 lectures composed of principles derived from his many 
 years of experience ; which principles would then be 
 practically illustrated by his son and the pupil, pitted 
 against each other in the courtyard. While the comba- 
 tants rested from their vigorous exertions, he smoked his 
 pipe and discussed the battles 0/ Nobunaga and Hide- 
 yoshi with the master of the house. 
 
 The eldest son, Tomokichi, was twenty-five years of 
 age. Although he was an expert swordsman and 
 frequently aided his father in giving instruction in the 
 use of the foils, nevertheless his tastes did not run in that 
 direction. In build and features he somewhat resembled 
 the second son ; but the resemblance ended there. He 
 was thoughtful, reserved, and studious. He was well 
 read in the history of the empire, in the meagre poetry of 
 the nation, and in the light romance literature descriptive 
 
I 2 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 for the most part of famous duels and feuds between 
 rival clans in the Yedoj \ashikis or when coming in colli- 
 sion upon the Tokaido. But above every thing he 
 thirsted for information regarding foreign peoples and 
 countries, — a thirst, in fact, that was characteristic of a 
 large number of his countrymen. He diligently ransacked 
 all the circulating literature in the city for any morsel of 
 information relating to the unknown regions beyond the 
 vast waters encircling his native islands. 
 
 So ardent was he in his pursuit of knowledge in this 
 direction, that on one occasion when the Dutch Embassy 
 passed through Kioto on its return to Nagasaki from 
 Yedo, where it had been rendering its periodical homage 
 to the Shogun, he clandestinely visited the hotel where 
 the Dutchmen and their suite were staying, and took 
 abundant notes on their personal appearance and pecu- 
 liarities ; and on the occasion of the next visit, he was 
 fortunate enough to find one of his father’s friends 
 attached to the guards, and, through his influence he was 
 able to secure a small chart of the world. This transac- 
 tion had to be conducted with profound secrecy, for, had 
 the authorities been aware of what was going on, the head 
 of our young friend, together with that of his coadjutor, 
 would speedily have fallen into the same pit. 
 
 Hiding the precious document under his garment, he 
 quietly slipped out of the hotel and hastened homeward 
 with wild delight, and hid the trophy in his closet 
 beneath the lacquered chest containing his few worldly 
 possessions. Whenever he could be quite sure that no 
 member of the household would come up-stairs, he 
 would there spread it out on the mats for study. As he 
 had taken the precaution to mark the principal places in 
 native characters, he found the map quite intelligible. 
 By degrees the members of the family were let into the 
 secret, and their profound agitation was soon merged 
 into feelings of intense curiosity and delight at the mys- 
 terious information conveyed by this colored paper. 
 P'rom that time the chart became the treasured secret of 
 the Nakashima family. 
 
The Nakashivia Family. 
 
 *3 
 
 Upon another occasion, during one of his rambles 
 among the book-stores, he found in a heap of discarded 
 printed matter a roll of manuscript which appeared to 
 be a translation into Japanese of portions of some work 
 explaining the general principles of some foreign creed. 
 It may have been in the library of some French or Por- 
 tugese priest in the old days when Xavier and the Jesuits 
 were welcomed to Kioto ; or it may have been translated 
 from the books of some Dutchman in Deshima at 
 Nagasaki by some native interpreter, to gratify the curi- 
 osity of some inland friend. Eagerly purchasing the 
 document, he took it home and held a family consulta- 
 tion as to its exact purport. It speedily dawned upon 
 them that it was an exposition of the dreaded teachings 
 of the sect designated Christian, against which there had 
 been promulgated by the Shogun, two hundred years 
 before, laws written in blood ; against the introduction 
 of which within the empire the seal of death had been 
 placed ; and against whose God defiance had been hurled 
 and sentence of death had been pronounced in case he 
 should dare to trespass on the sacred soil of the realm. 
 
 To keep the document within the family after having 
 arrived at a full comprehension of its meaning, would 
 place the entire household under the ban of death. And, 
 even as the matter stood, it was more than probable 
 that, in case the document were delivered up to the 
 authorities, and an investigation as to its origin were in- 
 stituted, the frightened bookseller would disclaim ever 
 having had it in his possession, and the burden of ac- 
 counting for its appearance would thus be shifted upon 
 the melancholy Nakashima family, where it would rest 
 heavily, leading, perchance, to torture and death. The 
 realization of this position staggered the family and cast 
 a deep gloom over their spirits for many days. # It was 
 finally decided to keep the matter quiet, to enshrine the 
 luckless document among the treasured secrets of the 
 family, and to relegate it to the secluded chest with the 
 chart. At the same time the members of the family 
 lodged a vehement protest against any further turning 
 
H 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 of their peace of mind upside down in gratifying 
 thirst for knowledge ; and the head of the house felt 
 compelled to mildly intimate that, while it was highly 
 commendable for a young man to cultivate literary tastes, 
 yet care should be used to select such literature as did 
 not imperil the lives of his kindred. 
 
 Such was the Nakashima family. Although I have 
 not entered into a detailed description of the worthy 
 sire, yet I imagine that you are pretty familiar with him 
 in view of the side lights that have been cast upon him. 
 He was unusually tall for a native, — lacking but one inch 
 of six feet. Descended from an ancestry of warriors, 
 inheriting a strong physique, which he had further 
 strengthened by many years of vigorous exercise with 
 the heavy foils, he was a fine specimen of Japanese 
 manhood. Brought up amid delightful scenery, and liv- 
 ing in the beautiful climate of Yamashiro, his tempera- 
 ment was serene and happy. 
 
 Delightful indeed was the climate. While upon the 
 northern slopes of the lofty mountain ranges — not 
 seventy miles away, — the snow packed six feet deep in 
 the village streets, and the people shivered beneath 
 heavy quilts during the violence of the wintry gales that 
 swept across the Japan Sea from Siberia, here, upon 
 the southern slopes of this same mountain range, shel- 
 tered from the stinging blasts of the north, there reigned 
 a climate matchless for salubrity and mildness, where 
 flowers bloomed in midwinter, where the siestas of the 
 hot summers were cooled by breezes from the Pacific, 
 where spring clothed the hills and valleys with deepest 
 verdure, and where autumn was a veritable paradise. 
 Removed from the pageantry and pomp of court and 
 camp, he had developed a thoughtful and studious spirit 
 that had well versed itself in the doctrines of Shinto, 
 Buddha, and Confucius ; and, though having but little 
 regard for the precepts contained in any of these creeds, 
 yet he rather leaned toward Confucianism. 
 
 The principle of rigid obedience of children toward 
 parents, of subordinates toward superiors, of the young 
 
The Nakashima Family. 
 
 *5 
 
 toward the old, exactly suited his military tastes and 
 ideas. Nevertheless he prided himself on being unfet- 
 tered by any creed, of being a free and bold thinker, 
 and of possessing a rugged and stoical nature. Toward 
 friends he was courteous and obliging; toward enemies 
 he was as unrelenting in his hostility as death itself. 
 While extracting from life all possible enjoyment, yet 
 he held death in supreme and utter contempt. Although 
 he was a kind husband and father, yet he affected an 
 utter indifference for the fair sex, deeming their ensnar- 
 ing charms beneath the notice of a soldier’s mind, and 
 but leading onward to enervation and debauch. 
 
 He represented a type of stoics, indeed rare in old 
 Japan, yet a type that really existed even amid the wild- 
 est corruptions of feudalism, and which ever served as a 
 sobering influence on the levity and the licentiousness 
 of the times when the carnival of vice prevailed through- 
 out the land. It was a type that was strongly atheistical 
 in all its tendencies. It was a type combining what 
 would seem to us many incongruous elements, — reckless 
 courage, relentless hate, contemptible treachery, fiendish 
 cruelty, unutterable contempt for weakness, supreme 
 veneration for power, unwavering loyalty for friends, 
 amiable condescension toward their families, contempt 
 for violent death, mingled with superstitious dread at the 
 subtle and mysterious encroachments of disease (not 
 above appealing to incantations and exorcisms at the 
 hands of quacks and bonzes ), vast respect for superior 
 powers, combined with a flat refusal to recognize any 
 moral principle or law in the universe that could bind 
 them against their inclinations ; abstemious in diet, yet 
 indulging unhesitatingly in mad revels when occasion 
 required ; while honestly intending to cultivate rigid and 
 austere virtues, yet never considering themselves bound 
 by any scruples of conscience when it became expedient 
 to cast aside integrity and principle ; — verily, a queer 
 combination of physical bravery and moral cowardice. 
 
 Does not this type remind you of a house built on 
 shifting sands ? It was capable under favorable circum- 
 
Mito Yashiki. 
 
 16 
 
 stances of performing many grand deeds ; but under 
 adverse conditions the moral and ethical structure that 
 it had raised would be shown to be without foundation. 
 Ah ! Quietly and gently flowed the stream among the 
 sequestered glens and remote villages of the empire, but 
 turbid and troubled were the waves amid the contami- 
 nating influences of great centres of population. Such 
 was Nakashima Yotori — a genial and amiable pagan. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 KIOTO IN THE YEAR 1853. 
 
 In the year 1853 Kioto was probably the most secluded 
 capital city in the world. Situated in a lovely valley near 
 the southern end of Lake Biwa, in the heart of the main 
 island of the Japan group, it was screened from the gaze 
 of America by five thousand miles of ocean billows, from 
 the scrutiny of Asia by tempestuous seas and rock-bound 
 coasts, and from the commercial enterprise of Europe by 
 intervening continents and by many thousand leagues of 
 waves ; and, in coalition with these formidable barriers 
 of nature, there brooded within the council chambers of 
 the Yedo castle the fierce spirit of the Tokugawa House 
 that had hurled defiance at humanity, and sealed with 
 blood, two centuries before, the gates of the empire 
 against the universe. Far removed from the great high- 
 ways of commerce, the profound repose of Kioto was 
 not even disturbed by the appearance at rare intervals of 
 ill-starred barks that tempests chanced to drive upon 
 those inhospitable shores. 
 
 But, as present conditions are best understood in the 
 light of past events, let us change the scene and go back 
 twenty-five centuries, to the time when native history 
 begins. The first vision that rises to our view is sylvan i 
 in its aspect. I see a vast woodland — a virgin forest — 
 covering the entire province of Yamashiro, clothing the 
 mountain ranges to their very summits, and stretching 
 many hundred miles away to the distant waves of the 
 encompassing seas. Here in the valley of Yamashiro 
 grow the pine, the oak, the beech, the camphor tree, the 
 lordly cryptomeria, and the mighty kayaki, whose colos- 
 
 17 
 
i8 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 sal trunk is destined to form in coming centuries a stately 
 pillar in some vast temple. Here the climbing vines of 
 wild wistaria drape the boughs with lavender-colored 
 festoons, and the copses of feathery bamboos grow beside 
 the pools and the damp margin of the stream. 
 
 From its sources in the northern range, the Kamo- 
 gawa (River of the Wild Ducks) pours its torrents 
 through the underbrush southward toward the sea. Here 
 dwell the aboriginal Ainos, the heavily-bearded savages 
 whose ancestors came from the far north and had spread 
 themselves southward over all the islands in sparsely 
 peopled settlements. 
 
 Along the course of the stream, wherever long and 
 wide stretches of sandy soil appear, and also in the 
 woods where natural clearings occur, and upon the hills 
 and mountain slopes where springs gush forth from their 
 rocky fastnesses, — there cluster the huts and the wigwams 
 of the Ainos. Simple structures indeed are they, — fragile 
 frames of saplings, covered with bark, with skins of wild 
 animals, and with coarse thatch plucked among the 
 sedges. With barbed flint they spear the carp and the 
 trout in the shoals of the river ; with clubs, stones, 
 arrows, and sharpened poles they hunt the bear, the 
 wolf, the badger, the deer, the wild boar, the fox, and 
 the monkey ; while with the sacred spark, brought per- 
 chance from some volcano, the busy squaws send the 
 curling smoke above the tree-tops to warn the absent 
 Nimrods of the approach of the evening meal. Ah ! in 
 those days the centuries passed as if they had been but 
 decades. The years sped along unregistered and un- 
 chronicled. Spring was known by the budding of leaves, 
 autumn was known by the gorgeous colors of the forests, 
 and winter was heralded by the snow-capped mountain 
 peaks and by the myriads of wild ducks coming from the 
 northern shores. Immured in forest solitudes, living on 
 the spoils of the chase, almost entirely ignorant of agri- 
 culture, — so lived unknown generations of aborigines. 
 
 But the scene fades away. Fifteen centuries have 
 fled. And, lo ! the second vision rises to our view. I 
 
Kioto in the Year 1853. 
 
 19 
 
 see the surface of the land covered with well tilled fields, 
 with villages, with groves, and with shrines. I see be- 
 side the shoals of the Kamogawa the white walls and 
 the heavily tiled roof of the imperial palace, surrounded 
 by a city whose dimensions attain unto a full square 
 league. What has wrought this change ? A race of nut- 
 brown warriors from the archipelago beneath the tropics, 
 borne to the southern shores of the Japan islands on the 
 mighty current of the Black Stream, overran the land 
 and drove the aborigines northward. They cleared the 
 country, and then Inari, the mythical fox-god, brought 
 in his mouth from China a tuft of the rice-plant, which 
 the people planted in their fields, and filled the land with 
 abundant crops ; and the picturesque shrines scattered 
 through the groves have been erected in his honor ; there 
 is he venerated and worshipped ; and when in the gloam- 
 ing his flitting form is seen threading the narrow cause- 
 ways through the rice-fields, he is believed to be bent 
 upon some errand of mercy, as when in days of yore he 
 left the portals of Cathay and skimmed the sea-girt isles, 
 bearing his priceless gift between his teeth. 
 
 Thus the people were enabled to derive their suste- 
 nance from the ground, and were no longer bound down 
 to a mere animal existence by the uncertainties of a 
 livelihood dependent on the chase. Agriculture and 
 horticulture made rapid progress. Architecture was 
 speedily developed. These favorable conditions gave 
 birth to literature ; the classics of Confucius were intro- 
 duced from China, and were extensively studied ; pot- 
 tery, woven fabrics, and paper were manufactured ; and 
 cutlery and bronze ware were most skilfully made. And 
 finally, in the year 793 a.d., the Emperor Kwammu 
 abandoned Nara, and selected the little village of Uda, 
 at the foot of the hills on the east side of the Kamo- 
 gawa, and founded Kioto. 
 
 And now, in the year 1853 of the Christian Era, a 
 thousand years after its foundation, we have before us 
 the romantic city of Kioto. The primeval woodland has 
 disappeared from valley and from mountain slope. Well 
 
20 
 
 Alito Yashiki. 
 
 trimmed forests cover the mountains ; and innumerable 
 groves of maple and cherry-trees are scattered over the 
 foot-hills and among the glens, gardens, and parks sur- 
 rounding the city ; while the rose, the lily, the lotus, the 
 chrysanthemum, and the wistaria fill every yard with 
 beauty and fragrance. The Kamogawa, no longer en- 
 cumbered with driftwood, nor harassed with impeding 
 underbrush entangling its shores, has spread itself on 
 either side beyond its ancient limits, until it has become 
 a broad, shallow river, requiring five long wooden bridges 
 to span its shores During heavy rains it becomes a 
 deep and rapid stream, rushing through the city with 
 tremendous velocity ; but during the summer it becomes 
 so shallow and peaceable that mats are spread upon its 
 sands and low platforms are built over its shallow waves, 
 and the entire leisure element of the city turns out to sit 
 cross-legged in the bed of the stream, to make merry and 
 to enjoy the cool breezes that surge up and down the 
 channel. The stream runs due north and south, and fully 
 three quarters of the city will be found upon the western 
 bank where the level ground stretches away for seven or 
 eight miles before reaching broken ground ; while upon 
 the eastern bank but a few minutes of walking will lead 
 to foot-hills. 
 
 The city is laid out in a very regular manner. The 
 streets cross each other at right angles, running east and 
 west by north and south. They are not paved ; they are 
 wide and clean, and the system of drainage is entirely 
 above ground, in gutters that line each side of the high- 
 way. The houses are but two stories high, and are all 
 built of wood. The suburbs, the foot-hills, and the sur- 
 rounding mountains are filled with vast temples, superb 
 monasteries, parks, gardens, and villas, — a girdle of ro- 
 mantic beauty and magnificence such as no other city in 
 the world can boast of. 
 
 In and around this city of four hundred thousand in- 
 habitants there are no less than four thousand temples 
 and monasteries, mostly Buddhist. If we calculate that 
 upon an average there are twenty-five priests attached to 
 
Kioto in the Year 1853. 2 r 
 
 each temple and to each monastery, then there must be 
 fully one hundred thousand of these shaven gentlemen in 
 Kioto. And they seem to have cast over the entire popu- 
 lation such a spell of lassitude and indifference to worldly 
 occupations that the reputation of the citizens for pride, 
 laziness, and dilettanteism stands unmatched throughout 
 the empire. There are, however, extensive industries 
 carried on in a leisurely manner. The usual trades and 
 mercantile occupations find free scope to act ; and the 
 special manufactures of silk, bronze, porcelain, and em- 
 broidery are justly and widely celebrated for their ex- 
 quisite and unsurpassed workmanship. Yet time is 
 considered of no consequence to anybody, and the 
 artisans are notoriously slow in executing orders for 
 work, as they are perpetually running off on some picnic 
 or celebrating some one of the innumerable fete days at 
 the neighboring temples. 
 
 Since the laying of the foundation of the city marvel- 
 lous changes have marked the history of the world. The 
 Normans conquered England ; the Crusades convulsed 
 Christendom ; Columbus discovered America ; hardy 
 mariners circumnavigated the globe ; a mighty nation 
 sprang into existence in the North American wilderness, — 
 but what cared the Kioto people for all that? Did not 
 the Mikado, the descendant of the sun-goddess, dwell in 
 their lovely city ? And were not they all the descend- 
 ants of the gods, and therefore inherently superior to the 
 rest of mankind, who had probably descended from in- 
 ferior deities, or from beasts ? Why should the vulgar 
 bickerings of outside barbarians in any way interest the 
 Japanese? Smoke your pipe, quaff your tea, loiter away 
 whole days in the theatre ; frequent the wrestling 
 matches ; don your gala dress and drink sake whenever 
 the temple in your district has a fete day ; revel in 
 carousal and debauch as far as your means will allow' ; 
 take but languid interest in public affairs ; demolish 
 strangers with refined hauteur and cultured repartee, — and 
 occasionally work. That was the correct style in Kioto 
 in 1853. With a licentious court and a lazy, sensual 
 
22 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 priesthood, the people surely did not have much to ele- 
 vate them. 
 
 In the northern part of the city, a few hundred yards 
 west of the shoals of the river, stood the Gosho, the 
 palace of the Mikado. It comprised a collection of 
 structures in the midst of parks and gardens that covered 
 twenty-six acres of land. The entire place was enclosed 
 within rectangular walls pierced by six gates, one of 
 which opened on the north, one on the east, one on the 
 south, and three on the west. These walls were quite 
 unique. They were about ten feet high, were very broad, 
 and were heavily tiled. They sloped inward slightly 
 from base to roof. The framework of the walls was com- 
 posed of wood, and the large rectangular spaces between 
 the uprights and the cross-beams were plastered so as to 
 present the singular appearance of an unpainted wooden 
 wall having large white panels and a black cap. As a 
 defence they were comparatively useless ; but to the ob- 
 servant mind the well grained wood and the dazzling 
 plaster told the history of the Mikado’s fortunes, and be- 
 spoke the simplicity of the primitive court. 
 
 The Shogun and the Daimios surrounded themselves 
 with thrice-moated castles, whose ramparts were of hewn 
 stone and sodded embankments ; but the Gosho required 
 no moat, because its style of architecture antedated the 
 age of stone by many centuries, and went back to the 
 patriarchal days when the Mikado lived among his peo- 
 ple in his simple rustic residence. Did not the islands of 
 Dai-Nippon and the denizens thereof even now belong to 
 the descendant of the sun-goddess ? Why, then, should 
 he abandon the simplicity of his ancestors and imitate the 
 innovations of the Shogun, who might well dread the 
 people because of his cruelty and tyranny ? The wigwam 
 of the sachem, unmoated, stood beside the shoals of the 
 Kamogawa free of access to the tattooed savages ; the 
 thatched cottages of his descendants, unmoated, stood 
 for many centuries amid the groves and the gardens of 
 Yamato, unmolested ; therefore, it became the ancient 
 dynasty, as its imperial power has been wrested away by 
 
Kioto in the Year 1853. 23 
 
 usurping servants, to screen itself within the simple 
 wooden barriers of the Gosho, until the time should come 
 to fling open the gates and to go forth to resume the 
 sway of empire. Aye ! keep the gates closed. Let not 
 the world cast its vulgar gaze upon the humiliation of the 
 ancient dynasty. 
 
 Many palaces have stood within the precincts of the 
 Gosho. The first one was built about 793 a.d. In 
 1177 it was destroyed by fire. The second one was 
 destroyed in a similar manner in the year 1249. The 
 third one was destroyed a few years later. And during 
 the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries five successive 
 palaces were thus destroyed. These conflagrations were 
 sometimes occasioned by the carelesness of people within 
 the palace, and sometimes they were started by warring 
 factions in the city during their fierce struggles for 
 supremacy. These fires, when once started among the 
 thousands of tinder-boxes outside the palace walls, 
 speedily gathered great headway, and would roll their 
 vast waves of flame to the uttermost limits of the city, 
 overleaping every obstruction and storming every barrier 
 with fiery assault. 
 
 Within the walls of the Gosho you will find consider- 
 able massive architecture and some pretty garden land- 
 scape. The buildings are all of wood. They are but one 
 story high, and have immensely heavy roofs as a protec- 
 tion against being thrown down by the jarring tremors 
 of earthquakes. In the southern part of the enclosed 
 quadrangle stands the Secluded Purple Hall, a building 
 about one hundred feet long by sixty feet deep, and 
 facing the southern side of the enclosure. Within its 
 lofty chambers important ceremonies are held. Here the 
 Mikados are enthroned, and here they grant audiences 
 on New Year’s Day. 
 
 Northeast of this hall a corridor will lead you to a 
 smaller building, where is kept a copy of the sacred mir- 
 ror, with which the sun-goddess was enticed from her 
 cave at some remote cjcle of time, and which she 
 bestowed upon the Mikado’s ancestor, together with a 
 
24 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 sword and a stone as insignia of authority. Northwest of 
 the Purple Hall stands the Pure and Cool Hall (so chris- 
 tened because of a stream of water that bubbles beneath 
 its steps), a building about sixty feet by forty, and facing 
 eastward, wherein levees were held, and also wherein 
 were performed on great fete days the sacred rites connec- 
 ted with Shintoism. Northeast of this chastely christened 
 hall stands the Lesser Palace, a building about seventy 
 feet by forty, and also facing eastward, and looking out 
 upon a pretty garden filled with evergreen shrubbery, and 
 containing a miniature lake. Within its handsome au- 
 dience chambers his Majesty receives the high officials of 
 his court and the priests of Shinto and of Buddha. 
 
 North of this stands the August Study, a building of 
 nearly the same dimensions as the Lesser Palace, and 
 also facing eastward. In this beautiful suite of apart- 
 ments, the Mikado and his court listen to lectures on 
 Chinese literature, to dissertations on poetry and music, 
 and to instruction upon whatever subject he may desire 
 information. Northward again we find a building about 
 fifty feet by thirty, wherein are held theatrical perform- 
 ances for the amusement of the court. Northward again we 
 find the imperial palace, wherein the Mikado resides. It 
 is a large building (ninety feet by seventy-four) facing 
 the east, — the source of light and the quarter whence came 
 the imperial dynasty. 
 
 This palace contains eleven rooms. The middle one 
 on the east side was his Majesty’s sitting-room ; and 
 directly behind it was his bedroom ; while on all sides 
 he was surrounded by suites of rooms filled with attend- 
 ants, so that he was guarded from all intrusion. In a 
 closet near the imperial chambers were the mystic stone 
 and a copy of the sword forming part of the insignia of 
 the imperial authority. Near the northern end of the 
 palace were two pleasure pavilions, where tea could be 
 served, poetry could be composed, the miniature land- 
 scape of the garden could be enjoyed, or where, per- 
 chance, a longing gaze could be cast upon the hazy blue 
 of the distant mountains. Tne palace of the Empress 
 
Kioto in the Year 1853. 
 
 25 
 
 was quite distant from that of the Mikado. It was 
 reached by a long corridor that led by the imperial bath- 
 rooms and the suite of the heir-apparent. It was a large 
 building facing the east, and it contained a splendid 
 suite of rooms. 
 
 Such was the Gosho in 1853. Although the buildings 
 were massive, although the paintings on the screens and 
 the panels had been executed by the best native artists, 
 yet an air of extreme simplicity distinguished the entire 
 place. As far as possible, paint had been ignored, and 
 the natural graining of the wood highly polished ap- 
 peared in all the woodwork. The bare condition of 
 rafters, posts, pillars, planks, steps, and railings bespoke 
 the chaste simplicity of the ancient regime. There was 
 no display of magnificent furniture, plate-glass mirrors, 
 stately equipage, costly carpets, priceless gems, and 
 silver dinner services. All the floors were covered with 
 simple rush mats, or tatamis ; everybody sat, ate, and 
 slept on the floors, using square embroidered cushions 
 for seats, low lacquered stands for tables, and heavy 
 silken quilts for beds ; everybody patronized chopsticks 
 and porcelain dishes ; horses and carriages were un- 
 known throughout the empire ; and jewelry, in our sense 
 of the term, was almost an unknown quantity, because 
 the ladies never disfigured themselves with ear-rings, the 
 gentlemen knew nothing of gold watches and chains, and 
 the court never possessed massive diadems and costly 
 sceptres requiring a fortress and a regiment of troops to 
 guard them. A few finger-rings, perchance a score of 
 bracelets for a few fair wrists, some highly ornamented 
 sword hilts and scabbards, and a few simple ornaments 
 for the ladies’ hair, comprised about all that could be 
 designated as jewelry. 
 
 The places where decoration and ornamentation cen- 
 tred were the elaborate screens and the panels of the 
 sliding doors. Here the efforts of the most skilful 
 artists had exquisitely reproduced nature in her varied 
 moods. Cherry blossoms, chrysanthemums, pine trees 
 of grotesque shapes, flocks of wild geese, bamboo trees 
 
26 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 dripping with rain, stately maples, fishes frolicking amid 
 waves, rainbows arching the hills, glades, and woods, — 
 these were a few of the designs around the walls of the 
 stately apartments, poor substitutes, indeed, for the beau- 
 teous realities of the outside world. 
 
 In this vicinity, then, had dwelt the Mikados for over 
 a thousand years. To the outside world they appeared 
 to be shrouded in profoundest mystery. Popular rumor 
 pictured them as objects of deepest reverence. Nobody 
 approached them, except on bended knees, — even the 
 Shoguns being obliged to conform to this regulation. 
 Their feet never touched the ground, but trod upon 
 cloths, so that the sacred person might not be defiled by 
 contact with the earth. They must sit motionless upon 
 the throne for a certain number of hours each day, in 
 order that the empire might have peace. Their persons 
 were so sacred that nobody was permitted to lay hands 
 thereon ; therefore their hair and nails might have grown 
 to an unseemly length, had they not been clandestinely 
 trimmed during sleeping hours. The dishes from which 
 they had partaken of food were forthwith dashed in 
 pieces, in order that nobody else might ever use them. 
 And the very rice that they ate was picked over kernel 
 by kernel, in order that no broken or imperfect grain 
 might find lodgment within the imperial stomach. 
 
 Such was the halo of majesty thrown about the person 
 of the Mikado. In such light did the court wire-pullers 
 present the imperial puppet to the outside world. But 
 to the inmates of the palace these profoundly mysterious 
 personages appeared as amiable gentlemen of languid 
 temperaments, much given to pleasure of every descrip- 
 tion, and quite unconventional in their deportment. 
 Stripped of all political power, they spent their time in 
 diversions almost childish in their nature, and in traffick- 
 ing in honorary titles that the Shogun and his minions 
 could not purchase from any other source. 
 
 While the Aidzu samurai , stationed in the moated 
 castle a mile or so southwest of the Gosho, seemed to be 
 standing guard in behalf of the Tokugawa House over a 
 
Kioto in the Year 1853. 
 
 27 
 
 mere family of dilettanti and imbeciles, yet there dwelt 
 within those whitened walls the germs of sovereignty 
 that were destined speedily to expand and regain their 
 pristine power ; and the idle warriors who loitered 
 around the imperial portals, carelessly guarding the help- 
 less creatures within, little dreamed of the wild scenes of 
 carnage and turmoil destined speedily to rage around 
 that quiet place, and rouse the whole empire from its 
 profound repose of two centuries. As to the traveller’s 
 eye the inky clouds drifting over the summits of the 
 distant mountain ranges bespeak the black storm gather- 
 ing behind those mighty peaks, so the mutterings of 
 Mito and of Satsuma ominously heralded to the political 
 leaders of the realm an era of profound agitation and 
 social upheaval not far distant. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 AN EVENING ON THE KAMOGAWA SHOALS. 
 
 In the month of July, 1853, the Nakashima family be- 
 came the guests, for a few days, of Mr. Yamada, a re- 
 tainer of a huge in Kioto. Leaving their house in charge 
 of their faithful servant, they journeyed in the cool of 
 the morning toward the city, the ladies travelling in 
 kagos, while the gentlemen leisurely strolled down the 
 shady glen, through the groves and ^gardens environing 
 the suburbs, and, after threading the dusty streets, found 
 themselves before the massive gateway of their host in 
 the vicinity of the Gosho, where the obsequious gatekeeper 
 received them with profuse salutation. Escorting them 
 into his Tittle lodge beside the gateway, he brought a 
 basin and a bucket of water wherewith to wash their 
 feet. Their dusty sandals were speedily exchanged for 
 socks and neat straw slippers, wherein they made 
 their way across the courtyard to their host’s house, 
 where they were warmly welcomed by the members of 
 the Yamada family. Etiquette prescribed that the house 
 of the Japanese gentleman should be set somewhat back 
 from the public street, and that it should be approached 
 through stately portals and spacious courtyards ; and 
 that the humble domicile of the laborer and of the arti- 
 san should open directly on the public thoroughfares. 
 
 The .Yamada mansion was built upon the sandy soil 
 that stretched some distance back from the west bank of 
 the river. It was a double-storied wooden structure. 
 Wide verandas screened its lower story on all sides, and 
 airy balconies, freighted with flowering shrubs, were 
 perched at various points around the upper one. The 
 
 28 
 
An Evening on tJ\e Kamogawa Shoals. 29 
 
 grounds all around the house were tastefully and beauti- 
 fully laid out with gravelly walks, boxwood hedges, 
 bamboo copses, and pine trees trimmed into grotesque 
 forms representing turtles and storks ; while a trellis- 
 work that arched the doorway was weighted down with 
 blossoming wistaria and morning-glories. Heaps of 
 white pebbles from the river-bed, resembling banks of 
 snow, were placed at the angles of the flower-beds, amid 
 cushions of velvety moss ; while between the crevices 
 of the stones there sprouted feathery ferns that nodded 
 all day long, coquetting with the zephyrs. At one end 
 of the house an orange-tree cast its shadows upon the 
 veranda, and almost tendered its golden fruit to persons 
 standing there. The back yard was shaded by a stately 
 camphor tree. Beside the party-fence stood a couple 
 of cherry-trees, and scattered at various points were 
 peach-trees and quince-trees that contributed their share 
 of blossoms and shade for the premises. 
 
 Our friends were duly ushered upstairs, where all of 
 the shojees had been removed, thus making the entire 
 story a cool pavilion, open on all sides to the breezes. 
 After the usual salutations and enquiries had been ex- 
 hausted, tea and tobacco were duly discussed for half an 
 hour or so ; after which, the conversation beginning to 
 diverge upon subjects of special interest to each sex, 
 the gentlemen naturally drifted over to one balcony, 
 while the ladies drifted over to another one, where poli- 
 tics and household matters were respectively discussed. 
 
 “ It is a matter of regret to me, honorable sirs,” re- 
 marked Mr. Yamada, “that I can furnish no male com- 
 panions for your entertainment on these occasions, when 
 you honor me so greatly with your visits. But, as you 
 well know, the gods have frowned on me and no male 
 offspring have been given to me ; so that to-day I am 
 without an heir to burn incense at my tomb and to trans- 
 mit my unworthy name to another generation, — for my 
 two daughters cannot be of service in such matters.” 
 
 “ Have no regret in this matter so far as we are con- 
 cerned, honorable sir,” replied the Nakashimas ; “the 
 
30 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 wide scope and the great suggestiveness of your conver- 
 sational powers require no supplementing. Our minds 
 are indeed busy from the moment of our entry to the 
 time of our departure from your residence. When one 
 has a well occupied mind, what other pleasure can he 
 desire ? ” 
 
 “You exalt my powers too highly. Nevertheless, in 
 order that we may have abundance of company, we will 
 spend this evening in one of the picnic booths on the 
 Kamogawa shoals. There we shall be surrounded with 
 company and shall discuss unreservedly the public mat- 
 ters of our country.” 
 
 The greater part of the morning was spent in alter- 
 nately smoking their tiny pipes and sipping hot tea from 
 diminutive cups ; occasionally, however, their conversa- 
 tional fusillade of flattery, condolence, and gossip would 
 be varied with a game of chess. At midday dinner 
 was served upstairs. The natives took their meals in 
 whatever room they pleased ; although, as a matter of 
 convenience, meals were generally served in the room 
 nearest to the kitchen, yet, as tables and chairs were un- 
 known, the food could be served in any part of the house. 
 
 The duty of reinvigorating the inner man devolved 
 upon the Misses Yamada, two amiable damsels aged 
 respectively sixteen years and fourteen years. Pretty, 
 did you inquire ? Well, yes ; decidedly so as to the 
 general expression of good nature that animated their 
 features, and somewhat so as to the qualities of each 
 feature. Do you admire jet-black hair and sparkling black 
 eyes, offset by rosy cheeks and ruby lips, that enshrine 
 the whitest of teeth and the merriest of smiles ? Do 
 you admire respectful demeanor and obliging ways ? 
 Do you admire perfect hands and feet, and a clear, 
 though dark complexion ? 
 
 Either of these young ladies, I imagine, will find 
 grace in your eyes. Miss Masago, the elder one, is 
 rather tall for a Japanese lady, being somewhat over 
 five feet high ; her form is slender and lithe ; her man- 
 ners are supremely lady-like, according to the unwritten 
 
A?i Evening on the Kamogawa Shoals. 3 1 
 
 code that prevails among all peoples possessing any de- 
 gree of culture ; and her grave countenance is sweet 
 and refined in expression. Miss Seisho, the younger 
 one, is short, plump, and merry, being a fair sample of 
 her sisters throughout the empire ; her face is cheerful 
 and pretty, and she well knows how and when to subdue 
 her blithesome temperament, and to assume a digni- 
 fied yet winning bearing. According to Japanese ideas 
 these ladies are well educated. They read and write the 
 native language, and also have a fair knowledge of the 
 Chinese characters ; they can compose poetry according to 
 the stiff rules of the times, and can hum a few melodies 
 of native production ; and, above all, they are well- 
 versed in those supremely important duties that pertain 
 to the household. As to geography, arithmetic, foreign 
 history, chemistry, or philosophy, they do not possess 
 even a schoolboy’s ideas. 
 
 The tub heaped full of steaming rice was duly brought 
 upstairs ; the tiny lacquered stands, containing various 
 pieces of vegetables and raw carp sliced into small bits 
 and accompanied by soy, were duly placed before each 
 person ; then all gathered around the collation in a 
 circle, decorously sitting on their heels, while Madam 
 Yamada dipped forth with a small wooden shovel the 
 steaming rice into beautiful porcelain bowls, which she 
 duly handed around to guests and family, and which 
 speedily disappeared before the steady assaults of chop- 
 sticks and teeth. The hungry ones were able to dispose 
 of three or four bowls. At the end of the meal, clear tea 
 was passed around in small cups, for the natives were 
 not accustomed to drink during their meals. Right 
 daintily has her ladyship performed her duties ; and 
 now, while the recipients of her bounty are scattered 
 around on the tatamis , leisurely indulging in tea and to- 
 bacco, she tarries at the bowl finishing her repast. Her 
 face is but slightly wrinkled, her hair is still raven-hued, 
 and the lustre has but slightly faded from her black eyes. 
 Her teeth sparkle like bits of jet, with the hideous cor- 
 rosive coating that matrons put thereon after marriage. 
 
32 
 
 Mito Yashiki . 
 
 This upper story made a very picturesque dining-room. 
 To the northward were the parks and the white walls of 
 the Gosho ; to the eastward, seen through the foliage of 
 the camphor tree, were the mountain ranges that formed 
 the barrier for that side of the valley ; to the southward 
 lay the gray roofs, the white gable ends, and the green 
 gardens of the city ; while to the westward, beyond the 
 limits of the city, stood another range of lofty mountains. 
 Every passing breeze was caught. Here our friends 
 spent the greater part of the afternoon in smoking and 
 chatting. 
 
 Toward evening the party prinked up somewhat and 
 strolled toward the river, where they arrived at dusk. 
 Stepping from platform to platform, and walking along 
 narrow planks, they finally reached a couple of booths, 
 quite in the middle of the stream. These they rented 
 for the evening, and at once prepared to make them- 
 selves comfortable. There were hundreds of these booths 
 built upon the shoals and out into the stream ; and thou- 
 sands of people frequented them during the hot summer 
 evenings, picnicking and feasting to their hearts’ content. 
 Each booth was about ten feet square, and was con- 
 structed in a very simple manner. Four stout posts, one 
 at each corner, were driven deep into the sands ; cross- 
 pieces were then tied on ; boards were then duly laid 
 across until there had been constructed a platform about 
 one foot above the sand or the water — as the case might 
 be ; and finally mats were spread over the platforms, thus 
 making delightful little places for recreation. The posts 
 extended about five feet above the platform, and cords 
 were stretched from tip to tip, along which paper lanterns 
 of varied colors were strung for use on nights when the 
 moon was not shining. 
 
 Vendors of fruit, sakt, and melons were on the bank, 
 and their couriers threaded the maze of booths, receiving 
 and executing orders with energy and boundless suavity. 
 Waiter-girls were buzzing around like butterflies from 
 booth to booth, in response to clapping hands — the uni- 
 versal hailing signal of the country. Thousands of peo- 
 
A?i Evening on the Kamogawa Shoals. 33 
 
 pie were spread over the mats enjoying themselves by 
 drinking sake, eating fruit, sipping tea, smoking tobacco, 
 or dabbling hands or feet in the cool waters of the stream. 
 The murmur of their voices could be heard some dis- 
 tance away. The view from the wooden bridge that 
 spanned the stream below was grotesque and weird, — as 
 if the water-elfs had turned out to feast beneath the moon- 
 beams. 
 
 Our friends had wended their way to the outermost 
 limits, and had selected a couple of booths on the chan- 
 nel of the stream, where the construction of scaffolding 
 had ceased, and thus had secured private boxes, — so to 
 speak. Here they spread themselves over the mats, and 
 luxuriated in the cooling breezes that surged down the 
 channel freighted with cool mountain air. Sitting upon 
 the edge of the platform, they dipped their dusty feet 
 into the waters that flowed beneath, after which ablution 
 they put on neat straw slippers, and tying their wooden 
 clogs in a bunch, hung them up on one of the posts to 
 await departure for home. 
 
 Every thing was now ready for feasting and gossiping. 
 Clapping his hands, Mr. Yamada summoned a waiter- 
 girl, through whom he ordered vermicelli, lotus-root 
 (sugared), raw carp and soy, sake, melons, and tea ; which 
 articles having been speedily produced, serious inroads 
 were at once made into them. The young ladies amused 
 themselves by taking the quarter sections of melon 
 rinds and rigging them up as boats, with chopsticks for 
 masts and paper napkins for sails ; which clumsy crafts 
 they would then launch upon the stream, and would 
 wager melon seeds upon the length of time that they 
 would keep afloat. 
 
 After an hour or so of gossiping, nibbling, and smoking, 
 the ladies, in accordance with the laws of natural selec- 
 tion — so to speak, — monopolized one booth, while the 
 gentlemen occupied the other ; and from that time diver- 
 gent tides of conversation flowed onward far into the night. 
 
 It was indeed a superb night for picnics. The full 
 moon hovered over the mountain tops and suffused the 
 
34 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 valley of the Mountain-Castle with its bright rays, giving 
 to the wimpling waters of the river the sheen of silver. 
 But our gentlemen friends had become so absorbed in 
 conversation that they took but little notice of their sur- 
 roundings. The buzz and the hum of conversation went 
 up on all sides ; the ladies laughed and talked and threw 
 crumbs to the fishes that glided up within the shadow of 
 the booths ; a steady stream of travel rumbled unceas- 
 ingly over the bridge ; — but they heeded nothing, — not 
 even the solemn tones of the monastery bells that filled 
 the valley with their booming vibrations ever and anon. 
 
 “ Nay, sir, but the latest rumors that have drifted down 
 from Yedo are of a very disturbing nature,” Mr. Yamada 
 was saying in a low voice, as if fearful of being over- 
 heard ; “ and no one is able to foretell what possible com- 
 plications may arise in the near future. Through 
 my connection with the Gosho as retainer of a kugd I am 
 in a position to obtain much important information of a 
 profoundly secret nature. You will remember that the 
 present Emperor, Osa-hito, ascended the throne six 
 years ago at the age of sixteen, and although even now 
 he is a young man, yet he possesses much tenacity of 
 purpose and considerable political sagacity. Although he 
 is shut up within a few acres of enclosed ground, pre- 
 sumably having no contact with the outside world, yet 
 he keeps himself better informed about public affairs 
 than is generally supposed. His spies in Yedo furnish 
 him with much accurate information, and occasionally 
 he sends special spies to particular Daimiates to pick up 
 whatever news may be available. 
 
 “ This underground service, as you well know, is an 
 extremely dangerous one, because the secret emissaries 
 of the Shogun are as thickly strewn over the land as ants 
 over a bowl of rice ; they penetrate everywhere, and 
 mercilessly assassinate any one whom they presume to be 
 acting as spies against their master. We have lost some 
 valuable men during the last five years ; one was found 
 hacked to pieces in the purlieus of Shinagawa, the south- 
 ern suburb of Yedo, — officially reported to have been 
 
An Evening on the Kamogaiva Shoals. 35 
 
 slain in a drunken brawl with rortins (but we know better ) ; 
 another one was slain on the Nakasendo, near a moun- 
 tain village in Shinano, by a cut from behind that slashed 
 its way between his ribs and split through the backbone, 
 causing instant death, — officially reported to have been 
 slain by robbers (but we know better) ; and the last one 
 was murdered near Hikon4, on Lake Biwa, only eight 
 months ago, on his way back from Yedo with highly val- 
 uable verbal information, as we subsequently were told ; 
 he fought like a demon, and slew four of his adversaries 
 and wounded several others, but finally fell beneath a 
 spear thrust in his throat, — officially reported to have 
 been the victim of some long-standing vendetta (but we 
 ktmv better). 
 
 “A spy is a double-edged sword in your hands. He 
 may be bribed by your adversary to transmit false in- 
 formation to you, or to suppress important details, or 
 even to act as a spy against yourself. Great care is re- 
 quired in selecting your man. Our master never em- 
 ploys strangers. He usually finds some faithful retainer 
 connected in some capacity with some one of the one 
 hundred and fifty kugt families here in Kioto. But since 
 the recent information lately transmitted to us from 
 Yedo, the Shogun has issued orders to the commandant 
 of the Castle here in Kioto to increase the rigor of his 
 surveillance over the members and the kindred of the 
 imperial household, in order that their whereabouts may 
 be located on very short notice. 
 
 “ In compliance with this stringent order they have in- 
 creased their guards, and have surrounded us with a web 
 of espionage, so complete in all its details that we hardly 
 dare to open our mouths for fear of being reported, 
 through some obscure channel, to the Shogun as being 
 the utterer of seditious sentiments. I do not doubt but 
 what at this moment some sneaking cur has reported my 
 departure from my house in company with yourself, and 
 that our families are in for an evening’s carouse on the 
 Kamogawa shoals, and ihat interesting piece of informa- 
 tion has been probably discussed ere this by the officers 
 
36 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 within the council-chambers at the Castle, and a memo- 
 randum has doubtless been duly noted opposite my name 
 on the tabulated list that they keep of all kugis, of all 
 kugts' retainers and servants, and of everybody having in- 
 tercourse with said knges. In fact, I dared not commu- 
 nicate to you at my own house the important information 
 that I wish to convey, because I knew not what shojee or 
 what tatami had ears. So I brought you out here under 
 the screen of jollification and good-fellowship, and 
 I think that I have given the spies the slip for this even- 
 ing, at least, for I do not see in our vicinity the glitter of 
 watchful eyes.” 
 
 “Your words, honored sir, agitate me exceedingly,” 
 said Mr. Nakashima ; “ your language sounds like that of 
 a romance of the Ashikaga period. Though I have been 
 intimate with you during these many years, yet have I 
 never been aware of these facts that you have just been 
 divulging. It is not unlikely, then, that your long ab- 
 sence from home during last spring was caused by your 
 being engaged in one of these dangerous expeditions in 
 behalf of Osa-hito .” 1 
 
 “Your surmise is entirely correct,” replied Mr. Yam- 
 ada, “ and as ihat expedition forms but a prelude to the 
 information that I am about to impart to you, I shall 
 now give a brief account of it. Early this year, vague 
 rumors floated up from Nagasaki to the effect that it had 
 been reported by the Dutch in the island of Deshima 
 that some barbarian power contemplated sending an ex- 
 pedition to our shores. These rumors failed to specify 
 when the expedition would appear ; also whether it 
 would be of a hostile nature, or merely a friendly visit. 
 I was delegated to find out further details relating to this 
 matter. Knowing that the Dutch Embassy was about to 
 leave Yedo on its return to Nagasaki, I determined to 
 
 1 Komei-Tenno, the I22d Mikado in descent front the first 
 Mikado, Jimmu-Tenno (660-585 H.c.), ascended the Imperial throne 
 in 1847, and died in 1867. His reign of twenty years thus covered 
 the most piomentous period in Japanese history. It is with this period 
 that this hook has to deal. Prior to his death Komei-Tenno was 
 called Osa-hito, in accordance with ancient custom. 
 
An Evening on the Kamogawa Shoals. 3 7 
 
 fall in with it on some part of its route, and pick up what 
 information I could. 
 
 “ I accordingly shaved my head and disguised myself 
 as a mendicant monk, and slipped out of my house one 
 night, after leaving word with my family that business in 
 Osaca required my attention foe a number of days. In- 
 stead of going there, however, I made my way to Lake 
 Biwa, and then followed the Tokaido until I came to 
 Nagoya, about three days’ journey from Kioto. I there 
 changed my garb and assumed that of a blind shampooer, 
 who also shaves his head like a priest. I then began 
 journeying back slowly over the same road to Kioto. I 
 travelled generally in the dusk of evening, — for what 
 does a blind man care for daylight ? Thus I avoided 
 scrutiny. And I strengthened the part that I was acting 
 by blowing my whistle continually along the road and by 
 groping along with my long staff. Arriving at some 
 wayside inn late in the evening, I would solicit the privi- 
 lege of plying my vocation upon the travellers sojourn- 
 ing there, and would generally make enough by sham- 
 pooing and rubbing the tired muscles in their backs and 
 legs to pay for a night’s lodging. The daytime I spent 
 in loitering between stations. 
 
 “ The great difficulty with which I was obliged to 
 contend, was to disguise my eyes so as to make them 
 harmonize with the part that I was acting. There are 
 various kinds of blindness. Those who are born blind 
 have bleared eyes, pitifully expressionless and vacant. 
 Then you have those over whose eyes whitish films and 
 cataracts have grown ; these people go about with dead- 
 fish eyes. Then you have those who have gone blind 
 from ophthalmia and other diseases ; their eyes in many 
 cases appear to have entirely sloughed away, causing the 
 shrivelled lids to contract and close up tightly over the 
 empty sockets. 
 
 “ Now, this last form of blindness I could simulate 
 fairly well by tightly closing my eyes (naturally deep-set 
 in their sockets) and keeping up a twitching of my eye- 
 lids, as if afflicted with nervous disorders. A slight 
 
38 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 touch of dark coloring applied to the outside of my lids 
 aided the disguise by giving a diseased appearance to 
 those members. But I could not keep up the unnatural 
 motions for any great length of time ; therefore I left 
 the main road and spent the daytime loitering among the 
 woods and groves beside the thoroughfare, where I, un- 
 observed, could watch the passing travellers. When 
 dusk came on I would resume the main road, and would 
 w'alk on to the next convenient resting-place for the 
 night, where it would not be necessary to practise blind- 
 ness for over an hour or so. Thus I went slowly back 
 over the road toward Kioto, waiting to be overtaken by 
 the Embassy, and I was kept waiting a number of days. 
 
 “ One day, as I was in a grove of scrub-pines near the 
 highway, I saw a cavalcade of horsemen and norivions 
 approaching from the direction of Nagoya. There must 
 have been twenty horses loaded down with bundles, 
 baskets, and boxes. To my surprise several of these 
 norimons were without occupants ; this curious fact, 
 however, was speedily explained by seeing a group of 
 strangely dressed people walking along the road some 
 distance behind, and attended by about a dozen .samurai . 1 
 
 “ There were four foreigners. Two of them had hair 
 like bleached hemp, light-blue eyes, and very white 
 skins ; both of these were tall and powerfully built men, 
 and one of them carried at his waist a fragile sword that 
 could have been severed with one blow of my sword. 
 The third foreigner had brown hair, brown eyes, and 
 white skin ; and he was somewhat shorter in stature, 
 but was very thick-set and powerful in his build. The 
 fourth man was slender in structure, yet he was taller 
 
 1 This word is used either in the singular or the plural number. 
 These are the double-sworded gentlemen that we see so often repre- 
 sented in Japanese pictures. They were the retainers of the Daimios. 
 They were hound (in theory) body and soul to the interests of their 
 respective lords. They were to gird them around with a living 
 wall, standing between them and every danger. In return for such 
 service they were to receive annual pensions of rice. They formed 
 the military caste of Japan. They were the aristocrats of the realm. 
 Their swords were typical of their genteel and chivalrous breeding. 
 
An Evening on the Kamogazva Shoals. 39 
 
 than the average Japanese ; his hair was jet-black, his 
 eyes were also black, and his complexion was consider- 
 ably darker than that of the other gentlemen. Such 
 a mixture of color and features amazed me immeasu- 
 rably. 
 
 “ I was also astonished at the freedom allowed to these 
 barbarians by the guards in attendance ; but I presume 
 that the matter had been settled upon a money basis 
 satisfactory to all parties concerned. While we Japanese 
 suppose that these foreigners are being duly escorted in 
 closed norimons through our country, yet, as a matter of 
 fact, they are spying out every thing. 
 
 “ These fellows came sauntering down the road, talk- 
 ing and laughing like boon companions. Occasionally 
 they would stop and gather flowers, herbs, specimens of 
 soil, and stones, which were carefully done up in small 
 parcels, then placed in small lacquered boxes, and finally 
 hid away in the norimons as if they were articles of great 
 value. What, in the name of Kobu-Daishi, did they do 
 that for, do you suppose ? 
 
 “ My feelings against these barbarians were those of 
 anger and disgust. I was angry because such people 
 were allowed so great freedom in examining our country ; 
 and I was disgusted because my countrymen deigned to 
 affiliate with such uncouth and graceless people upon 
 terms of such intimacy. ‘A fine report I shall make of 
 you to my master ! ’ said I in my sleeve. I remained in 
 seclusion until they had gone a full league down the 
 road ; then I came forth and followed them slowly until 
 near sunset, when they stopped at an inn. 
 
 “ After dusk I strolled into the town blowing my 
 whistle and groping along with my staff, at the same 
 time making enquiries for hotels ; and I was referred 
 to the only one in the place, where I duly made appli- 
 cation for a night’s lodging. At first I was peremp- 
 torily ordered off by a rude officer, who informed me that 
 the place was filled with the guards and the attendants of 
 the foreign embassy, but, upon its appearing that I was 
 a helpless, blind shampooer in quest of trade, permission 
 
40 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 was granted for me to take up my quarters with the ser- 
 vants in the kitchen. 
 
 “ My evening meal was quickly served ; after which I 
 humbly begged to be allowed to ply my vocation upon 
 the weary limbs of the travellers in the inn ; to which 
 reasonable request no objection was raised by the 
 fatigued members of the suite, upon many of whom I 
 plied my trade, and soon had worked myself into their 
 very best graces. It was finally suggested by some one 
 that the foreigners in the back-room upstairs might be 
 refreshed with a course of rubbing. This suggestion gave 
 rise to a heated controversy, some urging that such a 
 thing would be unprecedented, while others urged that 
 it would come within the letter of their instructions to 
 escort the foreigners carefully and to keep them in good 
 health during the journey. 
 
 “At this juncture my simple enquiry as to whether the 
 foreign gentlemen were not human beings constructed 
 like ourselves, and likely to be benefited with similar treat- 
 ment, provoked great laughter, and was pronounced to 
 be a shrewd bid for fresh custom. Nevertheless the ob- 
 servation put everybody into good humor, so that it was 
 finally settled that I should shampoo the foreign gentle- 
 men, receiving from the treasurer the customary fee of two 
 tin , while I was instructed by that urbane and upright 
 gentleman to charge the foreigners themselves a bu 
 apiece — nearly thirty times more than I received. 
 
 “ This financial basis appearing satisfactory to the down- 
 stairs party, I was ushered upstairs into a large apart- 
 ment opening toward the back on a veranda. I was 
 duly introduced, and was then left quite alone with 
 those strange creatures, to perform whatever rubbing 
 they might call for. The room was but dimly lighted 
 with an andon (paper lantern). 
 
 “ I began upon the captain of the company, who lay 
 stretched on the tatamis in one corner of the room. As 
 I was now compelled to simulate blindness to the utmost 
 of my capacity, I could observe nothing for several min- 
 utes. While rubbing and squeezing the muscles of his 
 
An Evening on the Kamogawa Shoals. 4 1 
 
 arms, neck, and shoulders, I kept up a perpetual winking. 
 I was amazed to find him shaped in every way like our- 
 selves. When I rolled him over on his face and began 
 to operate upon the muscles of his back and legs, I was 
 further amazed to find how heavily he was built. He 
 was as heavy and as massive as one of our gigantic 
 wrestlers. Why so powerfully constructed a gentleman 
 should be contented with twirling a puny little sword, 
 like a girl dallying with a needle, was beyond my com- 
 prehension. 
 
 “ As I rubbed and thumped his back, I took sly 
 glances around the room. The black-haired barbarian 
 lay upon his stomach beside the andon and appeared to 
 be writing in a small book which he would hastily slip 
 into his pocket whenever footsteps approached the 
 room. The wretch was doubtless entering his observa- 
 tions on the country made during the day. I felt like 
 drawing forth my short sword from beneath my clothes 
 and pinning him to the floor. The brown-haired fellow 
 was lying on some silk cushions and was busily engaged 
 in talking to the yellow-haired beast, who sat on the 
 veranda smoking a pipe of vast dimensions and occasion- 
 ally ejecting from between his lips some muddy fluid into 
 a flower-pot beside him. 
 
 “Truly they were a strange set of fellows! Their 
 voices were strong and coarse, and came up from their 
 very stomachs, for when I was rubbing the back of 
 the big fellow he coughed and spoke to the black- 
 haired fellow, whereupon my hand fairly trembled with 
 the deeply intoned vibrations beneath ; and when he 
 laughed at my tickling his ribs during the process of 
 punching and pinching, I felt as if I were handling an 
 earthquake, because of the suppressed gurglings within 
 the caverns of his breast. After finishing him up, the 
 brown-haired fellow came to me, and was duly kneaded 
 and thumped. He was not so large as the captain, but he 
 was wonderfully well knit and tough. He was exceedingly 
 ticklish, and laughed immoderately whenever I touched 
 his ribs. It did not take me long to finish him up. 
 
42 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 Then I went to work on the other yellow-haired fellow. 
 He was exceedingly large-boned, but he was as limp and 
 as flabby as a baby, and smelt like a mangy dog. He 
 did not have enough vitality to laugh when I made spe- 
 cial efforts to tickle his ribs, but he dozed and grunted, 
 and grunted and dozed, like an immense pig. 
 
 “ Having finished with him, I sat waiting for the 
 black-haired man to come and take his turn ; in the 
 meantime I blinked at the light like an owl, and fur- 
 tively watched him between the blinks. Suddenly he 
 looked up from his writing and, beckoning me, said in a 
 low and musical voice : ‘ Come over here, Mr. Shampooer. 
 and work on me near the veranda ; the air is fresher here.’ 
 Like a simpleton, I coolly went over to him and began to 
 talk, when it came over me like a thunder-clap that I 
 was supposed to be blind, and that the foreigners were 
 supposed to be ignorant of our language ; yet so smooth 
 and so natural had been his speech that I was drawn to 
 his side like a charmed bird. 1 was overwhelmed with 
 confusion and fear at my indiscretion, for if my action 
 had been observed by anybody watching my move- 
 ments, my head would soon have parted company with 
 my shoulders.” 
 
 “ Excuse my interruption, sir,” exclaimed Mr. Naka- 
 shima in an undertone, “ but did you just now feel a tre- 
 mor of this platform whereon we are sitting ? ” 
 
 “ I did not, sir. Daughters, are you shaking the 
 booth ? ” 
 
 “ No, sir ; we are quietly listening to the account of 
 the latest freaks of the demon of the Maruyama cas- 
 cades,” replied his daughters. 
 
 “Yet I felt a decided tremor,” said Mr. Nakashima ; 
 
 “ The people in the adjacent booths all appear to be 
 quietly enjoying themselves. My son, will you kindly 
 step over into the water and carefully look beneath the 
 platform and see if any one is there listening to our 
 conversation ? ” 
 
 His youngest son, who was sitting on the edge of the 
 booth, accordingly slipped down into the water, and 
 
An Evening on the Kamogcewa Shoals. 43 
 
 gazed beneath. The bright moonlight revealed nothing 
 but the rippling waves and the sandy shoals as far as he 
 could see. A heavy piece of drift-wood, however, had 
 been borne by the current against one of the posts, and 
 this appeared to be the cause of their agitation. But the 
 party now became aware of the possibility of some one 
 creeping beneath them and thus catching the drift of 
 their conversation. 
 
 The young men therefore agreed to take turns in look- 
 ing over the side of the booth every few minutes or so, 
 and occasionally stepping into the water and thoroughly 
 inspecting the shoals beneath the flooring of the booth. 
 Such was the system of espionage prevailing in those 
 days that the people never knew when they were being 
 watched. 
 
 “ I trust you will excuse my interruption, sir,” said Mr. 
 Nakashima. 
 
 “ Nay, sir, mention it not. I am under boundless obli- 
 gation to you for your caution,” replied Mr. Yamada. 
 “ With the bright moonlight overhead, and with a clear 
 sweep for the eyes on all sides of us, it never occurred 
 to me that those sneaking Tokugawa reptiles could creep 
 beneath us. Never fear now. Let them come on if they 
 wish to taste this steel that I shall thrust between the 
 chinks in this flooring just as soon as I hear a sound 
 below. But let me see ; I was at the point where I was 
 outwitted by that black-haired devil of a Hollander. 
 Well, to continue, I was feeling extremely uncomfortable. 
 I determined, however, to put a bold face on the matter, 
 and to make the best of it ; for I perceived that no one 
 appeared to notice this by-play, and that the matter lay 
 entirely between the black-haired Hollander and myself. 
 * Mr. Shampooer,’ said he, in a soft voice, ‘you do not 
 appear to be totally blind, nor am I totally dumb as 
 regards your language. You have exposed yourself as 
 well as I have done. Therefore we must both be fast 
 friends and keep each other’s secrets, or we shall both 
 come to grief. Now, we are over here near the veranda 
 where we cannot be heard, and I wish to hold friendly 
 
44 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 converse with you for a few moments. You are no more 
 of a blind shampooer than I am. I was impressed by the 
 cast of your countenance when you came into the room, 
 and being the doctor of the Dutch settlement in Deshima 
 at Nagasaki, I have become very familiar with the vari- 
 ous forms of eye diseases prevailing in this country. 
 In fact, I know more of such subjects than your people 
 know. Therefore when you began to pound and to 
 thump your first victim, I opened the door of this 
 andon here, punched a hole through the paper, and, thus 
 screened as to my head, took profound interest in your 
 performances from that time onward. Oh, you are a 
 wonderful shampooer, my friend ! You handled that 
 last victim about as delicately as a wild boar would 
 manipulate a sweet potato ! ’ 
 
 “ ‘ However, I don’t care any thing about your history. 
 All I wish from you is direct answers to a few questions 
 about the customs and features of the country around 
 Kioto and Lake Biwa. You of course know that we 
 Hollanders are not allowed to learn your language under 
 penalty of banishment from your shores. Nevertheless, 
 I have obtained — never mind how 1 — a pretty fair mas- 
 tery of the common language of your people. I do 
 not use it, however, to your country’s detriment, but 
 only to secure geographical and scientific matter per- 
 taining to your country for my own information and 
 pleasure.’ 
 
 “ Thus he talked. His pronunciation was strangely 
 accurate. And his language, though not couched in the 
 exact forms of our own people, yet was wonderfully 
 clear, comprehensive, and thoughtful. And he had a 
 capacity for getting at facts and at ideas (even through 
 the medium of imperfect expression) that was perfectly 
 amazing. The exactness with which our minds came in 
 contact almost convinced me that he was a native of 
 Japan. How could the mind of a being whose ancestors 
 never had any connection or communication with mine, 
 and who, instead of being descended from the gods, had 
 descended from beasts, thus commune with my mind and 
 
An Evening on the Kamogawa Shoals. 45 
 
 exchange ideas so similar to my own — yea, even superior 
 to my own ? How do you explain such things ? ” 
 
 “ I do not know how to account for it,” said Mr. 
 Nakashima, “ unless upon the supposition that we have 
 been misinformed about these barbarians, and also about 
 our own country. There is a mystery about this entire 
 subject that grows deeper all the time. We live in a 
 strange period of Japanese history.” 
 
 “However that may be,” replied Mr. Yamada, “of 
 one thing I am certain, that if there be many men like 
 that black-haired doctor in foreign countries, then we 
 will have much to learn from outside barbarians. That 
 man elicited all the information that I had to convey 
 about the city of Kioto, its history, its temples, its 
 religions, its theatres, and about its silk and porcelain 
 manufactures ; and he probed for a vast amount of in- 
 formation concerning adjoining provinces that I knew 
 nothing about. Truly, I was amazed at the depth of my 
 ignorance concerning Japan outside of my native 
 province of Yamashiro. Pray, what do we folks here 
 know about what is transpiring in Satsuma, or in Nambu, 
 or in Musashi, or even in so near a place as Kaga ? 
 Verily, our ignorance and narrow-mindedness in such 
 things are abominable ; like frogs in a well, we see 
 nothing but the sky directly overhead. Pray, what do 
 you or I know about what is happening just beyond 
 these mountains surrounding us, over in the adjoining 
 provinces of Tamba, Omi, or Yamato? Truly, our igno- 
 rance is deplorable in the extreme ! ” 
 
 “ I am sure, sir,” replied Mr. Nakashima, “ that I know 
 no more about the features of Nambu or Awomori 
 than I know about the uttermost bounds of barbarism. 
 I know a little about Satsuma through rumor, but noth- 
 ing definite. Verily, we Japanese are profoundly igno- 
 rant about what is transpiring within the four seas 
 environing our own country. My knowledge of Japan 
 is limited by these mountains here. And the scope of 
 my general information seems to be circumscribed by a 
 series of original lectures on the art of thrusting, parry- 
 
46 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 ing, and smiting with bamboo foils. With what else am 
 I conversant ? I know absolutely nothing about foreign 
 countries, and I know but little of my own country be- 
 yond the mountain walls of Yamashiro. This is truly 
 a shameful state of affairs. And yet I am reputed to 
 be an educated Japanese gentleman ! Truly, Yamashiro 
 is a well, and I am a frog living therein ! Pray, sir, 
 what else did that black-haired gentleman inquire 
 about ? ” 
 
 “Well, he wished to know what kind of fish lived in 
 Lake Biwa. Who knows ? He then inquired as to the 
 varieties of fish found in the waters of Osaca Bay and 
 off-shore along the coast. Do you know ? Ha ! ha ! I 
 thought it quite likely that you were not familiar with 
 that morsel of information. Then he wished to know 
 the names of the various animals, insects, trees, herbs, 
 and flowers, that grew in our province ; concerning 
 which, I am pleased to say, I was able to give some in- 
 formation. 
 
 “ Then he desired to know the amount of rain that fell 
 in Yamashiro and in the adjoining provinces during the 
 year. How would you answer such a question as that ? 
 You hesitate ! Well, I am not surprised. And finally, 
 he wanted details about the history of Kioto and of the 
 imperial family, concerning which I gave him consider- 
 able information very reluctantly, because it seemed to 
 me that he was trespassing beyond the limit of legiti- 
 mate inquiry. I began to garble facts and to suppress 
 details ; but he corrected my false statements at once 
 with utmost precision to my great confusion and amaze- 
 ment. Verily, the fellow had read up our country’s 
 history from some source or other with most commend- 
 able accuracy. 
 
 “ During a half hour of shampooing he compelled me 
 to disgorge an amount of information that I did not 
 know was in my possession, and an amount quite suffi- 
 cient to take off my head. Once or twice the shojee was 
 slid back by the interpreter, who looked in to see how 
 my work was progressing, but the doctor informed him 
 
An Evening on the Kamogawa Shoals. 47 
 
 that his sore back and legs required special rubbing to 
 ease them. I heard the interpreter translate this to the 
 officer of the guard. I suspected that the interpreter 
 and the doctor were upon very familiar terms, for there 
 was a sly chuckle in his voice as he made his inquiries. 
 At last my work was completed, and I was led out into 
 my kitchen quarters, where I spent a somewhat uneasy 
 night. 
 
 “ In the early dawn I left the hotel and had gone well 
 on my way before sunrise. By midday I had reached a 
 convenient clump of trees where I tarried until nightfall, 
 thus allowing the embassy to precede me into Kioto. 
 Then I came quietly into the city, and slipped into my 
 house unobserved. 
 
 “ During the weeks that I was waiting for my hair to 
 grow again, I compared notes with the spies who had 
 been delegated to watch other portions of the embassy’s 
 route. My report, compiled from these sources, was 
 duly submitted to the Emperor and to his councillors. 
 
 “ It therein appeared that the embassy left Nagasaki 
 about six weeks before the end of the year, and travelled 
 overland nearly two hundred miles to the Shimonoseki 
 Straits. Embarking there in boats, they came through 
 the Inland Sea to Osaca, a distance of about two hun- 
 dred and fifty miles. Thence they passed overland by 
 way of Nagoya and the Tokaido to Yedo, where they 
 tarried until after the commencement of the new year. 
 On New Year’s Day they called on the Shogun, and 
 were allowed to do him homage. After that event they 
 returned to Nagasaki by the same route that they came. 
 It seemed that the foreigners were kept closely guarded 
 on the upward journey, but that on the return journey 
 they were allowed more liberty in consideration of their 
 gracious reception by the Shogun. It also appeared that I 
 was the only spy who had obtained personal access to 
 the foreigners. My information was pronounced varied 
 and instructive. 
 
 “ Nothing of importance had been gleaned at Naga- 
 saki or on the upward journey. At Yedo, however, 
 
4 8 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 there were various rumors set afloat by the foreigners to 
 the effect that some barbarian naval expedition would 
 soon appear off the coast of Japan. These rumors ex- 
 cited considerable fear and conjecture in the metropolis 
 as to the object of such an expedition. Such were the 
 main features of our report. A few days ago, however, 
 a secret messenger came through the inland mountain 
 roads from Yedo, bearing to us the important informa- 
 tion that a foreign fleet had put in its appearance in the 
 bay a few miles south of Yedo, creating great consterna- 
 tion in that region. Our spies in Yedo also notified us 
 that they needed two or three assistants to render aid 
 in the work of securing information. You well know 
 that our emperors have long been treated like puppets 
 by the Shoguns, and that our present Emperor has long 
 chafed at the undignified and degrading position in 
 which he has been placed. You also know that Satsuma 
 and the southwestern Daimios have long been bitterly 
 hostile to the encroachments of the Tokugawa Shoguns, 
 and that they are carefully watching for a favorable 
 opportunity to overturn the Yedo tyrant ; therefore, it is 
 of vital importance to our cause that we keep well posted 
 on all matters of a public nature, in order to know how to 
 act. If we can create such violent discontent among the 
 provinces as to create a revolution, whereby the house of 
 Tokugawa may be overthrown, who knows but what our 
 Emperor may regain his prestige and ancient power ? 
 
 “ I do not imagine that the southwestern Daimios have 
 any special love or admiration for our imperial master, 
 nor do I think that they would worry themselves much 
 about him under ordinary circumstances ; but their 
 hatred for the house of Tokugawa, dating from the time 
 when Tokugawa Iyeyas routed the legions of the league 
 and stormed the castle of Osaca, where perished the 
 only son of Hideyoshi, cherished friend and ally of Sat- 
 suma, has become of late years so very pronounced that 
 the Shogun hardly dares to cast his eyes in their direc- 
 tion. And, in order to gratify their spite against the 
 house of Tokugawa, who knows but what our Emperor 
 
An Evening on the Kamogawa Shoals. 49 
 
 may form a coalition with the southwestern Daimios for 
 allies, and thus regain his former power ?” 
 
 “Aye, who knows?” exclaimed the Nakashimas. 
 
 For a while they all sat musing over the strange ideas 
 suggested by the extraordinary narration of Mr. Yamada ; 
 which, though told in a few concise words in this chapter, 
 yet occupied a long time when interspersed with abundant 
 gestures, frequent explanatory comments, and answers to 
 queries from the attentive listeners, together with alter- 
 nate smoking of pipes and sipping of tea. It was draw- 
 ing well on toward the middle watches of the night as 
 timed by the deep-toned mournful notes of the massive 
 bells of the temples. Mr. Nakashima was gazing dreamily 
 across the river upon the sombre groves that covered the 
 mountain sides, in whose sylvan depths the booming 
 vibrations announced the presence of monasteries em- 
 bowered there. 
 
 “Sir,” said Mr. Yamada, abruptly, addressing Mr. 
 Nakashima, “ what say you to allowing your sons to 
 assist me in this matter of collecting information for our 
 common master, the Emperor? I know that this propo- 
 sition is a sudden one, and that, from the danger con- 
 nected therewith, it must shock you somewhat. I have 
 cast my eyes around for assistants, and I can find no one 
 so well suited for the Yedo circuit as your sons. The 
 fact that their ancestors were retainers of Tokugawa 
 Iyeyas will aid them immensely in attaching themselves 
 to the retinue of some Tokugawa lord in Yedo ; while 
 their blood relationship to the imperial family — remote 
 though it be — insures their loyalty to our cause. I have 
 long considered this plan, and my prime object in bring- 
 ing you down here this evening was to submit it to you 
 in confidence. I can well see that your sons are eager 
 for the service, and need no urging to enter upon the 
 dangerous career of imperial spies ; but at the same time 
 I can well understand the solicitude of your paternal 
 heart, and I therefore do not urge upon you an immediate 
 answer. You may consider this matter at your leisure, 
 and notify me in due time of your decision.” 
 
50 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “Honorable sir,” replied Mr. Nakashima, “I cannot 
 feel otherwise than highly honored at the supreme con- 
 fidence you repose in me and in my sons. My loyalty 
 and zeal for our imperial master will ever remain stead- 
 fast ; and my friendship for the house of Tokugawa 
 surely cannot be very strong after the shabby treatment 
 our family has received at their hands. Yet, as your 
 proposition is an important one, requiring serious and 
 careful consideration, I will duly weigh it in consultation 
 with my sons, and you will have our reply at an early 
 day.” 
 
 Our friends now wended their way homeward, where 
 they indulged in a brief siesta upon the balconies, and 
 then the master ordered the servant to slip the shojees 
 into the grooves in the middle of the room, and to spread 
 out the bedding on the tatamis on both sides of this ex- 
 temporized partition. Gentle slumbers, like a soft mist, 
 then settled down upon their busy brains, and dreams of 
 flashing blades and mangled bodies reflected the gory 
 recitals of the host. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A COURIER DESPATCH. 
 
 In the gray dawn of a morning in August a courier 
 stood beside the western gateway of the Shogun’s castle 
 in Yedo. It was beside the outermost moat, at a place 
 where the flat lands surrounding the waters of the bay 
 abruptly merged into the rolling hill country that undu- 
 lated far away in all directions to the distant mountains. 
 The broad ditch that had closely clung to the grassy 
 ramparts in all their twists and turns on the low lands 
 now found itself confronted with a high hill, through 
 which it had to pierce its way. On either side of the 
 mighty cutting the swarded embankments sloped upward 
 in graceful curves of living green, opening up a sweet 
 vista of deeply shaded waters, upon whose placid bosom 
 the gorgeous lotus plants unfolded their broad leaves to 
 catch the rosy petals of their glorious blossoms ; along 
 whose margin the reeds and lilies grew beneath the 
 shadows of the dwarfed pines that stretched forth their 
 grotesque branches upon frail bamboo trellises ; and 
 where the poky little wild ducks from far northern lakes 
 floated in myriad squadrons during the winter months, 
 giving to the landscape an appearance that cannot be 
 otherwise described than as Japanesque. A fragile 
 wooden bridge crossed the moat below the cutting, and 
 a wide causeway gradually curved up the hillside toward 
 the portals of the massive gateway that stood at the top 
 of the cutting. 
 
 This gateway was a massive double-storied tower of 
 rectangular proportions. It was constructed of wood, 
 plaster, and tiles. The beams and the planks were of 
 
 51 
 
5 2 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 immense size, and were plated with thick sheets of iron. 
 The heavy wooden gates were also heavily plated with 
 iron, and were thickly studded with massive iron nails. 
 When the massive wings swung inward on their grating 
 hinges they swept nearly all the space beneath the second 
 story. There was, however, a small room on either hand 
 for the accommodation of the guards who opened the 
 gates at sunrise, and who opened the little wicket gate 
 (inlaid within one of the wings) to duly accredited 
 persons demanding entrance after sunset. The upper 
 story was one immense room, pierced on all sides with 
 heavily barred windows for archers and matchlock-men 
 to discharge their missiles upon assaulting ranks be- 
 neath. 
 
 The gates had not yet been opened for the day, and 
 the guards slumbered in the lower rooms of the tower. 
 Outside of the gateway, leaning against its massive posts, 
 stood the courier, awaiting the delivery of the despatch 
 that he had been notified to call for at daybreak. He 
 was a tall muscular fellow, tanned from head to heels in 
 a manner quite sufficient to have excited the envy of 
 some professional athlete. On his feet were straw san- 
 dals ; around his loins was a scanty rag ; around his 
 shoulders was flung a dark-blue cotton tunic as a pre- 
 caution against cold during inaction ; upon his head was 
 a broad-brimmed coolie hat woven out of bamboo strips ; 
 and in his hand he held a coarse cotton handkerchief, 
 with which he industriously brushed off the mosquitoes 
 that seemed inclined to breakfast on his bare legs. 
 
 But the despatch was delayed. If you will follow the 
 road inside the gateway for half a mile or so over the 
 brow of the hill, past the barracks and past the mansions 
 of the gentry, to that stately yashiki 1 near the innermost 
 
 1 “ A yashiki was a style of feudal architecture peculiar to Yedo. 
 The central feature was a palace of vast proportions. Around this, 
 on all sides, were gardens, lawns, and courtyards, covering frequently 
 many acres of ground. All this was then hemmed in with an unbro- 
 
 ken line of barracks arranged in a quadrangle and having heavily 
 barred windows and iron-bound gates of massive proportions. Each 
 
A Courier Despatch. 
 
 53 
 
 moat, you will find the lights still glimmering in the 
 council-chamber of the presiding officer of the Gorojio.' 
 There had been a stormy night session of that body. It 
 was long past midnight before the Daimios in council 
 had summoned their respective escorts and had been 
 borne in their norimons to their respective yashikis. 
 There had been much wild and fierce discussion over 
 the answer that should be given to the letter of Millard 
 Fillmore, the President of the United States of North 
 America, which had been delivered by a powerful fleet 
 of vessels a fortnight before to the Shogun’s envoy about 
 twenty miles below Yedo. 
 
 The contents of the letter were friendly enough, but 
 they proposed to invade the policy of two centuries and 
 to inaugurate changes whose momentous consequences 
 could not be foreseen. No conclusion had been arrived 
 at except to speedily summon an experienced interpreter 
 from Nagasaki and to instruct the governor of that city 
 to collect whatsoever information he could from the 
 Dutch merchants in Deshima concerning the history and 
 the characteristics of this strange nation beyond the 
 seas. The presiding officer has just put the official seal 
 to his communications to the governor of Nagasaki, and 
 his secretary is now placing the despatches in a long 
 lacquered box, something like a lady’s glove-box ; and 
 now, after tying that up carefully and placing it within a 
 square box of larger dimensions attached to a long stick, 
 he locks the lid carefully with a duplicate key and gives 
 it to his servant to carry in haste to the courier waiting 
 
 Daimio had his yashiki in Yedo, wherein he and his army of retainers 
 resided during their long visits under the Tokugawa regime. But few 
 of these grand structures remain ; many were Burnt during the Revo- 
 lution, and some of the finest, having been turned into government 
 offices, were set on fire and destroyed by stoves improperly set up 
 therein.” — “A Budget of Letters from Japan,” page 132. note. 
 
 ] “ The Shogun was assisted in his deliberations and executive 
 functions by the Gorojio , or council of smaller Daimios ; and as the 
 Shogun was oftener a puppet than not, the government of Japan came 
 at last to be practically vested in the president of this council — -a 
 man, under ordinary circumstances, of comparatively low rank.” — 
 B/aekwootfs Magazine, vol. 101, p. 430. 
 
54 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 at the western gateway. With flying feet he speeds by 
 the gardens and the barracks and reaches the gateway 
 just as the drowsy guards are awaking the echoes of the 
 place with stentorian yawns. At sight of the lacquered 
 chest, stamped with the gilded crests of the Tokugawas, 
 they prostrate themselves upon the tatamis and receive it 
 with reverential hands. The doors are flung back and 
 the expectant courier is ushered in to receive his burden. 
 Making profound obeisance, he proceeds with trembling 
 hands to wrap the chest carefully in oil-paper to protect 
 it during its long journey overland to the western gates 
 of the empire. Then drawing forth his jade-stone mono- 
 gram from his tobacco-pouch, he stamps with nervous 
 hand his signature to the receipt, that states that on that 
 day he duly received from the proper officer a govern- 
 ment despatch contained in box number 200 for trans- 
 mission to the next station on the Nakasctido (Inland 
 Road), twelve miles from Yedo. Then fastening his 
 tunic to one end of the pole, he swings the chest over 
 his shoulder, and rushes down the causeway just as the 
 morning sun, rising from the broad bosom of the Pacific, 
 is tinting with its beams the shores of the sea-girt isles. 
 
 The courier is now fully under way, and very rapidly 
 does he speed westward over the hills. After a sharp 
 trot of about an hour and a half he rushed panting into 
 a village where the first relay was stationed. The post- 
 office was an ordinary native house, in front of which 
 stood several coolies and pack-horses. In one of the 
 large front rooms that served as an office were the relay 
 couriers lying around upon the tatamis , smoking pipes 
 and sipping tea. As soon as it was announced that a 
 despatch from Yedo was on its way up the street, a tall, 
 muscular fellow at once sprang up and stripped himself 
 for work. So quick was he in his preparation that, ere 
 the glittering body of the approaching courier had swung 
 past the gateway, he stood in the street ready for the 
 despatch. The box was instantly seized by the post- 
 master, its number and alleged contents quickly noted in 
 the register, a receipt duly given therefor, and, after a 
 
A Courier Despatch. 
 
 55 
 
 delay of barely five minutes, it was again speeding along 
 the road toward its destination. 
 
 Thus it sped onward all day long with fresh couriers 
 at intervals of ten or twelve miles. At night it was nearly 
 one hundred miles from Yedo, upon the verge of the 
 mighty mountain regions of the interior. It was care- 
 fully guarded at the village post-office until daylight, 
 when it was again on its way up into the grand moun- 
 tains of central Japan, where it sped onward all day long 
 over mountain passes thousands of feet high ; deep down 
 into valleys well shaded with forests of maple, crypto- 
 meria, beech, and oak ; past the base of the volcano 
 Asamayama, that lifted its smoking head eight thousand 
 feet above sea level ; past engroved temples and villages 
 tucked away amid gulches and ravines, where monkeys 
 and deer abounded, and where bears and panthers waged 
 war against the wild boars ; past hot mineral springs, 
 and past hamlets embowered in bamboo groves ; over 
 lofty mountains whence could be seen mighty Fujisan on 
 the eastern coast, and massive Hakusan that linked the 
 corners of five provinces on the western coast ; through 
 vales that were filled with the rustlings of mountain tor- 
 rents freighted with the melted snows of a past winter ; 
 through some of the grandest and most picturesque 
 mountain scenery in the world. Yet the couriers heeded 
 none of these things, but, with bated breath and bowed 
 heads, sped over passes, through vales, and across tor- 
 rents, bearing onward yet deeper into the mountain fast- 
 nesses the message of the Shogun. The nut-brown, 
 glistening hounds chased the parting day with hurried 
 feet, for the sun sets early in these deep valleys, and they 
 must at all hazards make their eighty miles of journey. 
 Late in the evening the last courier rushed down into the 
 sweet valley of Agematsu and deposited his burden with 
 the village postmaster. Thus has it come one hundred 
 and eighty miles on its way. 
 
 At daylight on the third day it was again on its way 
 over mountains that gradually merged into foot-hills until 
 the courier leaped forth upon the plains of Mino among 
 
56 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 wheat fields, rice fields, and groves of mulberry-trees. 
 By dusk the despatch had been borne quite across the 
 province of Mino near to the mountain barriers of Lake 
 Bi\ya. And on the fourth day it had skirted the lovely 
 hill country encircling the eastern and southern shores 
 of Lake Biwa, had passed over the northern barrier of 
 Yamashiro into Kioto, and thence had gone onward to 
 Osaca on the shores of the Inland Sea, thus making 
 nearly four hundred miles in four days. 
 
 Here the scene changed. Instead of continuing the 
 journey by following the road along the shores of the 
 Inland Sea, the despatch finds a large and swift boat 
 with two sets of oarsmen ready to receive it. Eight 
 lusty scullers — four standing on each side of the stern — 
 plied the long narrow blades with such skill and power 
 that the trembling craft rushed through the blue waters 
 with such tremendous speed that, ere the first day’s sun 
 had set, its sharp prow had cut through nearly eighty 
 miles of waves, and was threading the channels of the 
 inland archipelago. Late at night the crew turned the 
 prow toward the lights of a village on the shores of a 
 hilly islet. Shooting the boat high up on the sandy 
 beach, the weary crew bivouacked in its immediate 
 vicinity, while the officer in charge of the despatch con- 
 veyed it to the house of the mayor, where he was hospi- 
 tably entertained during the night. While dawn was yet 
 tarrying in the east, the boat had been shot down into 
 the waves ; and the chanting and the tramping of the 
 scullers, as they simultaneously threw themselves inward 
 and then outward over the gunwales, kept up a monoto- 
 nous rhythm of motion and of song that could be heard 
 for a great distance over the peaceful waters. All day 
 long it sped through the maze of channels. The yakunin 
 (officer) lolled upon a tatami amidships, smoking and 
 dozing. At high noon they lunched at a fishing village 
 ensconced upon the shores of a picturesque island. And 
 the evening shades found them camping on the shores of 
 a little inlet midway through the channel. The next day, 
 having shaken themselves clear of the maze of islands, 
 
A Courier Despatch. 
 
 57 
 
 they came into wider water, where they hugged the shore 
 of the mainland. And on the following day they reached 
 Shimonoseki Straits, the gateway to the open sea. 
 
 Here, instead of sending the despatch to Nagasaki by 
 the land route, it was found that the orders directed 
 them to proceed there by sea. Accordingly the oarsmen 
 were changed and a stock of provisions was taken aboard. 
 Then they went outside and crept for three days along 
 the sea-coast, sometimes among clusters of islands quite 
 as picturesque as the inland archipelago. And on the 
 evening of the third day they slipped between the head- 
 lands of Nagasaki harbor and went skimming along 
 toward the landing, where the adventurous box, after a 
 journey of nearly one thousand miles, was duly delivered ; 
 and it was soon on its way to the palace of the governor, 
 who received it, and was soon deeply buried in the con- 
 tents thereof. 
 
 Early on the morning of the following day, a messenger 
 hurried from the gateway of the palace down to the edge 
 of the harbor, where had been fdled in about half an acre 
 of land, upon which were built the warehouses and the 
 residences of the Dutch merchants, constituting what has 
 become known to the world as Deshima. Coming to the 
 solitary bridge that spanned the broad canal cutting the 
 island from the mainland, our messenger was challenged 
 by the guard stationed there, who, upon a careful exami- 
 nation of the governor’s passport, at once ushered the 
 bearer thereof over the bridge to the gateway leading 
 into the walled compound of Deshima, where he was 
 challenged by another guard, who took the passport with 
 profound obeisance and examined it on bended knees. 
 Passing muster here also, the heavy gates were swung 
 open, and our messenger stepped beyond the threshold of 
 the “compound ” that had served as a mercantile prison 
 for over two centuries. The place was shaped like that 
 part of a spreading fan upon which paper is usually 
 pasted, and it measured six hundred feet across its face, 
 and two hundred and forty feet across its sides. At each 
 corner stood a guard-house. A broad promenade 
 
58 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 bounded it along the water’s edge. Two well-gravelled 
 walks meeting at right angles in the centre divided the 
 enclosure into four nearly equal parts, that contained the 
 warehouses, residences, gardens, and flower-beds of the 
 “factory.” In the right-hand corner near the gateway, 
 enclosed by a high bamboo fence, stood the house of the 
 Dutch Resident, in a pretty garden filled with shrubbery 
 and flowers. It was a double-storied house, built after 
 the native style. In front of it stood the tall flag-pole, 
 from whose top floated the flag of Holland. 
 
 Our messenger was duly ushered upstairs into the 
 presence of the Resident, who, loosely attired in a Japa- 
 nese robe, was sipping his morning cup of coffee on the 
 veranda. He received the governor’s messenger with 
 profound obeisance, and, while the interpreter was being 
 summoned, he ordered up refreshments for his guest. 
 There was great curiosity in the community to know 
 what might be the purport of this early communication 
 from the governor ; but the interpreter promptly put in 
 an appearance, and the message was found to be tanta- 
 lizingly brief and characteristically peremptory : “ The 
 
 Resident is commanded by the governor of' Nagasaki to 
 appear without delay at the palace.” It was useless to 
 inquire as to the nature of the business, for the astute 
 messenger had profoundly bowed himself out of the 
 house as soon as the order had been communicated. The 
 Resident hastily dressed himself, and, summoning his 
 norimon, went ’to the palace with the interpreter. After 
 being regaled with tea and cakes in an anteroom, he was 
 ushered into the august presence of the governor, before 
 whom he prostrated himself in abject salutation. A long 
 list of questions was then put to him through the inter- 
 preter. He was requested to give all the information he 
 could concerning the population, productions, manufac- 
 tures, and general resources of the United States of 
 North America. What was its power in war? What 
 were its weak points ? What were its capacity and its 
 facilities for waging foreign war? Was it on good terms 
 with the nations of Europe ? What was the present con- 
 
A Courier Despatch. 
 
 59 
 
 dition of its army and navy ? How many days would it 
 require to navigate a fleet from those shores ? 
 
 The answers to these and to a multitude of similar 
 questions were duly recorded by the secretaries. After 
 a couple of hours thus spent, a short intermission was 
 allowed, and tea and tobacco were passed around. After 
 that, a few general questions, that appeared to have sub- 
 sequently suggested themselves, were then put. Then 
 the Resident was requested to send to the governor all 
 the maps, charts, atlases, and books descriptive of the 
 United States and of Europe that he could spare, and 
 also to release immediately from his employ the senior 
 interpreter attached to the “factory,” to be sent to Yedo 
 for an indefinite period. The interview was then termi- 
 nated, and the Resident was forthwith escorted back to 
 his home. 
 
 The office of the governor presented a busy scene far 
 into the night. The literature and the atlases that the 
 Resident had sent up with his compliments, were duly 
 wrapped up in oil-paper, and were carefully packed in a 
 stout lacquered box, which was duly locked and sealed. 
 The busy fingers of the secretaries were many hours at 
 work on the despatches. At daybreak the last item had 
 been transcribed, and box number 200 was filled with 
 voluminous despatches. It was then locked with the 
 duplicate key, and was duly delivered, together with the 
 box of books, to servants who at once hastened to the 
 beach with them, and before sunrise the swift boat 
 bearing the interpreter and the yakunin in charge of the 
 boxes was gliding between the headlands of the bay on 
 its way back to Osaca through the Inland Sea. On the 
 eighth day after its departure from Nagasaki, it entered 
 the mouth of the river on which Osaca is situated. 
 Without delay the despatch box was sent flying overland 
 on the shoulders of couriers toward Yedo, where it 
 arrived within four days at the yashiki of him who held 
 the duplicate key thereof. 
 
 But the books and the interpreter not being adapted 
 to such rapid means of conveyance, were transferred to a 
 
6o 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 long, flat-bottomed river-boat in charge of a yaku?ii?i who 
 had been delegated to escort our friend to Yedo by the 
 Tokaido (overland shore road) as rapidly as might be 
 consistent with comfort. All night long the boatmen 
 alternately sculled, towed, and punted their shallow craft 
 against the swift current of the Kamogawa up toward 
 Kioto. They arrived there at daylight. Here the over- 
 land journey was to commence. It was decided, how- 
 ever, at the suggestion of the interpreter, to tarry in 
 Kioto for a couple of days in order to make necessary 
 preparations for the long journey before them. But back 
 of this delay was a subtle cause unperceived by the bluff 
 old yakunin, but the undercurrent of which will appear in 
 the next chapter. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 A MUTUAL COMPACT. 
 
 On the morning of the day when our friend Konishi, 
 the interpreter, arrived in Kioto, he set out with his 
 companion ostensibly for a ramble around the city. His 
 elderly friend, however, soon became wearied with sight- 
 seeing, and suggested that a day be made of it in one of 
 the fine theatres in the vicinity of Gihon-machi. Here 
 the bluff yakuniris attention was rapturously absorbed in 
 a sanguinary plot of the thirteenth century transacted at 
 Kamakura, the capital of the Ashikaga Shoguns. In 
 fact, so carried away was he with the wild horrors of the 
 scene, that he repeatedly roared forth his approval and 
 shouted forth his name (in accordance with native usage) 
 from the gallery-box where he was ensconced, so that 
 the actors might know whose approbation their meritori- 
 ous performance had brought down. 
 
 Toward noon he ordered up a repast of rice, fish, and 
 sake from a neighboring restaurant, and, under the 
 influence of the exhilarating beverage, became so up- 
 roarious when the play was resumed in the afternoon, 
 that Konishi was vexed and mortified beyond measure, 
 for it was not considered very good form for knightly 
 gentlemen to be seen in such places. Finding that his 
 friend was in for a tempestuous gale for the balance of the 
 afternoon, Konishi left him in charge of a couple of 
 friends whom he had invited to the theatre, and excus- 
 ing himself on the plea of illness, he slipped out of the 
 building. Having thus shaken off his shadow, his move- 
 ments were by no means uncertain, but showed them- 
 selves to be in accordance with a well studied plan. He 
 
 61 
 
62 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 rapidly crossed over to the other side of the city, and 
 was soon wending his way among hedgerows and groves, 
 following the road toward the mountains that formed the 
 western barriers of Yamashiro. When in doubt as to his 
 route, a few polite inquiries at wayside cottages always 
 set him in motion toward the place that he seemed 
 desirous of reaching. 
 
 At last he entered the sequestered glen at the foot of 
 Atago-Yama. Following the road up toward the hamlet, 
 he halted before the Nakashima gateway, as if in doubt 
 about his bearings. Perceiving Madame Nakashima 
 demurely sewing upon the veranda, he clattered across 
 the yard upon his clumsy wooden clogs, and inquired of 
 her whether a gentleman named Nakashima Tomokichi 
 dwelt anywhere in the vicinity. His voice speedily 
 brought from upstairs the gentleman in question, to- 
 gether with his father and brothers. It soon became 
 manifest that the arrival of Konishi had been expected, 
 and that he and Tomokichi were old friends. Profuse 
 and profound salutations were exchanged, and Konishi 
 was speedily refreshed with tea and tobacco, and he was 
 ceremoniously introduced by Tomokichi to the other 
 members of the family as Konishi Yeyoshi, vassal of the 
 Daimio of Mito, temporarily detached from the service 
 of said clan and in the employ of the Dutch Resident at 
 Deshima as senior interpreter, and a dear friend of his 
 excellency the governor of Nagasaki, but now promoted 
 to be an adviser to the Bakufu 1 in matters pertaining to 
 foreign affairs, because of his scholarly familiarity with 
 foreign literature. 
 
 After much general conversation the gentlemen retired 
 upstairs, and the old lady was left below to keep watch 
 on the gateway and to announce the approach of 
 strangers. In the back-room upstairs there were spread 
 upon the floor the wonderful chart and a large map of 
 
 1 Baku is a curtain such as the Japanese used in war to enclose the 
 part of the camp occupied by the general, and, in peace, by picnic 
 parties. The curtain was emblematical of the military power, and 
 hence the office from which the country was administered by the mili- 
 tary vassal was called bakufu , i. e., curtain office. — E. Satow. 
 
A Mutual Compact. 
 
 63 
 
 Japan. Evidently some route was being marked out. 
 The gentlemen seated themselves around the map, and 
 at once plunged into an earnest conversation that clearly 
 showed that the subject-matter thereof had long been 
 carefully under consideration by each one of them. 
 
 “The hotel boy brought your message this morning,” 
 said Tomokichi, “ and I was beginning to fear that some 
 unforeseen event had intervened to prevent your promised 
 visit. I was delighted beyond expression to hear the 
 familiar sound of your voice downstairs.” 
 
 “Yes, I was delayed by that stupid old idiot who has 
 been delegated to shadow me to Yedo,” replied Konishi, 
 “and if a kindly bottle of sakt had not come to my rescue 
 I would yet be wilting in the close atmosphere of the 
 Gihon-machi theatre. If that old fool be not rollicking 
 drunk by night time and ready to turn the theatre upside 
 down, I shall be very much mistaken in my estimate of 
 his capacity for working iniquity. I was fortunate in 
 being able to leave him in the keeping of a couple of 
 Aidzu samurai , whose acquaintance I made last year here 
 in Kioto, and I would not be surprised if they had their 
 hands full by night, for I left the sakt 1 bottle filled with 
 some of the headiest stuff that I could find, and if he be 
 not lively enough to make the Kamogawa run up hill 
 when the play ends, it will not be my fault. I told him 
 that I wanted fresh air for my headache, and excused 
 myself for the balance of the day.” 
 
 “We are immeasurably gratified at the success of your 
 stratagem, and we are deeply mindful of the honor that 
 you have conferred upon us by your presence,” replied 
 Mr. Nakashima. 
 
 “Sir, you honor me too highly,” responded Konishi. 
 
 “ Father,” said Tomokichi, “would it not be best for 
 us to hasten with the matter we have under discussion, 
 and to arrive at some conclusion before it becomes neces- 
 sary for our friend Konishi to return to his hotel ? Kindly 
 lay before him our plans, and solicit his advice in this 
 matter that so deeply concerns our family and our Em- 
 peror’s honor.” 
 
6 4 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “Your words are wisely spoken, my son. We must, 
 indeed, hasten with our discussion. Know, then, honored 
 sir, that we desire your friendly assistance in a matter of 
 profound interest to ourselves. Some time ago it was 
 suggested to me that I should allow my sons to engage 
 in the secret service of our imperial master. You well 
 know the great danger that accompanies such service, 
 and you can well appreciate the great kindness of our 
 master who, although sorely in need of such aid, yet has 
 waited many weeks for our answer to the proposal, in 
 order that we may well consider the matter, and that we 
 may do nothing that shall grieve our paternal heart in 
 the future. I have this day given my consent that my 
 sons may engage in this enterprise. They have been 
 appointed to the Yedo circuit. Now it has occurred to 
 my eldest son that our ancient vassalage to Tokugawa 
 Iyeyas might be of great use to us in the present emer- 
 gency. You are from the Mito branch of that house. 
 Why could not my two eldest sons attach themselves to 
 that clan through your influence, and then be located in 
 the Mito Yashiki in Yedo as retainers of the Dairnio of 
 Mito ? Can we not have shadows at the Shogun’s gate- 
 way, and ears within his moats ? Who can be more anx- 
 ious to check the boundless arrogance of Tokugawa than 
 your lord ? 1 Pray be frank, and let us hear your candid 
 views on the subject.” 
 
 “ The honor that you bestow upon me by reposing 
 such confidence in my judgment is indeed flattering,” 
 replied Konishi, bowing his head downward until his 
 forehead touched the tatamis, “ but the matter that you 
 lay before me requires delicate handling and careful 
 deliberation. It is indeed well that we have so secluded 
 
 1 Many years prior to the advent of Perry’s fleet in the waters of 
 Yedo Bay, it had been notorious that the leaders of the Mito clan 
 were hostile to the Shogunate. They not only cherished a bitter dis- 
 like of that system of government, but they were the patrons of a 
 school of thought that advocated the abolishing of the Shogunate and 
 the reinstatement of the Mikado as sole hereditary Emperor of the 
 Japanese Empire. 
 
A Mutual Compact. 
 
 65 
 
 and so well guarded a place wherein to carry on our dis- 
 cussion. It is now well known to you that I have long 
 carried on a secret correspondence with your eldest son 
 during my residence at Deshima as interpreter. I made 
 his acquaintance several years ago here in Kioto when I 
 was accompanying the Dutch Embassy to Yedo, and I 
 was then much attracted by his intense interest in all 
 matters relating to foreign countries. I risked my head 
 in smuggling him into the hotel to see the foreign- 
 ers one evening, when the members of our escort were 
 scattered over the town on business or on pleasure. 
 
 “Since that time I have sent him many letters by 
 friends journeying from Nagasaki to Yedo, wherein was 
 much information about foreign countries, furnished to 
 me by the Dutch doctor in Deshima in return for in- 
 formation I gave him about our country and language. 
 This doctor was indeed a profound and insatiable 
 scholar, and had many books pertaining to foreign 
 science, history, and religion, which he allowed me to 
 examine freely in return for secret instruction in our 
 language. It was my duty to report myself at his house 
 in the morning. During the delightful days of spring, 
 summer, and autumn, we sat upon the balcony overlooking 
 the peaceful waters of the beautiful harbor, and would 
 watch the fishing boats skimming over its deep blue 
 waves. We spent our days in leisurely study and con- 
 versation. The maps were spread upon the tatamis , the 
 books were laid upon the table, the servants brought in 
 tea and tobacco every hour or so, and we lounged around 
 alternately upon the chairs while conning over the books, 
 and upon the tatamis while consulting the charts and 
 maps. Sometimes patients from the city were ordered 
 in by the governor for treatment by the foreign doctor. 
 And at other times we spent many hours in examining 
 specimens of stones, herbs, flowers, and soil collected 
 during our excursions among the hills and around the 
 bay. 
 
 “ If you were to consult my letters during that period 
 — not only to your son, but also to members of my clan 
 
66 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 in secret correspondence with myself — you would find 
 therein a faithful transcript of many curious ideas and 
 observations. If I were to endeavor to give you an ac- 
 count of all the information that I have secured about 
 foreign countries, I would hardly know where to begin. 
 Our conceit about the progress of our own country is 
 unbounded. We are many centuries behind the world. 
 We must radically change our institutions or speedily 
 find ourselves at the mercy of some unscrupulous but 
 shrewd foreign power. I am convinced that the system 
 of government by proxy in our country is injurious. 
 The Shogunate stands in the way of our national devel- 
 opment. It must be abolished. But we must proceed 
 circumspectly and slowly. I am heartily in favor of your 
 scheme of becoming conversant with matters at Yedo. 
 By so doing we can be in a position to take instant ad- 
 vantage of a favorable turn in the tide of public affairs, 
 and thus restore unity to our sadly divided nation, and 
 in this way take the first step forward. Honored sir, I 
 tender my humble services with extreme pleasure. What- 
 ever I can do to aid your sons in their dangerous enter- 
 prise shall be cheerfully done. Kindly explain some- 
 what more fully your scheme as thus far developed.” 
 
 “ Our plan, sir, is almost matured,” replied Mr. Naka- 
 shima. “When you reach Yedo, fifteen days hence, 
 you can suggest to your lord that a friend of yours, an 
 ancient vassal of the Tokugawa family (now living near 
 Kioto) is desirous of resuming his allegiance, and that 
 his two sons being your dear friends are naturally desir- 
 ous of connecting themselves with the Mito branch of 
 that family and to be retained as knights-in-waiting at 
 the Mito Yashiki in Yedo. It is our supposition that all 
 of the Daimios will now be desirous of swelling their 
 ranks in view of the rumored approach of a foreign fleet 
 in the spring. Having secured your lord’s permission, 
 my two eldest sons can then depart from here for Yedo 
 about the commencement of next month, and can arrive 
 there in about a fortnight thereafter in good season to 
 commence observations. This simple plan is contingent 
 
 
A Mutual Compact. 67 
 
 on your good services and is subject to any amendment 
 that may appear to be necessary.” 
 
 “I have no amendment to offer, sir,” replied Mr. 
 Konishi. “The plan is good, but the difficulty will come 
 in attempting to carry it out. However, we will not 
 worry over that now. The compact between us, then, is 
 that I shall journey on to Yedo and secure for your sons 
 two appointments as knights-in-waiting at the Mito 
 Yashiki, under my lord the Daimio ; that they are, within 
 a reasonable time thereafter, to report themselves at the 
 Yashiki ; and that they are then to use their best efforts 
 to ferret out all information they can to benefit our great 
 cause. It is agreed that absolute secrecy and good faith 
 are to characterize all of our proceedings. It does not 
 take very long to state the agreement, does it ? Our 
 minds having thus met, I would suggest that the compact 
 be reduced to writing and be duly executed in knightly 
 fashion by the parties thereto. Your youngest son can be 
 preparing duplicate copies of the compact while we are 
 waiting. I must soon return to my hotel, for I see that 
 the sun is not far from the mountain top. The shorter 
 my absence from head-quarters, the better will it be.” 
 
 “ Fortunately our evening meal is now ready and I will 
 order it up so that you may have some refreshment 
 before undertaking another long walk,” said Mr. Naka- 
 shima. And here he clapped his hands together several 
 times as a signal for the ladies downstairs to bring up the 
 tub of steaming rice, the broiled carp, the bean-paste, the 
 soy , the tea, and the sakt. The ladies spread the repast 
 on the floor, prostrated themselves on the tatamis in 
 salutation of their guest (who returned the salute with 
 obeisance equally profound), and then retired below, 
 leaving the company to continue their discussion in 
 seclusion. 
 
 “ It will be necessary, sir,” said Konishi, as he reached 
 forward and pinched out a delicate morsel of carp with his 
 deft chopsticks, and then thrust it into a mouthful of hot 
 rice, through which his half-swallowed words managed in 
 some way to creep outward to the attentive ears of his 
 
63 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 eager listeners, — “ it will be necessary for your sons to 
 draw up a formal letter, over their signatures, addressed 
 to me, wherein they express a desire to become knights in 
 attendance on my lord the Daimio of Mito, and wherein 
 they request me to exert my influence in their behalf in 
 the matter. You, honored sir, as head of the family 
 must then endorse thereon your approval under signet. 
 This document I will take with me to Yedo, and will 
 there lay it before my father, who as head of our family, 
 will endorse thereon his approval of the application, and 
 we will then lay the matter before our lord, who, after due 
 consultation with the head men of our clan, will probably 
 express himself in favor of adding such skilful swords- 
 men to his retinue. The proper officer will then billet you 
 in the barracks of the Mito Yashiki, and will send you 
 through the proper channels a notification of your ap- 
 pointment duly vised by the Bakufu, and will order you 
 to report immediately at Yedo Tor duty. You must be 
 very careful not to lose this document, for it will be your 
 passport at the Hakone Gate. 1 
 
 Unless you can produce it there, endless trouble will 
 ensue. After passing that spot you will find your course 
 again unimpeded until you approach Yedo, when you 
 
 1 The great roads that led to Yedo from the southwest, the west, and 
 the north converged toward a semicircle of mighty mountain harriers 
 that fringed the rolling hill-country surrounding that city at a dis- 
 tance of from seventy to ninety miles. Amid these rugged passes the 
 Bakufu had laid its iron grip upon the throat of every road. Every- 
 body going to or from Yedo was compelled to he examined at guarded 
 gates built across their path. After the Tokaido had left behind it the 
 garden-like slopes of mighty Fujisan, it plunged into the wild defiles 
 of the Hakone Mountains. At a point near Ilakone I.ake, at an 
 elevation of nearly three thousand feet above the Pacific rolling but a 
 few miles below, stood the famous Hakone Gate, through which 
 millions of vassals had trooped for over two hundred years. The 
 haughtiest Daimios within the realm had here unbent their pride, 
 while the Shoguns’ emissaries examined their retinues to see that no 
 female hostages were being smuggled from the Yedo Yashikis. 
 Entrenched in Yedo with the boundless billows of the Pacific Ocean 
 at their backs and with a mighty mountain wall in front of them, the 
 Tokugawas bid defiance to the empire and wrung tithes and homage 
 from nearly two hundred principalities. 
 
A Mutual Compact. 
 
 69 
 
 must be prepared at any moment to produce your pass- 
 port. When you enter Shinagawa, the southern suburb 
 of that city, you will find yourselves under close obser- 
 vation from many quarters and your words must be 
 judicious and your actions must be circumspect. Any 
 thing unusual either in your demeanor or in your lan- 
 guage will be at once reported by spies to the Bakufti. 
 You cannot be too prudent from the time you come 
 within sight of Yedo, for the very gate-posts seem to have 
 ears, and the very hebachis over which you bend when 
 whispering into a friend’s ear seem to be able to transmit 
 information to head-quarters. Even after you have 
 entered the gates of our Yashiki you must continue your 
 caution and be ever on the alert to avoid dropping any 
 word to indicate the real purpose of your appearance 
 there. Accustomed to the secluded life of these serene 
 mountains, you can have but faint conception of the 
 duplicity and the treachery that exist in our great 
 metropolis.” 
 
 Thus they conversed in subdued tones, while the nim- 
 ble chopsticks furnished periods to the discourse by 
 tucking away liberal supplies of hot rice. The lengthen- 
 ing shadows of the cherry-trees in the yard betokened 
 the speedy approach of eventide. The soft notes of the 
 vesper bells could be faintly heard throbbing in the 
 groves near Kioto. And as the meal drew towards its 
 conclusion the copies of the designated documents were 
 duly completed and ready for signature. It required 
 but a few moments for the papers to be executed and 
 for the parties thereto to pledge their knightly honor to 
 the faithful fulfilment of the terms thereof. Konishi 
 carefully wrapped in paper the letter and his copy of the 
 compact, and then hid the packet away in his flowing 
 sleeve. He then quaffed the farewell cup, smoked the 
 parting pipe, and took respectful leave of his friends, 
 and hurried downstairs, where he put on his clogs and 
 then shuffled across the yard toward the gateway, where 
 his friends bid him a final adieu with endless bowing 
 and scraping. 
 
70 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 Down the road, beside the frothing stream, down 
 where the enshrined gods gazed stupidly upon the misty 
 waters tumbling amid boulders at the rugged throat of 
 the glen, out among the maple groves and the yellow 
 fields of ^ape-seed, went our young friend, until in the 
 dusky gloaming he entered the quiet streets of the sub- 
 urbs. Over on his left hand the white walls of the 
 imperial palace, plumed with nodding trees, stood out 
 serenely in the moonbeams. He soon found himself 
 in the courtyard of his hotel, where he was warmly 
 greeted by the landlord and his fair lady, who congratu- 
 lated him on his having had so fine a day for seeing the 
 far-famed sights of Kioto. Giving orders for his evening 
 meal to be served upstairs, he proceeded to the bath- 
 room, where he soon found himself up to his chin boil- 
 ing in a huge tub of water. Stepping forth from this caul- 
 dron, he hastily dashed a bucketful of cold water over 
 his person (partly with the idea of cleansing himself 
 more effectually after having bathed in water already 
 used by a score or so of persons, and partly with 
 an idea of closing up the pores, in order to prevent 
 catching cold), he proceeded to dry himself with a 
 coarse cotton cloth that bore but the faintest resemblance 
 to a towel, and then, in accordance with the free and 
 easy manners of the country, sauntered airily upstairs, 
 where he leisurely dressed himself. 
 
 He was not at all surprised to find his companion 
 buried in a profound slumber, from which he did not 
 appear likely to emerge before next noon. From the 
 attendant in charge of the room Konishi gathered 
 a vivid and picturesque description of the afternoon’s 
 debauch. It appeared that after he had left his 
 “ shadow ” to the gentle and attentive guardianship of 
 his Aidzu friends, matters had become steadily worse 
 (as might have been expected). As the play progressed, 
 the tragic scenes crowded each other with ever-increas- 
 ing interest, and the enraptured house rose to the excite- 
 ment of the occasion with ever-increasing demonstra- 
 tions of approbation. The “shadow,” very naturally, 
 
A Mutual Compact. 
 
 7i 
 
 was equal to the situation, and with each potation his 
 approbation rose to loftier heights, until his companions 
 began to wish themselves at home. 
 
 Finally, toward the close of the day, the plot reached 
 a point where the hero of the day was to become the 
 victim of a long-standing vendetta. When the luckless 
 hero was set upon by the crowd of assassins beside the 
 gateway of his mansion, the “ shadow ” roared forth his 
 disapproval in no uncertain tones ; and when the vil- 
 lains began to mar the beauty of that manly form with a 
 profusion of highly scientific cuts and thrusts delivered 
 with the express intent of prolonging the agony, his 
 actions became so wild that confusion prevailed through- 
 out the house. His companions were finally constrained 
 to coax him into the street. Before they had enticed 
 him beyond the vestibule, however, he succeeded in 
 breaking away from them and then rushed back to the 
 box, where he drew his long sword, and, bestriding the 
 railing of the gallery, as if mounted on some fiery 
 charger, began to deliver a series of frightful slashes into 
 the air and in the direction of the actors, until the vicin- 
 ity fairly gleamed with the sheen of flashing steel. 
 
 With much difficulty his companions induced him to 
 sheathe his formidable blade and to accompany them 
 into the street. Once outside in the cool air, away from 
 the excitement, and the reaction set in ; and the erst- 
 while pugnacious “shadow” ambled along about as one 
 might imagine a blind horse would come down stairs. 
 At one moment he would bend forward between his sup- 
 porting friends, as if he were trying to emulate Samson 
 between the pillars of the temple ; then he would list 
 over heavily to larboard, taking his friends along with 
 him into the side of a house ; then he would appear to 
 rebound diagonally across the street, ignobly trailing 
 one guardian in the dust and rudely sitting down upon 
 the other one after having rolled him into the gutter. 
 On one or two occasions he grasped frantically for his 
 sword at the sight of a dog. As the cool air began to 
 operate upon his blood, he rapidly became drowsy, and 
 
72 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 by the time the hotel had been reached he had to be 
 carried upstairs. Our friend, therefore, found himself 
 obliged to take his evening meal alone, chatting with the 
 amiable waiter-girl, who dipped forth the steaming rice 
 in response to repealed calls thereon. 
 
 On the morrow the “ shadow ” did not rise until late 
 in the afternoon, so that Konishi had abundant time to 
 see a few sights and to make whatever preparations 
 were necessary for the next day’s journey. At daylight 
 two pack-horses were ready at the gate of the hotel to 
 receive their loads, which were quickly tied on with 
 ropes. Konishi then mounted one beast and sat cross- 
 legged thereon, while the “ shadow ” did likewise with 
 the other one, and they started on their long journey for 
 Yedo. For the purposes of this chapter it will suffice to 
 say that they arrived safely at their destination, after a 
 pleasant and uneventful journey of a fortnight. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE PLOT THICKENS. 
 
 Nearly a month after the events narrated in the last 
 chapter, the commandant of the Shiro 1 in Kioto, gave an 
 entertainment in the audience chamber of his palace 
 within the moats. The invited guests assembled about 
 the middle of the afternoon, for, in a land where gas and 
 petroleum were unknown, business and pleasure were 
 alike sandwiched in between sunrise and sunset. The 
 elegant shojees around the audience-chamber were re- 
 moved, so that the guests arranged around the sides of 
 the room could gaze upon the beauties of the garden, 
 where musicians concealed amid the shrubbery doled 
 forth at intervals weird strains of monotonous music, and 
 where upon an extemporized stage the geisha girls alter- 
 nately danced and acted pantomimes. Course followed 
 course with deliberate precision, until forty covers had 
 been served. Sake flowed like a steady stream ; and by 
 nightfall the revelry had run so high that the captain of 
 
 1 In the western part of the city of Kioto, about a mile southwest of 
 the Gosho, stood the castle of Ni-jo built by Tokugawa Iyeyas in the 
 year 1601. It was always designated in ordinary conversation as the 
 Shiro (Castle). It covered many acres of ground and was a fine speci- 
 men of feudal architecture. Ostensibly it was intended as a stopping 
 place for the Shoguns when they came to Kioto to render homage to 
 the Emperor — (an event that occurred only about once in a century) ; 
 but, as a matter of fact, its moated embankments and grotesque 
 towers held a powerful garrison of zealous Aidzu samurai, who while 
 professing to be acting merely as a guard of honor to the Emperor, yet, 
 in reality, instituted over him a respectful but most unrelenting sur- 
 veillance. Their sentinels lounged at the very gateways of the 
 Gosho. Thus did the Tokugawas hold within their iron grip the 
 imperial seal. 
 
 73 
 
74 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 the garrison confused his identity with that of the pretty 
 dancers on the stage, and made several futile attempts to 
 perform the fan jig to the unbounded amusement of the 
 assembled company. It was rumored that the command- 
 ant himself made no less than three passes with his chop- 
 sticks for the dish of honeyed lotus-root before he 
 succeeded in picking up a morsel of that delicious 
 edible, — and he was then heard to enquire what kind of 
 fish it was ! As the guests were all inmates of the Shiro, 
 they tarried at the feast long after the moon had risen and 
 kept up their songs and laughter well into the night. 
 
 On the morning following this convivial gathering, the 
 commandant very naturally slept late. Several hours 
 after the sun had risen he was awakened by a commotion 
 outside of his apartments. In accordance with the usage 
 of the country his silken quilts had been spead upon the 
 tatamis so that, with his ear to the floor sounds from 
 distant parts of the palace could be transmitted to that 
 organ with remarkable facility. Rousing himself, he 
 slipped on his loose robe and stepped out upon the pol- 
 ished floor of the wide veranda where he clapped his 
 hands and summoned his servant and enquired of him 
 the cause of the recent disturbance. He was informed 
 that a courier had just rushed in with a despatch from 
 the Bakufu for the commandant of the Shiro at Kioto. 
 
 “ Shades of Kobu-Daishi ! What can be the meaning of 
 that ? My regular communication from that quarter is not 
 due for ten days,” muttered the commandant, confusedly. 
 “ Bring me the despatch at once,” said he, addressing the 
 servant. 
 
 In a few minutes the obsequious attendant entered the 
 apartment with the lacquered despatch box in his hands, 
 and, kneeling down with it lifted up reverentially to his 
 forehead, he bent forward low upon the tatamis and laid 
 it at his master’s feet. Then he retired into an adjacent 
 apartment to await orders. With eager hands the box 
 was unlocked and the despatch from the Bakufu was 
 read in fear and trembling. After perusing it carefully, 
 he laid it down in his lap with a sigh of relief. Clapping 
 
The Plot Thickens. 
 
 75 
 
 his hands, he ordered the attendant to bring in his 
 breakfast, and he then picked up the despatch and 
 proceeded to read it over again. 
 
 “ It seems to me,” murmured he to himself, slowly 
 tapping his forehead with his fingers, “ that this name 
 Nakashima Yotori herein mentioned, has a familiar 
 sound. Where have I heard it ? Has it not recently 
 been brought to my attention in some connection or 
 other? Will you kindly request Mr. Murata, the captain 
 of the guards, to come here at once ? ” — said he, suddenly 
 addressing the attendant who had just laid down the 
 tray containing the breakfast. That worthy dignitary 
 received the summons to report to his commanding offi- 
 cer with considerable trepidation, as his recollection of 
 the feast on the preceding evening contained a vague 
 impression that there was something worthy of censure 
 connected therewith. With faltering step and sheepish 
 demeanor, he entered the dread presence of the com- 
 mandant. 
 
 “ Ah ! Murata, where is your fan ? ” said that officer, 
 jocosely. “You will have to take some private lessons 
 before you can get the proper swing to that jig step.” 
 
 Murata bowed down to the tatamis in response, and 
 then, folding his hands in his lap, resignedly prepared 
 himself for a reprimand. 
 
 “ By the way, Murata,” continued the commandant, 
 “ that is not what I wanted you for. I have received an 
 order from Yedo to notify the two eldest sons of Naka- 
 shima Yotori, living at the foot of Atago-Yama, that they 
 have been appointed as knights in attendance at the Mito 
 Yashiki in Yedo, and that they are to report at once for 
 duty. I am instructed to hand them these two passports 
 and to tender them whatever assistance they may need 
 in starting on their journey. Now, there is a strangely 
 familiar ring about this name, and there lingers in my 
 memory a flavor of suspicion in connection therewith. I 
 cannot account for this vague impression. Can you help 
 me out in the matter ? ” 
 
 “ Most assuredly I can,” quickly replied Mr. Murata. 
 
7 6 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “ That is the family of the fencing master. Don’t you 
 remember that his sons last spring participated in the 
 fencing tournament here on the parade ground ? Don’t 
 you remember the remarkable dexterity of his youngest 
 son in fencing with the foils ? Am I not rated as one of 
 the flowers of Aidzu in that knightly accomplishment, 
 and did not that presuming youngster adroitly whack me 
 thrice over the head in a single bout ? Yes, sir, I have a 
 very vivid recollection of that name.” 
 
 “Your memory, sir, is excellent,” replied the com- 
 mandant with a smile. “ I do remember something about 
 the unexpected outcome of your bout. But has not that 
 name come up in some other connection here recently ? ” 
 
 “Oh ! yes, I remember now,” said Mr. Murata, draw- 
 ing forth a small pocket-book from his sleeve. “ I have 
 a memorandum here to the effect that they are apparently 
 on very intimate terms with that foxy scamp Yamada. 
 I have also another memorandum to the effect that they 
 spent an evening with the family of that fellow in a pic- 
 nic booth on the Kamogawa shoals. Neither of these 
 entries, however, shows any thing against the Nakashi- 
 mas. But the actions of that old fox, as reported by 
 our spies, have been so mysterious during the last year 
 that we have put his name upon our black list as that of 
 a person to be watched with the closest scrutiny. As 
 yet we have nothing against him except the fact of his 
 protracted absence from home on two or three occasions 
 to parts unknown to us. He may be all right, but we 
 cleem it advisable to keep our eyes on him. And, very 
 naturally, as we have him under such close scrutiny, we 
 look with more or less suspicion on all of his intimate 
 acquaintances. We have absolutely nothing against the 
 Nakashimas, but we have placed their names on our red 
 list as being persons whose general movements should 
 be under observation. This is all that I know about the 
 matter, sir.” 
 
 “You have cleared up my mind entirely, sir,” replied 
 the commandant ; “ that is precisely the flavor of sus- 
 picion that I was groping after, Well, these young men 
 
The Plot Thickens. 
 
 77 
 
 are in luck, anyhow. It would be advisable to remove 
 their names from your list, as they are now on our side. 
 It appears that their ancestors were ancient vassals of 
 Tokugawa ; and the recent prayer of the present head 
 of the family for renewal of this ancient allegiance has 
 been granted. You will please send these passports to 
 them together with my congratulations. At the same 
 time, tender to them my humble services in whatsoever 
 they may choose to command.” Thus speaking, he 
 bowed low and dismissed the captain of the guards. 
 
 As the Nakashimas were at their noon-day meal, a 
 courtly samurai entered their gateway, and approached 
 the veranda. His noble mien, his silken garments, and 
 his costly swords betokened a gentleman of high rank. 
 
 “Does Mr. Nakashima reside here?” inquired the 
 stranger. 
 
 “ He does,” was the reply. 
 
 “ I am the secretary of the commandant of the Shiro 
 in Kioto, and I have the honor to be the bearer of a 
 message from him. Know, then, that we this morning 
 received a notification from the Bakufu to the effect 
 that your eldest sons have been appointed knights in 
 attendance at the Mito Yashiki, in Yedo, and that they 
 are to report there at once for duty. My master, the 
 commandant, tenders his hearty congratulations, and 
 begs that you will condescend to accept of whatever 
 assistance he may be able to render in connection with 
 your journey. Honored sirs, be pleased to accept these 
 passports. Command my humble services.” Saying 
 this, he bowed low upon the tatamis and reverently 
 handed the documents to Mr. Nakashima, who bowed 
 down and then reverently raised them to his forehead, 
 while he drew a long breath between his lips, expressive 
 of his supreme gratification at the honor thus bestowed 
 upon him. 
 
 Ten minutes or so were then spent in introductions 
 and profuse salutations. Pipes were smoked, tea was 
 quaffed, and then the courtly secretary took respect- 
 ful leave" of the family and departed. Trained from in- 
 
78 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 fancy to conceal his emotions, the samurai is cool and 
 self-possessed to an astonishing degree. The Nakashimas 
 expressed neither surprise nor pleasure at this unex- 
 pected visit. They deliberately resumed their meal and 
 discussed, in a business-like way, the arrangements for 
 their journey. It was decided that the young men 
 should start within two days. They were to travel the 
 entire distance on foot, consequently they could carry 
 nothing but their swords, their wallets, and a change of 
 raiment tied up in a large silken cloth. 
 
 The night before their departure was one of conflicting 
 emotions. Human nature asserted itself at times, and 
 rueful countenances bespoke sad thoughts of the mor- 
 row. In the evening the old gentleman and his sons 
 strolled high up the glen to a picturesque tea-booth. 
 It was near a beautiful cascade that fell like a mist down 
 the black face of a crag into a deep pool, where gold- 
 fishes nibbled rice and cake-crumbs that had been 
 thrown to them by jolly picnickers in the afternoon, and 
 where the shadowy minnows sported amid the long grass 
 that lined its margin. The volume of the waters of the 
 pool was further augmented by the waters of a spring 
 that gushed forth from a fissure in the face of the crag 
 just behind the sheet of descending spray, and whose 
 stream being conducted through a dragon’s mouth 
 carved in stone, poured forth a jet that descended into 
 the middle of the rocky basin. 
 
 In primeval ages the spot had doubtless been the 
 favorite camping-place of some Aino chieftain ; and, in 
 later ages, a Shinto shrine had been built upon a 
 mossy mound at the water’s edge to receive the humble 
 offerings of rice, fish, and game, of the simple-minded 
 mountain dwellers who came thither to propitiate the 
 unseen powers that controlled nature. But, with the ad- 
 vent of Buddhism in the sixth century of our era, the 
 adroit priests of that creed discovered that the locality 
 was sacred to the memory of Kwannon, the goddess of 
 mercy. The dreamy fancies of the primeval settlers were 
 brushed aside, and, while their thatched shrine was 
 
The Plot Thickens. 
 
 79 
 
 allowed to stand beside the bubbling waters, a stately 
 temple was erected upon a grassy plateau near a grove 
 of maples, somewhat to the left of the crag. There the 
 neatly matted floors, the tastefully lacquered s/iojees, and 
 the well polished floors of the broad verandas bespoke 
 the abundance of the contributions that flowed in from 
 the pilgrims of Yamashiro and Tamba. 
 
 The shrewd priests, with an eye to working the locality 
 to its utmost capacity, announced that it would be well 
 also to propitiate those unseen influences of the neigh- 
 borhood that had been from time immemorial accus- 
 tomed to the Shinto method of treatment. This adroit 
 diplomacy secured the adherence of the small faction 
 that still clung to the ancient faith, and brought in a 
 steady stream of contributions from the conservative 
 fogies of the neighborhood, whereby the shrine had been 
 kept in a fair state of repair and the dividends of the 
 institution had been much increased. At some remote 
 time, tradition said, a sick person had bathed in the 
 waters of the pool and had become cured of his mala- 
 dies. Forthwith the ancient monks declared that who- 
 ever bathed in a similar fashion would enjoy perfect 
 health for one year (provided the bathing was accom- 
 panied with a suitable offering). For many centuries, 
 therefore, the cooling streams pouring into the flinty 
 basin had been utilized by myriads of ailing humanity. 
 In the gray dawn, at high noon, under the sheen of the 
 shimmering moon, you were liable to see some nude 
 form troubling the waters of the pool. 
 
 As our friends came upon the plateau after their long 
 climb up the mountain side, they saw two persons drench- 
 ing themselves beneath the moon-lit spray of the cascade. 
 A priest before the shrine of the temple was chanting in 
 deep monotones some weird liturgy for the exorcism of 
 lurking maladies, and, judging from the vigor of his in- 
 cantations, the mother and daughter in the pool must 
 have contributed most liberally toward the temple funds. 
 For the space of fully half an hour he continued to clap 
 his hands, to ring his bell, and to bow his head with the 
 
8o 
 
 Milo Yashiki. 
 
 most unremitting devotion. With graceful indifference 
 our friends passed on to the picnic booth and, leaving 
 their heavy wooden clogs ranged in a row upon the ver- 
 anda, walked across to the rear balcony overlooking the 
 ravine, where they seated themselves upon the tatamis 
 and ordered from an attendant in waiting there some tea 
 and tobacco. 
 
 The view from the balcony extended down the steep 
 mountain side over groves of pine, beech, and maple, far 
 down to where the brook rushed through thickets of 
 whispering bamboo. The moon was shining with un- 
 usual brilliancy, lighting up the mountain with great 
 clearness. A light breeze, with the faintest suggestion 
 of a chill about it, played through the rooms of the booth, 
 and rendered useless the fans that our friends had tucked 
 in their girdle when they left the house. Demurely they 
 sat beside the low rustic railing of the balcony gazing 
 out upon the beautiful scenery, and quaffing tea at inter- 
 vals. They seemed to be buried in profound thought, 
 and spoke but little, occasionally alluding to the delight- 
 ful coolness of the evening and the drowsy humming of 
 the priest. After the lapse of about half an hour they 
 espied a samurai slowly ascending the last steep ascent 
 in the road leading up to the plateau. From their keen 
 interest in the approach of this gentleman it at once be- 
 came manifest that they were expecting the arrival of 
 some such gentleman. 
 
 “ It is he ! ” exclaimed they in subdued tones, when he 
 had finally reached the plateau. “ Our message reached 
 him at midday, and he has contrived in some way to 
 give the Shiro hounds the slip.” 
 
 Mr. Yamada — for it was he — slowly approached the 
 booth and profoundly saluted the Nakashimas, who 
 thrice bowed down upon the tatamis in response thereto. 
 He was soon seated beside the balcony railing, busily 
 occupied with jauntily whiffing off half-a-dozen pipes of 
 tobacco, and in vigorously tapping the bronze pipe-bowl 
 on the brazen edge of the hebachi.' 
 
 'In old Japan stoves were unknown. The only heating apparatus 
 was the hebachi. This was a portable brazier, shaped very much like 
 
The Plot Thickens. 
 
 81 
 
 “ Honored sirs, ’ said Mr. Yamada, daintily pressing a 
 pellet of tobacco into the delicate bowl of his pipe, 
 “ since my picnic on the Kamogawa shoals last summer 
 I have been obliged to be exceedingly circumspect in all 
 my movements. The glitter of watchful eyes follows me 
 everywhere. It is manifest that I have been blacklisted 
 at the Shiro. I will wager that you cannot guess how I 
 eluded the ‘ shadows ’ this evening. Will you not even 
 venture a suggestion ? Well, I dressed myself up with 
 my best garments, as you see me here. I put the finest 
 touches on my entire toilette, and then sallied boldly out 
 of my front gate in broad daylight. The natural conclu- 
 sion to be drawn from my appearance would be that I was 
 either out for a call on some friend or out for a harmless 
 stroll, for I did not appear to be dressed for mischief ; 
 and it did not take me very long to see that nobody was 
 following me. 
 
 “ After making one or two calls I gradually edged off 
 
 a large broad-rimmed flower-pot. It was filled with soft gray ashes, 
 upon which was placed a shovelful of burning charcoal, giving forth 
 intense heat. The hands were warmed over these coals ; the teapot, 
 mounted on an iron tripod, merrily boiled on them ; and pipes were 
 lit and relit there from morning till night. Sometimes these hcbachis 
 were stationary, being cut out of a block of stone and sunk in the 
 middle of the floors of every room. Even in midwinter no other 
 heating appliance was known in Japan. In some portions of the 
 northern part of Hondo, and along its western coast, and in Yesso, 
 during the terrible blizzards that came over from Siberia, the people 
 suffered terribly from the cold. Malignant catarrh, influenzas, rheu- 
 matism, and consumption were common maladies. During these Si- 
 berian gales a square frame was placed over the hebachi , and then 
 several heavily wadded quilts were laid over the frame so as to confine 
 the heat thereunder. The family would then crawl beneath these 
 coverlids and keep very comfortable, so long as they kept their heads 
 outside where fresh air could be obtained. So comfortless and cheer- 
 less was existence in the far north that the island of Yesso, beyond its 
 southernmost coasts, was a wilderness peopled by a few tribes of 
 Ainos ; and, during the cold weather, thousands of people passed in 
 junks from Yesso southward across Tsugaru Straits to Hondo, to 
 escape what seemed to them to be intolerable winter. Yet the climate 
 of Yesso is about the same as that of New York State. But just fancy 
 what it would be to pass a winter on the shores of Lake Ontario with 
 merely a hebachi in a fragile Japanese house, through whose shojees 
 the air filters like water through a sieve ! 
 
82 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 toward the outskirts of the city, as if merely on pleasure 
 bent, and by dusk I was under full headway through the 
 fields and hedgerows for Atago-Yama. So far as I have 
 been able to see, my bold front has completely bluffed 
 my ‘ shadow,’ for I cannot see that any particular notice 
 has been taken of my movements since leaving home. 
 Well, well, I did not come here to discuss myself. There 
 are \Veightier subjects to be considered. The matter of 
 your commission from the Emperor has been fully ad- 
 justed. Of course nothing is in writing. Although the 
 imperial person may be sacred, yet, if the Bakufu were 
 to receive tangible evidence of intrigue against their 
 power, they would subject the feelings of our master to 
 many resentful indignities. And documents, even under 
 the seal of heaven itself, would not protect your luckless 
 persons from the vengeance of those Yedo upstarts. 
 
 “Yesterday morning I went, in company with the 
 kugd, whose retainer I am, to the western gateway of the 
 Gosho. Those Aidzu guards (insolent beasts !) admitted 
 us within the sacred enclosure after duly inspecting the 
 imperial passport. As we approached the imperial 
 palace through the shrubbery, we saw several persons 
 playing foot-ball in the imperial garden. The ball was 
 made from some kind of skin, and was about as large as 
 an infant’s head. It was lacquered in white and was 
 decorated with chrysanthemums lacquered in natural 
 colors. They were kicking it along right vigorously, 
 and were shouting and laughing so merrily that we 
 halted for a moment to watch them. One of the young 
 ladies in the party finally succeeded in kicking it into a 
 fish-pond, and, judging from the hand-clapping and mer- 
 riment that ensued, that spot must have been the adver- 
 sary’s goal. An attendant quickly fished it out, however, 
 and in a moment the ball was flying along the gravelly 
 path in our direction. A tall, slim young man was 
 bowling it along with great vigor, evidently bent on 
 sending it into the little pond on our side of the garden. 
 He was closely pursued by an eager group of young men 
 and comely women, who vainly strove to head him off 
 
The Plot Thickens. 
 
 83 
 
 from what was evidently their goal. They rushed past 
 us through the shrubbery, too intent on the game to pay 
 us the slightest notice. Although they were all plainly 
 dressed, yet from their silken raiment and refined 
 features I at once perceived that we had before us the 
 imperial household, and I recognized in the tall, slim 
 young man the Emperor himself.” 
 
 “ Surely, sir,” exclaimed Mr. Nakashima, voicing the 
 mute amazement of the listeners, “ you do not mean to 
 say that Tenshi (the son of heaven) would indulge in 
 such riotous proceedings ! We have always understood 
 that his feet never touched the ground, that whenever 
 he went out for an airing in the gardens there were cloths 
 spread over the ground for him to tread upon.” 
 
 In reply to this Mr. Yamada laughed softly, and then 
 dreamily smoked his pipe and demurely cast a thought- 
 ful glance down the moon-lit glen. In the deep silence 
 of the evening the voice of the torrent far below was 
 borne upward on the still air, and seemed to echo his 
 subdued mirth. Suddenly rousing himself from his 
 revery, he briskly smote his pipe on the rim of the 
 hebachi, and said : “ Yes, I am well aware that the popu- 
 lar idea enshrines our master as if he were a Buddhist 
 god upon a pedestal of lotos leaves. But, as a matter of 
 fact, we who are admitted within the sacred precincts of 
 the Gosho know that he is very much like ordinary 
 mortals. I was amused at the rude shock that this 
 popular delusion just now received. It did not occur to 
 me that you were entirely ignorant of all matters pertain- 
 ing to the inner life of the palace. However, it would 
 be well to bear in mind that our master, although proud 
 of his ancestry of ten thousand ages , 1 and haughty in 
 
 1 According to Japanese cosmos as set forth in their ancient books, 
 the universe was originally like a fowl’s egg. Then the yellow part 
 separated from the white, and the one became the sky and the other 
 the earth. Then a long reed sprang out of the earth and grew up into 
 the sky, and became a kami , or god. From this god a multitude of 
 other kamis sprang, and thereby peopled heaven. Then, after count- 
 less ages, a pair of kamis, male and female, stood one day upon “ the 
 bridge of heaven ” (whatever that may mean) and gazed down upon 
 
8 4 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 his bearing toward strangers, yet in his domestic life he 
 is merely a courteous and intelligent Japanese gentleman. 
 
 “Well, when we had satisfied ourselves with watching 
 the foot-ball game, we made our way through the shrub- 
 bery to the western end of the palace. We went up close 
 to the side of the superb veranda, and waited for some of 
 the court ladies to appear. But not a living being could 
 we see within the deep shade of the magnificent cham- 
 bers. It was evident that the inmates had either joined 
 the Emperor in his sport or were watching the game. 
 My companion then respectfully announced, in a deep 
 voice, that visitors were awaiting an interview. This 
 served to awake a beautiful little chiti dog that had been 
 sleeping on an embroidered square of dark blue silk. 
 He bounced around the room in a state of frantic excite- 
 ment, barking vigorously at us all the time. This dis- 
 turbance speedily brought one of the ladies from a 
 distant wing of the building. She came tripping along 
 noiselessly over the superb tatamis, twirling in her hand 
 a spray of olea frag ram. As she approached we recog- 
 nized her as the niece of my companion. She graciously 
 invited us to enter the audience-chamber and state our 
 message. 
 
 “ You must bear in mind that, in accordance with 
 ancient usage, communications delivered at the palace 
 are transmitted through the court ladies. Clapping her 
 hands, she speedily summoned an attendant from an 
 inner chamber and ordered tea and tobacco to be set 
 before us. My companion then stated that we had come 
 to seek a private interview with the Emperor in reference 
 to a matter that would be fully explained by the sealed 
 letter now delivered to her for transmission. Taking the 
 
 the troubled waters that covered the earth. Querying as to the 
 depths of those waters, they plunged their tridents deep beneath the 
 surging billows, and when they drew them up again the ocean’s 
 muddy ooze that slipped off the points became the islands of Japan — 
 Dai-Nippon. The land being goodly, the godly pair came down and 
 settled there thousands of centuries ago. And the Mikado and the 
 Japanese people descended from them. Hence the Emperor speaks 
 of his dynasty as having ruled for “ ten thousand ages." 
 
The Plot T hickens. 
 
 85 
 
 envelope and lifting it to her forehead she hastened to 
 deliver it to the Emperor. After a delay of nearly an 
 hour she returned and announced that an audience had 
 been granted, and that if we would follow her into the 
 sitting-room on the eastern side of the palace that we 
 could have a personal interview.” 
 
 Here Mr. Yamada again laughed softly to himself, and 
 tapped his pipe vigorously on the rim of the brazier. 
 “ I clearly see,” continued he, “ that you do not compre- 
 hend such simplicity in an imperial reception, and such 
 utter absence of ceremony. But you must bear in mind 
 that, while pomp and ceremony always characterize the 
 Shogun’s court, on the other hand, the Emperor’s court 
 is based upon the primitive simplicity of an era that 
 dates back more than ten thousand years. While the 
 Shogun delights to make Daimios tremble and creep into 
 his presence with downcast faces, amid hushed throngs 
 of attendant courtiers, on the other hand the Emperor 
 scorns pomposity (except on those exceedingly rare oc- 
 casions when the Shogun comes down to Kioto to render 
 him humble homage), and affably receives those who are 
 entitled to access to his presence. You must also bear 
 in mind that the boundless rapacity of the Bakufu has 
 absorbed the revenues of the entire realm in a most 
 heartless manner, and that the pittance which has been 
 set aside for maintaining the imperial court is but grud- 
 gingly given, and comes to hand with extreme tardiness. 
 And the stipulated allowance credited to us at the start 
 becomes sadly shrunk in dimensions before it gets inside 
 the imperial moats, owing to a vicious and shameful 
 usage of shaving by commissions indulged in by those 
 officers of the Shogun through whose hands it passes ; 
 so that, even were our master inclined to be ceremonious, 
 those unconscionable rascals at Yedo and at the Shiro 
 see well to it that he shall not possess the means to in- 
 dulge any such tastes.” 
 
 Here the speaker lapsed into profound meditation for 
 several minutes ; but the furious energy with which he 
 puffed his pipe and smote the rim of the brazier there- 
 
86 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 with in quick succession between the refillings, bespoke 
 his suppressed indignation at the humiliation heaped up- 
 on his imperial master. And the Nakashimas gazed at 
 him in silent and respectful wonder, as if stupefied with 
 amazement at such strange revelations. 
 
 “ Well,” resumed he, “ we followed her ladyship 
 through some stately apartments, until we entered a 
 lofty chamber that opened on a broad veranda looking 
 eastward. In one corner, near the spacious veranda, 
 were some superb folding screens that enclosed a space 
 equal to about ten tatamis. As we approached this spot, 
 a kuge (whom I recognized as the adviser and secretary 
 of the Emperor) stepped forth and received us most 
 graciously. He then escorted us behind the screens into 
 the imperial presence, where we humbly prostrated our- 
 selves upon the tatamis until bidden by his Majesty to 
 rise. Truly he is a most gracious and refined gentleman ! 
 Instead of transmitting his conversation through his sec- 
 retary, he communicated with us directly. He was 
 seated upon a magnificent tiger-skin near the veranda, 
 where a grand view of Hiyeisan could be obtained as it 
 towered above the blue mountains that loomed up be- 
 yond the wooden ramparts. His silken robes were in 
 subdued colors. He discarded head-gear, and his hair 
 was arranged like that of any gentleman of rank. His 
 recent exercise had given a color to his face and a 
 sparkle to his eyes that rendered his countenance comely 
 and animated. At his right hand were his symbols of 
 sovereignty — the stone, the sword, and the mirror. 
 
 “ The admirable simplicity of every thing rendered the 
 reception exceedingly impressive. His Majesty enquired 
 kindly as to our health, and expressed the hope that my 
 recent exploits in shadowing the Dutch Embassy from 
 Nagoya to Kioto had not reacted injuriously on me in 
 any way. I disavowed any special credit for that per- 
 formance, and expressed the sincere hope that my feeble 
 efforts in the future might be productive of more pro- 
 nounced benefit to the great cause. By degrees, the 
 conversation gradually drifted to the subject-matter of 
 
The Plot Thickens. 
 
 8 7 
 
 our interview. My companion stated that I had at last 
 come under the strict scrutiny of the Shiro people, and 
 that as a natural consequence my usefulness had become 
 sadly circumscribed ; that I had, after long negotiations, 
 finally secured the services of two young men, remotely 
 connected with the imperial family through an ancient 
 kugi, to act in Yedo as spies ; and that I had now come 
 to make full report about the matter and to secure the 
 imperial commission for the enterprise. 
 
 “ This led to a long talk about your pedigree, acquire- 
 ments, and loyalty. Your former connection with Toku- 
 gawa was deemed a most fortunate circumstance. His 
 Majesty was particularly pleased with the strategy 
 whereby you had succeeded in resuming your allegiance. 
 And he highly approved of your determination to pro- 
 ceed at once to Yedo. He has received your names as 
 subjects worthy of future reward in case our cause be 
 substantially aided by meritorious conduct on your part, 
 and he has duly commissioned you as his secret emis- 
 saries at the court of the Shogun. In witness whereof 
 I am authorized to hand to you a tiny signet. The de- 
 sign is a chrysanthemum flower. It is engraved upon an 
 exceedingly small stone ; and after the first impression 
 on this peculiar paper and with this yellow ink, several 
 petals will disappear, so that the signet will thereafter be 
 forever useless. Therefore, you can use it but once. 
 
 “ In some great emergency when it becomes necessary 
 to communicate directly with the Emperor, or to indi- 
 cate to some member of his household that you are in 
 his special employ, and therefore entitled to a personal 
 interview, you must write your request together with 
 your names on this paper and place the signet stamp 
 beneath. When you have done this then will you be 
 entitled to immediate attention. This becomes the im- 
 perial commission. Then crush the signet to atoms. In 
 the meantime, however, keep it with the utmost care. It 
 is now packed in silk in the hollow end of this bronze 
 pen-and-ink holder, a gift to you from his Majesty. No 
 amount of jarring can disturb it. Nothing indicates its 
 
88 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 presence there. And when you wish to use it, take your 
 short sword and cut off the little plate soldered on the 
 end here. The paper is rolled up in this little side com- 
 partment. The yellow ink is now caked in this little 
 block here beside the pens, and can be easily dug out 
 with your sheath-knife point and prepared for use when 
 the time comes for you to utilize the signet. I now 
 have the pleasure, honorable sirs, to deliver into your 
 hands the commission from our master for your perilous 
 enterprise.” 
 
 And so saying, he lifted the little box to his forehead, 
 and, bowing low down on the tatamis , handed it to Tom- 
 okichi, who, bowing equally low, reverently took it in 
 his hands and lifted it thrice to his forehead, violently 
 sucking in his breath through his teeth between times as 
 a token of his profound appreciation of the honor con- 
 ferred. 
 
 “Bear in mind, sirs,” said Mr. Yamada, “that all 
 ordinary communications are to be addressed to me. It 
 is only when some extraordinary emergency arises that 
 you are to directly communicate with the Emperor ; and 
 after that occurrence you must be supplied with a new 
 signet. Therefore use great care and judgment as to 
 when it shall be necessary to go over my head.” 
 
 A long and earnest conversation then ensued regard- 
 ing the details of the eventful journey to be commenced 
 on the morrow. Yashiki life in Yedo was also discussed. 
 And when the party broke up and strolled down the 
 mountain side, they were questioning among themselves 
 as to what would be the outcome of the next visit of the 
 foreign fleet to Yedo in the spring. And when they 
 parted company in the shadow of the gateway, Mr. 
 Yamada bid them an almost affectionate farewell and a 
 warm-hearted god-speed. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 AN OVERLAND JOURNEY. 
 
 At daybreak on the following morning the Nakashima 
 household was astir. The rain-doors were duly slid 
 back, and preparations for an early breakfast were at 
 once begun. The old lady carefully spread upon the 
 floor two large square pieces of drab-colored silk. Upon 
 each one of these she placed a black suit of silk cloth- 
 ing, a couple of white cotton tunics, two pairs of black 
 socks, and a broad silken girdle striped gray, white, 
 and black. Then carefully gathering up the four corners 
 of each cloth, she securely knotted each dainty parcel 
 for carrying by hand. This simple operation completed 
 the packing of the boys’ clothing for the journey. She 
 then hastened to the kitchen to aid her daughter in mak- 
 ing ready the early meal. 
 
 It was one of those delicious autumnal mornings for 
 which Kioto is so justly celebrated. The clear and 
 bracing air was freighted with the odor of jessamines 
 and olea fragrans , and the gauzy shreds of mist that 
 hung along the mountain sides, as if entwined amid the 
 deep foliage of the lofty trees, made haste to flee before 
 the warm touch of the morning sun. The young men 
 were up quite as early as the active ladies, and busied 
 themselves with collecting their few treasures into small 
 bundles, to be placed within the capacious silken cloths. 
 The chart and the ancient documents were carefully 
 folded up in white paper, and were hidden away in the 
 depth of Tomokichi’s package. Breakfast was then 
 duly despatched, and the family made ready for the de- 
 parture, The ladies were to remain in charge of the 
 
 89 
 
9 ° 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 house while the gentlemen were to journey on to Otsu, 
 a town about ten miles distant, at the southern extremity 
 of Lake Biwa, where they were to spend the night, and 
 where in the morning they were to part company. The 
 gentlemen sat on the edge of the veranda and tied straw 
 sandals on their feet. Then they tucked their frocks up 
 around their waists, thrust their swords into their gir- 
 dles, grasped their bundles, and were ready for the jour- 
 ney. Around the gateway were grouped the neighbors 
 who had assembled to bid them farewell, and very pic- 
 turesque they appeared as they stood there in the bright 
 sunlight of that bracing autumn morning. There stood 
 the fond mother holding the child by the hand, while 
 over her shoulders peeped the bright eyes of the baby 
 tied on her back. There stood the village misses with 
 their rosy cheeks, black hair, and bright eyes. They 
 were chattering like so many magpies over so momentous 
 an epoch in the serene history of the peaceful hamlet as 
 the departure of any of its inhabitants for a camp-like 
 yashiki in Yedo. They had heard that Mito was the 
 most warlike of all the clans ; — could that be possible? 
 How terrible to think of entering a place where glitter- 
 ing swords were as common as chopsticks ! 
 
 As the Nakashimas came through the gateway into the 
 road, they were saluted with profound bows and respect- 
 ful ejaculations expressive of wishes for a happy journey, 
 which greetings were duly returned with gracious cour- 
 tesy and with profuse farewells. Then the entire family 
 went down the road as far as the place where the 
 foothills merge into the fields and meadows, and there 
 the mother and the daughter took a sorrowful farewell in 
 that undemonstrative manner peculiar to the country. 
 There were no embracings, no handshakings, no kissing, 
 no gush of emotional sentiment, — such exhibitions were 
 unknown in that strange land. There was merely a 
 profound bow, a parting gift of silken girdles from 
 mother to son, and of soft black socks from sister to 
 brother, a parting adjuration to bring honor upon the 
 family name, another bow accompanied with motherly 
 
An Overland Journey. 
 
 9i 
 
 advice about avoiding undue exposure to heat and cold, 
 — and then two ladies stood alone in the middle of the 
 road (occasionally brushing away their tears with their 
 sleeves), watching a group of gentlemen disappearing 
 around the bend. 
 
 “ Come, mother,” finally exclaimed the daughter, “ let 
 us cheer up and go back to the house. The separation 
 is not as bad as it might be. Father and Kunisaburo 
 will be back to-morrow, and we can now pride ourselves 
 on having two gallant knights at Mito Yashiki in Yedo. 
 How gay ! How delightful to be able now to receive 
 regular news from that quarter ! ” — Thus does the joy- 
 ousness of youth cast off sorrow in all lands. And then 
 they trudged back home to their daily duties, little 
 dreaming of the serious nature of the boys’ mission at the 
 distant yashiki , — for all information of that nature had 
 been carefully and considerately withheld. 
 
 Around the bend, through fields and temple groves, 
 across the northern suburbs of Kioto, straight to the 
 other side of the valley toward the base of Hiyei-san 
 where the Tokaido enters the foothills, strode the four 
 pedestrians on that glorious morning. Long before mid- 
 day they entered the hills and had commenced to climb 
 the range of low mountains that separated Yamashiro 
 from Omf and Lake Biwa. The sun was now shining 
 with great power, and the deep shade of the forests that 
 covered the slopes was delightfully cool and refreshing. 
 Tarrying for an hour or so at a tea-house picturesquely 
 located beside a mountain torrent, they soon scaled the 
 pass and saw through the trees lovely Lake Biwa stretch- 
 ing away to the northward, among the lofty ranges that 
 clasped it round about. It did not take long to descend 
 the reverse slope into Otsu. There they secured an 
 upstairs room overlooking the blue waters of the lake, 
 and ordered dinner to be brought upas soon as they had 
 bathed and dressed themselves. As a matter of course, 
 they ordered for a side dish the famous raw carp fished 
 from the lake and served up with soy while the flesh yet 
 quivered with life. The balance of the day was spent in 
 
92 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 strolling about the town and in resting, smoking, and 
 conversing together. 
 
 On the following morning they all went some distance 
 down the stately avenue of pine trees that shaded the 
 greater part of the Tokaido in its devious course over 
 plain and mountain to Yedo. At the first tea-booth they 
 quaffed the farewell cup and parted company. “ Bear in 
 mind, my sons,” was the father’s parting behest, “ that 
 death must always come before dishonor. Death ends 
 every thing, but dishonor lives to afflict friends and 
 kindred. An insult must always be avenged with blood 
 unless due apology be made therefor. Never abandon 
 the pursuit of an enemy. Follow him, if necessary, with 
 smiles and cajoleries ; follow him for years if need be ; 
 but, at the supreme moment, smite him with curses and 
 with death. Be candid with your friends, but wear a 
 mask in the presence of strangers. ’Spare no means to 
 induce an enemy to believe the contrary of what you 
 really intend. And, in carrying out a purpose, hesitate 
 at nothing that you may deem expedient.” 
 
 High noon found the father and son entering the 
 gateway of the homestead at Atago-Yama, and it found 
 his two eldest sons striding along the avenue ten miles or 
 so beyond the point where the parting message had been 
 given. 
 
 The Tokaido was a broad avenue (along which two 
 teams could easily drive abreast) stretching from Kioto 
 to Yedo, a distance of three hundred and twenty miles. 
 At distances of every five miles were tea-booths where 
 refreshments were served to tired travellers. At dis- 
 tances of every ten miles or so were villages and large 
 towns. Therefore it would not be inapt to describe this 
 superb highway as a magnificent avenue, stretching over 
 plain and mountain, and beaded along its entire length 
 with tea-booths, villages, towns, and cities strung along at 
 regular intervals. Between the cities and the towns the 
 highway was a stately avenue of tall pine trees winding 
 across fields, over hills, and among mountains. The 
 road-bed was well gravelled and hardened ; on each side 
 
An Overland Journey. 
 
 93 
 
 was a well swarded embankment upon whose green 
 slopes the wearied travellers could recline ; and, at many 
 places, streams of water bubbled along the edge of the 
 road for miles. In its sinuous course the road passed 
 through a number of Daimiates, and it devolved upon 
 each Daimio to keep that portion of it which lay within 
 his domain, in thorough repair. As there were no lum- 
 bering teams and no trains of artillery ever passing 
 along, the turnpike was never cut up, so that in the 
 rainiest weather it was always in a condition fit for travel. 
 
 The Tokaido was a fair sample of a magnificent system 
 of highways that covered the entire island of Hondo, — 
 and, as for that matter, the islands of Kiushiu and 
 Shikoku also. All the great roads in Hondo finally led to 
 Nihon-bashi, a bridge in the heart of Yedo. The great 
 northern turnpike commenced at the extreme northern 
 end of the island on the Tsugaru Straits, and then seek- 
 ing the milder climate that prevailed on the eastern 
 slopes of the mighty mountain spine of Hondo, it went 
 southward for five hundred miles over mountain, hill, 
 valley, river, and plain, through the long straggling 
 provinces of Nambu, Sendai, and Mito, until it reached 
 the muddy stream bridged by the Nihon-bashi. The 
 great northwestern turnpike commenced at Niigata over 
 on the west coast, and, after crossing the rice flats and 
 the hemp fields of the Daimiate of Echigo, wound 
 through the magnificent mountain range that extends 
 from one end of the island to the other, and was finally 
 merged in Yedo. The great inland road (Nakasendo), 
 along which our fleet-footed courier so recently sped, 
 began at Kioto, skirted the eastern slopes of the water- 
 shed that borders the eastern shores of Lake Biwa, then, 
 turning eastward, traversed the fields of the Daimiate of 
 Mino, then plunged into the magnificent mountain 
 system of central Hondo, whence it finally emerged into 
 the beautiful plains surrounding Y edo. And the T okaido, 
 also commencing at Kioto, shrank from the rugged 
 mountains of Shinano and sought the seashore and 
 reached Yedo by that circuitous route. 
 
94 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 In addition to these four great roads, others almost 
 equally grand left Kioto on its other side and passed 
 south to Osaca, and then went westward along the shores 
 of the matchless Inland Sea for two hundred miles to 
 Shimonoseki Straits.’ Upon the west coast a long, strag- 
 gling road ran through the length of the provinces that 
 line the Japan Sea. And a perfect network of minor 
 roads covered the entire empire. All of these highways 
 were in constant use. Along the grand-trunk roads, the 
 traffic and the pageantry of the empire streamed at all 
 seasons. 
 
 Let us soar like the falcon far above the central peak 
 of Asamayama, and take a bird’s-eye view of the realm. 
 Far toward the north you can see the long retinue of 
 some Daimio, pouring down the length of the island be- 
 twixt shore and mountain. Far away in the south you 
 can see the cavalcades of Tosa and Choshiu meandering 
 along the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Toward the west 
 the retainers of Echizen stream through the defiles and 
 over the superb passes of Shinano. And among the by- 
 roads that cover the realm like a cobweb, you can see a 
 multitude of pack-horses and coolies freighted with the 
 produce of the waters and of the fields. Not a steam- 
 whistle, not a rumbling train, not a wagon anywhere in 
 sight ! The carriers of burdens are human beings, and 
 vicious little nags ! 
 
 Yonder where that rugged promontory so boldly 
 ploughs the blue Pacific, and where a fishing hamlet 
 nestles beneath the cliffs, you can see a long line of pack- 
 horses ladened with salted fish captured but a few days 
 ago by the venturesome boats whose white wings now 
 bespeck the distant blue of the mighty deep in pursuit of 
 fresh booty. That caravan will journey along the sandy 
 beach, up through rice fields and forests deep into the 
 mountain, until it shall reach an inland city, where it 
 will unload, and will take back to the seashore hamlet a 
 cargo of rice, charcoal, and saki. That caravan toiling 
 so laboriously over those mountains toward the south is 
 freighted with an inland cargo of salt and edible sea- 
 
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 Printed from new electrotype plates ; illustrated with photogravures 
 from photographs, many of which were taken specially for this edition. 
 Each page is surrounded by a Moorish border in red and gray, the 
 designs being carefully copied from Moorish decorations. 
 
 Two volumes, small octavo, binding decorated with handsome Moorish 
 
 designs ; slip covers, gilt tops, in box $ 6.00 
 
 Three-quarter levant, gilt tops 12.00 
 
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 LONDON : NEW YORK : 
 
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Aji Overland yourney. 
 
 95 
 
 weed ; while that one passing it is outward bound with a 
 mighty cargo of earthenware, ironware, and cotton fabrics. 
 That long dark line to the eastward, winding across the 
 Yedo plains, is the mighty retinue of the Daimio of Kaga, 
 leaving Yedo on a visit home to the west coast. Twenty 
 thousand retainers swell the train. Five thousand coolies 
 grunt and sweat under boxes, kagos, and norimotis. The 
 head of the column has reached the mountains before the 
 tail has straggled out of the gates of the Y^a.ga.yaskiki. 
 
 Let us descend from our lofty station and stand beside 
 the avenue at the point where it merges in the foothills, 
 in order that we may closely inspect the stately proces- 
 sion. First comes a group of horsemen clad in ancient 
 armor, and carrying spears and fluttering ensigns, embla- 
 zoned with the heraldic crests of their mighty lord, 
 whose approach is thus announced, and whose right of 
 way is thus secured. Woe betide those who turn not 
 aside ! Then — oh ! for miles and miles — streams an 
 endless train of coolies, carrying lacquered boxes con- 
 taining the princely paraphernalia. Then comes a long 
 line of straggling samurai leisurely sauntering along en- 
 joying the shade and the scenery. Then more horsemen 
 follow. After that comes a squad of banner-bearers, 
 pacing along with dignified deliberation. Close upon 
 this comes a multitude of kagos, bearing the ladies and 
 gentlemen in attendance on his Grace. Then a vast 
 throng of samurai appear. Following them comes a 
 myriad of coolies, carrying innumerable baskets and 
 boxes loaded with the paraphernalia and the impedi- 
 menta of this army of retainers. After which, come a 
 vast throng of spearmen and archers, along cavalcade of 
 gallant knights in armor, preceding a long line of nori- 
 mons, bearing his lordship’s household, and swarms of 
 elegantly dressed samurai. A gap of half a mile or so 
 now intervenes, and then we see a stately procession of 
 swordsmen, spearmen, bowmen, and banner-bearers es- 
 corting a superb norimon borne slowly along upon the 
 shoulders of eight stout men. Here we have before us 
 the lord of Kaga, reclining upon cushions and enjoying 
 
9 6 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 the scenery from his latticed window. And this is but 
 the middle of the procession ! For two days the strag- 
 gling column of coolies and warriors steadily pours over 
 this lofty mountain pass into the mighty ranges beyond. 
 And upon some portion of the network of highways cov- 
 ering the empire you will see at all times some such host 
 streaming either homeward or Yedo-ward. Such pa- 
 geantry has covered these roads for two hundred and 
 fifty years. 
 
 We are travelling in a country whose history extends 
 back for twenty-five hundred years, to a period when an 
 unbroken wilderness covered the American continents, 
 when England was covered with forests and marshes 
 sparsely peopled by tattooed savages living in caves and 
 fens, when Europe was a vast solitude within whose 
 gloomy depths roamed tribes fiercer and more dangerous 
 than the wild beasts that swarmed there, and when Rome 
 was but a village of banditti. Two hundred and fifty 
 years have barely elapsed since the Jesuits were driven 
 forth with such terrible slaughter from the island of 
 Kiushiu ; and at every cross-road, at every bridge-head, 
 at the entrance to every village, and in the streets of 
 every city, we still have staring us in the face the blas- 
 phemous language of the following proclamation, which 
 the enraged Tokugawas posted up all over the empire at 
 the time when they sealed the gates of the country with 
 blood, and hurled defiance at humanity and at the uni- 
 verse : “So tong as the sun shall warm the earth , let no 
 
 Christian be so bold as to come to Japan j and let all kncnv 
 that the king of Spain himself , or the Christian's god , or the 
 great god of all , if he violate this command , shall pay for it 
 with his head." 
 
 The empire thus closed, comprised nearly four thou- 
 sand islands, scattered along the eastern coast of Asia, 
 and trending from Formosa on the south up in a north- 
 easterly direction toward the peninsula of Kamtchatka. 
 It was an empire nearly two thousand miles long, but not 
 over two hundred miles wide in its widest part. From 
 one extreme to the other this archipelago is grandly 
 
An Overland Journey. 
 
 97 
 
 mountainous, and is diversified with varied and exquisite 
 scenery. Among the islands of the extreme north you 
 will find the seal, the otter, the fox, the wolf, and other 
 fur-bearing animals that thrive in those bleak and wild 
 regions that have been almost deserted by human beings. 
 At the extreme south, among the Loo-Choo islands, you 
 will find the verdure and the climate of the tropics, — a 
 region where, in the language of the poet, 
 
 “ Droops the heavy-blossomed bower, hangs the heavy-fruited tree, — 
 Summer isles of Eden, lying in dark-purple spheres of sea.” 
 
 And the climate of the islands of Dai-Nippon (grouped 
 in the middle of the archipelago) is a delightful com- 
 bination of both extremes, — that of Yesso much resem- 
 bling that of New York State, and that of Kiushiu being 
 decidedly sub-tropical ; while that of Hondo, the main 
 island in the middle of the group, owing to a combina- 
 tion of circumstances which I shall now briefly explain, 
 is most wonderfully varied. This long and narrow 
 island (upon which we are now travelling) is shaped like 
 an obtuse angle with its apex pointing eastward into 
 the warm Pacific Ocean, while its long arms stretching 
 northward and southwesterly — five hundred miles in 
 each direction — embrace the chilly Japan Sea on the 
 west. Thus the black stream from the equator washes its 
 eastern shores, while the frigid waters of the Sea of 
 Okotsk, flowing southward in a steady stream between 
 the Japanese archipelago and the Asiatic continent, 
 washes its western shores. 
 
 In addition to this a mighty range of mountains ex- 
 tends from one end of the island to the other, divid- 
 ing it into two nearly equal halves facing east and 
 west. Consequently the climate of the western half is 
 much more severe than that of the eastern half, inas- 
 much as the blizzards coming from Siberia, heavily 
 charged with the vapors of the Japan Sea, are caught 
 by this mighty scoop-net of mountain ranges, and are 
 forced to precipitate their snowy freight back among 
 the valleys and upon the rice flats of the west coast. 
 
9 8 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 While the western slopes of these mountains are buried 
 deep in snow, the eastern slope is comparatively free 
 from it, and the southeastern slope has a climate as 
 balmy as that of Sicily ; and along the shores of the 
 Inland Sea you have one of the choice climates of 
 earth, where flourish the orange and the fig. 
 
 Although Japan is a land of sunshine and of flow- 
 ers, yet there is abundance of rain there. It has been 
 estimated that in England the number of overcast and 
 rainy days during the year exceeds the number of sun- 
 shiny ones. In Japan the ratio is about ten sunshiny 
 days to three rainy and overcast days. Yet the amount 
 of rainfall in Japan is three times as great as it is in 
 England. When it does rain in Japan, it does so with 
 a vengeance. With its numerous lofty mountain sum- 
 mits towering many thousands of feet above the sur- 
 rounding waters, every current of moist air landward 
 bound is speedily chilled, and is compelled to pour down 
 its liquid freight on valley and field. Japan is, there- 
 fore, a land of small rivers, but of sudden and mighty 
 torrents ; a land of deep verdure, of well-wooded hills 
 and mountains ; and it is a land of lovely lakes and 
 cascades. 
 
 Of course there is abundance of beautiful and mag- 
 nificent scenery in all parts of the world Every 
 country has its natural glories. The Yosemite Valley 
 is matchless. The Falls of Niagara are peerless. The 
 White Mountains are exceedingly beautiful. The lake 
 regions of Switzerland and of Northern Italy are of 
 surpassing loveliness. The Vale of Cashmere and the 
 valleys of the Lydder and the Scinde branching there- 
 from into the mighty ranges of the Himalayahs, are un- 
 paralleled in beauty and in magnificence. Yet, take it 
 all in all, the empire of Japan, with its superb vol- 
 canic cones and rugged shores, its majestic mountain 
 ranges sloping seaward and ocean-ward, its bold prom- 
 ontories ploughing the mighty deep, its exquisite lakes 
 mirrored among lofty mountain crests thousands of feet 
 above sea-level, its bays, inlets, and inland archipelago 
 
An Overland Journey. 
 
 99 
 
 (comprising three thousand islets scattered broadcast 
 through an inland sea), its garden-like fields and embow- 
 ered villages, its picturesque hamlets and engroved mon- 
 asteries, — is truly the most beautiful country on the face of 
 the globe ; and it possesses a combination of ocean, moun- 
 tain, lake, and temple scenery, which, by coining an ad- 
 jective, we may justly describe as Japanesque. 
 
 But we must now hasten with our journey. As in 
 the study of campaigns, it becomes necessary to obtain 
 in advance a correct idea of the theatre of war, so in 
 this tale of Old Japan it seemed expedient at this junc- 
 ture to introduce a brief description of the theatre of 
 coming action. The operations will be confined entirely 
 to the island of Hondo, as around this island cluster the 
 romance and the historic events of the empire. Here 
 you will find the bulk of the population ; here are located 
 Kioto, Yedo, Nagoya, and other great cities ; and here 
 we have the grandest and the most beautiful scenery. 
 
 Our enterprising knights are well on toward the end 
 of their first day’s journey. They have followed the 
 stately avenue all day through a level sandy country. 
 As evening comes on they tarry at a village in the vicin- 
 ity of some well wooded hills. The hot-water bath 
 speedily relaxes their contracted muscles and puts them 
 in condition to make short work of their evening meal. 
 
 On the following morning they were off at an hour that 
 would correspond to seven o’clock by our method of 
 measuring time. The road led over a well wooded coun- 
 try for many miles, and then, toward midday, wound up 
 among picturesque hills, amid whose cooling shades and 
 embowered hamlets it twisted, until late in the afternoon 
 it finally descended the reverse slopes of the range, and 
 led through a deeply shaded valley into the rice fields of 
 the ancient province of Is&. Spending the night at the 
 village of Seki, they continued their journey on the 
 morrow through a long stretch of level country toward 
 the waters of Owari Bay. During the afternoon they 
 were much delayed by meeting the extensive train of one 
 of the southern Daimios, for which they were obliged 
 
IOO 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 repeatedly to turn aside. On this day they covered but 
 eighteen miles. On the following day, however, by dili- 
 gent walking they were able to reach the city of Nagoya, 
 near the head of Owari Bay, where they decided to 
 spend a day for rest, as they had completed the first 
 hundred miles of their journey. It was also decided 
 that the remaining two hundred and twenty miles were 
 to be walked more leisurely, — averaging about twenty 
 miles per day. Nagoya was a city of about half a 
 million souls, and was the capital of the Daimio of 
 Owari, whose superb castle and parks covered many 
 acres of commanding slopes on the northern boundary 
 of the city. 
 
 After due rest, the journey was resumed along the 
 windings of the stately Tokaido. For two days they 
 travelled through the hilly country bordering that deep 
 inlet constituting the Bay of Owari. Occasionally they 
 met the trains of Daimios. On the third day, toward 
 midday, as they reached the crest of a range of hills, 
 they espied through the trees the deep-blue waters of the 
 mighty Pacific spread out before them. The distant 
 roar of the thundering surf could be distinctly heard as 
 they descended the slopes toward the beach. Following 
 the sandy shore for some distance, they finally came to a 
 deep arm of the sea, over which it was necessary to 
 cross by boat to the opposite headland. Here, hemmed 
 in on all sides, they were confronted with the first To- 
 kugawa barrier, where they were obliged to hand their 
 passports to the Bakufu officials for inspection. Every- 
 thing proving satisfactory, they were allowed to embark 
 in a small fishing boat, and were sculled three miles 
 across to the town of Maizaka, situated on a long sandy 
 spit. Here they decided to spend the night. They se- 
 cured a room that overlooked the roaring breakers and 
 the mighty expanse of waters as well. 
 
 In the night a violent storm arose, and raged along the 
 coast for two days with such fury as to keep our young 
 friends weather-bound during its continuance. Toward 
 evening of the second day the wind subsided and the 
 
An Overland Journey. 
 
 IOI 
 
 steady deluge abated. The masses of sombre clouds 
 rushed inland toward some lofty crest, like hostile hosts 
 gathering around some standard. Then the mighty 
 ocean, that had been so mercilessly badgered by the hur- 
 ricane, arose in majestic wrath and came landward in 
 stupendous billows, and smote the shore with such terri- 
 ble blows that the hotel fairly trembled with the shocks. 
 Late in the evening the moon shone forth on a scene of 
 terrific grandeur. As far as the eye could reach were 
 raging white-crested waves that massed themselves in 
 tremendous billows, which thundered so impetuously on 
 the beach that the hissing waves frothed up the white 
 sand nearly to the balcony, where our awe-stricken 
 friends were looking forth upon the wild scene. The 
 wake of the storm, consisting of gauzy shreds of clouds, 
 was flying inland to the cool embrace of some lofty 
 mountain summit. A fishing smack, that had outridden 
 the tempest, was tumbling shoreward in a very demora- 
 lized fashion, creating the impression that it was trying 
 to probe the ocean’s bed alternately with prow and stern. 
 
 A multitude of little red crabs fled up the beach to es- 
 cape such trip-hammer thumping as was being inflicted 
 thereon, and sought refuge in the hotel yard and in the 
 village street, where they proved themselves to be an end- 
 less nuisance to the kind-hearted natives, who could not 
 bear to tread on them, fearing, forsooth (devout Bud- 
 dhists as they were), lest by crushing the little creatures 
 they might inadvertently break in upon the cycle of ex- 
 istence of some spirit working its way to human shape. 
 High upon the beach, beyond the reach of the rushing 
 waters, stretched a long line of fishing boats, with their 
 long, narrow prows pointing down toward the heaps 
 of kelp and sea-weed washed up by the angry waves. 
 Occasionally a well-bronzed fisherman would come down 
 to the shore and contemplatively puff his pipe while gaz- 
 ing seaward to diagnose what the atmospheric conditions 
 might indicate for the weather on the morrow, as his last 
 catch of fish had gone inland several days before, and his 
 supply was running very low. The sea-birds that had 
 
102 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 been driven from the storm-swept waters now began, on 
 timorous wing, to venture on the deep in search of food. 
 
 Our young friends studied the tempestuous scene for 
 long hours. The landlady had closed all of the rain- 
 doors for the night, but had left open the balcony to ac- 
 commodate the gentlemanly young travellers from Kioto. 
 
 “ How far does your chart represent this water as ex- 
 tending ?” enquired Junzo of his brother. 
 
 “ It extends fully five thousand miles in the direction 
 of the rising sun, and it extends fully ten thousand miles 
 from north to south,” was the reply. 
 
 “ And on the other side rises a mighty continent, be- 
 yond which lies another body of water almost equally as 
 large as this one, I understand you to say,” said Junzo; 
 “ and then, beyond that, yet mightier continents, upon 
 whose remotest borders lie the islands of Dai-Nippon.” 
 
 “Precisely so,” replied Tomokichi. 
 
 “ That much I clearly understand,” said Junzo ; “ but 
 how this vast body of land and water can be of a circular 
 shape, I cannot understand at all. I think that you did 
 not clearly understand what your Nagasaki friend said in 
 his letters. The face of your chart is surely flat enough, 
 and does not indicate roundness at all, so far as I can 
 see.” 
 
 “ Well, I must confess that I cannot explain the matter 
 to even my own satisfaction,” replied Tomokichi ; “ but 
 the letter clearly states that this earth is a round body of 
 land and water. I am going to probe this matter deeper 
 when I reach Yedo. But, if the earth be flat, why cannot 
 you see the land looming up on the other side ? ” 
 
 “ Because,” replied Junzo, “our eyes are not made to 
 see so far, perhaps. Beyond a certain point, things be- 
 come invisible to us. With proper eyesight we might 
 see the mountains over there on the other continent, 
 I suppose." 
 
 “ It may be so — it may be so,” replied his brother 
 slowly, as he dreamily watched the shimmering foam on 
 the beach ; “ I am free to confess that the stupendous- 
 ness of the mystery enshrouding the entire subject quite 
 
An Overland Journey. 
 
 103 
 
 appalls me. We, who slumbered and dreamed amid the 
 profound repose of our mountain nest, find ourselves un- 
 able to think fast enough when brought for the first time 
 face to face with such colossal subjects as now confront 
 us ; and, in our dazed amazement, we seek refuge in 
 bewildered speculations.” 
 
 The next morning broke with an atmosphere as clear 
 and as serene as crystal. The only vestige of the hurri- 
 cane was the sonorous voice of the disturbed ocean, still 
 complaining of the rough treatment that it had received. 
 Oh ! how matchlessly pure and cool was the air as our 
 young travellers continued their journey along the 
 avenue that now wound for three days among hamlets, 
 pine-clad hillocks, and well-wooded ridges in the rear of 
 a broad promontory that pushed its bold cliffs far into 
 the deep. On the afternoon of the third day after leav- 
 ing Maizaka, they were walking along the ridge of a 
 series of high hills when they espied, down the long vista 
 ahead of them, the snow-capped cone of Fujisan loom- 
 ing up magnificently in the clear air, far above the mighty 
 ranges that intervened like colossal billows of adamant. 
 They tarried a full half hour at a tea-booth, to enjoy the 
 beauty of this far-famed cone. Then they descended 
 into the exquisite hill country environing Shidzuoka. 
 
 This city contained a population of about forty thou- 
 sand inhabitants, and in ancient times was the capital of 
 Tokugawa Iyeyas, who spent many years of his life there 
 and died there. Its castle ranked next to that of Yedo 
 as to size and impregnability, and it was occupied by a 
 prince of the house of Tokugawa, with a powerful garri- 
 son. Our friends found themselves in streets filled with 
 a bustling crowd of citizens and samurai , where they were 
 subjected to many a polite stare as being strangers in the 
 place. Hardly had they set foot within their hotel 
 before word was passed up to their rooms that two 
 officials desired an interview with them. These formida- 
 ble gentlemen were then duly ushered in by the willing 
 landlord, who fairly bent to the ground each time these 
 sublime personages opened their mouths to address him 
 
104 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 or even when they cast glances in his direction. After a 
 mutual exchange of profound salutations, the visitors 
 excused their intrusion on the ground that it was their 
 duty to keep track of all strangers coming to town, and, 
 it having been reported to them that two gentlemen 
 of distinguished mien had arrived, it devolved on them 
 to call and examine their credentials and make report to 
 the castle in order that the official record there might be 
 regular, so that no blame could at any future time be 
 charged by the government against the commanding 
 officer. With apparent reluctance and humility they 
 then proceeded to examine and to copy the two pass- 
 ports willingly handed over to them by our young friends. 
 
 “ Honored sirs,” enquired the officers, “ in what man- 
 ner have you prosecuted your journey hitherto ? ” 
 
 “We unworthy creatures have journeyed altogether on 
 foot,” was the modest reply. 
 
 “Verily, you have selected a gallant and knightly 
 method of travelling, honored sirs,” responded the 
 officers quickly. “ May the balance of your journey be 
 equally prosperous. And may you enjoy a long and 
 happy service with the lord of Mito. Sirs, we humbly 
 return your papers as being in all respects satisfactory. 
 May the subtle influences of air, fire, and water be in 
 your favor. Farewell.” 
 
 On the next morning the streets were filled with the 
 retainers of the Daimio of Satsuma, sweeping southward 
 to their distant home in Kiushiu. All day long the end- 
 less throng poured steadily through the city. Late in the 
 afternoon the princely norimon came slowly along amid 
 hushed throngs of attendants, and was followed by a 
 multitude of samurai. Our friends decided not to 
 continue their journey until the following day, in order 
 to avoid meeting the reckless and quarrelsome members 
 of that most warlike clan. All next day, as they con- 
 tinued their journey, they met detached groups of 
 attendants, men-at-arms, carriers, and kagos, streaming 
 southward in the wake of the stately column of their 
 lord. At one of the wayside tea-booths, a low-grade 
 
An Overland journey. 
 
 105 
 
 Satsuma samurai , who had been imbibing too freely of 
 sak /, sallied forth into the road munching a boiled sweet 
 potato of huge dimensions, which he very rudely hurled 
 at the head of Junzo, who chanced to be passing along at 
 that moment. Luckily, however, his unsteady arm failed 
 to communicate the proper bias to the missile, and it 
 missed its mark and spread itself out like a big plaster on 
 the bare back of a /fog^bearer, who roared lustily, sup- 
 posing that a sword or an arrow had gone off by accident 
 upon that unprotected region. 
 
 Now, as a matter of fact, no insult could have been 
 more pointed than to hurl a common edible that had been 
 touched to the mouth at the person of a samurai with the 
 deliberate intention of hitting him therewith ; but, from 
 a diplomatic standpoint, a person engaged on an impor- 
 tant mission should have been looking in an opposite 
 direction and thus, as the missile failed to reach him, 
 have been able to waive with becoming dignity the 
 insult, and thus to avoid a disturbance. But Junzo was 
 inexperienced. He took notice of the insult. Therefore 
 but one course was available. He was bound by the code 
 of feudal etiquette to resent it at once. The hot blood 
 mounted his face, and, uttering an imprecation, he turned 
 upon the aggressor with his drawn sword, and he would 
 soon have been involved in a mortal combat had not the 
 companions of the drunken fellow intervened and offered 
 suitable apology for his beastly conduct, — for the true 
 samurai admired bravery and was quick to make amends 
 for unjustifiable wrongs done to fellow samurai. The 
 expression of supreme relief that came over the kago- 
 bearer's countenance when he ascertained the true 
 nature of the assault upon his person, and the sight of 
 the red disc upon his broad back as he turned around 
 with a contented grunt to resume his journey down the 
 avenue, threw everybody into fits of laughter and re- 
 stored general good-nature. Nothing of note occurred 
 during the balance of the day to annoy them, and they 
 journeyed peacefully along the shores of the “ deep- 
 sounding sea.” 
 
io6 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 On the next morning the journey was continued 
 around the shores of Suruga bay, amid most magnificent 
 scenery. On the right hand lay the crescent-shaped bay, 
 whose encompassing headlands ploughed the deep half- 
 way to the horizon with their sylvan crests and ridges. 
 The surf bathed the shores with eternal foam. On the 
 left hand rose the mighty cone of Fujisan, — a glorious 
 and magnificent sight, — fields, forests, and cinders 
 sloping upward for thirty miles from shore to summit. 
 In the latter part of the day, deep forests along the shore 
 shut out the sea-view, but occasional glimpses of the 
 superb cone still flashed through the woods. 
 
 All next day the road led behind the base line of 
 Idzu promontory until it reached at night the shores of 
 Odawara bay. This day’s journey was one of great 
 magnificence and beauty. At first the road led through 
 garden-like fields around the base of Fujisan. Then 
 it entered the gorges of the colossal ranges of the 
 Hakone Mountains, among which it writhed and twisted 
 for several hours until it came out at the famous Barrier 
 at the top of the pass near the southern end of Hakonfe 
 Lake ; then it descended through mountain scenery of the 
 grandest description until it reached the castle town of 
 Odawara on the shores of the bay. From this point our 
 young friends continued their journey next day along the 
 shores of this lovely inlet, and stopped for the night at 
 Fujisawa. Again diverging from the shore, they, on the 
 following day, continued their course along the base-line 
 of Uraga promontory, through picturesque hills and 
 glades until they reached Kanagawa, on the shores of 
 Yedo Bay. Here they took their midday meal, and then 
 they journeyed along the shores of the bay to Kawasaki, 
 just twelve miles south of Nihon-Bashi. Here they were 
 delayed a day by the Daimio of Kii-shiu, going south- 
 ward. And on the following day they reached their 
 hotel in Yedo, where they decided to tarry until their 
 arrival had been communicated to Konishi at Mito Yas- 
 hiki. — And thus ended the overland journey. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 YEDO. 
 
 Early on the morning of the day following the events 
 narrated in the last chapter, a large brown rat was nib- 
 bling the grains of rice that lay at the door of a govern- 
 ment warehouse on the banks of the Sumida River in 
 Yedo. From the balcony of the hotel on the opposite 
 side of the broad canal which, at that point, made junc- 
 tion with the river, our friend Junzo watched him with 
 amused interest. The dusky rodent leisurely disposed 
 of the stray grains, and then followed the scattered trail 
 down to the plank gangway that led from the shore to 
 the side of a large junk that had brought the grain as the 
 tribute from some southern Daimio, and from which 
 coolies had been unloading it on the previous day. 
 
 Here the animal paused to study the ground before 
 proceeding further. He sat upon his haunches and med- 
 itatively pointed his nose into the fresh breeze that 
 came through the rigging of the vessel, as if he might 
 be scenting the gale for indications of lurking danger, — 
 for, at that early hour, the drowsy sailors had not yet 
 shaken off their slumbers. Hearing no sound, and 
 gathering fresh courage from the arrival of auxiliaries in 
 the shape of four other rats, the rapacious plunderer led 
 the way along the plank, nibbling the white grains that 
 had been trailed along the entire length, until he came 
 to the gunwales. Here it was deemed judicious to order 
 a reconnoissance, and the inquisitive eyes of the five 
 depredators peered over the side of the junk into the 
 mysterious depths of the cabin. Emboldened by the 
 silence that prevailed, they ventured in various directions 
 
 TOT 
 
io8 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 about the decks, tasting, touching, and handling every 
 thing eatable that fell in their way. At length, when 
 successive reinforcements had swelled the invading 
 forces to nearly three-score rats, the ceaseless pattering 
 of so many feet finally caused the captain and the stew- 
 ard simultaneously to arise to a full comprehension of 
 the situation, and they promptly hurled four pairs of 
 wooden clogs into the midst of the bandits, thereby 
 causing a violent stampede along the plank, during which 
 retrogade movement several of them fell overboard and 
 were well soaked before they could swim ashore. 
 
 The Sumida River, on whose banks the above scene 
 was transacted, was a shallow and rapid stream, whose 
 waters came from the distant mountains on the north. 
 It flowed through the eastern part of Yedo from north to 
 south, and emptied its turbid flood into the blue waves 
 of the bay. The banks of the southern portion of the 
 river were lined with fire-proof godowns, hotels, and 
 tea-houses. The banks of the northern portion were 
 lined with gardens, parks, groves, and yashikis. Numer- 
 ous canals branched off from the stream into all parts 
 of the city, bearing cargoes to the godowns scattered 
 everywhere along their banks. Loads of fish, vegeta- 
 bles, and fruit came up the river and were borne along 
 these water-courses to the great market beside Nihon- 
 Bashi, in the very heart of the city. Five long wooden 
 bridges spanned the stream and connected the eastern 
 with the western portion of the city. The eastern portion 
 was built upon the level stretch of country that extended 
 around the head of the bay. Although this part of the 
 city covered much ground, yet the population was by no 
 means dense, inasmuch as large sections were occupied 
 by th & yashikis of Daimios and by the extensive grounds 
 of wealthy merchants, who sought this quarter of the city 
 to escape the rolling seas of flame that periodically 
 swept the transpontine city from moat to bay. In the 
 upper part of this section were the Mukojima gardens, 
 that stretched along the river bank for a mile or so, em- 
 bowering it with cloud-like masses of cherry blossoms 
 
Yedo. 
 
 109 
 
 during the spring. Here picnicked the citizens amid 
 gardens filled with fragrant shrubs and screened by 
 bamboo and box-wood copses. During the spring and 
 summer multitudes of pleasure-seekers came hither in 
 boats that floated up on the waters of the Sumida, and 
 were moored beneath the overarching trees. 
 
 Crossing now over to the western portion of the city 
 we find before us a long strip of flat country, about two 
 miles wide and stretching many miles northward and 
 southward. This section of Yedo was densely packed 
 with the stores and houses of the mercantile classes. 
 These structures were low, double-storied affairs, built 
 entirely of wood and covered with tiles. A network of 
 canals extended up to the very moat of the castle, form- 
 ing, in fact, a connecting link between it and the waters 
 of the river and bay. Through the streets poured an 
 incessant stream of commerce and of military pageantry. 
 The principal thoroughfare ran north and south. It 
 commenced where the Tokaido merged in Shinagawa, 
 the southern suburb of the city, where congregated the 
 brothels, the hotels of ill-repute, and the abodes of the 
 poor, — the lowest slums of Yedo. Passing northward 
 three or four miles, this great thoroughfare reached the 
 wealthy section of the city, and went through two or 
 three miles of broad and well kept streets, until it finally 
 led through the temple grounds and the parks of the 
 northern suburbs into the Oshiukaido, the great northern 
 highway. In all portions were incessant bustle and 
 activity. At regular intervals along the various streets 
 were heavy wooden barriers that could have been speed- 
 ily thrown across the road to stop travel in times of 
 sudden tumult or alarm. Guards of samurai were scat- 
 tered everywhere to secure order, and to be available in 
 sudden emergencies. Whenever a fire broke out in any 
 part of the city, a member of the guard would climb a 
 tall ladder, and, after locating the conflagration, would 
 sound the alarm on a large bell suspended there between 
 high poles. 
 
 The sanitary condition of Yedo was very poor. All 
 
I IO 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 the drainage was above ground in shallow gutters along 
 the sides of the street. In every back-yard was a gar- 
 bage heap whereon rats, crows, and dogs operated as 
 scavengers, busily dodging fresh accumulations hurled 
 from the kitchen door or window. But for their serv- 
 ices and the natural excellence of the climate, pestilence 
 would have spread sad havoc in the city. As it was, 
 however, small-pox was the regular winter epidemic. 
 “ Dirt can not be unhealthy, else how can the Heratee 
 live ? ” exclaims the traveller in Herat. The magnificent 
 climate of that portion of Afghanistan alone keeps the 
 population above ground. You might have said the 
 same thing about Yedo. The flushing of the numerous 
 canals with the regular ebb and flow of tides, aided great- 
 ly in keeping the city healthy, for vast quantities of filth 
 daily found its way into the bay through those well- 
 washed water-courses. 
 
 We now come to the castle, the centre-piece of Yedo. 
 In the year 1853, Yedo was emphatically a city of war- 
 riors, and it was fitting that the massive castle of the 
 Tokugawas should have formed its grand central feature. 
 Out of a population numbering about fifteen hundred 
 thousand souls, fully half a million of them filled the 
 numerous yashikis scattered over all parts of the city. 
 While the commercial part of the metropolis was built 
 upon the flat lands bordering the bay, the aristocratic 
 portion was built upon the summit and at the base of the 
 commanding semicircle of bluffs that swept around the 
 western and the northern sides of the citizens’ quarters. 
 These bluffs rolled away toward the north, the west, and 
 the south, into the undulating hill country constituting 
 the Yedo plains. 
 
 The castle was built partly upon the bluffs and partly 
 upon the lowlands, and it covered a vast extent of terri- 
 tory. Its general plan was a triple system of circum- 
 vallation, one inside the other. The innermost system 
 comprised the citadel, which formed the heart of this 
 entire fortress. It was a moated enclosure, a few hun- 
 dred yards in circumference, located on the edge of the 
 
Yedo. 
 
 1 1 1 
 
 bluffs, about two miles from the waters of the bay. It 
 was surrounded by a precipitous and well swarded em- 
 bankment, that rose to a great height, and whose summit 
 was crowned with ramparts, composed of a foundation of 
 small rough-hewn granite blocks, fifteen feet high, sur- 
 mounted by white plastered walls about ten feet high, 
 with several square, double-storied towers at the various 
 angles. This enclosure was entered by a wooden bridge 
 thrown over a deep ravine. The second system of cir- 
 cumvallation was much more extensive, and enclosed 
 within its moats and swarded embankments three or four 
 miles of territory — the western half encircling a great ex- 
 panse of bluffs, and the eastern half descending to the 
 lowlands and embracing a large portion thereof within 
 the waters of its deep, broad moats. At every angle, and 
 at every gateway, was a massive, square, double-storied 
 tower, built with immense timbers, and plastered in white. 
 Along the top of the ramparted embankments were pine 
 trees, that stretched their grotesque branches over the 
 murky waters at various points, thus beautifying the for- 
 bidding aspect of the martial surroundings. 
 
 The third system of circumvallation was eleven miles 
 in circumference ! Commencing on the northeast at the 
 Sumida River, about one mile below the cherry groves 
 of Mukojima, it went due west for a mile or so over the 
 lowlands, and then pierced the bluffs and continued on 
 in the same straight line through some tremendous cut- 
 tings in the hills, until it arrived at a point about two 
 miles northwest of the citadel ; it then turned sharply 
 southwest, and then southward, following the hills for 
 several miles, until it arrived at a point about two miles 
 southwest of the citadel, where it turned due east and 
 descended into the lowlands, and finally reached a point 
 near the bay ; here the moat abandoned the rampart 
 and, merging into devious canals, came out on the bay 
 below the mouth of the Sumida, nearly five miles south 
 of the point whence it started. 
 
 If you will draw a line due north and south through 
 the city, just beneath the eastern ramparts of the citadel, 
 
I I 2 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 you will divide this immense system of fortification into 
 two nearly equal parts. You will find the western por- 
 tion to be almost entirely upon the bluffs, and to be filled 
 with yashikis , government offices, and the residences of 
 the aristocracy ; and you will find the eastern portion to 
 be entirely upon the lowlands, and filled with the marts 
 of trade and with the residences of the mercantile classes. 
 You will readily perceive that the term “ castle ” is mis- 
 leading, and that we have before us something like the 
 fortified cities of modem Europe. A large part of the 
 city is built within the second and the third system of 
 moats, although it was not the intention of the govern- 
 ment to defend the commercial quarter at all in time of 
 war, but to wipe it away by fire when the enemy ap- 
 proached near enough to render it probable that they 
 might seek shelter therein. The citadel and the aristo- 
 cratic quarters, however, were rendered almost impreg- 
 nable against feudal assaults. 
 
 Let us now take a glimpse at the yashikis. There 
 were over two hundred of these feudal structures, vary- 
 ing in size from a walled enclosure of fifteen acres to 
 immense “ compounds ” of more than two hundred acres. 
 They were scattered in various parts of the city, but the 
 majority were to be found along the summit and at the 
 base of the bluffs. The proud and wealthy Daimio 
 sought the highlands that circled around the bay, or en- 
 sconced himself at their base, while the noble of mod- 
 erate income sought the flatlands and the grassy mead- 
 ows that sloped gently down to the sandy shoals of the 
 Sumida. Upon the hills north of the castle stretched the 
 superb grounds of Kaga Yashiki, whose lord was the 
 wealthiest nobleman in the realm. To the west of this, 
 just beyond the northwestern angle of the castle, lay the 
 beautiful and stately grounds of Mito Yashiki. Among 
 the hills bordering the western side of the castle were the 
 vast grounds of Owari Yashiki ; and, rolling away from 
 the southwestern angle of the castle, extended the im- 
 mense enclosure of Kii-shiu Yashiki. 
 
 The three Daimios of Mito, Owari, and Kii were the 
 
Ycdo. 
 
 ii3 
 
 heads of the most illustrious families in the realm. 
 These families were founded by the three youngest sons 
 of Tokugawa Iyeyas, who endowed them with the 
 wealthy provinces bearing the above names. Kii-shiu 
 was the bold and massive promontory that jutted into 
 the Pacific Ocean about one hundred and thirty miles 
 south of Kioto. It was an exceedingly choice Daimiate. 
 The province of Owari lay at the head of Owari Bay, 
 along whose shores we so recently journeyed. And the 
 province of Mito lay on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, 
 about seventy miles northeast of Yedo (Mito was, 
 properly speaking, the capital of Hitachi province, but 
 in popular parlance the name of the capital city became 
 synonymous with that of the province). These three 
 families were known as the Gosanke (three illustrious 
 families). They were permitted to wear the same her- 
 aldic crest that the Shogun wore — three inverted mallow 
 leaves trefoiled in a circle. And, in default of direct 
 issue in the Tokugawa line, an heir to the feudal throne 
 must be chosen from the Gosanke. 
 
 From the year 1603 a.d. to the year 1716, the first 
 seven Tokugawa Shoguns were direct descendants of 
 Iyeyas. The direct issue then becoming extinct, the 
 Kii family was called upon six successive times to fur- 
 nish a Shogun ; or, expressing the idea in political 
 parlance, the succession having once gotten into that 
 family, the influential head men of that powerful clan 
 took exceedingly good care that it should contiirue to 
 revolve within the ring. The year 1853 found the sixth 
 member of that clan just seated on the throne of the 
 Tokugawas. Thus had Mito and Owari been utterly 
 neglected in the matter of succession. Mito had long 
 felt sore on this point. The yashikis of these three 
 mighty princes formed a cordon that guarded the castle 
 most effectually on the western side. In the other 
 sections of the city were the yashikis of minor nobles, — 
 equally grand, although covering less ground than those 
 of the Gosanke and of Kaga. Within these immense 
 “ compounds ” were groves, orchards, landscape gardens, 
 
Mito Yashiki. 
 
 ”4 
 
 lawns, artificial ponds, gravelled walks, and acres of 
 shrubbery and of bamboo copses. Every thing was laid 
 out on the most munificent scale. 
 
 The climate of this region was very fine. The winters 
 were mild and open. Snow appeared once or twice 
 during the season and usually disappeared before midday 
 under the powerful rays of the sun. Shrubs and flowers 
 lived and bloomed outdoors in the coldest months, and 
 many kinds of vegetables and several varieties of grain 
 were cultivated in midwinter. The spring season, 
 though occasionally very windy, was delightfully balmy. 
 The summer, though hot, was cooled at all times with 
 delicious breezes. And the autumnal months were per- 
 fection. 
 
 Such was Yedo in the year 1853 ; a city of enterprise, 
 bustle, and excitement. Merchandise from all parts of 
 the empire streamed into it at all seasons. Junks, 
 loaded with the products of the seashore provinces, 
 swarmed up the bay and poured into the Sumida, where 
 they emptied their cargoes into the warehouses along its 
 banks. Numberless caravans from the inland provinces 
 converged here and jostled each other in the streets. 
 Between sunrise and sunset all creation seemed to be 
 outdoors enjoying the warm sunshine and the balmy air. 
 The falcon that soared above on passing wing, looked 
 down on twenty-eight square miles of tiled roofs, waving 
 groves, emerald lawns, embowered parks and temples, 
 vast gardens, and white towers, and well shaded ramparts. 
 Truly a strange and a unique sight ! It would seem as 
 if a people who had lived twenty-five centuries all by 
 themselves possessed many intensely human traits of 
 character. Have not the feudal times of Europe been 
 reproduced with startling exactness in this remote corner 
 of the earth ? How homelike the moat, the tower, the 
 heraldic crest, and the mounted knights ! Can you think 
 of Tokugawa lording it over the Daimios, and not think 
 of Charlemagne reducing the Frankish dukes and barons 
 to subjection ? 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 MITO YASHIKI. 
 
 The month of October, 1853, was drawing to a close, 
 and all the arrangements had been completed for the 
 reception of Tomokichi and Junzo in their new home at 
 Mito Yashiki. One bright sunshiny morning they 
 donned their best clothes and were duly escorted by 
 their friend Konishi to the princely residence of their 
 liege lord, four miles away. Leaving the hotel, they 
 sauntered slowly through the citizens’ quarter, until they 
 came to the bridge that led within the second moat. 
 Here they were duly challenged by the guard, and, upon 
 Konishi’s countersign, were admitted within the massive 
 gateway. 
 
 Here they followed the broad, well gravelled road for 
 a long distance in its devious course between the white 
 walls of feudal “compounds,” through vast parade 
 grounds, beside the deep waters of the innermost moat, 
 and finally emerged at the Kiji-Bashi (Pheasants’ Bridge) 
 into the yashiki region, that stretched on from that point 
 northward to the third moat. They walked leisurely 
 through long, wide, well kept avenues, that were flanked 
 on either side by glistening lines of barrack-like walls, in 
 whose heavily barred windows and in whose massive 
 gateways loitered groups of samurai, enjoying the sun- 
 shine and the delicious air while taking in the outer 
 world. At length they crossed the outermost moat by 
 the Suido-Bashi (Aqueduct Bridge) and found themselves 
 in the beautiful hill country that lay to the north of v the 
 castle. 
 
Mito Yashiki. 
 
 1 16 
 
 Near this bridge, the large square wooden tube of the 
 Kanda aqueduct crossed the moat into the castle and 
 thence into the city, bearing the pure water of the Kanda 
 region to the people of the metropolis. Beneath the 
 ooze of the moat at this point formerly was situated the 
 renowned well from whose crystal springs bubbled forth 
 waters so delicious that the Shoguns for many genera- 
 tions were accustomed to steep their tea therein, so that 
 the immediate locality became known as “ the Waters of 
 the August Tea.” Upon the right hand, the moat was 
 carried through the hills by the largest cutting in the 
 entire circuit. It was designated as “ the Cutting of 
 Weeping Sendai,” because, according to the legends, an 
 ancient Daimio of Sendai was compelled to cut it at his 
 own expense, by order of the Shogun, either as a penalty 
 for some political offence, or to keep him from squander- 
 ing his patrimony in profligate carousals within the 
 brothels of Yoshiwara. Our friends tarried long here to 
 take in the rugged beauty of the scenery and to locate 
 the points of historic interest. 
 
 Leaving Suido-Bashi, turning sharply to the left and 
 following the moat for a short distance, they soon found 
 themselves in front of Mito Yashiki, which overlooked 
 the moat at its northwestern angle, — a location of rare 
 beauty and excellence, commanding on the eastern side 
 a fine view of the result of the labors of sorrowful 
 Sendai, and on the southwestern side looking down a 
 long vista of moat, stretching through the hills toward 
 beautiful Owari Yashiki. Along this stretch of peaceful 
 waters the gorgeous petals of the pink lotus bloomed in 
 midsummer, and myriads of wild ducks skimmed in mid- 
 winter. 
 
 The approach of our company was not announced by 
 couriers and blare of trumpet. They were but humble 
 retainers of Mito, and feudal etiquette required no 
 ceremony when they presented themselves for duty at 
 the mansion of their master. No grand reception 
 awaited the vassal who fell into the ranks of his lord. 
 The white walls basked serenely in the sunshine, and 
 
Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 1 1 7 
 
 groups of samurai were passing in and out of the massive 
 gateway that faced the moat. The shape of this stately 
 yashiki was almost quadrangular. The southern side 
 was somewhat longer than the northern one, so that it 
 would not be inapt to compare its general shape to that 
 portion of an unfolded fan whereon the paper is pasted. 
 The entire “ compound ” was surrounded with a high 
 plastered wall covered with tiles and pierced with a 
 massive gateway on each face. To the right and to the 
 left of each gateway the walls were enlarged into long 
 lines of stately barracks, erected on massive stone 
 foundations, and constructed of mighty uprights and 
 crossbeams, surmounted with an exceedingly heavy tile 
 roof. 
 
 These barracks must have been nearly forty feet deep. 
 The outside was plastered in white, and was pierced at 
 intervals of every ten yards or so with large windows 
 protected with heavy bars of wood painted in gloomy 
 black. The inner side of the barracks opened out freely 
 on the beauties of the grounds within. In order to carry 
 out the idea of a castle, a miniature dry moat ran along 
 outside of the foundations. The massive gateways were 
 edifices in themselves. They were double-storied, and 
 were built of immensely-heavy timbers, and were covered 
 with exceedingly heavy tiled roofs. They were square 
 in shape. Through the lower story passed the entrance. 
 The great doors were plated with iron, and were studded 
 with heavy iron knobs. They swung inward on creak- 
 ing pin-hinges that revolved in deep holes sunk in the 
 mighty beams above and below. At night-time they 
 were barred with square plated posts slipped into im- 
 mense iron staples. Upon each side of the entrance 
 were the rooms of the guard. The upper story was one 
 vast room intended for archers to ply their shafts through 
 barred windows upon enemies trying to force the gate- 
 way ; but, as there had been a profound peace of two 
 centuries throughout the empire, the room was only used 
 on those grand occasions when the coming of the lord 
 of Mito filled to overflowing the accommodations of the 
 
1 18 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 yashiki, and rendered it necessary to crowd the retainers 
 upstairs. 
 
 Now let us approach the main gateway with our 
 friends. Entering the shadows of the portal, they were 
 received with great cordiality by the samurai on guard, 
 who ushered them into the reception room on the left, 
 where they were invited to slip off their clogs and to 
 brush the dust from their clothing. Tea and tobacco 
 were then set before them, while word was sent within 
 to the private apartments of the captain of the gate that 
 some gentlemen awaited his pleasure. After the lapse 
 of a few minutes, they were ushered through a suite of 
 well matted rooms occupied by the gentlemen of the 
 guard, until they came to the private apartments of the 
 captain of the gate. The floor of his reception room, or 
 office, was covered with tatamis of exquisite whiteness 
 and softness, edged with broad bindings of brocaded 
 silk. The heavily barred windows to the south looked 
 out upon the moated ramparts of the castle. The warm 
 rays of the sun shone in upon a superb porcelain flower- 
 pot that had been placed in the deep recess of the win- 
 dow, and which contained an extremely fragrant bulbous 
 plant, bearing clusters of beautiful pink blossoms that 
 contrasted well with the glorious Ming Blue of the en- 
 amelling. The shojces were of cream-colored paper, and 
 were set in narrow frames lacquered in glistening black. 
 The designs thereon were from nature, and represented 
 flowers, birds, mountains, and cascades. The ceiling was 
 in panels of highly polished woods without any decora- 
 tion except the finely developed graining. 
 
 The room was quite bare of furniture. On one side 
 stood an elegantly lacquered sword-rack, and upon the 
 other side loomed up a tall and narrow Dutch clock, 
 which the indulgence of the Bakufu had allowed some 
 former lord of Mito to import through the Hollanders 
 at Deshima. The shojces on the north side of the room 
 had been removed, and you could look out upon a broad 
 veranda and upon the luxuriant acres of the vast en- 
 closure. Upon the edge of the veranda were several ex- 
 
Milo Yashiki. 
 
 i 19 
 
 quisite porcelain flower-pots of large dimensions. One 
 was broad-brimmed, of a square shape, of a deep-blue 
 color stamped with the gilded crest of Tokugawa on each 
 face, and contained a small Ningpo orange shrub that 
 was loaded down with the peculiar egg-shaped fruit of 
 that variety of orange. Another pot was hexagonal in 
 shape, and was tall like a jar. The groundwork of the 
 enamelling was pure white, variegated with a delicate 
 spray of wistaria in natural colors entwined on its glossy 
 surface. It contained some variety of the iris, whose 
 light-blue blossoms contrasted beautifully with the laven- 
 der-colored buds of the wistaria. Another pot was 
 shaped like a boat, and contained a rare species of 
 dwarfed pine that had been so skilfully trimmed that it 
 resembled the masts and sails of a boat under full sail. 
 
 A broad road, whitened with pulverized shells and 
 mixed with soft fine sand, led from the southern gateway, 
 bearing to the left, around toward the western portal, 
 thence up toward the northern one, where it met a simi- 
 lar road that had started from the same point on the 
 south, and had borne around by the right toward the 
 eastern gateway, and thence to the northern one. A third 
 road led up through lawns and groves toward the palace 
 of the lord. Its stately roof could be seen among the 
 trees on the higher and more commanding ground at the 
 northern end of the “ compound.” Groves, shrines, 
 target-ranges, fish-ponds, deep wells, hillocks, artificial 
 landscapes, and gardens were scattered in all parts of 
 the extensive yashiki grounds. 
 
 Near the palace were many acres devoted to a mag- 
 nificent grove of rare and beautiful trees, and a beautiful 
 garden containing rare and costly plants, many of which 
 had been imported through the Dutch and Chinese mer- 
 chants in Nagasaki. Just in the rear of the barracks 
 were extensive gardens of exquisite beauty, filled with 
 shrubbery, flower-beds, and even vegetable-beds. A 
 beautiful hedge of boxwood and hollyhock enclosed the 
 ground back of the various barracks, thus shutting off 
 the road and ensuring privacy. These large tracts of 
 
1 20 
 
 Mito Yets Juki. 
 
 land were laid out with sanded walks, landscape scenery, 
 clumps of bamboos, rniiniature fish-ponds, and flower- 
 beds. Beside the various gates, that led through the 
 hedgerows into the road, were the picturesque lodges of 
 the gardeners. Throughout the gardens were stately 
 jars and flower-pots containing rare and beautiful plants. 
 Sea-shells and white pebbles lined the walks, and were 
 occasionally piled up in grotesque little rockeries tufted 
 with moss and ferns. 
 
 Such was the scene that spread out like a scroll through 
 the shojees opening out upon the veranda. In a few 
 minutes the captain made his appearance. He was a 
 tall, stately gentleman, about forty years of age. As he 
 entered the room the rustling of his silken hakama (frock) 
 sounded like the breeze among the leaves. All four 
 gentlemen prostrated themselves upon the tatamis in 
 profound salutation — the humbler in rank doing rever- 
 ence to the superior officer, while the superior in rank 
 (lest he be deemed haughty and ignorant of etiquette) 
 bowed equally low in response to the obeisances. 
 “ Honored sir,” said Konishi, when the oft-repeated 
 compliments had been duly exchanged, “the gentlemen 
 from Yamashiro, whom you ordered me to bring into 
 your worshipful presence, are now with me praying for 
 an interview with you in reference to their connecting 
 themselves with the service of our most august master, 
 the lord of Mito. You will remember that in your inter- 
 view with my unworthy self yesterday that you appointed 
 this hour for the ceremony of an introduction.” 
 
 “ You indeed state the case most truly,” replied Captain 
 Matsuda, bowing low, “ and I now most respectfully wel- 
 come these worthy gentlemen to the service of our august 
 master. Honored sirs, have you been long on the way 
 from Kioto ? ” 
 
 “Your unworthy servants have been nearly twenty-two 
 days on the journey,” replied the young men. 
 
 “ And in what way did you travel ? ” continued the 
 officer, fastening his clear brown eyes upon their feat- 
 ures with a kindly yet keen gaze. 
 
Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 1 2 1 
 
 “We insignificant youths travelled entirely on foot,” 
 they replied. 
 
 “ Truly a most soldierly method of journeying ! ” ex- 
 claimed the captain. 
 
 Here the captain clapped his hands for an attendant 
 in the adjoining room to bring in tea and tobacco. The 
 party now became very sociable, and discussed at con- 
 siderable length the incidents of the overland trip and 
 the features of life in the great metropolis. 
 
 “Most estimable sirs,” said Captain Matsuda, taking 
 up his pen and preparing to make entries in a large book 
 that lay open in his lap, “ it has been arranged that for 
 the present you §hall be attached to the guard of this 
 southern gate, under my direct command ; and I may 
 truly say that two more soldierly gentlemen have rarely 
 come under my orders. All that Mr. Konishi has urged 
 in your favor, I find to be entirely accurate. If you will 
 now kindly favor me with your full names, the place of 
 your birth, your respective ages, and a few items about 
 your family history, I will enter them in this ledger, and 
 will then see to it that they are duly transcribed to the 
 great register of our clan. 
 
 “You are perhaps aware that our clan has been with- 
 out its proper head for the space of nearly thirteen years. 
 Our noble lord had become imbued with the scholastic 
 distinction between the Emperor and the Shogun, and 
 urged the Bakufu to surrender their usurped prerogatives 
 into the imperial hands, whence Tokugawa had snatched 
 them two centuries ago. But, very naturally, the Bakufu 
 failed to see the matter in that light, and notified him to 
 abstain from his wild schemes. But he persisted in his 
 efforts to arouse public sentiment in favor of a reinstate- 
 ment of the Emperor in his ancient power. He even 
 went so far as to melt down the monastery bells into can- 
 non in order to wage war against the Shogun. When 
 matters had been carried to that extreme, the Bakufu 
 bestirred themselves and promptly quashed the revolt, 
 and ordered him into close confinement, where he has 
 remained until the present time. The son who has rep- 
 
122 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 resented him during these years is now in Mito, so that 
 there is no prince at present in our yashiki. Some of the 
 members of the family, however, and some of the ladies 
 of the household, are up at the palace ; but they have 
 little control over affairs here. Practically, the command- 
 ant of the yashiki , Mr. Hattori, is managing matters in 
 the absence of our liege lord. We will therefore report 
 ourselves to him this afternoon. 
 
 “ Mr. Konishi, although in the employ of the Bakufu 
 as interpreter of barbarian documents, is yet a sojourner 
 within our gates, and occupies an apartment with his 
 father in the picturesque lodge west of the palace. He 
 has requested me to allow you to occupy an apartment 
 adjoining his. As a member of my guard you should be 
 quartered in one of the rooms in this line of barracks, 
 but I see no objection to your reaping the advantage of 
 having a friend at court, and so long as you report 
 promptly for duty at midday, I see no reason why you 
 should not stay with him. And now, gentlemen, as I 
 have finished my clerioal duties, if you will honor me 
 with your presence at my humble midday meal, we will, 
 after that, go around the barracks and the grounds, and 
 will report for duty at the office of the commandant.” 
 
 So saying, Mr. Matsuda clapped his hands for an at- 
 tendant to bring in the repast. Throughout the empire 
 the meals of all classes were substantially the same on 
 all ordinary occasions. Boiled rice constituted fully 
 ninety per cent, of every meal year in and year out. The 
 only difference between the meals of the wealthy and 
 those of the poor lay in the variety of the little side 
 dishes. Where the lower classes could only afford a few 
 morsels of broiled fish or of salt radish, the upper classes 
 would have four or five little side dishes containing bean- 
 paste, salted shrimps, sea-weed, poached eggs, brook 
 trout, pickled fruits, and vegetables of various descrip- 
 tions. Centuries of Buddhism had practically abolished 
 a meat diet. As a matter of course, state dinners were 
 very elaborate, and comprised forty or fifty courses, 
 drawing on sea, air, and land for materials. 
 
Mi to Yas/iiki. 
 
 The meal now being served was quite martial in its 
 simplicity. Before each guest was placed a tiny lac- 
 quered stand, whereon stood little bowls containing 
 string-bean emulsion somew'hat resembling soup, tiny 
 clams boiled in soy , and delicate morsels of boiled 
 chicken. Little bottles of warm sake were also provided. 
 The attendant dished out the steaming rice quite as 
 daintily as any lady would have done. The conversation 
 grew quite animated under the influence of the warm 
 beverage, and a great variety of topics rotated rapidly 
 under discussion, for the natives were always exceedingly 
 talkative while eating. 
 
 Soon after the repast, Mr. Matsuda took his long sword 
 from the rack, and, thrusting it into his girdle, led the 
 way on the tour of inspection. Reaching the gateway, 
 he pointed out the first chamber as the one to be used 
 by them as an office when on duty. Just back of the 
 gateway, upon the right hand and upon the left hand, 
 stood massive, square, deep-blue porcelain flow'er-pots, 
 containing small orange-trees, whose glossy dark green 
 leaves and whose golden fruit rustled and nodded with 
 every passing breeze. Strolling leisurely to the right 
 hand, they passed the hedgerows that enclosed the gar- 
 dens which lay behind the barracks. After that they 
 took no particular course, but rambled leisurely along, 
 enjoying the delicious sunshine and the balmy air. They 
 frequently met squads of samurai , who bowed half-w r ay 
 to the ground in salutation of the captain. Around the 
 lawms were spruce pines and boxwood shrubs that had 
 been trimmed to represent herons, storks, turtles, stags, 
 and junks under full sail. 
 
 In one place our party halted in the shadows of a 
 stately grove to watch some gorgeous pheasants that 
 were being reared by the prince. In another part of the 
 grounds they watched with great interest the majestic 
 peacocks and the speckled guinea-fowds that some former 
 prince had imported through the Dutch. In one place 
 where the greensward sloped tow'ard the warm and sunny 
 south, there had been constructed quite a menagerie. 
 
Mito Y as Juki. 
 
 1 24 
 
 There were monkeys tied to posts ; there were myriads 
 of birds of numerous varieties, singing and chattering 
 away in wire cages ; there were little spaniels known as 
 “chins”; and there was a small black bear from Yesso 
 shut up in an iron cage, and looking very hungrily at 
 some deer roaming about the park. In another place 
 mounted archers were riding at full speed down a long 
 avenue, and delivering blunted arrows at sundry luckless 
 curs chained at regular intervals along the route. The 
 snarling and the howling of the luckless brutes abun- 
 dantly testified to their hearty disapprobation of the pro- 
 ceedings. 
 
 Just before turning their steps toward the lodge of 
 their friend, they sauntered through the choicest part of 
 the grounds, — the far-famed botanical gardens of the 
 lord of Mito. This was the costliest and the most beau- 
 tiful collection of trees, shrubs, and plants to be found 
 within the empire, and they covered many acres of 
 ground. No money had been spared by the princes of 
 Mito in making this collection. Rare and beautiful pro- 
 ductions from all parts of the empire had been gathered 
 there. Shrubs and plants from China, from Batavia, and 
 from Loo-Choo had been imported regardless of ex- 
 pense. The place was a veritable paradise, and our 
 friends lingered long amid the shade and the sunshine 
 of the enrapturing locality, until the lengthening shadows 
 of the stately camphor-trees warned them of the speedy 
 approach of eventide. 
 
 Then they extricated themselvelves from the labyrinth 
 of flowers and trees, and turned their steps toward that 
 wing of the palace where the commandant had his head- 
 quarters. The building was surrounded on all sides 
 with exquisite gardens and waving trees. A hedge of 
 dense boxwood, trimmed square, kept intrusion at a 
 respectable distance from the precincts of the palace. A 
 long covered way led from the wicket-gate in the hedge 
 up toward the main entrance of the magnificent structure. 
 The roof of this shed was covered with thin sheets of 
 bronze, and it was sustained by immense square columns 
 
Milo Yashiki. 
 
 125 
 
 of kayakt wood carved with chaste arabesque designs. 
 Its farther end merged in a stately vestibule, from which 
 numerous doors opened into the grand chambers of the 
 palace. This edifice, like all similar structures in Japan, 
 was but one story in height ; but that single lofty story, 
 when surmounted by an exceedingly massive roof, caused 
 the white gable ends to loom far above the trees. 
 
 The entire underlying idea of a yashiki was that of a 
 camp. Every thing was presumed to be characterized 
 by military simplicity. Of course, those who could 
 afford it, made every thing as elaborate as possible ; but, 
 even then, the air of simplicity that characterized every 
 thing was most noticeable to the eye of the foreigner. 
 The immense structure was surrounded by a broad 
 veranda, with floors so highly polished that every bit of 
 graining stood out with utmost clearness. The many 
 suites of lofty chambers that opened from the verandas 
 into the great building were uniformly matted with soft 
 white tatamis well bound with silken borders. Th eshojces 
 were magnificent works of art, and were set in wide lac- 
 quered frames that slid in metallic grooves above and 
 below. Yet the rooms were comparatively destitute of 
 furniture. Some chaste and costly pieces of bronzes, 
 some superb specimens of porcelain, and some exquisite 
 articles of lacquer-ware were scattered tastefully about 
 in various nooks and comers, either upon little ebony 
 stands or upon the floor. An occasional rug or fur-skin 
 would trip you up with its clumsy folds. In the innu- 
 merable closets was a vast assortment of books, silken 
 garments, bedding, and general household effects. On 
 all sides the rooms looked out upon beautiful gardens 
 filled with shrubbery, flower-beds, and weird spruce-pine 
 and boxwood figures of birds, fishes, and animals. From 
 the ceiling of the lofty veranda there dangled threads of 
 copper wire suspending bird-cages containing the mourn- 
 ful-voiced nightingales of Awomori, and the sweet-toned 
 larks of Nambu. Half a dozen chins romped around the 
 verandas, barking shrilly at every fancied intrusion. 
 
 Our friends entered the vestibule, and were ushered 
 
Mito Yashiki. 
 
 1 26 
 
 into a suite of apartments on the left-hand side, where 
 dwelt the commandant of Mito Yashiki with his family. 
 It was only the favored few that were allowed to bring 
 their families from home. And as the samurai were 
 thus compelled to leave their families in their native 
 provinces, the result was that the multitudes of retainers 
 in the various j yashikis were leading the lives of gay and 
 merry bachelors — each one being a law unto himself, 
 and doing that which seemed right in his own eyes. 
 
 The attendant ushered our party into a large and airy 
 chamber, where sat a pretty young lady busily working 
 on a piece of embroidery. She was sitting on the floor, 
 and a low wooden frame held the drab-colored piece of 
 silk that she was embroidering. She greeted the gentle- 
 men with dignified obeisances, and hastened to communi- 
 cate their message to her father, who was busily at work 
 in his private office. In a moment she returned with the 
 request that the gentlemen be ushered into his presence. 
 It was an airy room that opened out upon the garden, 
 and it was littered up with books and documents lying 
 about on the floor, whereon he was sitting before a small 
 lacquered stand utilized as a desk. He saluted his 
 guests with old-time courtesy and heartiness, and ex- 
 pressed great pleasure at the safe arrival of our .auxil- 
 iaries from Kioto, whom he keenly but politely scanned 
 during the intervals of the conversation that ensued. 
 He duly entered their names in his register, and con- 
 firmed their appointment as guardsmen of the southern 
 gateway under the direct command of Captain Matsuda ; 
 and he further informed them that for the present the 
 stipend that had been assigned to them would be five 
 rios per month apiece, which would be duly transmitted 
 to them on the last day of each month through their 
 captain. 
 
 This sum, by the way, equalled about five dollars per 
 month ; but it possessed a purchasing capacity in that 
 country equal to the purchasing capacity of fifty dollars 
 in the United States, so that our young friends were pro- 
 vided with incomes about equal to those allowed by the 
 
Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 127 
 
 United States government to the West Point cadets, — a 
 sum amply sufficient to keep them comfortably. With 
 great pleasure he granted permission for them to take up 
 their quarters in the Konishi lodge. Then, for half an 
 hour or so, the conversation branched out upon general 
 topics of interest, and was brought to a close by the vis- 
 itors excusing themselves on the ground of the lateness 
 of the hour. 
 
 Leaving the palace, they went toward the western part 
 of the “compound ” and finally reached the picturesque 
 little house occupied by Mr. Konishi. It was on a com- 
 manding spot and was surrounded by a beautiful garden 
 hedged in by boxwood shrubbery. The elder Konishi, 
 his son, a servant, and a gardener were the only occu- 
 pants. At this point the kindly captain took a polite 
 leave of his companions and hastened back to his post. 
 A well gravelled walk led up to the house. It was 
 single-storied and contained four rooms surrounded by a 
 veranda. A little extension at the back contained the 
 kitchen and the room for the two servants. Two rooms 
 faced to the warm southern exposure. One of them was 
 occupied by the Konishis, and the other was allotted to 
 the two brothers The two rooms behind these were 
 used as a dining-room and as a reception room. It did 
 not take long for our friends to make themselves quite 
 at home. The greeting of Mr. Konishi was most cordial 
 and fatherly ; the little bundles had already been sent up 
 from the hotel ; the contents thereof were speedily un- 
 packed and stowed away in the little closets ; and then 
 came the evening meal and a long evening of gossiping 
 relaxation. And here, having seen to it that our friends 
 have been comfortably settled in Mito Yashiki, let us 
 bid them good-night. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 LIFE AT MITO YASHIKI. 
 
 On the morning following the events chronicled in the 
 last chapter, Tomokichi was up bright and early. He 
 slid back the shojee and stepped out on the veranda. The 
 air was clear and delightfully cool ; and, although the 
 trees were placed so as to shade that side of the house 
 from the powerful rays of the sun, yet through the 
 leaves there was a view that stretched beyond moat, 
 rampart, and hill, and took within its scope the snowy 
 crest of Fujisan eighty miles to the southward. The 
 rosy dawn stole stealthily upon the scene and speedily 
 merged the pinkish hues of opening day in the glorious 
 blue of full-blown morn. There was no sound to break 
 the stillness of what was really a Sabbath morning ; but 
 in that land no such day had ever been known, for the 
 native calendar had been copied after that of China, 
 which began each year upon some newly selected day in 
 February and divided it into twelve months, thus utterly 
 ignoring the weekly division of time. For over two 
 thousand years the months had rolled in and out without 
 the slightest suggestion of a Sabbath-day. 
 
 Soon the mournful blare of a large Chinese horn 
 awoke the echoes of the place and notified the guards to 
 fling back the gates and to commence the duties of the 
 day. Breakfast was served at seven o’clock, and, after 
 that, the younger Konishi hastened off to his duties at 
 the Bakufu, while the elder Konishi volunteered to 
 escort his young guests to the chrysanthemum show at 
 Sugamo, a village of florists about a mile or so among 
 the hills northwest of the yashiki. Strolling out through 
 
 12S 
 
Life at Mito YasJiiki. 
 
 1 29 
 
 the western gateway, they leisurely rambled through 
 lanes, cherry groves, orchards, and gardens until they 
 reached the floral exhibition of the beautiful village. 
 Everybody appeared to have turned florist as if infected 
 with the horticultural passion of the Mito princes. On 
 every side were long rows of gorgeous chrysanthemums 
 blooming in pink, white, red, violet, orange, blue, purple, 
 yellow, and lavender. How gay and inspiring the scene ! 
 Every yard bloomed with the varied glories of the 
 imperial crest. Busy gardeners zealously trimmed the 
 plants and carefully plucked the dead leaves and twigs. 
 Mothers, with babies tied on their backs, blithely flitted 
 about sprinkling water from tiny watering-pots. Chil- 
 dren, chickens, and puppies tumbled about the grassy 
 streets in high glee under the warm sunshine, and earn- 
 ing well merited rebukes when they romped dangerously 
 near the treasured flowers. 
 
 It was still a long time before noon when our sight- 
 seers had finished their inspection of these floral beauties, 
 and it was decided to return by a roundabout route 
 that would lead through the magnificent grounds of some 
 celebrated Buddhist monasteries. Fully two hours were 
 spent in this delightful ramble through temple parks. 
 As they strolled slowly homeward they passed a hill 
 which Mr. Konishi designated as Kirishitan-zaka (Chris- 
 tian slope), a name that at once excited the interest of 
 Tomokichi. 
 
 “ What is the origin of so extraordinary a name ? ” 
 inquired he of his guide. 
 
 “Oh! perhaps that name does sound very strange to 
 you Yamashiro folks,” was the reply. 
 
 “ I will explain the matter, for there is quite a history 
 connected with this place. Know, then, that many 
 years after the extirpation of the foul and dangerous sect 
 of Kirishitans (Christians) by our matchless Iyeyas there 
 came to the southernmost shores of our empire several 
 priests of that proscribed sect. They desired to secure 
 renown and martyrdom by attempting to re-establish 
 their accursed creed on our sacred soil. They came 
 
130 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 from the south on some foreign ship, and, when near the 
 coast, they embarked in a small boat and were put 
 ashore. The ship then spread its broad wings and fled 
 southward, leaving the reckless voyagers to their fate. 
 Had these fellows landed in the days of Iyeyas, they 
 would certainly have been slain without mercy. But the 
 lapse of several generations of profound peace had 
 cooled the fierce passions of the government to that ex- 
 tent that they were not adverse to quietly gratifying 
 their curiosity about this strange religion and about the 
 people among whom it prevailed, so long as there ap- 
 peared no danger of a revival of Christianity. They 
 accordingly sent word to the southern Daimio, who was 
 holding the prisoners subject to the government’s de- 
 cision, to select two or three of the most intelligent of 
 these foreigners and to forward them in closed cages 
 under strong guard to Yedo, but to behead the other 
 prisoners at once, and to make public proclamation of 
 the execution in order that the peopje might know that 
 those who trifled with the terrors of the law could not do 
 so with impunity. 
 
 “ Thus the government played a double game — on the 
 one hand striking a wholesome terror into the people, 
 and on the other hand clandestinely securing some 
 intelligent and well informed foreigners to catechise at 
 leisure in regard to their religion, customs, language, and 
 history. Upon the arrival of these priests at Yedo they 
 were taken to this hill and were subjected to a long and 
 careful examination upon all matters relating to foreign 
 countries. Many days and months were devoted to 
 these enquiries and the results were noted down accu- 
 rately and were subsequently published in several volumes 
 for circulation among government officials. There is a 
 set of this work in my possession, which, as you appear 
 interested in the subject, I will place at your disposal on 
 my return home. The responses of these learned 
 foreigners gave such satisfaction, and they appeared so 
 full of valuable information, that the government gave 
 them a house on the slope of this hill and allowed them 
 
Life at Mito Yashiki. 
 
 131 
 
 to live there many years in the quiet enjoyment of their 
 peculiar religious practices until the various dates of 
 their natural death, which occurred about one hundred 
 and fifty years ago. They were buried in the grounds 
 of the Buddhist cemetery just behind us. This is a 
 strange history. It is said that in their room they had a 
 large red cross painted upon the shojee, and that they 
 would kneel daily before it and chant mysterious incan- 
 tations and prayers. Oh! sirs, it was indeed a strange 
 creed, and the people greatly feared their magic spells 
 and shady arts. They appear, however, to have led just 
 and pure lives and to have died amid general regrets.” 
 
 “ Did these priests leave any writings, or books, or 
 doctrinal essays ? ” inquired Tomokichi. 
 
 “ I believe there were a few religious books and some 
 manuscripts found in their possession,” replied Mr. 
 Konishi. 
 
 “ Do you remember what became of these documents ? ” 
 was the eager inquiry. 
 
 “ I understand that the Bakufu, according to their 
 custom, pounced upon every thing just as soon as the 
 breath had gone out of their bodies, and put every thing 
 under seal subject to future inspection,” was the reply. 
 “ After the burial, an investigating committee was ap- 
 pointed by the Shogun to look over the things, and to 
 destroy whatever they might consider useless or danger- 
 ous. These gentlemen worried over the documents for 
 several months, and finally admitted that the matter 
 therein contained quite surpassed their comprehension, 
 and recommended that the whole matter be referred to 
 the noted scholars of Mito, who were very fond of all 
 kinds of learning. This was accordingly done, and the 
 matter has been left in that position ever since.” 
 
 “ What'has become of the documents, sir?” inquired 
 Tomokichi. 
 
 “ I think that they must be somewhere in the archives 
 of our clan,” replied Mr. Konishi. “ In fact, I now re- 
 member that the custodian of our books and documents 
 brought them recently from Mito to our yashiki at the 
 
132 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 request of my son, in order that he might consult them 
 in reference to certain points about foreign religions, that 
 arose during the course of his translation of foreign 
 documents at the Bakufu’s office. They must be either 
 in the palace or at the lodge.” 
 
 “ Would it be possible for me to have access to them, 
 from time to time, in connection with my studies of 
 foreign subjects ? ” timidly ventured Tomokichi. 
 
 “ I do not think that there will be any objection raised 
 to that,” was the reply. “ My son has spoken to me 
 about your great interest in such matters. The thing 
 can be so arranged as to give you abundance of 
 opportunity to examine these documents at our lodge. 
 Our clan has always been allowed much freedom in such 
 matters, and the Bakufu is now giving every encourage- 
 ment to students in foreign literature.” 
 
 They arrived at the lodge in time for the midday 
 meal. After that the two brothers sauntered down to 
 the southern gateway to report for duty. Captain 
 Matsuda received them cordially, and introduced them 
 to the ten other gentlemen who were to act with them as 
 guardians of the portal. Six of the gentlemen occupied 
 the office on one side of the gateway, and six of them 
 that on the other side. The young fellows were all 
 about of the same age, and made very congenial com- 
 panions. Their duties were very light, indeed, being 
 merely to keep track of every one who came in or who 
 went out of the gate, and at sunset to bar the doors, 
 leaving the little wicket-gate in charge of a relieving 
 guard. They were allowed to smoke, read, play chess, 
 or do any thing else that did not conflict with the dis- 
 charge of their simple duties. Groups of samurai , bent 
 on business or on pleasure, were passing in and out all 
 the time. Occasionally a retainer — somewhatrthe worse 
 for sake — would be skilfully piloted home by his com- 
 rades in the spree, — for life in Yedo meant a gay round 
 of pleasure and dissipation for the thousands of retainers 
 in tine yashiki. 
 
 Late in the afternoon, as the gentlemen of The guard 
 
Life (ft Mito Yds Juki. 
 
 133 
 
 were stretched around on the tatamis, variously occupied, 
 a messenger from the Bakufu hastened up to the gateway 
 with a despatch from Konishi to the commandant. This 
 event caused quite a breeze, which became quite a gale 
 when it became noised abroad through the yashiki that 
 the Bakufu had decided to release the old ex-Daimio of 
 Mito from his long confinement. This step was prob- 
 ably taken in view of the intense excitement that had 
 been caused by the arrival of the American fleet during 
 the summer. The government probably felt that it 
 needed to secure every ally available, and that it could 
 not afford to lose the support of any member of the 
 Tokugawa family. 
 
 “ I presume, sir,” said Junzo, addressing Mr. Taka- 
 hashi, a bright young fellow-guardsman, “ that this 
 event will bring the young prince of Mito down to Yedo 
 at a very early date.” 
 
 “ Without any doubt,” replied his companion. “ It is 
 my opinion that before another moon has waned we shall 
 have this yashiki filled to overflowing. We shall then 
 have abundance of old-fashioned splendor and pageantry. 
 Ah ! sir, those were grand times when thirty thousand 
 men filled these grounds. The old prince, in his 
 day, was a great power in the land, I can assure 
 you. The young prince, since his father’s incar- 
 
 ceration, has filled his place as well as could be 
 expected, but the cold frown of the Bakufu has rested 
 like a chilly shadow upon our entire clan, quite dampen- 
 ing our animation and loyalty. Of course the young 
 prince will still be the head of our clan, but the hand of 
 his father will control his policy, and will make things 
 lively and highly interesting before long. Of course you 
 are aware that it is by no means an uncommon occur- 
 rence for a Daimio to be deposed, either by government 
 order or by his own voluntary action. In such an event 
 the heir steps in and rules the clan, but he is always 
 mindful of filial duty as expounded by the Chinese 
 sages, and gives implicit obedience to his father’s com- 
 mands. The father being thus freed from official tram- 
 
134 
 
 Mito Yasluki. 
 
 mels, has far greater freedom of action and no less 
 effectually shapes the policy of the clan.” 
 
 “ What do you consider the true inwardness of this 
 matter?” inquired Tomokichi. 
 
 “ Oh ! well, as to that, my private opinion is that it is a 
 shrewd piece of diplomacy on the part of the new 
 Gotairo (Prince Regent). You will remember that just 
 after the departure of the barbarian fleet last summer, 
 the Shogun suddenly died under circumstances that 
 were, to say the least, somewhat indicative of foul play 
 on the part of the anti-barbarian faction. However that 
 may be, he was at once succeeded by the present Sho- 
 gun, Iyesada. Great excitement and panic prevailed 
 throughout the city and along the shore provinces, be- 
 cause of the appearance of the smoking ships of the 
 foreigners. The new Shogun selected for his right-hand 
 man the lord of Hikone, the head of the fudai (direct 
 vassals of the Shogun), whom he made the Gotairo. This 
 man has extraordinary capacity for both virtue and 
 iniquity, and is really the ruler of the empire, although 
 nominally mere prime-minister. Now, it is always in 
 order for the incoming Shogun to grant pardons for 
 political offences occurring during the reign of his pre- 
 decessor. Taking advantage of this fact, the shrewd 
 Gotairo has released the old prince of Mito, with the evi- 
 dent intention of thereby securing his friendship and of 
 conciliating our entire clan. We shall see whether his 
 little game will work, — whether twelve years of insult 
 can be thus wiped out with a stroke of the pen. Little 
 does the foxy Gotairo dream of the nature of the de- 
 spatch that we received from the imperial court yester- 
 day. Perhaps, if he were to see it, he would feel disposed 
 to tighten his grip on Mito instead of loosening it.” 
 
 “ What do you mean ? ” exclaimed several of the lis- 
 teners, in almost the same breath. 
 
 “ Oh ! you are all interested, are you ? Well, I get my 
 information from responsible parties, and as the matter 
 vitally concerns our clan, I shall let you have the benefit 
 thereof. Know, then, that when the news of the intru- 
 
Life at Milo Yashiki. 135 
 
 sion of these barbarian ships flew overland to Kioto last 
 summer, it very naturally excited much comment, and 
 the Emperor sent messengers to the shrines of his an- 
 cestors at Ise ordering the Shinto priests there to pray 
 to the gods to drive away the intruders. But as the 
 summer wore away and it became manifest that the 
 Bakufu meant to parley with the barbarians, the kugcs and 
 the imperial councillors met and made an indignant pro- 
 test against the action of the Shogun. This they sub- 
 mitted to the Emperor, who at once seized the opportunity 
 to regain his political importance within the realm, and 
 he sent an order to the old prince of Mito to aid the 
 Bakufu with his advice, and to help in quieting the 
 public excitement, and thus to restore peace to the im- 
 perial bosom. Of course none of you gentlemen are so 
 blind but what you are able clearly to perceive the 
 political significance of this suggestive commission from 
 the Gosho. 
 
 “ Now, I apprehend that the Bakufu does not dislike 
 the barbarian any more than the Emperor does, but 
 the former realizes most unpleasantly that the barbarian 
 has power which cannot be ignored. Of course the Em- 
 peror through “underground channels” is tolerably well 
 posted, and comprehends in a general way that the new- 
 comers are disagreeable people to handle, but he rather 
 laughs in his sleeve at that melancholy circumstance, 
 inasmuch as the handling happens to devolve on the 
 Bakufu. Our imperial sovereign can afford to crowd his 
 tongue into his cheek, loudly call on the Shogun to keep 
 the people quiet, and then calmly await further develop- 
 ments. Do you gentlemen fully grasp the grim humor 
 of the situation ? The Emperor, on the one hand, while 
 urging the Shogun to restore peace to the imperial 
 bosom by keeping peace within the realm, can, on the 
 other hand, complacently watch the increasing anger of 
 the people at foreign intrusion, and wait with diplomatic 
 serenity for a favorable opportunity to step into the 
 political arena with a powerful following of angry Daimios 
 quite ready to sweep away the Shogunate and to re- 
 
136 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 establish his own sway. Then, if he finds that the bar* 
 barians are creatures not to be tampered with, he can 
 gracefully tolerate them within the realm upon some 
 pretext or other that may suggest itself. Gentlemen, I 
 consider the situation to be as instructive and interesting 
 as any that has arisen within two centuries.” 
 
 This narrative of “ inside facts ” provoked a long dis- 
 cussion, that had not terminated when the setting sun 
 proclaimed the hour for closing the gates. The reliev- 
 ing guard found the party apparently inclined to spend 
 the night there. When our friends discussed the matter 
 over their evening meal at the lodge they found that 
 young Konishi had heard rumors to the same effect at 
 the castle that morning — rumors that had come through 
 “ underground channels ” from Kioto, for the Gotairo 
 was also an adept at political undermining, and he had 
 his spies at work everywhere. Nothing escaped their 
 keen scent. Konishi said that the Gotairo appeared to 
 bother himself very little about the matter, evidently 
 looking on Mito as a spoilt child of Tokugawa that must 
 always be pouting about something or other, — a child 
 that always had been troublesome and probably always 
 would be troublesome, but which he would handle with 
 a rough hand when too demonstrative. That night the 
 message from Kioto was the great theme of conversation 
 throughout Mito Yashiki. 
 
 On the following morning Tomokichi busily occupied 
 himself with reading the documents connected with the 
 ancient exiles on Kirishitan-zaka, while Junzo spent the 
 morning in the target range practising with bows and 
 arrows. In the afternoon, they again did duty as guards- 
 men at the gate. And the evening was spent in reading 
 and in gossiping at the lodge. And so passed many de- 
 lightful days of the beautiful month of November. The 
 young men from Yamashiro grew daily in favor with 
 comrades and officers because of the modesty of their 
 bearing, their faithful discharge of duty, and their high 
 proficiency in warlike arts. Within a fortnight after their 
 arrival at the yashiki they were listed for a grand fen- 
 
Life at Milo Yashiki. 
 
 137 
 
 cing bout that came off on the parade ground. On that 
 occasion our young friends quite distinguished them- 
 selves. Inheriting from their ancestors a peculiar apti- 
 tude for fencing, and having developed the precise 
 muscles needed for quick action in cutting and parrying, 
 and also having learned under their father’s careful 
 tuition all of the intricate possibilities of the double- 
 handed sword, their wonderful expertness now became 
 very conspicuous when contrasted with the savage 
 chopping of the careless, pleasure-loving fellows who had 
 learned the art in the slip-shod fashion characteristic of 
 the military dilettanteism that always prevails during 
 centuries of profound peace. 
 
 So pleased was the commandant with their display of 
 skill, not only with the sword but also with the spear, 
 that he at once promoted them to the staff of instructors 
 to assist in drilling the young samurai in the yashiki. 
 This promotion from guardsmen to “ professors ” en- 
 tailed an agreeable increase of income from five rios to 
 ten rios per month apiece. This arrangement gave them 
 much more time to themselves and enabled them to 
 adjust their hours to suit themselves. On some days 
 they drilled their classes early in the morning ; on other 
 days they drilled them late in the afternoon ; and, on 
 other days, at midday. This arrangement gave them 
 abundance of time to ramble over the city and the suburbs, 
 for purposes of sight-seeing. Very naturally this work 
 of instruction much increased their circle of acquaint- 
 ances, so that many evenings were spent with acquaint- 
 ances in different parts of the yashiki. On these occa- 
 sions our Kioto friends were thoroughly informed as to 
 the history of the Mito clan, and as to the history of the 
 great metropolis. It did not take long for the fact to 
 leak out that Tomokichi was in possession of much inter- 
 esting information concerning foreign countries, a dis- 
 covery which added much to his popularity. 
 
 But, as all roads tended toward Nihon-bashi, so every 
 conversation drifted into the all-absorbing question of 
 the day : “What shall we do with the barbarian when he 
 
138 
 
 Milo Yashiki. 
 
 returns in the spring for an answer to his letter of last 
 summer ?” This subject was discussed from every con- 
 ceivable standpoint. The prevailing sentiment was 
 strongly against permitting any intercourse whatsoever 
 with the interlopers. Yet there were some who hesitated 
 to take this view upon the ground that the time could 
 not be far distant when the shell of exclusiveness would 
 be broken anyhow by some foreign nation endeavoring 
 to conquer the country, and that, when the time came, it 
 would be very convenient to have a few foreign allies to 
 assist in keeping the aggressor in check. It was gener- 
 ally conceded, however, that the samurai could receive 
 no possible benefit from the opening of the country to 
 outsiders. This last sentiment prevailed in all the. yash- 
 ikis throughout Yedo, and was in fact the sentiment of 
 the Bakufu. Jlut in those quarters where the Bakufu 
 was hated more than the barbarian, there was a sly hope 
 that the savage foreigner woufd intrude himself suf- 
 ficiently within the country to create an uprising against 
 that hated oligarchy, leading ultimately to the abolishing 
 of the Shogunate. The excitement that prevailed was 
 subdued but intense. The fires that were soon to break 
 forth and consume the political institutions of centuries’ 
 duration were smouldering in the Yedo yashifcis. 
 
 And so the smiling month of November slipped away 
 amid scenes that enraptured the imaginations of our 
 Kioto lads. So utterly different from any previous ex- 
 perience ! So like the glowing pages of the romances 
 that they used to read at Atago-yama ! And the old ex- 
 Daimio and his son were soon to arrive at the yashiki, 
 and then what rejoicing and merry-making would there 
 be ! Already the long train of retainers had left the 
 triple-moated castle beside the Pacific seventy miles to 
 the northeast, and was winding leisurely down the grand 
 avenue toward the metropolis. Early one bright morn- 
 ing in December a courier breathlessly dashed up to the 
 northern gateway and announced that the princely cor- 
 tege was on the Oshiu-kaido, but a few miles distant, and 
 that it might be expected by midday. Oh ! what hurry- 
 
Life at Mito Yashiki. 
 
 *39 
 
 ing and scurrying to complete the arrangements for the 
 reception, what rushing of messengers, what marshalling 
 of soldiers, what haste to spread the emblazoned banners 
 before the gates, and to screen the long hedgerows with 
 heraldic panoply ! A large body of horsemen hurried 
 off northward to meet the long-exiled lord, and every 
 steed within the stables was brought forth to be mounted 
 by knights in full armor, who drew up in squadrons 
 around the gateway. Long rows of sa?nurai lined the 
 road outside of the gate, and a multitude of them were 
 marshalled within the gates to receive their master. 
 Hundreds of servants and attendants lined the road near 
 the palace to make obeisance to their lord, as their an- 
 cestors had done for centuries before. Everybody and 
 every thing were in gala dress. The ladies of the house- 
 hold crowded the garden walks and stood upon the ver- 
 andas, with their heads so bedecked with flowers and 
 wearing embroidered raiment of such gorgeous hues, 
 that one might well have been pardoned for taking them 
 for a flower show. 
 
 In a short while the vanguard of the procession came 
 in sight, and was received most cordially with endless 
 waves of obeisance, after which it entered the gate and 
 swung into place among the bowing ranks within. There 
 was neither shouting nor cheering, merely the most pro- 
 fuse bowing. Profound decorum and dignity character- 
 ized every thing. The loud brazen yells of Saxon races 
 would have been entirely out of place there. For two 
 hours a long train of baggage, retainers, horsemen, ser- 
 vants, and kagos came pelting into the yashiki from the 
 north, and were all received with utmost cordiality. At 
 length, when the dial in the garden indicated high noon, 
 a long line of norimons bearing the ladies of the princely 
 family came into view, and were received with obeisances 
 even more profound and impressive, until it seemed as if 
 there was a vast wheatfield around the gateway waving 
 in continued billows to the whispering winds, to which 
 sound the sucking inhalations of the vast multitude 
 might well have been likened. Then came the squadron 
 
140 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 of horsemen that had sallied out of the gateway that 
 morning ; and then the crowd knew that the Prince was 
 approaching. Not a sound was made as the gorgeous 
 norimons, conveying the princely son and father, ap- 
 proached. The vast throng knelt upon the ground and 
 bowed down until the train had passed. The subdued 
 murmurs of welcome and the hissing breath of the vas- 
 sals within the gates, as they welcomed the master and 
 his sire, were far more impressive than cheers or shouts 
 could ever have been. The massive and beautiful doors 
 of the superb vestibule, used only on such occasions, 
 were thrown wide open, and the lord was at home. 
 
 For hours afterwards straggling squads of samurai and 
 coolies came rambling down the road into the yashiki. 
 But the crowds and the pageantry dispersed as soon as 
 the mournful horns and the croupy drums announced 
 that the Daimio of Mito had entered the palace. Then 
 was there grand jollification, not only for that day, but 
 also for three days thereafter. Feasting, fireworks, and 
 tournaments ran riot. The fencers banged each other 
 most unmercifully ; the spearmen prodded each other 
 most unceremoniously; and the archers pounded away at 
 the yelping curs, until those persecuted brutes lapsed 
 into a condition of silent despair, mechanically turning 
 their flanks to the whizzing shafts without indulging in 
 useless comments. Old friends bivouacked in the bar- 
 racks, and, over their sake cups, revived past events to 
 their heart’s content. Groups of officers were continually 
 going to the palace to present homage and congratula- 
 tions. On this great occasion nearly thirty thousand 
 men were crowded within the walls of the yashiki , and 
 every available tatami on the premises was occupied. In 
 a few days, however, large numbers of the retainers re- 
 turned to Mito to attend to the routine of provincial 
 duties, and then everybody was able to settle down com- 
 fortably. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 A BRIEF INTERVIEW WITH THE OLD PRINCE. 
 
 Six or seven weeks after the events narrated in the 
 previous chapter, the people inhabiting the region sur- 
 rounding the magnificent bay of Yedo stood, metaphori- 
 cally speaking, on the tiptoe of expectation at the pros- 
 pect of the promised return of the American squadron. 
 The month of January was well on its last half, and, al- 
 though it was midwinter, yet the powerful rays of the sun 
 were making the winter vegetation quicken with fresh 
 verdure, and caused the leaves and the blossoms of the 
 oncoming spring to swell in their green buds preparatory 
 to their debut three or four weeks later on. The Naka- 
 shimas had just finished their breakfast, and were prepar- 
 ing to start out to the parade ground to give a new class 
 of valorous warriors some instruction as to what consti- 
 tuted the art of correct swordsmanship. At that junc- 
 ture, a messenger from the commandant was announced 
 by the servant. Being duly ushered into their presence, 
 he communicated an order from the said commandant 
 to appear at his office as soon as convenient. They at 
 once hurried off at the very heels of the messenger, and 
 duly reported themselves at the office of said dignitary. 
 They were informed by that urbane gentleman that the 
 old Prince desired to have an interview with them upon 
 a matter of much importance. To their reply that they 
 were at that moment due on the parade ground to in- 
 struct their regular classes, he made speedy answer by 
 despatching a messenger there with notice that the in- 
 structors were otherwise engaged, and that the classes 
 must adjourn until the following day. 
 
 14 1 
 
142 
 
 Mito Ycishiki. 
 
 Having adjusted that matter, the commandant led the 
 young men through several suites of magnificent apart- 
 ments out upon the broad veranda, along which they 
 slowly walked until they came to the stately suite of 
 chambers along the eastern side occupied by the old 
 Prince. It was winter time, and all the shojees were in 
 place, so that the rooms were well shut in. The com- 
 mandant now slowly called out his name in a sonorous 
 voice, whereupon an attendant slid back a shojee and 
 ushered his party into a stately room, where they were 
 requested to wait a few minutes until their message had 
 been communicated to his Grace. They were not kept 
 waiting very long, for the attendant speedily returned 
 with orders to at once usher them into the audience- 
 room. Here they found themselves quite alone. But 
 they were informed that his Grace would join them as 
 soon as he had finished some writing upon which he was 
 engaged. Hebachis heaped up with glowing charcoals 
 were set before them to warm their chilled hands. To- 
 bacco and tea were also brought in for their refreshment. 
 
 The lofty chamber was finished off with the highest 
 native skill. Royal tigers crouched upon the gilded 
 panels of the shojees , and the impassioned hues of the 
 lovely lotus flower gleamed amid the imperial ponds. 
 The square panels of the ceiling were emblazoned with 
 gorgeous phoenixes and dragons. The room was utterly 
 destitute of upholstered furniture, for nothing of that 
 sort existed within the four seas of Dai-Nippon. A huge 
 bronze figure representing the thunder-fiend, and a half- 
 dozen exquisite porcelain vases and jardinibres completed 
 the furnishing of the room. Four handsome rugs of 
 foreign manufacture were arranged around the hebachis , 
 ready for the expected occupants. Window glass was 
 unknown, but abundance of light filtered through the 
 translucent paper panes, and flooded the stately apart- 
 ment with a mellowed, dreamy light. 
 
 After the lapse of nearly half an hour the old Prince 
 entered the audience-chamber and, graciously responding 
 to the profound salutations of his guests, proceeded to 
 
A Brief Interview with the Old Prince. 1 43 
 
 occupy one of the rugs, and invited them to occupy the 
 others. He was an urbane yet vigorous gentleman, who 
 possessed many striking characteristics. That he was 
 scholarly and energetic even his enemies did not attempt 
 to deny. It was also generally admitted that he possessed 
 executive abilities of a high order. His temper when 
 roused was violent and ungovernable. And he was a 
 daring schemer and recklessly brave in the carrying out 
 of his projects. But, perhaps, you would not have de- 
 tected these qualities beneath his genial and polished ex- 
 terior. 
 
 As he sat there in his modest silken garments you 
 might well have been excused in not suspecting that be- 
 neath those rustling folds there dwelt the spirit of the 
 bloodthirsty beasts upon the gleaming shojees. He was 
 glossy and sleek until the time came for the spring, and 
 then he bristled up hideously. His Grace possessed a 
 remarkably large family. According to native usage, he 
 had taken unto himself not only a wife but, in addition 
 thereto, a large number of concubines, so that he was 
 able to boast of eighteen sons and twenty-five daughters. 
 But family cares and state affairs had borne lightly upon 
 him, and he appeared in the eyes of our young friends as 
 an exceedingly gracious old gentleman, in hale and hearty 
 condition. Before closing our brief description of this 
 extraordinary old gentleman, it should be stated that 
 there were two characteristics in his nature that loomed 
 above all others, and were conspicuous from their terri- 
 ble intensity. The first of these was his bitter and un- 
 mitigated hatred of the Shoguns and the Bakufu, and the 
 second was his merciless contempt toward foreigners. 
 It is true that he had supreme respect for the literature 
 of the Chinese, but this was the only consideration that 
 he was known to show in an animosity as sweeping as the 
 universe. 
 
 “I have obeyed your orders, most worshipful sir,” said 
 the commandant, “ and have brought to you the two 
 young gentlemen from Yamashiro whom you desired to 
 see. We await your orders.” 
 
144 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “Your promptness is indeed highly commendable,” 
 replied the Prince. “ I have been informed, ” con- 
 tinued he, addressing the young men, “that you have 
 recently resumed your ancient alliance with the Toku- 
 gawa family, and I am pleased to welcome you per- 
 sonally within the gates of our yashiki. At the time 
 your ancestors connected themselves with Iyeyas, the 
 barbarian beasts from Portugal had created grievous 
 disturbances within the realm, which finally terminated 
 in dreadful sedition and civil war. It is indeed curious 
 that now, when you resume your allegiance with us after 
 a lapse of two hundred years, our nation should be again 
 pestered by these red-haired dogs. Let us hope that this 
 reunion may prove a good augury of success in our pres- 
 ent efforts to drive off these abortions of beasts. Curse 
 their monkey-faces ! ” 
 
 It was manifest that the old gentleman was rapidly 
 working himself up into a foaming passion over the com- 
 plicated foreign question ; but, as his listeners obsequi- 
 ously bowed assent to every sentiment that he uttered, 
 his ire speedily subsided and he soon plunged into the 
 subject concerning which he had desired to interview 
 them. 
 
 “You are well aware, gentlemen,” continued he, after 
 having blown off the surplus steam that appeared to 
 have been pent up in his mind, “ that, whatever may be 
 our dislike for these interloping curs, we must deal with 
 them cautiously until we have ascertained their precise 
 strength. Now, the Bakufu appears to be overwhelmed 
 with a supreme fear of their prowess. I do not know 
 the grounds of this fear. I do not even know whether 
 it be real or assumed. If the Shogun, whose ancestor 
 drove forth the barbarians, be now disposed to allow 
 their return, we of Mito must know something about 
 these fellows in order that we may be prepared to act 
 intelligently. We, of course, have no special love for 
 the Shogun, although having sprung from the same 
 ancestor. Mito has always been a cipher under the 
 Shoguns, and, in view of the fact that we have always 
 
A Brief Interview with the Old Pri?ice. 145 
 
 upheld the authority of the Emperor and have opposed 
 the usurping of imperial power by the Bakufu, will 
 probably always remain so.” 
 
 To all of these observations a ready assent was 
 breathed by the absorbed listeners. The impetuous old 
 Daimio now allowed a few minutes’ intermission for sip- 
 ping tea and whiffing pipes. He then resumed the 
 thread of his conversation (if so one-sided a discourse 
 had not better be termed a harangue) : “ We wish to 
 know something about these barbarians from personal 
 observations ; that is to say, from observations made by 
 trusted members of our own clan. Public rumor is 
 very unsatisfactory. The meagre accounts that filter 
 through the Bakufu screens and lattices are not to be 
 relied on at all. Who knows but what the barbarians 
 are but a weak lot that could be brushed aside with a 
 puff of breath, but whom the Bakufu exaggerate into 
 fierce and powerful creatures, so as to inveigle us dis- 
 satisfied Daimios into open revolt, with the secret inten- 
 tion of crushing us unmercifully ? On the other hand, 
 the intruders may be indeed powerful, and it may be the 
 sly game of the crafty Gotairo to lead us on into some 
 personal collision with them, in order to afford him the 
 delightful opportunity of standing by and exultingly 
 witnessing our humiliation. Now, we wish to escape 
 from this dilemma. We must know for ourselves about 
 these people. As you already know, the ships of these 
 barbarians will be due here at any time during the com- 
 ing month. You two young gentlemen have been re- 
 ported to me as persons full of energy and discreet in- 
 telligence. Will you undertake to watch the ships on 
 their arrival and secure whatever information you can 
 concerning these strange intruders? ” 
 
 The brothers bowed down low in profound acknowl- 
 edgment of the honor thus conferred on them, and re- 
 plied as follows : “ Your unworthy servants are duly 
 mindful of the supreme confidence that you have reposed 
 in them. We are willing to undertake whatever you may 
 command, but we deem it proper to inform you that we 
 
146 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 are exceedingly inexperienced in matters of this descrip- 
 tion, as we have lived all our lives in a remote part of 
 the empire, secluded and screened from matters and 
 affairs of importance. We therefore humbly doubt our 
 ability to conduct a matter of such magnitude.” 
 
 “Your points have been modestly taken,” replied the 
 Prince, “but, under existing circumstances, they must be 
 waived. Your recent journey overland from Yamashiro 
 demonstrates that you are not mere children, and your 
 bearing since entering my employ clearly shows that you 
 possess both skill and intelligence. If you will carefully 
 consider this matter you will perhaps decide to venture 
 on the undertaking.” 
 
 “We, your humble servants,” replied they, “offer 
 freely our insignificant services in whatever enterprise 
 your supreme excellency may desire. We will gladly 
 undertake this matter now that we have plainly stated 
 our meagre abilities. Command, and we will obey.” 
 
 “ Well spoken ! ” exclaimed the Prince, gayly, as he 
 clapped his hands for an attendant to bring in a map 
 of the country surrounding the bay of Yedo. This he 
 spread out upon the floor and then proceeded to explain 
 the plan of the campaign. “ The ships will undoubtedly 
 be here within a month. They will enter the bay between 
 these two bold promontories, and will come up the 
 western side of the harbor, and will cast anchor probably 
 in the same place where they did on the occasion of their 
 previous visit. Now, two plans suggest themselves. 
 Either you can secure quarters in some village on the 
 eastern side of the bay, or you can secure accommoda- 
 tions of a similar description on the western side of the 
 bay, and can watch for the incoming of the vessels. 
 When the vessels arrive you can secure a boat and can 
 go out and inspect them. The advantage of operating 
 from the eastern side of the harbor is that less suspicion 
 will attach to your appearance there, because of the great 
 distance across the waters to the ships. On the other 
 hand, the proximity of the western shore to the probable 
 anchorage of the vessels is a point to be carefully con- 
 
A Brief Interview with the Old Prince. 147 
 
 sidered. But all of these matters of detail you must dis- 
 cuss with the commandant, inasmuch as he is well ac- 
 quainted with the region on both sides of the bay.” 
 
 “ I will endeavor to assist the gentlemen to the 
 utmost,” modestly murmured the commandant. 
 
 “ By the way,” exclaimed the Prince, “ I had well-nigh 
 forgotten about the financial part of this business. You 
 must have plenty of funds, for you will find it very con- 
 venient at times to have money wherewith to unlock 
 doors that would otherwise be closed. In other words, 
 you will frequently be obliged to bribe your way among 
 the Bakufu officials. You will find this out later on. 
 Therefore, to provide for this contingency, I will give 
 you this written order on the commandant to furnish 
 you with whatever money you may need for your ex- 
 penses.” 
 
 After this the conversation continued for a while on 
 general topics, and was finally brought to a close by the 
 attendant bringing word that some gentlemen were wait- 
 ing to see the Prince by previous appointment. Our 
 friends then bowed themselves out of his presence and 
 retired to the commandant’s office to discuss the details 
 of their projected expedition. That practical officer 
 speedily brought forth a chart and a globe of the earth 
 to assist in his investigations. 
 
 “What is this ?” inquired Tomokichi, examining the 
 globe with great interest. “ It appears to me like a 
 spherical chart.” 
 
 “ So it is,” was the reply of the commandant. “ It 
 represents the actual appearance of the earth.” 
 
 “ It is round, then ! ” exclaimed both of the brothers 
 in a breath. 
 
 “ So the Dutch scholar, from whom I purchased it 
 through young Konishi, alleges,” was the reply. 
 
 “We had heard from Konishi,” replied they, “that 
 such was the case. But we cannot understand the 
 matter at all. How can it possibly be round ? This 
 fact is contrary to the universal and unalterable expe- 
 rience of our countrymen. It is also contrary to our 
 
 
148 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 reason. How can we believe that, which we cannot 
 understand, to be true ? Can you explain this matter 
 unto us so that we may understand it ? ” 
 
 “ Ah ! my young friends,” replied he, “ I fear that I 
 do not understand the matter any better than you do. 
 Nevertheless I believe the earth to be round.” 
 
 “ What ! Do you then believe that which you cannot 
 understand ? ” was the astonished rejoinder. 
 
 “ Yes, my young friends,” replied he, “ I am prepared 
 to make even that admission. I do not allege that my 
 intellect is any keener than yours, but I have lived about 
 twice as long on this earth (be it round or flat) as you 
 have, and I have learned two very stubborn facts, which, 
 on sundry occasions, quite paralyze my reason and 
 make me very distrustful- thereof. In the first place 
 I have learned that I am compelled to believe many 
 things that I cannot understand at all, — and not only to 
 believe them, but also adapt myself and my plans just as 
 if I did fully understand those inscrutable things. Let 
 me illustrate with a few examples this first fact. Our 
 province you know is a long and narrow strip of territory 
 stretching along the shores of the ocean. Our capital 
 city, Mito, is not over seven or eight miles from these 
 waters. 
 
 “ During my boyhood I spent the summer in my 
 father’s villa near the shore. It did not take long for me 
 to find out that during certain hours the long strip of 
 sandy beach in front of our house was covered with 
 water, and that during other hours it was quite free from 
 water. Very naturally I adapted my sports to the emer- 
 gency of the case, — romping there at low tide and 
 absconding when the mighty waves rushed shoreward. 
 And I soon found that all the shore dwellers adapted 
 themselves to the emergency of the same circumstance, 
 — that every fisherman pulled his boat and spread his nets 
 far above high-water mark, that every hamlet stood far 
 back of the line of sea-weed and drift-wood, and that 
 even my father had built his villa beyond the reach of 
 the restless waves. I never understood why those waters 
 
A Brief Interview with the Old Prince. 1 49 
 
 rose and fell at regular intervals during the day and 
 night. Even now I fail to comprehend the cause of this 
 great phenomenon. Yet I have never ceased to believe 
 that those waters did rise and fall at regular intervals 
 along the entire sea-coast, and if I were to build a 
 villa to-day on any part of the coast of Dai-Nippon, 
 I would build it above high-water mark, even though I am 
 unable to understand why there should be any high- 
 water mark at all. I must believe the stubborn fact 
 although I fail to understand it. 
 
 “ Here is another example. I do not understand how 
 the eating of food sustains life in my body, yet I believe 
 that it does sustain life in me, and accordingly I grace- 
 fully accept and adapt myself to this stubborn fact. 
 Again , I do not understand the process whereby I lift my 
 arm. I fail to understand the subtile power that moves 
 the various muscles of my body. I fail to understand the 
 mysterious connection between my will and the tissues of 
 my body, whereby I act and move. Yet I fully believe 
 that I can act and move whenever I choose to make 
 volition. Will either of you gentlemen in the midst of a 
 fierce fencing bout fail to believe that a descending foil 
 will smite you on the head because you do not under- 
 stand the muscular process whereby that foil got there ? 
 I apprehend that you will indulge in a masterly parry 
 even though you fail to understand any better the theory 
 of muscular action than you do the theory of the earth’s 
 rotundity. In short, gentlemen, I could multiply exam- 
 ples indefinitely, but it will be time wasted. The longer 
 you gentlemen live the more will you become convinced 
 that you believe multitudes of things that you do not 
 understand. 
 
 “ Then the second stubborn fact that I have found out 
 is that the standard of my reason is very fluctuating. 
 Many things appeared reasonable to me as a boy that ap- 
 peared ridiculous to me as a young man. And many 
 things that appeared quite consistent to me as a young 
 man became laughable when I grew older. Things that 
 appeared reasonable to me ten years ago — yea, even six 
 
Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 150 
 
 months ago — I cannot now reconcile with my reason. 
 One year ago the reasoning mind of Dai-Nippon would 
 have laughed to scorn anybody who had alleged that a 
 ship could sail against wind and tide ; yet last summer the 
 barbarian fleet came up Yedo bay in the teeth of a gale 
 and against the bosom of an ebb tide ! What is your 
 reason good for ? Pray, what is the standard of human 
 reason ? The Dutch report that when their ambassador 
 told the king of Siam that water in Holland sometimes 
 became quite solid like stone, he scoffed at him and 
 said that such could not be the fact, because it would be 
 contrary to the reason and the universal and unalterable 
 experience of all Siam. Yet we know that water even 
 here in Yedo sometimes becomes solid, and that up north 
 it becomes solid and remains so for many months. Pray, 
 what kind of a test is human reason when it fluctuates 
 perpetually, so that what our ancestors deemed reasona- 
 ble succeeding generations laughed to scorn, what we 
 deemed reasonable in youth we sneer at in maturer 
 years, and what in our old age we deem reasonable our 
 children will scoff at within a decade of our death ? It is 
 the course of wisdom to hold in abeyance those matters 
 not demanding immediate action, and which we do not 
 understand. It is silly to repudiate any statement merely 
 because we fail to understand it. 
 
 “ But, young gentlemen, while all this may be very en- 
 tertaining, it is not business. Let me see, here is a map 
 of Yedo bay, together with the adjoining provinces. Let 
 us proceed to map out your course. Now I think that 
 the western side of the bay will be the best one for our 
 operations, but the 'great question is how to get there. 
 The Bakufu sentinels swarm between here and Uraga. It 
 will be useless for us to try to slip you through them, for 
 we would probably have your two heads adorning 
 our gateposts as a warning against future attempts at 
 such an offence. Nor can you very well skirt the eastern 
 shore of the bay, for the sentinels are almost as numerous 
 there. If we can only land you on the beach near 
 Yokoska, far down the western side of the bay, then you 
 
A Brief Interview with the Old Prince, i 5 1 
 
 can hide away in some hamlet or fishing village and 
 assume but little risk. But how shall we set you down 
 at that spot ? That is a very difficult question to 
 answer.” 
 
 And, indeed, it so proved itself, for they puzzled over 
 it nearly all day. His Grace, the ex-Daimio, when he 
 spread out the map and grandly pointed with his fan to 
 the course to be pursued, probably realized the difficulty 
 of the situation as little as did the Czar of Russia in the 
 matter where he drew a straight line from St. Petersburg 
 to Moscow, and bade his engineers construct a railway 
 accordingly. It was finally decided that the young men 
 should go up to Mito ostensibly on business, and should 
 embark in a fishing boat at that point some night, and 
 slyly steal down the coast to the eastern promontory of 
 Yedobay, and then cut across to the western shore under 
 cover of darkness and find some good hiding-place 
 around Yokoska, where they were to wait until the fleet 
 had made its appearance and had taken permanent 
 anchorage, when they were to spy out all they could 
 until the departure of the ships. Then they were to 
 steal backfcy the same route by which they had gone. 
 
 As the route was very circuitous, and might, in case of 
 tempestuous weather, involve many weeks, it was decided 
 that the journey should commence on the very next day. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 A CHANGE OF SCENE. 
 
 Accordingly, at dawn of the next day, two horses 
 duly caparisoned were led forth by the bettos from the 
 stables of Mito Yashiki, and were taken to the northern 
 gateway to await the arrival of their riders. These bettSs 
 were wiry little grooms, who invariably trotted alongside 
 of the horses from one end of the journey to the other. 
 Of course the horses did not go at full speed. They 
 ambled along leisurely at the rate of about twenty-five 
 miles per day, and were carefully cared for by their bettos 
 at each resting-place. Rapid riding was a rare thing in 
 that country. When Julius Caesar left Rome to place 
 himself at the head of his legions on the farther slope of 
 the Alps, he is said to have taken but eight days in riding 
 that great distance. With the same relays of horses he 
 could have covered the same distance on the highways of 
 Japan, but he would have shaken off his bettos very soon, 
 and he would have shaken up the sorry nags of the em- 
 pire worse than he shook up the Helvetii, and in a man- 
 ner quite sufficient to have gained their eternal enmity. 
 
 Just before sunrise the commandant, together with 
 the two brothers, slowly approached the gateway. The 
 young men purported to be the bearers of official mes- 
 sages to the castle at Mito. But why should messengers 
 have so much gold and silver coin tied about their 
 waists beneath their clothing? And how happened it 
 that the alleged messages never found their way within 
 the Mito moats, but were carefully burnt by their bearers 
 on the night of their arrival in Mito ? But we must not 
 anticipate events. “ When you reach Mito,” said the 
 
 152 
 
A Change of Scene. 
 
 153 
 
 commandant, as they neared the horses, “turn off from 
 the street that leads to the castle, and follow the one to 
 the right hand and go out toward the suburbs, where my 
 father’s house is situated, and, after having communi- 
 cated my message to him, journey on in the night toward 
 our sea-side villa. Next day he will join you there, and 
 will assist you in securing a boat suitable for your pur- 
 poses. Then, on the very first favorable day, embark on 
 your ‘fishing excursion.’ Every thing else connected 
 with this expedition will be left to your natural good- 
 sense. May great success crown your journey ! ” 
 
 So saying, he bade them farewell, and riders and grooms 
 trotted out of the gateway along the broad road that 
 wound among the green hills environing the northern 
 suburbs of Yedo. Long before midday they had reached 
 the Mito-kaido, and were journeying through the vast 
 rice fields that stretched away to the northeast. By leis- 
 urely trotting, they reached the low, sandy banks of the 
 broad and rapid Ton^gawa — twenty-seven miles on their 
 way — late in the afternoon. On the opposite shore, 
 among the trees, stood an inviting village. It was de- 
 cided to spend the night there. Accordingly, a long flat- 
 bottomed boat was engaged, the horses, after consider- 
 able “ moral suasion,” were finally induced to embark, 
 and the ferry-men poled the craft across to the other 
 side. 
 
 On the following day the party started bright and early, 
 and trudged through twenty-seven miles of rice-fields, 
 moorlands, and marshy lagoons, until, at nightfall, they 
 entered the town of Inayoshi, situated near the western 
 end of a large lake, which the retreating waters of the 
 Pacific Ocean had left as a footprint a thousand years 
 or so before that time. This lake had a circuit of nearly 
 ninety miles. Its shores were low and well wooded. 
 And it was filled with islets of most picturesque beauty, 
 one of them being of sufficient size to support a popula- 
 tion of sixteen hundred people. Dining on broiled eels, 
 for which this section of Hitachi was celebrated, our 
 friends fortified themselves for the last day’s journey of 
 
154 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 twenty-six miles, which furnished scenery somewhat sim- 
 ilar to that already described, and which brought them 
 late in the evening to the southwestern suburb of Mito. 
 
 They rode down the broad, clean street that traversed 
 the lower town from one extremity to the other. Above 
 them, on the left-hand side, rose the lofty, swarded em- 
 bankments of the castle, draped with magnificent trees, 
 and surmounted with white walls and turrets that glis- 
 tened weirdly in the moonlight. Passing beyond the mer- 
 cantile quarters, they came to the region where the 
 small yashikis of retainers were spread out on either side 
 of the great thoroughfare. They speedily found the 
 particular one of which they were in quest, and duly an- 
 nounced themselves at the wicket gate. After a short 
 delay, an elderly gentleman emerged and announced 
 himself to be the person whom they were seeking. 
 Tomokichi at once dismounted, and, after the inter- 
 change of the profoundest of salutations, quietly com- 
 municated to him the message from his son, the com- 
 mandant of Mito Yashiki. Very naturally, the abrupt- 
 ness of the proceedings created considerable surprise, 
 with, at first, a mild flavoring of incredulity ; but Tomo- 
 kichi produced tangible evidence that at once put all 
 suspicions to rest. The courteous old gentleman at once 
 ordered a servant to guide the visitors to his villa at the 
 sea-shore, and to make them as comfortable as possible 
 until his own arrival there next day. 
 
 Journeying now with accelerated speed, our belated 
 travellers followed the road that went winding among 
 hills, whose picturesque beauty was made highly conspic- 
 uous by the bright moonlight. Finally, reaching some 
 rising ground, they halted several minutes to survey the 
 magnificent scenery that spread out on all sides. Behind 
 them glimmered the lights of the upper town on the high 
 hills north of the castle. The citadel, crowning the crest 
 of the loftiest ridge, loomed up grandly in the shimmer- 
 ing light, with its white battlements gleaming like silver 
 against a dark background of majestic trees. In their 
 immediate front were sighing pine groves, that fell rapidly 
 
A Change of Scene. 
 
 155 
 
 away into dunes and sand-drifts, which met the mighty 
 waves of the thundering ocean that rolled away in awful 
 grandeur to the distant horizon, where the queenly moon 
 paled the stars with her brilliancy. The high wind was 
 blowing the spray from the foaming surf far inland, and 
 the gauzy mists sped whispering through the foliage of 
 the groves, — “ the voice of the ocean , in accents disconsolate , 
 ansu<ered the wail of the forest .” 
 
 Resuming their romantic course, the party soon reached 
 the beach, and, after following its stately sweep for a con- 
 siderable distance, they finally reached the villa, a neat 
 and pretty Japanese house, surrounded by a beautiful 
 garden. It was apparently deserted. But a few loud 
 knocks at the front door speedily brought the family that 
 had been left in charge to the scene of disturbance. The 
 door was slid back, and a very much demoralized top- 
 knot was thrust out upon the scene. This represented 
 the major-general of the premises. As the tone of the 
 conversation outside became reassuring, there appeared 
 a head of dishevelled hair, a set of glittering black teeth, 
 and a smiling, inquisitive face, slipping out upon the 
 veranda beside the major-general. This second person- 
 age was the captain of the household forces — the beloved 
 spouse. Then there gradually glided out from unknown 
 quarters sundry infants, who cautiously marshalled them- 
 selves in line with their parents, and timidly clung to- 
 gether when any thing in the strangers’ manner or speech 
 startled them. And a very picturesque group they made 
 there in the moonlight ! 
 
 When the inmates had fully comprehended the situa- 
 tion, they hustled around with the most commendable 
 amiability and efficiency. The best room was at once 
 placed at the disposal of the guests. A blazing hebachi 
 was speedily brought in, for the weather was yet chilly 
 and the high wind that had been blowing for two days 
 sent its piercing breath through every crevice of the frail 
 structure. Refreshments were then placed before the 
 guests, and they ravenously partook thereof while the 
 heavy bedding was being spread out on the floor. Then, 
 
Mito Yashiki. 
 
 156 
 
 undressing themselves, our party resigned themselves to 
 that sweet and mysterious influence whose subtle spell 
 we all acknowledge even though we fail to comprehend 
 how the drowsy torpor creeps over our being. 
 
 They all slept late into the following morning. When 
 they finally roused themselves they found that the lady 
 of the house had prepared a hot bath for them in order 
 that they might enjoy their breakfast better after having 
 relaxed their sore muscles and stiff joints. After break- 
 fast they found that the wind had gone down, and that 
 the day was one of those deliciously balmy ones so com- 
 mon at that season. They sat on the veranda and 
 smoked their pipes while enjoying the warm sunshine 
 and gazing upon the roaring surf. Toward midday a 
 norimon appeared on the beach. As it approached the 
 house the young men correctly surmised that their host 
 was within it. When he arrived he most cordially 
 greeted them and entered with immense zest into their 
 schemes. He sent the horses and the grooms back to 
 his yashiki, to be there kept until the return of the young 
 adventurers. He then despatched his attendant down 
 to the fishing hamlets along the shore to make enquiries 
 as to what boats were available. As the water was too 
 rough for any thing to be attempted on that day, the gen- 
 tlemen spent the time in talking over matters of general 
 interest. Late in the afternoon the attendant reported 
 that there were three boats from which a selection could 
 be made. Accordingly, on the following morning, the 
 party strolled along the beach to inspect the crafts. One 
 of them was too small. Another one seeme'd too much 
 weather-beaten. But the third one seemed quite well 
 adapted for the purpose in view. It was comparatively 
 new and contained sufficient room for ten people. It 
 carried a single mast, with a square sail. On each side 
 of the stern was room for two scullers. The boat was 
 forthwith hired for one month. 
 
 On the following day the water was so quiet that our 
 young adventurers decided to start. Accordingly they 
 began to load the boat as it lay on the beach. A man 
 
A Change of Scene. 
 
 157 
 
 climbed on deck and caught the bundles that were tossed 
 up to him. Then the passengers and the crew went 
 aboard. In the stern there was a little cabin large 
 enough for three or four Japanese to sit in comfortably. 
 In the bow of the boat there was quite a forecastle where 
 five or six men could pack themselves away and sleep. 
 Orders were given for abundance of warm bedding to be 
 brought down from the villa and to be placed in the 
 after-cabin, and for an abundant supply of provisions to 
 be stowed away in a deep hold beneath the plankings 
 amidship. When every thing was ready for the start, a 
 large number of fishermen placed their shoulders to the 
 graceful craft and slid her down the soft sand into 
 the tumbling surf, giving her such momentum that she 
 glided far out into smoother water beyond danger of 
 capsizing. The scullers soon turned her prow south- 
 ward, and the journey was well under way. 
 
 The crew comprised ten stout fishermen. Four of 
 them were to work the sculls, two of them were to keep 
 the vessel in trim, and the other four were to constitute 
 a relay of scullers. The distance down the coast to the 
 destined point in Yedo bay was fully two hundred miles, 
 — a journey that would take ten days of very leisurely 
 travelling. Frequent stops were to be made along the 
 coast, and the nights were to be spent at anchor. The 
 morning and the evening meals were to be cooked ashore. 
 It had been announced to the crew that the two satnurai 
 were seeking recreation and desired to take a fishing ex- 
 cursion along the coast. The black-eyed fellows blandly 
 accepted the statement without comment ; but they 
 shrewdly drew their own conclusion that, inasmuch as 
 the gentry were not addicted to risking themselves in 
 that fashion on the tempestuous deep for a few cheap 
 fishes that could be purchased ashore, the young gentle- 
 men had probably gotten into some political scrape and 
 were going boating until the affair had blown over. But 
 who they were, or what their schemes might be, was none 
 of their business. They were well paid for their services, 
 and they well understood that an impassable barrier lay 
 
158 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 between them and the samurai class, so that they were 
 not at liberty to pry into any thing pertaining to their 
 affairs. 
 
 As the wind was favorable they spread the sail and 
 soon drew away from the shore, bound for a hamlet 
 twenty miles down the coast, where they intended to 
 spend the night. The boat tossed about a good deal, 
 and the young men soon began to experience those well- 
 defined sensations familiar to all who have been sea-sick. 
 At first they were quite alarmed, not knowing what 
 might be the matter. They fought valiantly against the 
 overpowering qualmishness, turned deathly white, and 
 then precipitately rushed to the side of the boat and 
 balanced themselves as gracefully as they could over the 
 gunwales, while “ the voice of deep answered unto deep.” 
 This uncouth position mortified them exceedingly, but 
 they were constrained to adopt it as no other alternative 
 appeared available. The captain of the crew, however, 
 speedily assured them that there need be no occasion for 
 alarm, and suggested a swallow of salt water and a re- 
 tirement to their cabin, where they could lie down. The 
 good-hearted fellow nursed them quite tenderly for sev- 
 eral hours, and, when they drew near to the hamlet, he 
 ran the boat into smooth water and pulled down the sail, 
 ordering the men to scull the balance of the distance. 
 
 There was a secluded cove, locked in with well-wooded 
 hills, near the hamlet. Toward this point the boat was 
 steered and anchored close to the wide, sandy beach, — so 
 close, in fact, that the men easily stepped overboard and 
 waded ashore, where they set to work in a sheltered spot 
 to prepare the evening meal. When the rice was cooked 
 and the fresh mackerel, procured from the neighboring 
 hamlet, was duly broiled, the meal was handed over the 
 side of the boat, and was regularly discussed by the 
 hungry crew. The captain, acting in the capacity of 
 steward, personally waited on his cabin passengers, and 
 served them bountifully on the quarter-deck. The 
 morning meal was prepared and served in a similar 
 fashion. The boat then started on her cruise. There 
 
A Change of Scene. 
 
 159 
 
 was a light northerly breeze, and she stood out well from 
 the shore to take full advantage of it. This day was far 
 more enjoyable than the preceding one had been, inas- 
 much as the qualmish sensations were barely felt. After 
 having sailed nearly thirty miles, they put inshore and 
 began leisurely sculling along in search of a quiet spot 
 for spending the night. This part of the coast was low, 
 sandy, and well covered with scrub pines. There were 
 but few coves and inlets. However, late in the after- 
 noon, they found a small inlet where they moored their 
 boat and spent the night. On the following day they 
 rounded a bold promontory, and changed their course so 
 as to point southwesterly. They could now see the dim 
 outlines of Fuji-yama standing out faintly against the 
 rosy tints of the evening sky. 
 
 Thus they continued their delightful journey down the 
 coast, avoiding as far as possible the habitations of men, 
 and occasionally throwing out their fishing tackle with 
 varying success. The weather was fine during the entire 
 trip, so that none of the anticipated delays from tempes- 
 tuous weather were experienced. On the evening of the 
 ninth day they stole quietly around the bold promon- 
 tory into the bay of Yedo. It now became necessary for 
 them to be very circumspect in their movements, because 
 the vigilant shore guards were on every commanding 
 eminence, watching for the arrival of the expected ships. 
 They glided quietly across the bay and cast anchor in a 
 secluded bight until the dawn was sufficiently advanced 
 to enable them to select a favot&ble location for beach- 
 ing the boat. Creeping along the lovely shores in the 
 gray dawn, they finally came upon a secluded fishing 
 hamlet on an exquisite inlet. A beautiful range of hills 
 crowded the fishermen’s cottages quite close upon the 
 broad beach and shut off the place from the gaze of the 
 world. It was not near any great thoroughfare', and the 
 only exit to the country behind was a steep foot-path 
 that zigzagged up the cliff to the summit, and then went 
 twisting through miles of woods and fields to a distant 
 village. Our young voyagers accordingly gave orders 
 
i6o 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 for landing. The boat was pulled high and dry up on 
 the sand in line with several other fishing-boats of almost 
 precisely similar appearance, so that nothing but a 
 special enquiry would have revealed the fact that there 
 had been a new arrival at the hamlet. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 SHIP AHOY ! 
 
 As a matter of exact history, Tomokichi and Junzo 
 had reached their destination many days prior to the 
 arrival of the fleet of Commodore Perry, so that they had 
 abundance of time wherein to survey the vicinity of the 
 locality where they had decided to establish their head- 
 quarters. Giving strict orders to the crew to make no 
 mention of whence they had come (but to reply, when 
 interrogated by the fishermen in the hamlets, that they 
 had been sent down by the Bakufu from Yedo to watch 
 for the expected arrival of the barbarian ships and to 
 watch' their movements after arrival), the young spies 
 proceeded to engage a desirable room in one of the 
 cottages. The fact that they wore the Tokugawa crest 
 (which, as vassals of Mito, they were entitled to wear) 
 rendered their story exceedingly plausible ; and, so long 
 as their crew kept aloof from the inhabitants of the place 
 (which they were under orders to do), there was hardly 
 any possibility of there being any discovery as to their 
 true character. And there was no danger of the timor- 
 ous fishermen plying them with any improper questions, 
 for they had been brought up to dread the samurai. 
 
 The house that our young spies selected was that of 
 the headman of the hamlet. It faced the wide entrance 
 to the inlet and gave a splendid view of the waters of the 
 bay. The roof was deeply thatched with straw ; and in 
 a long trough along the ridge-pole there were planted 
 lilies, irises, and azaleas, which bloomed in their seasons 
 and gave a wonderfully jaunty air to the roof. There 
 was but one story, and that was surrounded by a broad 
 
 161 
 
162 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 veranda on all sides. The large room opening out on 
 the front veranda was the one selected ; and the shojees 
 at the back, that shut it off from the rest of the house, 
 were as effective in keeping out intrusion as walls of 
 adamant would have been, — for the timid members of 
 the family shrank out of sight and kept themselves in the 
 remotest chambers at the rear. The meals were always 
 prepared by the crew as before, and were served by the 
 captain in the front room. All the land about the 
 cottage (and there was considerable) was given up to 
 gardening. At the back were long rows of garlic, 
 radishes, and taro. At the front were flowers and shrubs 
 arranged in a manner that would have done credit to 
 Mito Yashiki itself. A hedge of hollyhock and square- 
 trimmed cedar bushes surrounded the place. Camellias, 
 flowering almonds, and cherry blossoms were in full 
 bloom, as the sheltered locality and the powerful sun 
 made all vegetation very forward. 
 
 The climate of this promontory was balmy and de- 
 licious, like that of all those along the southern shores 
 of the empire, jutting so boldly into the warm waters of 
 the Pacific. All of the cottages, in fact, were quite as 
 tastefully arranged as this one. No matter how poor a 
 Japanese was, yet he delighted in his garden, and would 
 cultivate a plot of ground only a few feet square with as 
 much assiduity as if it were a farm. In the cliff back of 
 the hamlet was a deep and wide fissure that had probably 
 been cleft through the black rocks during some earth- 
 quake. Shrubs and bushes had sprung out of the 
 numerous crevices in its walls, thus giving the place the 
 appearance of a beautiful grotto. 
 
 A spring of cold water, as clear as crystal, gushed 
 from the farther end and emptied itself into a capacious 
 granite basin, over whose sides it poured in a steady 
 stream that gurgled down the rocks and flowed across 
 the sands until it mingled with the briny waters that 
 lapped the beach. At various points along the course of 
 the stream were deep and wide pools that had been 
 scooped out and then walled in with pebbles so as to 
 
Ship Ahoy ! 
 
 163 
 
 form basins where clothing could be washed and where 
 fishes and vegetables could be cleaned. Far back in the 
 fissure stood a little Shinto shrine, upon a rocky ledge 
 among the bushes. A bowlful of rice, a fish’s head, and 
 a small jar of sakS stood before the latticed doors. The 
 thrifty Buddhist priests had evidently not considered 
 this secluded nook worth the tilling, and had left the 
 simple denizens undisturbed in the exercise of the 
 religion of their remotest progenitors, who chased the 
 wild-boar and the deer through the primeval forests that 
 covered the land as with a garment. In short, our 
 friends could hardly have found a lovelier or a more 
 sheltered spot wherein to spend a few weeks. 
 
 It was a dreamy kind of existence that they led for 
 the next week or so. The denizens of the hamlet were 
 usually astir at daybreak. The women-folk had break- 
 fast ready in a very short space of time, and by sunrise 
 the fishermen had slid their boats into the water and 
 were under bellying sails down the bay. Sometimes 
 they went out to sea for their prey ; sometimes they 
 fished in the deep waters at the mouth of the bay ; and 
 sometimes they angled in the still waters along the coast. 
 Generally, however, the waters of the bay provided all 
 that they needed, and, by about the middle of the after- 
 noon, they took advantage of the sea-breeze and came 
 scudding home with great £clat. Between four and five 
 o’clock every afternoon the waters of the bay presented 
 a beautiful sight, with multitudes of white sails scattered 
 about in every direction. 
 
 From the top of some one of the hills surrounding the 
 shores, you could have watched the on-coming fleets 
 dashing along in the glorious sunshine, and slipping 
 away like shadows into the numerous inlets about the 
 enchanting shores. Sometimes the boats would glide out 
 on moonlight nights and sweep, ghost-like, over the still 
 waves in quest of those denizens of the deep that love to 
 sport in the moonbeams. And sometimes they would 
 venture out on dark nights and kindle torches to allure 
 their victims into the vicinity of the boats, where the 
 
164 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 meshes of the cruel nets could be cast about them. 
 Weird and spectre-like seemed the bay on those occa- 
 sions, with jets of flame dancing all over its surface as far 
 as the eye could reach, while the subdued tones of the 
 fishermen could be heard chanting some monotonous 
 measure, whose mystic rhythm was supposed to be 
 freighted with spells that charmed and allured the 
 scaly dwellers of the deep. 
 
 Oh ! a hardy and a cheerful set of fellows were those 
 fishermen along the shores of Dai-Nippon. Their vo- 
 cation had been hereditary for so many, many centuries, 
 that each rising generation literally took to the water 
 from infancy, for the little toddlers were able to swim 
 nearly as soon as they could walk. After having received 
 merely the rudiments of an exceedingly primitive educa- 
 tion, the little fellows accompanied their fathers on their 
 fishing expeditions. They grew up to be densely igno- 
 rant, but jolly and hearty men,, and very expert in 
 whatever pertained to their particular occupation. These 
 simple people, dimly realizing that behind the phenomena 
 of nature there dwelt some unknown power, endeavored 
 to propitiate it with the traditionary rites and ceremonies 
 of Shinto, the indigenous fetich of the primeval savages 
 that fished and hunted by forest and stream so many 
 centuries before. And they had, indeed, developed into 
 a superstitious and timid set of amiable boors, knowing 
 nothing of the literature of their country, and knowing 
 next to nothing about what was transpiring beyond the 
 hills back of their hamlet. So long as they caught their 
 regular supply of fish and could sell it at a fair price, — 
 what cared they for court and rabble ? So far as they 
 themselves were concerned, the Shoguns might usurp 
 the imperial authority for myriads of years, and the 
 emasculated Daimios might make childish faces at each 
 other until the stars grew pale over the scene. The 
 sparkling waves, the bracing air, and the thrilling expec- 
 tancy of the fisherman’s life were quite sufficient to 
 satisfy their humble ambition. 
 
 After two or three days of rest the order was given to 
 
Ship Ahoy ! 
 
 165 
 
 the Mito men to go out on a fishing excursion. The 
 greater part of the day was spent just inside of the prom- 
 ontory that formed the western side of the bay. Good 
 luck attended their exertions and they spent the next 
 two days in cleaning, salting, and drying their haul. 
 Whenever the young spies accompanied the boat they 
 took good care to keep themselves well secluded in the 
 cabin, lest prying eyes on shore might detect their 
 presence and institute disagreeable investigations. By 
 thus keeping their men occupied they succeeded in 
 killing time and in preventing that promiscuous famili- 
 arity with the natives which leisure and idleness would 
 surely have engendered. 
 
 February was nearly half gone when one day our 
 young friends were lying on the tatamis enjoying the 
 delightful prospect over the blue waters of the bay. 
 Their boat had been gone several hours on an excursion 
 down the bay, and they were languidly sucking their pipes 
 and querying as to whether it was not nearly time for it 
 to put in an appearance. It was a kind of shore-day for 
 many of the natives, some of whom were drying their nets 
 on the broad white sands, while others were busily 
 engaged in curing their last catch of fish. The children 
 made the place vocal with their romping mirth in the 
 gardens and along the shore, for their terror of the two 
 samurai had worn off sufficiently to permit of this much 
 of boisterous fun. The little urchins took good care, 
 however, to keep out of the garden where the strange 
 visitors could see them. 
 
 “ I am beginning to get tired of this kind of life,” 
 Junzo was saying. 
 
 “ So am I,” was Tomokichi’s hearty response. “ It is 
 all very well to live thus for a few days, but the excite- 
 ment soon dies away under such tame surroundings. 
 These simple people stimulate no thought and exchange 
 no ideas beyond the merest commonplace sentiments. 
 The sense of danger has entirely disappeared in this 
 atmosphere of peaceful security.” 
 
 “Yes,” replied Junzo, as he slowly picked the glossy 
 
Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 1 66 
 
 orange leaves from a twig that he held in his hand, 
 “ these surroundings are certainly very dull. I am going 
 to lie down here on the tatami and take a nap. By the 
 way, did any of the native boats accompany our boat to- 
 day ? ” 
 
 “ I believe two of them did,” replied his brother. 
 
 “ I do not much like our men becoming so familiar 
 with these natives,” continued Junzo, “ but I suppose it 
 cannot be helped. I fear something may leak out. — 
 Well, here I go for a nap ; I cannot allow my mind 
 to become too heavily burdened with care.” 
 
 So saying, he spread himself out on the floor and lay 
 quietly for several minutes. Suddenly he lifted his head 
 and exclaimed, “ What is that throbbing noise?” 
 
 “ I hear nothing,” replied his brother. 
 
 “Neither do I now that I am sitting up,” said Junzo. 
 “ Nevertheless, when recumbent I heard such a sound 
 most distinctly. There must be some water in my ear. I 
 splashed about tremendously in the bath this morning.” 
 So saying, he again lay down. But he soon arose and ex- 
 claimed in a tone of growing interest : 
 
 “ Surely I cannot be mistaken this time for I certainly 
 did hear a long-continued and regular throbbing louder 
 than before. I am positive that the water that may be in 
 my ear has absolutely nothing to do with the sound. 
 There ! I hear it again just as soon as I place my ear to 
 the floor. I am not mistaken. Just put your ear to the 
 floor and listen.” 
 
 Tomokichi, with considerable interest in the matter, 
 did as his brother requested, and, placing his ear to the 
 floor, listened attentively. “ Surely there is a throbbing 
 of a most peculiar nature,” he at last replied with ill- 
 suppressed excitement. “ I wonder what it can be. Let 
 us listen for a long time and see if it will grow any 
 louder.” 
 
 Accordingly they both lay down and eagerly listened 
 to the strange sounds. Steadily and rapidly the pulsa- 
 tions beat upon their ears as if coming up from the 
 ground. Yet, when they compared notes, they decided 
 
Ship Ahoy ! 
 
 167 
 
 that the throbbing did not proceed from the ground at all, 
 but from some remote distance on land or on water. 
 And, strange to say, the noise became continually louder ! 
 
 “Well ! ” finally exclaimed Junzo, “ I give this matter 
 up ; it is beyond my comprehension. As we are in a 
 region where we are not familiar with the natural phe- 
 nomena, it would be well to consult with the headman of 
 the village as to what this thing portends. Who knows 
 but what it may be the precursor of an earthquake or of 
 a cyclone. Let us call him in to listen.’’ 
 
 Accordingly the individual in question was duly sum- 
 moned. He approached with humble manner, and, 
 kneeling down, awaited their announcement as to the 
 object of the summons. 
 
 “ I presume,” said Junzo, “that you have lived in this 
 hamlet all of the years of your life and are familiar with 
 all of the features of the locality. Is this not so ? ” 
 
 “You have spoken truly,” was the modest reply. “ Not 
 only I, but my father, and his father, and unknown gen- 
 erations of my ancestors have lived here. I am tolerably 
 familiar with the locality, but I am an ignorant fellow 
 and do not have the full knowledge that should be pos- 
 sessed on such matters.” 
 
 “Will you place your ear close to the tatami and 
 explain to us the meaning of those throbbing sounds,” 
 said Junzo, rather anxious to get at the gist of the matter 
 without further delay. 
 
 The fisherman looked up much perplexed at so abrupt 
 and extraordinary a request. He had heard terrible tales 
 of playful samurai hacking up common folk just to try 
 their blades. Was this extraordinary request but a 
 pretext for getting his head into a convenient position for 
 some clever stroke of practice ? He hesitated to comply, 
 and glanced furtively aside to see if the veranda was 
 clear. But the laugh of his visitors reassured him, and he 
 followed their example and placed his ear close to the 
 floor as requested. 
 
 “ Truly a strange sound ! ” he soon exclaimed. “ The 
 gentlemen were indeed not jesting. I beg ten thousand 
 
Mito Yashiki. 
 
 1 68 
 
 pardons for doubting their sincerity.” Again he listened 
 attentively for several minutes. “ Yea ! a most wonderful 
 sound. And it grows louder ! ” 
 
 “ Does it portend an earthquake or a cyclone ? ” en- 
 quired Tomokichi. 
 
 “ I do not think that it portends either the one or the 
 other,” he replied. 
 
 “ What do you think it can be ?” enquired Junzo. 
 
 “ I think,” replied he, meditatively scratching his head, 
 “ that it must be some kind of fish in the bay beating the 
 water with its tail. Many years ago I heard my father 
 say that fishes sometimes can produce sounds like 
 thunder by deep rumblings and bellowings in their 
 bellies. There must be some new variety of fish in the 
 bay. I will enquire of the other men and see if these 
 sounds can be heard on every tatavii in the hamlet.” 
 
 “ There ! ” exclaimed Junzo in great excitement, “ you 
 can now hear the sounds without placing your ear to the 
 floor. Let us stand on the veranda and listen.” 
 
 Accordingly they went and stood there, and found that 
 they could hear the throbbing with great distinctness. 
 Perplexed and amazed, they pondered and queried for 
 several minutes. The headman went around among 
 the houses calling out everybody to listen. They all 
 crowded to the beach and closely noted the sounds, that 
 seemed to be growing louder by the minute. Thus they 
 listened and speculated for fully half an hour, when they 
 observed numerous fleets of boats hurrying landward. 
 Presently a multitude of demoralized crafts — like a 
 shoal of fishes flying before some monster of the deep — 
 shot around the headland and rushed northward in great 
 haste, while the crews seemed by their excited gesticula- 
 tions and frantic yells to be in great agitation. This 
 scene continued for half an hour or so, creating great 
 uneasiness among the people on the beach, who were 
 naturally at a great loss to account for such unpre- 
 cedented conduct. Finally three boats dashed around 
 the headland and rushed into the inlet as fast as the 
 panting scullers could drive the trembling keels through 
 
Ship Ahoy / 
 
 1 69 
 
 the water. It was at once perceived that these boats be- 
 longed to the hamlet. “ The ships ! The barbarian 
 ships ! ” yelled the boatmen when they came within ear- 
 shot. “ They are coming up the bay ! They are close 
 behind us ! ” 
 
 This announcement created great excitement and con- 
 sternation. But the agitation speedily subsided when it 
 was remembered that the Bakufu was prepared to punish 
 the bold intruders this time for their temerity. The 
 Mito men, in reply to the eager questionings of their 
 masters, described the ships as being like immense 
 whales with volcanoes on their backs. Everybody now 
 crowded down the beach to watch them pass up the bay. 
 The throbbing of the mighty paddle-wheels increased in 
 volume every minute. The timorous crowd now lis- 
 tened in silence to those strange sounds, — the children 
 clinging to their parents in abject terror while the women 
 huddled together in the middle of the crowd. 
 
 “ Look there ! Look there ! ” exclaimed several voices 
 at once as a large black object pushed around the head- 
 land. Sure enough ! It was the bow of a mighty steamer. 
 It rapidly came into full view, and the frightened crowd 
 (not knowing whether to stand or fly) seemed glued to 
 the spot, as if spellbound in fascination of the hideous 
 object. There it went trailing the blackness of night 
 from its sable funnel and warning off the Bakufu guard- 
 boats with shrill howls and terrific roars from its huge 
 steam-whistle, while the spray dashed up by the revolv- 
 ing wheels fell from the paddle-box like charming cas- 
 cades. Then came another black monster around the 
 headland ! And another ! And another ! Until seven 
 huge leviathans passed up into the broad waters of the 
 upper bay. Surely, no such sight had ever been wit- 
 nessed by the people of Dai-Nippon ! Then came, for 
 the space of fully half an hour, mighty billows breaking 
 upon the beach in an almost unbroken roar, as if they, 
 too, were flying in terror from the unwelcome visitors. 
 As soon as the monsters had passed beyond the hamlet’s 
 field of vision, the crowd broke for the hills, and from 
 
Mito Yashiki. 
 
 i 70 
 
 their summits watched the majestic line of vessels slowly 
 advancing up the bay, and finally casting anchor in the 
 bight subsequently called Mississippi Bay in honor of 
 the flagship of the squadron. Late into the evening, 
 little groups would climb up to gaze upon the distant 
 lights that gleamed from rigging and port-hole out upon 
 the quiet waters, as if a city had been anchored there by 
 some supernatural influence. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 SHADOWS. 
 
 For several days after the arrival of the steamers and 
 frigates, the Mito boatmen regularly went on their fishing 
 excursions down the bay ; while our young friends as 
 regularly climbed the hills and viewed the fleet. After 
 several days they gave orders to change the direction of 
 the excursions and to fish along the shores of the bay in 
 the direction of the barbarian ships. These trips they 
 accompanied, and, from the seclusion of their cabin, 
 they took note of many matters of interest as their boat 
 crept nearer and nearer toward the black leviathans 
 each day. After eight or ten days of this distant inspec- 
 tion, they came to the conclusion that they had obtained 
 about all the information possible under such conditions, 
 and that, unless they could by some means get within 
 the cordon of Bakufu guard-boats and obtain a closer 
 view of the foreigners, there was not much use in their 
 assuming the risk of a more protracted stay. 
 
 They pondered long as to how they could secure a 
 nearer inspection of the vessels. There did not appear 
 to be more than two courses available. Either they 
 must slip through the cordon unobserved some dark 
 night, or they must bribe the officers commanding one 
 of the guard-boats to allow them to pass through under 
 cover of darkness. It was finally decided to adopt the 
 latter plan. Accordingly, about nine o’clock, one night, 
 the boat was quietly slid down the beach, and they em- 
 barked for this new venture in espionage. Noiselessly 
 the craft slipped out of the inlet into the still waters of 
 the sombre bay, where they headed their prow toward the 
 
Mito Yashiki. 
 
 i 72 
 
 dim lights that faintly glimmered across the wide expanse 
 of waters that lay between them and the American fleet. 
 Rapidly they skimmed through the gloom, until first the 
 lofty masts and then the massive hulls of the ships 
 loomed up in the uncertain light. The vessels lay sev- 
 eral cable-lengths from shore, and were marshalled in 
 line of battle with broadsides shoreward. Formidable 
 and forbidding enough they appeared there, shooting 
 forth from many port-holes baleful gleams of warning 
 light. At a respectful distance, a circle of Bakufu guard- 
 boats surrounded the fleet with a cautious but vigilant 
 embrace. 
 
 As the Mito boat drew near, they were suddenly chal- 
 lenged by a craft that seemed to rise up from the waves 
 at their bow : “ Halt ! What is the nature of your busi- 
 ness here ? Do you not know that this is prohibited ter- 
 ritory ? ” 
 
 “ Some samurai on board of our boat desire to com- 
 municate a message to the officer in command of your 
 boat,” was the answer that went softly back from the 
 Mito boat in response to the challenge. 
 
 “ Remain where you are until we come alongside,” 
 was the prompt order that came back through the night 
 from the Bakufu boat. 
 
 The young spies were now thoroughly committed to 
 their hazardous undertaking, and their hearts beat quickly 
 as they realized that they were prisoners in the hands of 
 the merciless Bakufu and were about to be subjected to a 
 searching inspection. The guard-boat quickly came up 
 and laid itself alongside, — prow to prow and stern to 
 stern. A dozen hands reached forth and grasped the 
 gunwales of the Mito boat and firmly held it against the 
 side of the Bakufu boat. A tall Yakunin then stepped 
 over the side and began looking around the decks for 
 whatever might indicate the true character of the craft. 
 Seeing merely a harmless fishing-boat with a cowering 
 crew of timid fishermen, he haughtily walked aft and 
 presented himself before the two samurai and critically 
 surveyed them in the dim light furnished by the paper 
 
Shadows. 
 
 173 
 
 lanterns that the guards were holding up over the sides 
 of the boat. The young men were standing on the 
 quarter-deck. They had donned their best clothes for 
 the occasion, well knowing the respect that an elegant 
 attire always inspired among their countrymen, — espe- 
 cially among the mercenary and venal Bakufu officials. 
 Their features were most effectually disguised by the 
 customary black dominos worn in winter-time through- 
 out the country, thus exposing merely their eyes, noses, 
 and mouths. The haughty stare of the Yakunin, as he 
 glanced at their intelligent faces and aristocratic raiment, 
 relaxed into an expression of respect, which became one 
 of downright amiability when he caught sight of the 
 glittering ornaments on their sword-hilts. 
 
 “ I perceive,” said he, slowly, in the polite and con- 
 ciliatory language with which samurai invariably address 
 members of their own class, “ that the gentlemen are 
 travelling ne'bon." 1 
 
 “ We are, honorable sir,” was the respectful and fear- 
 less reply. 
 
 “May I enquire,” continued their inquisitor, perceiv- 
 ing from their tones and accent that they were samurai 
 of no ordinary stamp, “ what business has brought you 
 out at such an unseasonable hour ? ” 
 
 “ Most certainly, honorable sir,” replied Tomokichi. 
 “ We are from one of the Yedo yashikis, and you, as a 
 fellow-samurai (profoundly bowing), will readily com- 
 prehend our reason for not designating it. Being much 
 
 1 The word incognito does not fully express the meaning conveyed 
 in the word ne'bon. To travel m!boti was one of the peculiar privileges 
 granted to Japanese of the very highest rank. The party thus travel- 
 ling adopted some sort of disguise and went forth into the world to 
 see the sights. By a refinement of fiction he became turned into the 
 character of his disguise, leaving his proper and correct self behind, 
 to be resumed when the wandering character should return. To 
 everybody he must be known merely as ne'bon , — even though recog- 
 nized. He had left behind every particle of his former self ! 
 Even emperors are reported to have travelled ne'bon. Consequently 
 every Japanese accorded instinctive courtesy to everybody thus 
 travelling. 
 
1 74 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 interested in these barbarian ships, concerning which 
 there have been innumerable wild rumors afloat in Yedo 
 for many days past, we became consumed with a desire 
 to examine them for ourselves in order to gratify that 
 overpowering curiosity and that thirst for accurate in- 
 formation for which we samurai have always been 
 famous. Perceiving that our government had received 
 the strangers in a friendly manner, we very naturally 
 came to the conclusion that there could not be any 
 reasonable objection to our visiting this place and seeing 
 what we could. Therefore we hired a fishing-boat this 
 morning and came down the bay to carry out our 
 purpose.” 
 
 “ That which you have just spoken is indeed reason- 
 able,” replied the Yakunin in gracious accents, “and, so 
 far as I am personally concerned, there would not be the 
 slightest objection to your seeing every thing. But, as 
 you gentlemen well know, we are under strict orders 
 from the Bakufu to prevent all intrusion within this 
 cordon of boats about the ships. It would be highly 
 presumptuous for me to attempt to instruct you gentle- 
 men regarding the duty that devolves on a subordinate 
 to obey the orders of his superiors. What can I do but 
 inform you that this is prohibited territory ? ” 
 
 “ Well and honorably spoken, most dutiful officer,” re- 
 plied Tomokichi, readily inferring from that most dutiful 
 officer’s tone and manner that much method lurked be- 
 neath his overwhelming sense of duty ; “ but orders, as 
 you and I well know, in times of peace are not made of 
 stone, but admit of much judicious bending. Had we 
 come before it was manifest that the barbarians meant 
 no harm to our country, then would we be guilty of su- 
 preme contempt of knightly honor in trying to induce 
 you to violate the letter of your instructions. But your 
 orders were given many days ago when hostilities ap- 
 peared imminent. When every thing showed the peace- 
 ful nature of the intruders, you should have received 
 modified orders. This matter has doubtless been over- 
 looked. Undoubtedly you will receive less stringent 
 
Shadows. 
 
 *75 
 
 orders within a few days. However that may be, you 
 undoubtedly feel convinced that your ‘ stone orders ’ 
 need not be harshly and inflexibly applied under existing 
 circumstances. Of course we will obey if you give the 
 order to turn back ; but we cannot help thinking that 
 the case is one of those rare emergencies where induce- 
 ments may be legitimately offered and received. The 
 night is dark and the other guard-boats will not see us, — 
 or, if they do, they will take us for you, owing to the 
 great similarity of our boats. We can prowl around the 
 ships for a little while and then come out by this way. 
 What think you, sir, of our suggestion ? ” 
 
 “ It is cleverly put, noble sirs,” replied the dutiful 
 official, fully comprehending the covert meaning of the 
 broad suggestion, “ but in a matter of such importance I 
 must consult with my colleagues in the boat. If you will 
 remain here a little while I will soon report our decision 
 in the matter.” So saying, he turned around and walked 
 toward the gunwales and stepped over into his boat, 
 where three samurai were standing on the quarter-deck 
 waiting to hear the result of the interview. 
 
 “Who are the gentlemen?” exclaimed they, addressing 
 the Yakunin. 
 
 “ Two samurai from Yedo,” was the reply. “ They 
 are exceedingly anxious to see these barbarian ships and 
 are travelling nebon in a fishing-boat that they hired in 
 Yedo this morning.” 
 
 “ So far, so good,” said a thick-set fellow whose coarse 
 features and bleared eyes bespoke the voluptuary and 
 the debauchee louder than words could have done, 
 “ but of course you notified them that this was pro- 
 hibited territory. Furthermore, if your good sense did 
 not forsake you, they were duly notified that it would 
 cost them just four rios to get out of this pretty scrape 
 into which their unbridled inquisitiveness had lured 
 them. Eh ? ” 
 
 “ For shame, Yamagata ! ” exclaimed a tall, genteel 
 young man, whose reproachful countenance betokened 
 his nobler nature. “ Remember that we are dealing with 
 
Mito Yashiki. 
 
 i 76 
 
 samurai and not with vulgar fishermen. Courteous and 
 knightly behavior is now in order.” 
 
 “ Well ! ” exclaimed Yamagata, utterly unabashed at 
 his companion’s rebuke, “ you can’t expect us fellows to 
 mount guard these blustering nights without any prospect 
 of a little fun when we go ashore. Even though they be 
 samurai , they have no business to be prowling around 
 here, and we are under strict orders to make things very 
 disagreeable for such as they. Judging from their dress, 
 it looks as if they could well afford to pay four rios for 
 their little spree. That sum, you know, means one rio 
 apiece for us ; and a rio means a night of very respect- 
 able and comfortable carouse in the Yoshivvara.” 
 
 “While you two extremists are quarrelling,” put in the 
 third samurai , a plump morsel of sleek humanity who 
 had not yet spoken, “ I shall proceed to business by in- 
 quiring what our distinguished prisoners intend doing 
 about this scrape ? They must take the initiative in the 
 matter and offer some suggestion. Of course we must 
 bear in mind the fact that they are knightly gentlemen 
 and treat them accordingly ; but so doing does not imply 
 that we should forego the perquisites of our position. 
 They must be presumed to have come into this matter 
 with open eyes. Unless they can show that they have just 
 come from their cups they cannot expect us to endure 
 our hardships for nothing. Truly a night in the Yoshi- 
 wara would be a fitting solace for some of our bleak 
 vigils ! What word do they send to us, Sir Yakunin ? ” 
 
 “ They wish to say that, as the barbarian ships have 
 shown a friendly spirit, and are upon good terms with 
 the Bakufu, that there can be no reason why our * stone 
 orders ’ should not be made flexible for respectable 
 samurai desirous of securing information, and they think 
 that this is one of those rare occasions where inducements 
 for us to waive a strict application of our instructions can 
 be legitimately offered by them.” 
 
 The student of human nature would surely have been 
 edified at the variety of effects produced by this simple 
 announcement. Yamagata’s bleared eyes fairly glowed 
 
Shadows. 
 
 1 77 
 
 with excitement, and he licked his heavy chops in antici- 
 pation of the forthcoming rios. “ Ha ! ha ! ” he ex- 
 claimed, in hoarse, guttural tones, “ the question then 
 merely resolves itself into one of ‘how much?’ Four 
 rios to let them out of the scrape, and ten rios to let them 
 inspect the ships, is what I should say.” 
 
 “ I say the whole matter is too disreputable for us to 
 handle,” said the genteel man, in disgusted tones. “ I 
 move that we order them back home, with notice of 
 arrest in case they come again.” 
 
 “ Now don’t you spoil our fun with your country 
 ideas,” exclaimed the plump morsel of sleek humanity. 
 “ When you have lived in Aidzu Yashiki another six 
 months, I promise you that it will not be my fault if you 
 be so squeamish. How can it be expected of samurai to 
 bear up under the hardships of their position without 
 occasional relaxation ? I vote to make the price ten rios 
 for release, and twenty-five rios for permission to inspect 
 the ships.” 
 
 A long series of gurgling chuckles from the direction 
 of Yamagata announced that the hearty approval of that 
 gentleman was given to the amendment. 
 
 “ It seems to me,” said the Yakunin, in thoughtful 
 tones, “ that you gentlemen have lost your heads over the 
 question of spoils. Perhaps these gentlemen are Bakufu 
 officials, trying to see whether we are faithfully fulfilling 
 orders. Their language and bearing indicate that they 
 are not ordinary samurai. And when the wind blew 
 open the folds of their sleeves, I perceived the Tokugawa 
 crest stamped thereon. They certainly are either gov- 
 ernment officials in disguise, or they belong to the 
 Gosanke. In the former case, we must warn them off. 
 In the latter case, we may negotiate for ‘ inducements,’ 
 to permit an inspection of the ships. The way they 
 spoke about fresh orders coming from Yedo to relax the 
 severity of our surveillance, rather makes me fear that 
 they are government officials in disguise.” 
 
 Again would the student of human nature have been 
 amused at the variety of effects produced by this last 
 
1 7 8 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 announcement. The blear-eyed man muttered a fierce 
 imprecation against the god of luck, and looked very 
 much as if on the verge of a fit. 
 
 The genteel young man smiled resignedly. 
 
 The plump young man wore a most doleful counte- 
 nance, and looked as if he were being dunned for a bill. 
 
 “ In order to help us to decide this matter,” continued 
 the Yakunin, “ I will call these two gentlemen over into 
 our boat, and we will cautiously feel our way and arrive 
 at some definite conclusion.” So saying, he went over 
 and brought them back. 
 
 “Honorable sirs,” said the Yakunin, “you spoke of 
 having come from Yedo this morning. Have you heard 
 what the Gotairo intends doing in reference to these bar- 
 barian demands for a treaty ? ” 
 
 “ We regret our inability to give you the information 
 that you seek,” replied Tomokichi. “Although we live 
 in Yedo, yet, being in no way connected with the govern- 
 ment, we have no means of hearing of any thing new 
 until such time as the government may choose to inform 
 the public at large, — an occurrence that may not transpire 
 for many days subsequent to an event.” 
 
 This welcome intelligence produced a fresh cast of 
 features among the four gentlemen. The Yakunin looked 
 immensely relieved. The blear-eyed man burst into 
 smiles. The genteel man looked very much interested. 
 The plump morsel of humanity coughed significantly. 
 
 The ground now being open for negotiations, the 
 Yakunin continued as follows : “ Did I understand you 
 gentlemen correctly when you spoke of certain induce- 
 ments being offered for certain permission to inspect 
 certain ships ? ” 
 
 “You most certainly did so understand us,” replied 
 Tomokichi. 
 
 “ Are you aware that you are tempting government 
 officers to violate their duty ?” slyly suggested the plump 
 young man in measured tones. 
 
 Tomokichi, who at once understood the tone and the 
 shuffling gesture that accompanied it, turned to the 
 
Shadows. 
 
 179 
 
 speaker, and replied : “ I do not think that the govern- 
 
 ment will care so much about your duty since the bar- 
 barians have conducted themselves in so friendly a 
 manner. Besides this, you well know that ‘ inducements ’ 
 are winked at by the government, when their interests are 
 not jeopardized. And how can it possibly jeopardize 
 government interests to allow two harmless samurai to 
 gratify their curiosity by inspecting barbarian ships on a 
 dark night ? ” 
 
 Sure enough, how could it ? That was a new idea for 
 them to consider. 
 
 “ Never mind that matter,” exclaimed the blear-eyed 
 man impatiently. “ Of course you know that you are in 
 our power for daring to approach as near as you have 
 done already. Now what ’s your price for our letting 
 you off ? ” 
 
 “ Oh ! We care nothing either about arrest or being 
 let off. We do not care to offer inducements for matters 
 that are immaterial to us. But we will do handsomely 
 T>y you if you will allow us to inspect the ships, for we do 
 care about that matter very much indeed.” 
 
 This cool reply astonished and pleased the four officers 
 immeasurably. After a short whispered consultation, 
 the Yakunin said : “ Well, if we allow your boat to 
 
 inspect the ships, you must not object to our boat follow- 
 ing you at a short distance. This is a very necessary 
 precaution.” 
 
 “We shall have no objection to that,” was the prompt 
 response. 
 
 “ What say you to twenty-five rios for this extraordi- 
 nary privilege that we are granting you ? ” suggested the 
 plump young man. 
 
 “ Of course, that is a very large sum of money,” 
 replied Tomokichi (who, by the way, had come prepared 
 to pay double and triple that sum if necessary), “but we 
 can meet you there.” 
 
 “ Call it twenty-five rios then,” said the blear-eyed 
 man, nearly bursting with ill-suppressed emotion at 
 the prospect of an entire week’s debauch in the Yoshi- 
 
i8o 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 wara. “ Pay the amount over to our commanding 
 officer.” 
 
 Accordingly the young spies accompanied the Yakunin 
 to the cabin, where, by the light of a paper lantern, the 
 gold coin was duly counted out and paid over. After 
 this ceremony they were escorted with supreme respect 
 to their own boat. The Bakufu boatmen then released 
 their grip on the gunwales, the lanterns were put out, and 
 the two boats (within easy hailing distance of each other) 
 plunged into the gloom. The fleet comprised three ma- 
 jestic steamers and four sailing vessels. The Mito boat 
 went flitting around among the latter craft, and the 
 young men inspected them to their hearts’ content. 
 These sailing frigates did not present, however, as many 
 points of interest as the steamships. Accordingly our 
 friends decided to spend the most of their time in ex- 
 amining the latter. 
 
 Their boat was therefore headed toward the mighty 
 flagship of the squadron, the stately Mississippi, whose 
 lofty masts and massive spars were destined nine years 
 later to crumble into ashes while lighting up the dark 
 waters of its namesake at Port Hudson. It stood out in 
 the darkness like a magician’s palace. Brilliant lights 
 were swinging aloft amid the meshes of the rigging ; 
 the grim guns were trimmed for immediate action and 
 thrust forth their iron mouths threateningly into the 
 night ; long rows of port-holes shot forth shafts of light 
 that fell glimmering and twinkling on the waves ; steam 
 was being kept up, and clouds blacker than the hues of 
 night rolled lazily out of the gloomy smoke-stack, and, 
 mingling with the hissing steam, trailed seaward on the 
 wings of the wind ; the shadowy guards were carelessly 
 pacing the deck, and the uneasy wheels (as if trying to 
 keep in practice) occasionally churned the waves with 
 their broad blades ; while the vast hull, like some pant- 
 ing thing of life, — some weird creation of the fancy, — 
 fitfully rolled from larboard to starboard in the restless 
 ground swell. The scene was indeed awe-inspiring, and 
 the wonder-stricken fishermen hesitated to draw nigh 
 
Shadows. 
 
 1 8 1 
 
 unto the sleeping “ volcano on the whale’s back.” So 
 they prowled around in the deep shade abaft the stern. 
 Being urged to advance closer, they finally slipped 
 noiselessly and unobserved beneath the projecting quar- 
 ter-deck and halted for a reconnoissance. Upon the 
 planks overhead they heard the tramp, tramp, tramp, 
 of the tireless watch ; beside them the colossal rudder 
 creaked and moaned most dismally, as it helplessly 
 writhed in the surging waves created by the swaying of 
 the vessel from side to side ; and within the cavernous 
 sides of the black monster they heard the boisterous 
 merriment of some late convivial gathering. 
 
 Leaving the stern and creeping along the sides of the 
 leviathan, they finally came to the frothing wheel and they 
 were obliged to make a slight detour in order to pass 
 that uneasy fin. Then they came to a square hole in the 
 side of the vessel that had been left open for the purpose 
 of allowing fresh air to pour into the stokers’ room. The 
 shutter opened outward, so that the captain of the boat 
 was able to have a convenient place where to hold fast 
 while he stood on tiptoe and gazed down into what 
 seemed to him to be the mouth of hell and the portals to 
 dens of iniquitous sorcery. He could not have been 
 more amazed if he had been gazing down a square 
 tunnel into the bowels of the earth. 
 
 Within there was a vast chamber lit up with the 
 crackling, seething flames of perdition, such as the 
 Buddhist temples in Mito pictured on their walls ! 
 Huge black devils were firing up the furnaces for some 
 carnival of horrible torment ! The gigantic fellows had 
 monstrous bandanna hankerchiefs tied around their 
 woolly heads, and the glaring ends of the cloths were 
 knotted in front so as to stand out like glaring horns. 
 Their white eyes rolled horribly, and their glistening 
 teeth shone hideously, as they conversed in savage tones 
 over their hellish work. Their bodies above and below 
 the waist were bare, and the black skin glistened with 
 streams of perspiration as they bent to their fearful task, 
 gleefully swinging back the clanging doors of massive 
 
182 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 iron, and exultingly shovelling vast quantities of black 
 stones into the fiery throats of gigantic furnaces that 
 glowed so fiercely that the terrified fisherman would 
 willingly have closed his eyes but for the absorbing 
 fascination of the horrible scene. “ This, then, is the 
 root of the volcano ! ” he muttered to himself, as he made 
 way for his young masters, who long gazed in awe- 
 stricken wonder and mute silence upon the weird scene, 
 where the playful negroes were dancing and howling 
 around the lurid furnaces in boisterous merriment over 
 their work. Truly, the scene was one quite sufficient to 
 have suggested demons revelling over some carnival of 
 anguish in Hades! Tomokichi finally drew a long 
 breath and murmured : “ I understand ! ” 
 
 “ What is it ? ” whispered Junzo, as they crept onward 
 toward the bow of the steamer. 
 
 “ It is connected in some way with the making of 
 watery vapor for moving the ship through the water. 
 There is a scientific work at Mito Yashiki that fully 
 explains the matter. But I do not understand the 
 subject fully enough to go into details. How supremely 
 hideous those black devils appeared ! Can it be possible 
 that such beings exist in foreign countries ?” 
 
 The boat had now reached the bow of the flagship and 
 was headed for the next steamer in the line. The fore- 
 castle watch sighted them as they slipped away, but as 
 they appeared to be moving off it was not deemed 
 necessary to challenge what was considered to be a party 
 of harmless sight-seers. The same tactics were followed 
 when the next steamer was reached, — slipping under the 
 stern and creeping along the side. Here they found one 
 of the cabin port-holes open so that they could look into 
 the stateroom of one of the officers. 
 
 Now that particular officer happened to be the second 
 lieutenant, who had a very peculiar and inveterate habit 
 of always washing his hands with scented soap just 
 before retiring to rest for the night. Precisely what 
 hygienic principle lurked beneath this idiosyncrasy no 
 one had ever been able to ascertain, — not even after a 
 
Shadows. 
 
 183 
 
 purloined cake of the soap had been subjected to a 
 chemical analysis. He had been twitted and teased 
 most unmercifully by his messmates about his peculiar 
 habit, but to no purpose except to make him sensitive 
 and irritable. They had nicknamed him Pontius Pilate, 
 not merely because he washed his hands at unseasonable 
 hours, but because they intended to ungenerously inti- 
 mate that his nightly fetich signified that he washed his 
 hands of the daily iniquities of his sinful messmates. 
 Now, it happened on this particular evening that this 
 particularly particular young gentleman was engaged in 
 his ablutions just as the grinning head of the Mito 
 captain peered into the port-hole of his stateroom. Pie 
 was standing in his night-dress before the tin wash-bowl 
 from whose foaming suds he had just lifted his dripping 
 hands in order to dry them on the towel. Looking up 
 and turning around, he beheld the smiling features in the 
 port-hole. Without stopping to think, he at once sur- 
 mised this intrusion to be another trick of his tormentors, 
 and immediately resented the insult by dashing the con- 
 tents of the basin into the face of the intruder. The 
 soapy emulsion went into the eyes of the luckless fisher- 
 man, causing him to howl and to drop with great noise 
 from the ratlines down into the boat. This disturbance 
 roused the deck watch to a realizing sense of their duty. 
 And then was enacted the second scene of the comedy. 
 
 It seemed that the vessels of the fleet had frequently 
 been annoyed by sight-seers prowling around at night. 
 Uncouth heads had frequently appeared at port-holes and 
 windows, causing annoyance to the officers, and amuse- 
 ment to the sailors. On several occasions, venturesome 
 spies had even climbed up the chains to the deck, in 
 order to view things more fully. Consequently, strict 
 orders had been given to keep all boats off at a respect- 
 ful distance, but to inflict no injury (if possible to avoid 
 doing so). The precise methods to be employed in 
 carrying out these orders had been left pretty much to 
 the discretion of the crew. The American tar, when 
 left to his own resources, rarely displays any lack of in- 
 
Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 1 84 
 
 genuity, and invariably rises quite equal to any situation 
 requiring diplomatic fijiesse. In the China ports, the 
 favorite method employed had been to hurl lumps of 
 coal and sundry superannuated eggs, accompanied by 
 potatoes in advanced stages of dissolution, upon the 
 heads of the thieving Chinamen prowling about the 
 vessels. 
 
 But such heroic treatment was deemed too harsh for 
 the amiable natives of Dai-Nippon. Jack, however, did 
 not long puzzle his head over what specific to employ 
 for the case in hand. During the daytime he found that 
 a shake of his tatooed fist was quite sufficient to head off 
 the most venturesome intruder. But at nighttime he 
 found that such mild treatment was of no avail. Ac- 
 cordingly, he would clandestinely fill up during the day 
 half-a-dozen or so of buckets with swill, collected from 
 the galley barrel, and secrete them in divers nooks and 
 corners about the forecastle. This unofficial proceeding, 
 of course, defrauded the swine of their just allowance of 
 rations, for the crafty tars filled up the barrel with 
 water, and thus foisted on the helpless porkers some 
 highly diluted diet. Well, well, all that is neither here 
 nor there. Suffice it to say that when the disturbance 
 occurred on this particular evening the boat had sped 
 forward and was below the forecastle chains when the 
 grinning faces of the forward watch peered over the sides 
 of the vessel to view the situation. “ Lay ’em aboard, 
 my hearties ! ” was the laconic order overhead. Then 
 down came a deluge such as our cheerful fishermen had 
 never experienced in all of their years of battling with 
 the elements, and it was a deluge that well-nigh swamped 
 the boat. 
 
 Pure, undiluted swill, such as the hearts and the 
 stomachs of the aforesaid hogs had been yearning after, 
 constituted the prime ingredient of that downpour. 
 Masses of soaked bread, huge lumps of hardtack, and 
 disgustingly mushy biscuits formed a few of the interesting 
 items. Yards upon yards of potato peelings, hosts of 
 cabbage leaves, muddy coffee-grounds by the jugful, and 
 
Shadows. 
 
 185 
 
 the prosaic odds and ends of hash, puddings, and pies, 
 were a few other articles that served to eliminate the last 
 vestige of romance from the situation. The decks of the 
 boat betwixt the after cabin and the forecastle was 
 turned into a condition of nameless horror much resem- 
 bling a pig trough, — a scene that would have rendered the 
 luckless swine frantic with resentment at such prodigal 
 waste of their food. Tomokichi, Junzo, and the four 
 scullers were but slightly spattered with this avalanche, 
 as they happened to be astern. But the remainder of 
 the crew came in for full dividends. 
 
 The gleeful chucklings from above grew rapidly fainter 
 as the unhappy fishermen fled in wild haste. This mirth 
 was not appreciated nor in any way entered into by the 
 crew until they began to unwind long festoons of potato 
 peelings entwined about their necks, and to skate around 
 on the decks on oranges and quarter loaves of bread. 
 Then the humor of the situation dawned upon all of 
 them (especially those astern), and they indulged in im- 
 moderate laughter. They soon met the guard-boat, and 
 were duly escorted beyond the cordon of boats. Then 
 they rushed homeward. The crew whiled away the time 
 by removing the debris from the decks, and in picking 
 dough and mush out of hair, eyes, and ears. On the 
 whole, they voted it a very jolly thing to shadow the 
 barbarian ships in the dusky night, — but they unani- 
 mously hoped that there might not be another such an 
 expedition very soon. On the morrow they were kept 
 very busy cleaning the boat and in bailing out the swill 
 that had flowed into the cabin, the forecastle, and the 
 storeroom amidships. Many of the articles fished out 
 of the boat created much lively comment, and Tomo- 
 kichi was constrained to confess that no scientific work 
 at Mito Yashiki, so far as he knew, could throw any 
 light on their nomenclature. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK. 
 
 After the events narrated in the last chapter our 
 young friends began to consider the advisability of turn- 
 ing the prow of their boat homeward. They had acquired 
 about all the information possible to be gathered under 
 the conditions whereunder they were conducting their 
 investigations ; yet they were loath to quit the waters of 
 the bay, and they lingered day after day, as if fascinated 
 by the novelty and by the danger of their surroundings. 
 They did not again attempt to make a close inspection 
 of the vessels ; but hardly a day passed without their 
 boat being seen hovering about outside of the cordon of 
 guard-boats watching with profoundest interest the 
 minutest manoeuvres of fleet and crew, — for the experi- 
 ences of that night of shadowing had filled their bosoms 
 with the sincerest respect for every thing pertaining to 
 the foreigners and their mysterious vessels. After a 
 week thus spent they reluctantly came to the conclusion 
 that no adequate reason existed for any further delay, 
 and that both duty and prudence required their speedy 
 departure from the place. Accordingly, they issued 
 orders to have the boat put in readiness for the return 
 voyage. 
 
 On the afternoon of the day preceding that of their 
 intended departure, Tomokichi was busily engaged in 
 entering in his little book copious notes and comments 
 concerning the “barbarians,” and, as he appeared to be 
 settled down for several hours of steady work, Junzo 
 decided to stroll up the path that zigzagged up the cliff 
 and to walk along the tops of the hills and to take a last 
 
When Greek Meets Greek. 
 
 187 
 
 look at the stately squadron riding at anchor to the north- 
 ward. The day was warm and bright, and, after taking 
 another look at the boat to see if the preparations for 
 departure had been properly made, he leisurely followed 
 the cliff path in its windings through underbrush and 
 thicket until it finally emerged at the summit. There he 
 tarried awhile to gaze upon the picturesque hamlet nest- 
 ling peacefully on the white sands, and to sweep with his 
 eyes the broad expanse of blue waves that stretched away 
 to the distant shores. Then, resuming his course, he 
 took the path through the woods and finally emerged at 
 a clearing on a hill-top which overlooked that portion of 
 the bay where the ships lay uneasily champing at the 
 cables that fretted their iron mouths. The site was cov- 
 ered with grass and was ornamented with a little wooden 
 shrine in honor of Ebisu, the ubiquitous god of fisher- 
 men. The little fat fellow was peeping out from behind 
 some wooden bars, and was gazing stupidly on the beau- 
 tiful scene with eyes begrimed with the smoking incense 
 that many decades of votaries had placed beneath his 
 very nostrils. The shrine belonged to the circuit of a 
 large Buddhist monastery situated many miles back 
 among the hills, and whose priests came hither on fete- 
 days to perform ceremonies and to receive the offerings 
 of the simple-minded denizens of the coast. 
 
 On this particular afternoon there was nobody there. 
 The only visitor that day had been an old woman from 
 some hamlet along the shore, who had journeyed thither 
 to burn incense and to beseech good-natured Ebisu to 
 bring back her son who had been too long away on a 
 fishing excursion. The place was indeed too lovely for 
 any thing but peace and happiness. Yet inexorable fate 
 had marked it for the scene of a tragedy to be speedily 
 enacted thereon. 
 
 That very day, a samurai , wearing on his sleeves the 
 Tokugawa crest, had left a fishing hamlet some miles 
 northward, and had been diligently making a tour of 
 every fishing village and hamlet that lay in his way as he 
 journeyed southward. At each place visited he sought 
 
Mito Yashiki. 
 
 1 88 
 
 out the headman of the village or hamlet, and imperi- 
 ously demanded whether there were any strangers 
 within his jurisdiction, or whether any had recently been 
 there. He had received various replies to his enquiries, 
 but in no case did he seem to secure the information 
 which he desired. It was not until he came to the ham- 
 let just to the north of the one where our friends were 
 sojourning that his eyes brightened as he was informed 
 that there were several strangers in the next hamlet, and 
 that among them were two gentlemen who appeared to 
 be samurai. When he was informed that these gentle- 
 men claimed to be Bakufu officials acting as shore- 
 guards, he drew forth from his sleeve a book that he 
 spent several minutes in thoughtfully consulting. Then, 
 with the eagerness of a bloodhound that has caught the 
 scent, he tapped his forehead and hastily continued his 
 journey along the shore. 
 
 The path soon left the beach and wound up through 
 woods to the top of the hill where stuffy old Ebisu held 
 his dreary vigil. Junzo had been there nearly two hours 
 and was just beginning to think about returning to his 
 quarters in the hamlet, when he heard somebody coming 
 through the thickets near where he was sitting on a grassy 
 knoll. His first impulse was to slip behind the shrine 
 and hide himself from view. But long immunity from 
 alarm had rendered him somewhat reckless, and he 
 furthermore reflected that it might be only a fisherman 
 coming to worship at the shrine, and that it would be 
 very undignified for a sa?nurai to be found skulking be- 
 hind it. He therefore boldly held his ground and fear- 
 lessly awaited the approach of the stranger. 
 
 There was a swaying of the bushes, a few labored puffs 
 for breath, the crackling of twigs, and the falling of loose 
 stones down the steep hill — and then the climber 
 emerged panting from the woods and stood facing Junzo 
 Nakashima. A hasty glance at each other’s faces, and 
 the recognition was mutual and instantaneous. Junzo 
 had met this stalwart samurai on several occasions hov- 
 ering around the precincts of Mito Yashiki during the 
 
When Greek Meets Greek. 
 
 189 
 
 winter, and knew him to be the most adroit, the most 
 fearless, and the most merciless bloodhound in the secret 
 service of the Shogun’s government. He was the most 
 successful and the most dreaded of all the swarms of 
 spies that flitted like bats and owls around the latticed 
 windows of every suspected Yashiki in Yedo. This man 
 had dared to enter Satsuma on the heels of a score of 
 other spies, who had perished there, and had returned 
 alive! Junzo’s heart stood still. The very blood in his 
 veins seemed turning to ice. He required no sooth- 
 sayer to tell him that this dreaded sleuth-hound had been 
 on his track and had finally hunted him down. While 
 his physical powers seemed benumbed with mortal fear, 
 his mental powers worked with unwonted activity, and 
 there flashed through his brain within the space of but a 
 moment of time a course of action that will take long for 
 my slow pen to describe and which his quick brain would 
 have but slowly evolved under ordinary circumstances. 
 It is at such supreme crises that noble spirits soar above 
 physical frailties and seem to imbibe inspired powers 
 from mysterious sources in the very atmosphere. 
 
 From remotest times in the history of mankind, there 
 has been but one fate reserved for the detected spy, — 
 death! Junzo fully realized that he was caught in the 
 very act. He well knew that this dreaded fellow had 
 doubtless been on his track for many months, had noted 
 his absence from Mito Yashiki, and had probably been 
 delegated to run him down. He well knew that from 
 the native standpoint his guilt was clearly proven ; that 
 while the gentleman before him might smile and affably 
 greet him in friendly conversation (which he seemed 
 quite disposed to do), yet that on the return of his 
 brother and himself to Yedo, their bodies would be de- 
 manded by the terrible Gotairo in the name of the Sho- 
 gun, and would be put to terrible torture in order to 
 force the disclosure of presumed accomplices, and would 
 finally be subjected to ignominious and horrible muti- 
 lation. 
 
 Unlucky Junzo well knew that both he and his brother 
 
190 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 were in the dread power of this terrible man who stood 
 there with unruffled features and serene countenance as 
 if ready to enter upon a most amicable interview. Then 
 there rushed over him the shame and the humiliation of 
 having failed in a grand enterprise almost consummated. 
 He seemed to see the sorrowful and the reproachful 
 countenances of his Mito friends. And there rose the 
 vision of a hamlet in a glen and a bereaved family mourn- 
 ing over two sons cut down on the threshold of life and 
 perishing in ignominy and shame. It was then that the 
 numbness left his arms, that the chill fled from his veins, 
 that the heart leaped and bore on its angry floods up to 
 the ready brain a fierce, a desperate, a murderous resolve. 
 The Bakufu spy must die then and there ! Spy had met 
 spy, and war to the death must ensue ! No mercy ! No 
 quarter ! This was his only salvation ! There would be 
 no witnesses to the scene. Escape for the Bakufu spy 
 was impossible, as he could not fly through the tangled 
 woods without exposing his back to his adversary’s deadly 
 blade, nor could he leap over the cliff without meeting 
 with sure death. He was completely entrapped, and 
 must fight out the issue in a lonely spot far away from 
 human habitations. 
 
 Even in such an emergency the true samurai abides 
 by his notions of chivalric honor and does things in ac- 
 cordance with prescribed rules and ceremony. Instead 
 of drawing his sword at once on his adversary so 
 as to take him unawares, Junzo quietly threw his loose 
 garments back first from his right shoulder and then from 
 his left shoulder, thus leaving his body bare down to the 
 waist. Then deliberately drawing his long, sharp sword 
 and pointing it downward into the green turf, he looked 
 steadily into the eyes of his adversary. 
 
 His enemy knew full well the meaning of this action, 
 and the color left his cheeks an instant as he realized 
 that he must now try the mortal issue with a person 
 whom he already knew to be the most expert swordsman 
 in Mito Yashiki. He glanced furtively around to see if 
 any avenue of escape remained open. He saw that he 
 
When Greek Meets Greek. 
 
 191 
 
 was completely shut in. But why fear this young man ? 
 True he was very expert with the sword, but were not ex- 
 perience and endurance on his side ? And was he not 
 also an adept in the use of the blade ? Had he not slain 
 twenty men in his venturesome career ? Had he not met 
 at a hotel in Satsuma three of the deadliest swordsmen 
 in that clan, and had he not dashed out the light when 
 they attacked him, and knelt upon the tat amis, and cut 
 them all down while groping about the room in the dark, 
 sweeping the air over his head with their swords ? Had 
 he not met single-handed some of the best blades in the 
 Yedo yashikis during his various adventures, and had 
 he not come off victor ? Why then fear this country- 
 bred youth from Atago-Yama, now about to engage in his 
 first mortal combat, and who probably would fight in 
 strict accordance with the ceremonious methods drilled 
 into him by his punctilious father, and who would prob- 
 ably not resort to the tricky methods so well known and 
 so unscrupulously employed by himself? 
 
 Thus bracing himself up with a resume of his deeds of 
 valor, and remembering the many tight places out of which 
 he had adroitly crawled during his extraordinary career, 
 he proceeded not only to throw off his upper garments, 
 but also his lower ones, and stood forth with merely 
 a clout about his loins and sandals on his feet. This was 
 his first unfair trick, for, when Junzo began to make 
 motions as if to disrobe himself in a similar fashion 
 in order to secure agility equal to that of his wily antag- 
 onist, the sly scoundrel at once advanced to the attack 
 and compelled him to fight with his lower limbs ham- 
 pered with frock-like hakamas. Junzo deftly parried his 
 adversary’s blow, and, kicking off his wooden clogs, 
 fought in his stockings. Truly it was a weird sight ! 
 The nervous tremor that falls upon the hands for the first 
 time raised to destroy the life of a fellow-being had 
 completely fled, and the small hands of our young friend 
 closed upon the hilt of his weapon with a firm and 
 dextrous grip, while the steady fire in his eyes bespoke 
 his deadly purpose and dauntless courage in language 
 
192 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 far more effective than reams of Homeric verses could 
 have done. With his shaven head and jet-black top- 
 knot, together with his clumsy petticoats, you might well 
 have taken him for some heathen goddess pirouetting over 
 the greensward with some savage partner, — for the brown 
 body of the spy, glistening like that of an eel in the sun- 
 light, twisted itself into all manner of shapes as he 
 whirled around his adversary delivering cuts with the 
 rapidity of lightning. 
 
 It was about four o’clock in the afternoon and the 
 western sun was in a position to greatly annoy that 
 swordsman who had to face it. It is needless to say that 
 the cunning spy speedily noted this fact and got into a 
 position where his back was toward it. Matters thus 
 opened very inauspiciously for our young friend. He 
 advanced, however, undaunted to the attack, and by a 
 few quick and skilful passes soon compelled his enemy 
 to abandon his vantage-ground and to turn sideways 
 toward the sun ; and from that time onward to the close 
 of the combat they shifted their positions all over the 
 greensward, so that each one took his turn in facing the 
 sun. 
 
 For the first ten minutes, neither party gained any de- 
 cided advantage. The spy was indeed a powerful and a 
 skillful swordsman, and in the opening attacks it re- 
 quired all of Junzo’s agility and skill to ward off the ter- 
 rible blows that poured down like hail. He had resolved 
 to let his antagonist do all of the fighting at first, in order 
 that he might study his style of fencing, and also to allow 
 him to become tired with his tremendous exertions and 
 thus neutralize the agility derived from his nude condi- 
 tion. For the next ten minutes, however, he pressed the 
 fighting more vigorously and followed the spy all over the 
 grounds. 
 
 Then came a quarter of an hour of exceedingly bitter 
 and vigorous fencing, wherein each combatant displayed 
 wonderful skill and power. It now became manifest 
 that the younger man had thoroughly mastered the elder 
 one’s style, so that victory could only come to the latter 
 
When Greek Meets Greek. 
 
 193 
 
 either from the exhaustion of his adversary or from some 
 accident befalling him. Then came a period of slower 
 and more cautious warfare, for Junzo had perceived that 
 his adversary was continually edging over to the path by 
 which he had climbed up, and it was manifest that his 
 intention was to seize a favorable opportunity and leap to 
 one side and rush down the hill, where his escape would 
 be very easy, inasmuch as his youthful foe’s long flowing 
 garments would catch in the underbrush and check most 
 effectually his pursuit. It required no small amount of 
 skill and patience to guard against this contingency. 
 
 Then came an incident that well-nigh brought the 
 fight to an abrupt and unexpected termination. The spy, 
 despairing of slipping out of the fatal arena, suddenly 
 picked up one of the heavy wooden clogs that his adver- 
 sary had kicked off at the commencement of hostilities, 
 and hurled it most unexpectedly into his face, striking 
 him heavily on the forehead therewith. He followed up 
 this unfair advantage with a terrific onslaught. For a 
 moment it seemed as if the game was up for our brave 
 young friend. He staggered back and nearly fell down 
 on the slippery grass. That backward movement, how- 
 ever, saved his life, for the blows that followed up his 
 demoralization all fell short of the mark and wounded 
 him but slightly in the leg and on the shoulder ; and, 
 before the treacherous knave could follow up his advan- 
 tage, his antagonist had recovered from the effect of the 
 stunning blow. 
 
 But it is a long lane that has no turn. The comba- 
 tants had now been fighting for nearly an hour, and the 
 advantage seemed to be with the Bakufu man. He 
 had, however, in his violent efforts to force the fighting, 
 nearly exhausted himself, and, although he had inflicted 
 two wounds on his adversary, they were of so slight a 
 character as to be quite harmless. On the other hand, 
 he had awakened a spirit of savage vindictiveness in his 
 adversary that seemed to add fresh strength to his youth- 
 ful arms and to intensify the vigor of his attacks. He 
 made one more attempt to escape by the path, and then 
 
i 9 4 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 edged over slowly toward a large stone, which he hoped 
 to be able to pick up and to repeat therewith his previ- 
 ous tactics. But his design was frustrated by his wiry 
 antagonist, who now seemed transformed into a perfect 
 demon, and who fought with a ferocity and an energy 
 incredible. Hereditary aptitude and a lifetime of train- 
 ing were fused together in white heat, and blow followed 
 blow with bewildering celerity until the ringing of the 
 blades made one continued clangor. The spy retreated 
 slowly to the middle of the open space near the shrine, 
 and fought on the strict defensive for several minutes. 
 Then there was a -sudden cessation of turmoil, and the 
 stalwart Bakufu man threw up his arms and fell back- 
 ward. Junzo’s blade had at last reached solid flesh, and 
 had cut through his foeman’s abdomen from right to 
 left, severing the great veins and arteries of that region 
 at one fell stroke. It was his favorite cut, and it was 
 one that he had been holding in reserve to use at an un- 
 expected moment. 
 
 There are six cuts and one thrust known to Japanese 
 fencers. Cut straight down for the head ; cut obliquely 
 at the left shoulder ; cut across the left side, bending 
 your right knee in order to give delivery thereto : re- 
 cover position j cut again for the head ; cut obliquely at 
 the right shoulder ; cut across the right side, bending 
 the left knee : recover position j draw the hilt of the 
 sword close up to your chest and lunge forward with 
 both hands at the breast. These cuts, like the rules of 
 war, are certainly simple enough ; but in their combina- 
 tions and application there is room for boundless skill 
 and complexity. The right-handed man will naturally 
 cut across his adversary’s abdomen from left to right 
 with far more readiness than from right to left. But 
 Junzo had learned to cut from either direction with 
 equal celerity. In this fight he had continually deliv- 
 ered the stroke from left to right, in order to lead his 
 adversary to suppose that he could not deliver the re- 
 verse cut from right to left with equal skill. And when 
 the supreme moment had, in his opinion, arrived, he 
 
When Greek Meets Greek. 
 
 1 95 *. 
 
 feinted as if to deliver his regular left-side abdominal 
 cut, and then with marvellous dexterity reversed the 
 stroke and came in upon the unguarded right side of his 
 enemy with the full sweep of a powerful cut delivered 
 with both hands upon the soft tissues of a bare body. 
 The result was horrible. The hideous gash reached 
 across the body, and the contents of the abdominal 
 cavity gushed forth through the ghastly fissure. The 
 stalwart warrior survived but a moment. The grass be- 
 came deluged with blood, the hands stretched out con- 
 vulsively for the fallen sword, the feet were spasmodically 
 drawn up, and the gurglings in the throat announced 
 that the end had come, and that the secrets locked up in 
 his bosom would never disturb his adversary. 
 
 Junzo stood for several minutes as if spellbound 
 with horror gazing on his dead enemy. Then he pro- 
 ceeded to a little spring near the shrine and washed the 
 blood from his blade and carefully sheathed it. He 
 then grasped his enemy by the heels and dragged him 
 far into the thickets. The sword and the clothes he 
 hid away carefully in the underbrush, after having re- 
 moved from the grass every possible trace of the bloody 
 fray. Then he washed off his own wounds and pro- 
 ceeded to dress himself. It was quite dusk when he 
 found his way back into the hamlet, where his brother 
 with great anxiety awaited his return. It did not take long 
 to explain matters to him. His admiration and astonish- 
 ment were unbounded. His brother’s prowess had in- 
 deed saved their lives, for the spy never trusted any 
 matter to paper nor to third parties, so that the results 
 of his investigations since leaving Yedo died with him, 
 and they could slip back to Yedo long before any dis- 
 covery could possibly be^made (if any ever were made) 
 as to his fate, for it was always expected that when 
 these creatures started out on their secret tours they 
 would take their own time and adopt whatever methods 
 seemed best to them. And then who would ever think 
 of connecting their purported absence in Mito with a 
 murderous combat down on Yedo Bay ? 
 
Mito Yashiki. 
 
 *96 
 
 But no time was to be lost ! They must be off that 
 very evening. Calling their boatmen, they at once is- 
 sued orders to embark, saying that an accidental tumble 
 down the cliff path had rendered it necessary for Junzo 
 to consult medical advisers in Mito, — a statement which 
 appeared plausible enough when his lumpy forehead and 
 limping gait were considered. Hastily settling up their 
 accounts with the village people, they started off in the 
 dark and had gone well up the coast before daylight. 
 Junzo lay quite ill for two days. The feverish reaction, 
 however, was soon blown away by the southwest mon- 
 soon before which they were gayly scudding homeward. 
 So fair was the breeze, and so steadily did the crew keep 
 to their work, that they took but five days to make the 
 trip back to Mito ; and when the keel of their boat slid 
 up the sands near the villa, our young adventurers looked 
 none the worse for their experience. Hurrying on to 
 the stables, they hastily mounted the nags that awaited 
 them there, and were back in Mito Yashiki safe and 
 sound on the evening of the fourth day after leaving the 
 sea-shore villa. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 A CONVOCATION AT THE CITADEL. 
 
 Soon after the return of our young friends to Mito 
 Yashiki, there was a grand convocation of the Daimios, 
 called by the Gotairo in the name of his master, the 
 Shogun Iyesada. They were convened to discuss the 
 ratification of the great treaty made with Commodore 
 Perry, whereby certain commercial privileges were to be 
 granted to the Americans, and wherein it was stipulated 
 that two seaports were to be thrown open to the vessels 
 of that country. The council-chambers of the Shogun’s 
 palace, within the innermost moat, had been placed in 
 readiness to receive the assembly, and special guards of 
 honor had been placed at all the gates of the castle to 
 receive with due ceremony the pompous trains of lords, 
 who flocked from all parts of Yedo to participate in the 
 momentous debate. The very cherry blossoms that 
 bloomed in myriad clusters throughout the royal gardens 
 appeared to be in a flutter of excitement, and profusely 
 showered their snowy petals upon the well gravelled 
 avenues and over the velvety lawns. The council-cham- 
 bers opened out upon the beautiful gardens, and a host 
 of servants in their best attire were flitting about per- 
 fecting the arrangements for receiving their master’s 
 guests with the befitting and comforting “pomp and cir- 
 cumstance ” of tea and tobacco, in order that the debate 
 might be alternately stimulated and soothed. The great 
 terror that had seized upon the city when the fleet first 
 appeared, had subsided as soon as the amicable disposi- 
 tion of the strangers had become manifest. But there 
 yet pervaded both yashiki and mart a feeling of sub- 
 
 197 
 
198 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 dued but most intense excitement. A political volcano 
 indeed slumbered beneath the very feet of the people. 
 
 At about ten o’clock in the morning, the various reti- 
 nues began to sally forth from the gateways of the 
 various yashikis, and to wend their way toward the cita- 
 del. At the second moat the lords were obliged to alight 
 from their norimons, and to enter the citadel enclosure 
 with but a few personal attendants, who escorted them to 
 the commodious anterooms to await the signal that 
 should announce to them the fact that they were to be 
 ushered into the council-chambers. Every thing was 
 done with utmost decorum and with the utmost delibera- 
 tion. There was an utter absence of turmoil and con- 
 fusion, and the groups of dignitaries were silently 
 ushered in by the attendants, who glided about like well- 
 oiled machines, manipulating the preliminaries of some 
 state funeral. No salutes were fired, no trumpets gave 
 tongue to their inspiring notes, no cheers from the spec- 
 tators awoke the drowsy proceedings. Each Daimio was 
 courteously received at the gateway of the palace by an 
 attendant, who slowly walked ahead of him down the 
 long corridor, while a page, carrying his lordship’s 
 sword (hilt upward), brought up the rear. Like shadows 
 they looked as triplet after triplet steadily and stealthily 
 followed each other with noiseless tread down the long 
 corridors toward the waiting-rooms, where each lord 
 silently knelt upon the cushion assigned to him, while 
 his page stood behind him with upheld sword. 
 
 Toward midday the anterooms had become well 
 filled with a silent and expectant throng, that awaited the 
 Gotairo’s arrival with meek quiescence and decorous 
 patience. As yet that important personage had not left 
 his yashiki near the western entrance to the Shogun’s 
 parks. He tarried there with his councillors, worrying 
 over some diplomatic point involved in the treaty. At 
 last light broke upon their perplexity, and the order was 
 given for the norimon to be brought to the door, and for 
 his Lordship's retinue to be in readiness for immediate 
 departure. Finally his Lordship emerged from the 
 
A Convocation at the Citadel. 
 
 *99 
 
 massive doorway of his mansion ; his bearers prostrated 
 themselves in the dust at his feet ; his retainers did unto 
 him profound obeisance ; and, entering his elegantly 
 lacquered vehicle, he gave the command to start. 
 Slowly the train moved across the courtyard and out 
 through the main gateway, upon the broad road that 
 skirted the moat. Following it for a short distance to 
 the left, they came to the Hanzo Gate that led within the 
 Shogun’s park. They were not to enter here, but were 
 to turn to the right, and follow the edge of the moat 
 down the hill until they came to the Sakurada Gate. 
 
 It will therefore appear that the main gateway of the 
 Gotairo’s stood nearly opposite to the upper gate 
 
 that furnished ingress to the royal park. In ancient 
 times this entire locality was the crown of a hill ; but 
 when the castle was constructed it was deemed best to 
 carry the second system of circumvallation right through 
 the hill. Accordingly the indefatigable architects dug 
 their way through the very foundations of the bluff, 
 leaving only a narrow causeway in front of the gate, 
 thus making one of those mighty cuttings for which 
 Yedo Castle was so justly famous, and leaving the two 
 gateways to ogle each other across the intervening 
 ravine. The precipitous sides of this cutting were well 
 swarded, and the deep, broad waters of the moat beneath 
 were filled with water-lilies and lotus-flowers, amid which 
 the wild fowl from northern lakes sported unmolested 
 during the winter months. The opposite side of the 
 steep embankment was fringed along its top with stone 
 ramparts, upon which were planted pine-trees, whose 
 green boughs showered needle-leaves and long resinous 
 cones upon hillside and water, startling the wayward 
 teal with their rustlings and splashings as they slid down 
 into the waves. 
 
 The long retinue of Nawosuke, Lord of Hikone, 
 turned aside from the lofty causeway and marched 
 leisurely down the hill and entered the Sakurada Gate by 
 means of a fragile wooden bridge thrown across the 
 moat at that point. The procession was not a very im- 
 
200 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 posing one, for his Lordship was a man of simple habits, 
 loving decisive action above all things, and having but 
 little regard for pompous display. At the head of his 
 procession stalked a retainer who bore aloft on a long 
 pole the black tufted tassel that betokened the rank of 
 a Daimio of the realm. Then came other retainers 
 bearing aloft the heraldic insignia that betokened the 
 approach of the Lord of Hikone, whom it had pleased 
 the Shogun to constitute the Gotairo (or Prince Regent, 
 as foreigners were accustomed to designate him). Then 
 came some mailed warriors on horseback, followed by 
 some spearmen and archers. Then came the norimon of 
 his Highness, borne on the shoulders of eight coolies, and 
 surrounded by a body-guard of stately samurai in full 
 regalia costume. And the rear was brought up by a 
 score of armed horsemen. 
 
 The entire procession did not comprise over two hun- 
 dred men. But what cared his Highness for display? 
 Was not he the actual ruler of the “ Empire of the 
 Gods ” ? Were not the barracks of his yashiki bristling 
 with warriors ? Did not twenty thousand trusty retain- 
 ers await his commands at Hikone Castle, on the distant 
 shores of Biwa Lake ? And did not eighty thousand 
 armed Hattomotos, enrolled under the Shogun’s ban- 
 ners, await the beck and call of Nawosuke, Lord of Hikon6, 
 Prince Regent of the realm ? Why, then, with the 
 forces of the realm in his hand, should he waste money 
 on useless pomp ? Thus reasoned the active and ener- 
 getic mind of the Gotairo. Through the Sakurada Gate, 
 across the broad parade ground, over the innermost 
 moat, and into the private grounds of the Shogun’s 
 palace, swept the train that escorted his Highness, until 
 the main entrance of his master’s mansion had been 
 reached, when the order to halt was given, and the 
 cramped figure of his Lordship crept out of the comfort- 
 less norimon and stood beside the massive portals of the 
 vestibule. 
 
 “ Honorable Miyoshi,” said the Gotairo in a low tone 
 addressing one of his attendants, “ command the gen- 
 
A Convocation at the Citadel. 
 
 201 
 
 tlemen and the bearers to return here when the shadow 
 of the sun-dial indicates the hour of sunset. In the 
 meantime they can make themselves as comfortable as 
 possible in the barracks beside the Exalted Gateway. It 
 is likely that our session will be a very protracted one.” 
 So saying, he mounted the steps that led up to the 
 veranda, and then, with his councillors, passed down the 
 long corridor that led to the private apartments of his 
 master, the Shogun, in order that he might present his 
 respects, and also might make arrangements for the in- 
 terview with the Daimios. The timid and delicate young 
 man before whom he and his councillors prostrated 
 themselves in the reception chamber of the “ Barbarian 
 Exterminating Lord,” did not much resemble the en- 
 shrined majesty held up to the gaze of the outside world 
 by the astute Bakufu officials, — a majesty so dread that 
 ambassadors and Daimios must creep into his sacred 
 presence on hands and knees without venturing to gaze 
 thereon ! Thus, in all countries do courtiers and syco- 
 phants pull the strings that manipulate the puppets in 
 whose hands thD destinies of empires are presumed to 
 be held. 
 
 “ Profoundly venerated and dreadsome sir,” said the 
 Gotairo, after the preliminary ceremonies had been con- 
 cluded, “ we, your silly and incapable servants are ready 
 to make report to the Daimios, as to what course should 
 be pursued in regard to these foreigners who have vexed 
 the minds of the people so persistently during the last 
 seven or eight months.” 
 
 “ I have no doubt that your able report will be satis- 
 factory, and that the solution of the difficulty therein 
 suggested will pacify the hearts of the people, and will 
 comfort the imperial bosom, thus immeasurably gratifying 
 and quieting my greatly perplexed mind,” slowly and 
 hesitatingly replied Iyesada. “ When I was advised to 
 appoint the Lord of Hikone as my prime-minister, I was 
 informed that no abler vassal dwelt within the domain 
 of Tokugawa. Since your appointment I have had no 
 occasion to distrust either the loyalty or the astuteness 
 
202 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 of your honored self. Learned sir, kindly unfold your 
 plans without reserve, and take full charge of the august 
 assemblage of my vassals, now gathered in this palace.” 
 
 “ Your unworthy servants,” replied the Gotairo, 
 “ would suggest that our Lord take his place behind the 
 screen in the alcove of the audience-hall, where his 
 presence, not being noted, can not overawe the timorous 
 vassals there assembled. We will sit in front of the 
 screen, and will conduct the deliberation of the Daimios. 
 Your Majesty will then hear all about our plans, and can 
 whisper to us through the bamboo gauzework in the 
 screen any question that may suggest itself to your 
 mind, and we will write out our answers thereto and 
 clandestinely slip the notes under the screen. Such is 
 the humble suggestion that awaits your approval.” 
 
 “ Your suggestion is a wise one, and I will now authorize 
 its immediate adoption,” replied Iy^sada. “ Do that 
 which you deem advisable. Affairs are now entirely in 
 your hands. Order whatever you may wish the attend- 
 ants to do without consulting further with myself. I 
 shall now proceed to the alcove, and will there await 
 further developments.” 
 
 So saying, the ruler of the Japanese empire quietly 
 slipped out of the room, leaving the Gotairo to do what- 
 ever might seem wise in his own eyes. And his Lord- 
 ship did not hesitate to seize the reins with a firm grip. 
 Clapping his hands, to summon an attendant, he ordered 
 that personage, when he had put in an appearance, to 
 instruct the ushers to marshal the Daimios in the audi- 
 ence-hall according to rank, and then to bring him word 
 when every thing was ready for opening the convention. 
 Another attendant then brought in tea and tobacco for 
 the councillors to discuss while matters were converging 
 toward a focus. Then some ink and paper were called 
 for, and his Lordship busied himself with writing for the 
 space of half an hour, until the obsequious attendants 
 announced that the assembled Daimios awaited his 
 pleasure. He then proceeded with his suite through a 
 labyrinth of apartments and corridors until he came to 
 
A Convocation at the Citadel. 
 
 203 
 
 the stately chamber where the assembly had been con- 
 vened, — a fact that was heralded by the subdued hum- 
 ming of many voices. 
 
 At one end of the hall was a platform raised about one 
 foot from the floor. This place was for the presiding 
 officer and his suite. To the left of this platform was 
 the screened alcove already alluded to. Around upon 
 the main floor of the hall were sitting about two hun- 
 dred persons, constituting the great Daimios of the realm 
 and their personal attendants. They had been provided 
 with silken cushions, on which they knelt, and then sat 
 upon their heels in the peculiar manner characteristic 
 of the country. The s/tojee beside the platform was 
 slid gently back, and the Gotairo with his suite glided in 
 and seated themselves upon the embroidered cushions 
 that had been arranged there on the soft tatamis. When 
 these gentlemen had taken their seats they were the re- 
 cipients of profound and profuse salutations from the 
 assembly, which compliments they duly returned with 
 salutations equally profound. After the waves of 
 obeisances had subsided, the Gotairo made an address, 
 which, if it had been condensed in terse English, would 
 not have taken up more than five minutes of time ; but 
 which, when inflated with continual bowing and sucking 
 in of the breath between the teeth, together with endless 
 circumlocutory expressions, padded to death with hon- 
 orific verbiage, occupied twenty-five minutes of time. 
 His remarks, when condensed in shockingly abrupt Eng- 
 lish, were about as follows : 
 
 “ I, the insignificant and utterly unworthy servant of 
 the Shogun (the mighty power of whose ancestors has 
 smitten barbarians with abject fear for many centuries, 
 thereby giving peace and consolation to the imperial 
 bosom), have been appointed (although but a creature 
 of lowly rank) by the mighty Lord of Dai-Nippon to 
 lay before the noble vassals of the realm here convened 
 a matter of vast importance, and also one that will re- 
 quire much careful and profound investigation. After 
 the matter has been fully laid before you, it is the wish 
 
204 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 of my master that you freely discuss the questions in- 
 volved in so momentous a subject, so that he may be 
 benefited and soothed with whatever valuable sugges- 
 tions there may be garnered in the matured minds of 
 thoughtful and learned vassals here convened in awe- 
 some assemblage. 
 
 “ You, honored sirs, well know that last year there ap- 
 peared on our coasts four ships belonging to a barbarian 
 nation beyond some distant seas. As you have already 
 been informed, these intruding people, with boundless 
 arrogance and defiance, even ventured to push the prows 
 of their ships far into the waters of our own bay, — 
 hitherto unmolested by outside barbarians, — thus openly 
 violating the edicts of Tokugawa Iyeyas, at which the 
 nations of the earth have trembled for over two hundred 
 years, and by which a profound peace has been caused 
 to settle down upon our agitated country like heavy 
 mists upon a mountain. Being warned to leave our 
 waters, these barbarians persisted in remaining ; and, 
 furthermore, they insisted upon making personal delivery 
 of a letter from the ruler of their nation to the ruler of 
 our nation. With unparalleled impudence they refused 
 to hand over that epistle to a yakunin , but they insisted 
 on our delegating a lord of the realm to be the person 
 upon whom they would be satisfied to make what they 
 deemed a suitable service. 
 
 “ So greatly had the country become alarmed by this 
 unexpected advent of the barbarians, and so utterly un- 
 prepared were we to repel the intrusion by force, that 
 we deemed it advisable then in convention to humor 
 them in their whim, and to allow them to depart in peace. 
 But with yet greater assurance they notified us that they 
 would return in the spring, in orderto receive our answer 
 to their letter. And they have shown themselves to be 
 as good as their word, for last month they again put in 
 an appearance, and clamored most persistently and men- 
 acingly for our reply. They have rendered the situation 
 more awkward by returning with a fleet containing twice 
 as many vessels as were in their previous fleet. You 
 
A Convocation at the Citadel. 
 
 205 
 
 already are familiar with the contents of that letter. 
 Upon its reception by the worshipful and mighty Iy£yo- 
 shi last summer, he laid it before you in council. At 
 that time I was a member of the assembly, — not yet 
 having been appointed as servant to our puissant lord. 
 I then counselled delay in the matter and a friendly an- 
 swer, which advice the great Lord of Nippon did me the 
 overwhelming honor to accept. But, in the meantime, 
 momentous changes have transpired. Our Lord Iyeyo- 
 shi, soon after his friendly message to the barbarians, 
 fell grievously ill of some mysterious malady, and entered 
 upon the shadowy way, so that his office devolved upon 
 our present master, the gracious and supreme Lord 
 Iy^sada, who has seen fit to constitute me to be his right 
 hand. 
 
 “ And now, gentlemen of the GosankS, and of the 
 Daimiates, what shall we do with this letter ? You per- 
 ceive that it is directed to the ‘ Ruler ’ of the Japanese 
 empire, and not to the supreme and Imperial Majesty 
 that has dwelt unseen within the sacred precincts of the 
 Gosho for over one thousand years. Although the 
 fountain of honors has dwelt in such prolonged seclusion 
 within the imperial moats in Kioto, yet the Shoguns 
 have been delegated by the invisible majesty of sovereign- 
 ty to perform the functions of a ruler, and to see to it 
 that the empire was well governed. For nearly three 
 hundred years has the house of Tokugawa acted as 
 rulers of Dai-Nippon, having been duly delegated by 
 the Son of Heaven to act in that capacity. As the 
 properly constituted and the legal rulers of this empire, 
 it therefore falls within our province to take under con- 
 sideration this letter, inasmuch as all matters relating to 
 commerce, and all matters relating to the regulation ot 
 intercourse with barbarians were duly delegated to 
 Iyeyas and his descendants, when he drove forth the 
 pestiferous Kirishitans and received the title of ‘ Bar- 
 barian Exterminating Lord ’ from grateful Tenshi. 
 
 “ The question, then, is this : Shall the Shogun, the 
 duly delegated ruler of Dai-Nippon, reconsider the ac- 
 
206 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 tion of his great ancestor, and change or modify his 
 policy as regards the total exclusion of the barbarians ? 
 We must first act and then report our action to Kioto, 
 for Tenshi has already given us authority to act as rulers 
 in such matters. Gentlemen of resplendent ancestry ! 
 shall we attempt to drive away these barbarians by force, 
 or shall we accede to their demands and allow their 
 vessels to trade freely at two of our seaports under 
 strict regulations ? There is no middle position that 
 we can take in this matter, for we have already ex- 
 hausted their patience with the dallying policy recom- 
 mended by this august assembly when convened in such 
 haste last summer, and these people are now surly and 
 peremptory in their demands, although wearing smiling 
 faces and bearing amicable outward appearances. The 
 sharp claws lie beneath the soft hair ! The iron mouths 
 are carrying iron balls ! What do you honorable gentle- 
 men advise my master to do in this great emergency ? 
 I, for my part, speaking as an individual of dull parts, 
 must candidly say that, while it is against my wishes to 
 subvert the long-established policy of our government 
 regarding barbarians, yet I cannot see as any great harm 
 will result from allowing their vessels to trade at a couple 
 of our seaports for a few years. In the meantime, we 
 can watch the progress of events, and be in a position at 
 some near date to again close the ports. The matter is 
 now before you for discussion. What say you ? ” 
 
 “Welland shrewdly spoken, thou astute and diplo- 
 matic knave ! ” muttered the old Prince of Mito in a 
 savage undertone as he turned toward Konishi, who 
 attended him as adviser on matters pertaining to barba- 
 rian customs and history. “The adroit rogue has 
 shuffled things so that I am puzzled to know what posi- 
 tion to take in this matter. My hate is so equally 
 divided between him and the barbarians, that I could 
 oppose either of them with supreme joy. Well, I shall 
 have to take sides against him anyway. Let us hear 
 what the Lord of Kaga has to say as he has commenced 
 to speak.” 
 
A Convocation at the Citadel. 
 
 207 
 
 The Daimio of Kaga was the wealthiest nobleman in 
 the realm, and, very naturally, the weight of his utter- 
 ances was vastly enhanced by the weight of his money- 
 bags. He was not celebrated for any very brilliant 
 qualities of intellect, but it was generally noted that his 
 conclusions were usually sound, notwithstanding his 
 lumbering and clumsy method of expressing himself 
 while getting at them. 
 
 “ Although it may not be becoming,” said his Lordship, 
 in measured tones, as he bowed his head downward in 
 profound salutation of the Gotairo, “for an individual of 
 my dull parts and obtuse faculties to criticise the state- 
 ments of so capable a person as the chief councillor of the 
 awesome Shogun, yet will I venture to state that the copy 
 of the foreign ruler’s letter that is in my possession does 
 not purport to be directed to the ‘ Ruler ’ of Dai-Nip- 
 pon, but is very clearly addressed to ‘ His Imperial 
 Majesty, the Emperor of Japan.’ Such being the case, 
 it seems to me (unskilled as I truly am in matters of 
 diplomacy and of statesmanship) that this entire matter 
 should be referred to Tenshi at Kioto for discussion and 
 approval. When some decision has been proclaimed from 
 the Gosho, then will it be the proper time for us to act.” 
 
 The murmur of applause that greeted this most unex- 
 pected speech clearly showed that many Daimios there 
 present considered that the phlegmatic Lord of Kaga 
 had made a decided hit, for President Fillmore’s letter 
 was indeed addressed to “ His Imperial Majesty, the 
 Emperor of Japan.” 
 
 “ Sure enough ! The entire matter should be referred 
 to Kioto,” exclaimed several lordlings, who delighted to 
 bask in the smiles of overshadowing Kaga, and the chief 
 end of whose existence appeared to be (figuratively 
 speaking) to sneeze whenever their ponderous neighbor 
 took snuff. The Gosanke, however, were silent, evidently 
 not being quite prepared to give so much prominence to 
 the Gosho, to the detriment of the long-established 
 prestige of the house of Tokugawa. Even Mito, 
 though prepared to take sides against the Shogun in the 
 
208 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 matter of allowing foreigners to trade with Japan, was 
 not willing to humiliate the pride and the glory of 
 Tokugawa by rushing off to Kioto to appeal to Tens/ii to 
 act as supreme arbiter in such a matter as that under 
 discussion. The wily Gotairo, however, was not to be 
 caught napping. He had sifted the question too care- 
 fully that very morning to be unprepared with the 
 counter-stroke to his heavy adversary’s deft and unex- 
 pected stroke. Before the approving applause of the 
 assembly could gather any headway, he sprang to the 
 attack with that dash and ability for which he Avas so 
 greatly renowned. 
 
 “ It is true, O most subtle and learned Lord of Kaga ! ” 
 said the Gotairo in calm and impressive tones, “ that the 
 formal and literal address of this letter is to ‘ His Impe- 
 rial Majesty, the Emperor of Japan.’ But I was not 
 considering the form of the superscription, but the spirit 
 and intent of the letter. It is clearly manifest that the 
 intention of the ruler of this foreign nation is to commu- 
 nicate with the ruler of Dai-Nippon in regard to 
 commercial matters. This intent can be read between 
 the lines throughout the entire document. I will read 
 two extracts to prove my statements. Near the end of the 
 letter is the following paragraph : ‘ These are the only 
 
 objects for which I have sent Commodore Perry with a ' 
 powerful squadron to pay a visit to your I tnperial Majesty's 
 renowned city of Yedo : friendship , commerce, a supply of 
 coal and provisions , and protection for our shipwrecked 
 people.' And near the beginning of the letter carefully 
 note this significant paragraph : ‘ The Constitution atid 
 
 laws of the United States forbid all interferetice with the 
 religious or political concerns of other nations. I have par- 
 ticularly charged Commodore Perry to abstain from every 
 act which could possibly disturb the tranquillity of your Im- 
 perial Majesty's dominion.' 
 
 “ Now, illustrious gentlemen of the Gosankl and of the 
 Daimiates, please note how clearly drawn is the distinc- 
 tion between commercial matters and matters spiritual 
 and political. Had the barbarians desired to treat with 
 
A Convocation at the Citadel . 
 
 209 
 
 us on matters spiritual and political, the question might 
 well have arisen as to the policy of referring the matter 
 to Kioto. But they utterly repudiate any such intention. 
 There can be no shadow of doubt about that. Further- 
 more, they limit themselves entirely to the consideration 
 of commercial matters and send their squadron to the 
 commercial capital (Yedo), where such matters have 
 been managed for centuries. What then can be clearer 
 than my first statement that the foreign * Ruler addresses 
 the ‘ Ruler ’ of Dai-Nippon upon a subject concerning 
 which the latter personage has full powers to act ? Was 
 not the policy of the exclusion of foreign commerce 
 inaugurated by the house of Tokugawa? Has not then 
 that same house full authority to reconsider their 
 ancient action in the matter ? Who dare to gainsay so 
 patent a fact ? Furthermore, who would think of 
 referring such vulgar matters as the price of coal, wood, 
 and provisions to the illustrious descendant of the gods? 
 Has not the imperial family for a thousand years 
 referred all matters relating to the vulgar bickerings of 
 merchants and sailors to the Shogun ? Who will dare to 
 gainsay that such matters fall within the scope of the 
 authority of my master? Who will dare to insult the 
 serene majesty of Tenshi with long-drawn memorials and 
 grandiloquent petitions, beseeching the scion of the 
 immortal gods to adjust the tariff on eggs and pork ? ” 
 
 The outburst of applause and laughter that followed 
 this sally of logic and wit proved beyond peradventure 
 that the Gotairo was master of the situation and had 
 carried an overwhelming majority of the Daimios with 
 him. Even Mito was seen to smile. Kaga lapsed into 
 sullen silence, wearing on his stolid features the expres- 
 sion of a man who had been hard sat upon. And the 
 long-drawn breath behind the screen betokened that the 
 “ Ruler ” of Dai-Nippon fully appreciated the situation. 
 
 “ No, gentlemen,” continued the Gotairo, striking while 
 the iron was yet hot, “ we have decided that this entire 
 matter falls within our legitimate jurisdiction and must 
 not be referred to Kioto, but must be fully discussed here 
 
2 10 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 in Yedo by this august assembly of rulers. From this 
 decision there can be no appeal. Let us now discuss 
 this important matter unreservedly and fully, for the 
 barbarians are clamoring for an answer.” 
 
 After this opening passage at arms, there seemed to be a 
 disinclination on the part of the assembly to precipitate the 
 discussion as to whether or not the foreigners should be 
 admitted into the land of the gods. While the Gotairo 
 awaited the pleasure of the assembly, the Daimios 
 quietly but warmly discussed the matter in undertones 
 among themselves. A split speedily developed itself, 
 wherein the minority faction rallied under the leadership 
 of Mito, who hotly laid down his views to the meagre 
 coterie of followers that craned their necks toward him 
 to catch his impassioned words. An hour of verbose 
 warfare had failed to close the breach between the 
 factions, and it became manifest that the forlorn hope 
 had imbibed the obstinate spirit of their leader. At this 
 juncture the Gotairo, who, by the way, had kept himself 
 well informed of the state of affairs by means of private 
 communications from his adherents in the body of the 
 house, determined to force the issue by precipitating the 
 debate without further delay. With the suavity of a man 
 who feels himself to be already the victor, he slowly 
 quaffed a cup of tea as he cast his searching eyes over the 
 assembly. Then with boundless good-humor he grasped 
 his fan and smilingly smote the low lacquered stand that 
 stood before him and said : “ Profound and learned 
 
 councillors ! The afternoon is rapidly waning and we 
 must to-day make our reply to the barbarians’ letter. 
 What shall the answer be ? ” 
 
 “Yea! Thou well sayest that the afternoon wanes,” 
 muttered the Prince of Mito in a fierce undertone, “but 
 what carest thou for that when thou already holdest the 
 assembly in thy hands? Yet beware ! The clouds will 
 gather over thy fair sky at some not distant day, and 
 I shall hold the fan and smite thy cheek as thou hast 
 smitten yonder stand.” And his choleric lordship, 
 suiting his action to his muttered threats, smote the stand 
 
A Convocation at the Citadel. 
 
 2 1 1 
 
 before him so vigorously, that the little cups and tiny 
 pipes thereon quaked and rattled in dismay. The 
 Gotairo heard the sound, and, taking it as a signal to 
 catch the presiding officer’s attention, he turned toward 
 that part of the room and said : 
 
 “ Illustrious gentlemen ! Be pleased to maintain silence 
 while the noble Lord of Mito (worthy scion of the 
 renowned Iy6yas) shall speak and give to us the benefit 
 of his thoughtful observations on a subject wherein he is 
 well qualified to express an opinion ; for, as you already 
 know, the noble lords of Mito have always been deeply 
 versed in the science and in the literature of western 
 nations.” 
 
 Thus introduced to the house, the Prince of Mito 
 voiced the sentiments of the minority faction and most 
 vigorously assailed the policy of the Gotairo in the 
 following words 1 : “I am totally opposed to the admis- 
 
 sion of any of these barbarian nations to commercial 
 privileges with ourselves, upon the ground that they will 
 ruin our country, as they came very near doing three 
 hundred years ago. At first they will give us philosophi- 
 cal instruments, machinery, and other curiosities, will 
 take ignorant people in, and, trade being their chief 
 object, they will manage, bit by bit, to impoverish the 
 country ; after which, they will treat us just as they like ; 
 perhaps behave with the greatest rudeness and insult us, 
 and end by swallowing up Japan. If we do not drive 
 them away now, we shall never have another opportunity. 
 If we now resort to a dilatory method of proceeding, we 
 shall regret it afterwards when it will be of no use.” 
 
 The battle thus boldly begun was hotly waged for 
 three or four hours all along the line. Reasons innu- 
 merable were adduced for excluding the horrid savages 
 of the West. But the sentiments of the Gotairo and of 
 his councillors, expressed in the following language,’ 
 finally prevailed : 
 
 “ If we try,” said they, “ to drive them away, they will 
 immediately commence hostilities, and then we shall be 
 
 1 F. O. Adams’ “ History of Japan,” vol. i., p. 112. s Ibid. 
 
2 1 2 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 obliged to fight. If we once get into a dispute, we shall 
 have an enemy to fight who will not be easily disposed of. 
 He does not care how long a time he will have to spend 
 over it, but he will come with several myriads of men-of- 
 war and surround our shores completely ; he will capture 
 our junks, and blockade our ports, and deprive us of all 
 hope of protecting our coasts. However large a number 
 of ships we might destroy, he is so accustomed to that 
 sort of thing that he would not care in the least. Even 
 supposing that our troops were animated by patriotic 
 zeal in the commencement of the war, after they had 
 been fighting for several years their patriotic zeal would 
 naturally become relaxed, the soldiers would become 
 fatigued, and we should have to thank ourselves for this. 
 Soldiers who have distinguished themselves are rewarded 
 by grants of land, or else you attack and seize the en- 
 emy’s territory, and that becomes your own property ; so 
 every man is encouraged to fight his best. 
 
 “ But, in a war with foreign countries, a man may un- 
 dergo hardships for years, may fight as if his life were 
 worth nothing, and, as all the land in this country has 
 already owners, there will be none to be given away as 
 rewards ; so we shall have to give rewards in words or 
 money. In time, the country would be put to an im- 
 mense expense, and the people be plunged into misery. 
 Rather than allow this, as we are not the equals of the 
 foreigners in the mechanical arts, let us have intercourse 
 with foreign countries, learn their drill and tactics, and 
 when we have made the nation as united as one family, 
 we shall be able to go abroad and give lands in foreign 
 countries to those who have distinguished themselves in 
 battle ; the soldiers will vie with one another in display- 
 ing intrepidity, and it will not be too late then to declare 
 war. Now we shall have to defend ourselves against 
 these foreign enemies, skilled in the use of mechanical 
 appliances, with our soldiers, whose military skill has 
 considerably diminished during a long peace of three 
 hundred years, and we certainly could not feel sure of 
 victory, especially in a naval war.” 
 
A Convocation at the Citadel. 
 
 213 
 
 Thus ended the most momentous debate that had 
 occurred under the Shogunate, since the time when the 
 bloody decrees against the Jesuits were promulgated. 
 Mito was routed, but he remained undismayed and 
 defiant. “ Aye ! ” said he to Konishi that night at his 
 yashiki ', “ the battle has begun, and I have well un- 
 masked the hidden springs that control the actions of 
 that Hikone dog. He fears and dreads the foreigners ! 
 Our spies have indeed rendered us inestimable services. 
 There can be no doubt but what these foreigners are 
 greater and more powerful than we are. It will be use- 
 less for us to fight them. The councillors spoke truly 
 there. Henceforth we must not fight the foreigners, but 
 the Shogun himself. The glory must depart from Toku- 
 gawa, and must return to Tenshi. We must use our 
 secret endeavors to set the tide of power and of influence 
 in the direction of the Gosho. This will require much 
 time and patience. But who that knows me will say that 
 I do not possess the capacity to wait and watch when 
 yonder upstart is lording it over the realm as if he were 
 born of the gods ? Yea, thou Biwa ape ! Thy carcass 
 shall some day rot, as now does that of thy sneaking 
 minion in the woods beside the shrine ! ” 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 HIKON1L CASTLE. 
 
 Again the scene changes. We are at Hikone Castle, 
 on the shores of Lake Biwa. Soon after the great de- 
 bate of the Daimios, described in the last chapter, the 
 American Commodore was duly notified that the Shogun 
 had consented to the terms of the proposed treaty ; and 
 that document, after long negotiations, was duly signed 
 on March 31, 1854. The fleet then departed on a cruise 
 along the coast, for the purpose of inspecting the harbors 
 of the two treaty ports. Early in May, the Gotairo, after 
 a careful survey of the political outlook, came to the con- 
 clusion that there were breakers ahead, and that it be- 
 hooved him, during the calm that had ensued when the 
 foreigners had departed, to put the affairs of his Daimiate 
 in good shape, so that, when the storms that were 
 evidently brewing around the political horizon should 
 break upon him, he might be ready to weather the gales. 
 He considered the fact that he might not have another 
 opportunity to visit his Daimiate for many years, as 
 it was manifest that his continued presence in Yedo 
 would be required at a very early date. He therefore set 
 out about the middle of May with a small escort, and 
 journeyed rapidly by way of the magnificent Nakasendo 
 through the inland mountains toward Hikon<§, where he 
 arrived safely at the end of the month, and at once set 
 vigorously to work to arrange his affairs, so that his 
 anticipated long absence would not be productive of 
 injury or embarrassments in the future. 
 
 Hikone Castle was one of the most picturesquely 
 located of any of the feudal strongholds of Japan. Situ- 
 
 214 
 
Hikone Castle. 
 
 215 
 
 ated about midway up the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, it 
 looked forth upon the blue waves of that placid sheet of 
 water, and upon the lofty ranges that bounded the west- 
 ern shore. This beautiful mountain mirror extended 
 from north to south for about fifty miles, and, in its 
 widest part from east to west, it was twenty miles wide. 
 Its lovely shores were girt with well wooded hills and 
 majestic mountains. Beginning with the town of Otsu, 
 at the southern end (where our Nakashima friends sipped 
 the farewell cup when starting on their overland journey), 
 we follow the shore up the eastern side until we reach 
 Shioatsu, at the extreme northern end of the lake. The 
 southern part of this side is low and hilly ; but as the vi- 
 cinity of Hikon£ is approached, the country becomes 
 more rugged ; and, as the northern part is reached, the 
 converging shores merge into a grand mountainous 
 region. Then starting from Shioatsu, and journeying 
 down the western shore, we find ourselves overshadowed 
 with magnificent mountains during the entire trip. Far 
 down this shore, near Otsu, stand the white walls of 
 another castle, belonging to some petty Daimio. It is 
 perched upon the brow of a low hill, while behind it — 
 like some majestic sentinel — rises lofty Hiyeisan, with its 
 engroved monastery and sequestered shrines. The entire 
 circuit of the shores is beaded with villages and hamlets. 
 And every available spot has been cultivated, so that the 
 waters seem to be clasped with a broad band of living 
 green. Fishing-boats fly merrily over its surface, and 
 “ oft in the stilly night ” the pleasure-seekers skim the 
 waves in excursion boats. As before remarked, the 
 eastern and the western shores converged toward the 
 north, until they plunged, like a huge wedge, into 
 the mighty mountain barriers, and the lake received into 
 its bosom the never failing streams that poured down 
 the glens and ravines, thus carrying vast quantities of 
 gravel and pebbles into the lake, and scouring the north- 
 ern shores so well with their sands, that the broad ex- 
 panse of glittering beach and pebbly shore stood out 
 spotless in the bright sunshine. The native legends say 
 
Mito Yashiki. 
 
 216 
 
 that this exquisite sheet of water was created by an 
 earthquake that occurred over two thousand years ago. 
 A whole province sank out of sight, and, simultaneously, 
 Fujisan upheaved his towering crest upon the eastern 
 coast three hundred miles away ! 
 
 Hikone Castle was built upon some bluffs, at a point 
 where the shore juts boldly into the lake, thus giving a 
 superb view up and down the shores. The general plan 
 of the fortifications resembled that of the castle in Yedo. 
 It was constructed, however, upon a very much smaller 
 scale, and was far more picturesque in its details. In 
 and about its massive ramparts had camped the legions 
 of the league, on the eve of the fateful battle of Sekagi- 
 hara. The misty morning of that day beheld the lusty 
 warriors streaming forth, confident of victory, and the 
 dusky gloaming saw the depleted ranks shrink within the 
 moats to await the victorious swoop of Iyeyas. Multi- 
 tudes of the vanquished warriors refused to submit to the 
 humiliation of surrender, and plunged their keen blades 
 into their abdomens, through the portal vein and the 
 great arteries. The fair greenswards reeked with the 
 fuming blood of self-immolation ; and the victors, for- 
 sooth, found many bodies, but there were but few heads 
 to chop off and impale on the gateposts and along 
 the battlements. Fair and lovely, however, appeared 
 the lawns, and sweetly blushed the roses and the peonies, 
 on that June morning when Nawosuke sat in the charm- 
 ing pavilion beside the lake, and dreamily gazed upon 
 the beauties of the enchanting scene. He had arranged 
 his affairs, and had straightened out his financial matters, 
 so that his revenues would flow steadily into his Yedo 
 coffers without any vexatious delay. The succession to 
 his estates (in case of his sudden death) had been duly 
 secured to his son, a bright, promising lad, who now was 
 making merry with a picnic party, fishing in one of the 
 shady coves hard by, whence the merry laughter of the 
 boys could be heard as they frolicked in the water and 
 on the beach. Presently he was aroused from his reverie 
 by an attendant bringing in tea and tobacco. After the 
 
Hikone Castle. 
 
 217 
 
 lapse of a few minutes, another attendant brought in 
 a despatch that had just been delivered by special 
 courier at the outer gateway of the castle. 
 
 “ Ah ! From Yedo, I perceive,’’ exclaimed his Grace, 
 as he glanced at the box. “ I hope it contains some 
 news about Shimidzu. He remains remarkably silent on 
 this trip. I cannot imagine what put it into his head 
 that spies from some Yedo yashiki were in communica- 
 tion with the foreign fleet. Surely we sowed the country 
 around the bay with enough emissaries to ensnare any 
 suspicious person in our nets. But he was always a very 
 persistent fellow, and would always work after his own 
 fashion. And, so long as he was successful, why should 
 I care about his methods ? 
 
 “ Well ! What is this that I am reading ? I certainly did 
 not expect to hear any such news as this ! [He reads 
 from the letter in his hand :] 1 About ten days ago, the 
 peasants worshipping at the shrine erected in honor of 
 Ebisu near a fishing hamlet somewhere in the vicinity of 
 of Yokoska, on the southwestern shore of Yedo bay, were 
 afflicted with a foul and grievous stench, as if putrid flesh 
 had been thrust under their very nostrils. Following up 
 the direction whence the horrible odor seemed to ema- 
 nate, they went into the woods, and found the body of a 
 samurai , in advanced stages of putrefaction. The man 
 had evidently been killed in a duel, for his sword (very 
 valuable), his money, and his clothes were carefully 
 concealed in the underbrush near by, thus conclusively 
 showing that robbery could not have been the motive. 
 The terrified peasants at once reported the matter to the 
 nearest town, and an officer speedily visited the spot. 
 He reported that the features had become corrupted be- 
 yond recognition ; that the man had evidently been 
 killed with a single deep cut across the bowels from right 
 to left ; and that the assailant had apparently met him in 
 single combat, for reasons unknown. A careful inspec- 
 tion of the clothing failed to throw any light upon his 
 identity, But the sword has been identified in the office 
 of the Bakufu, in Yedo, as that of Shimidzu, the wonderful 
 
2 I 8 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 spy. It is with boundless grief that we are obliged to 
 report the death of so faithful and valuable a servant.’ ” 
 
 With unmoved features his Lordship read and re-read 
 the despatch. At last he closed it pensively, and thrust 
 it into the folds of his sleeve, and exclaimed : “Well! 
 It 's no use mourning now. It was over with the poor 
 fellow some time ago. So the old fox finally met his 
 match ! I wonder who his antagonist could have been ? 
 No tyro, I ’ll warrant, but a well seasoned piece of tim- 
 ber, as sure as I am Nawosuk^, Lord of Hikone. And 
 now for revenge ! Ah ! There the prospect is not very 
 encouraging. Not a trace of the assassin ! Not a clue ! 
 But let me see the letter again. Yes, there is a slight 
 clue. It says that he was deeply cut from right to left. 
 That would indicate that the cutter was a left-handed 
 man, to be able to give so deadly a stroke on that side. 
 Left-handed men are not so numerous, are they ? Let 
 us hereafter keep our eyes open for them. The outlook 
 for revenge is certainly rather meagre, for I can’t very 
 well seize a man for being left-handed ! Never mind, 
 my unknown enemy, my memory is excellent, and my 
 patience is as enduring as the hills. We will wait and 
 see if I ever come across you.” So saying, he slipped 
 the letter into his sleeve, and sadly rested his head upon 
 his hands and lapsed into a condition of profound medi- 
 tation, from which he was roused at the end of about 
 half an hour by the attendant bringing in another letter. 
 
 “ What now ? ” exclaimed Nawostik£, peevishly ; “ some 
 more Yedo despatches ?” 
 
 “ No, my illustrious Lord,” meekly replied the bearer ; 
 “ it is a note from the Abbot of the Buddhist monastery 
 on Hiyeisan, who awaits your pleasure at the outer 
 gate. He submissively presents his compliments and his 
 homage.” 
 
 “ Which, being construed in the light of past experi- 
 ence, means that he is on one of his begging excursions, 
 soliciting contributions for his monastery,” ejaculated 
 his Lordship, snappishly. “ These fellows seem to think 
 that I am made of gold. I wish Tokugawa had never 
 
Hikone Castle. 
 
 2 19 
 
 taken the Buddhists under state patronage. That rogue 
 always manages to find out when I am here, just as a 
 crow scents garbage. Well, it may be some time before 
 he has a chance to see me again, and, as I am in a mood 
 for holy conversation, I think you may order him to 
 come here. I shall endeavor to vex his heart with some 
 new ideas about his religion. That will entertain me.” 
 
 In a few minutes the shaven priest, dresset^in elegant 
 gowns of brocaded silk, and carrying his rosary wound 
 about his wrist, was ushered into the pavilion. He pros- 
 trated himself before the Gotairo, and delivered a series 
 of obeisances such as he was accustomed to bestow on 
 Buddha in Nirvana up at his monastery. 
 
 “ Well, sir Abbot, what service can I render to you to- 
 day ? ” said his Lordship, after the salutations had spent 
 themselves. 
 
 “ Supremely venerated sir,” slowly replied the monk 
 in reverential cadences, acquired through having intoned 
 the ritual so many thousand times, “ it is well known to 
 your honorable self that Gongen-sama condescended to 
 smile upon our monastery at Hiyeisan, and that his suc- 
 cessors have continued to show us boundless favor, — al- 
 though we have but slightly merited such attentions. We 
 have endeavored to requite such friendship by continu- 
 ing to chant the services for their souls. But such 
 ceremonies entail expenditure. Therefore, it becomes 
 necessary for us, from time to time, to solicit assistance. 
 Be pleased, most honorable sir, to remember us in the 
 matter.” 
 
 “ It is well to be mindful of the dead, and to revere their 
 memories with becoming ceremonies,” said the Gotairo. 
 “ I have been considering the matter, and I now decide 
 that the sum of ten thousand kokus of rice shall be appor- 
 tioned to your irstitution, for the purpose of defraying 
 the expenses connected with the services mentioned by 
 you. I will now write out an order on the warehouse 
 keeper for the delivery of that amount.” 
 
 “ Profoundly venerated sir,” intoned the priest in his 
 most solemn cadences, placing his forehead on the 
 
2 20 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 iatami, “ your liberality is munificent indeed, and we 
 shall endeavor in our mystic way to requite the favor 
 thus shown by propitiating the unseen powers of the other 
 world.” 
 
 “ And now, sir Abbot,” said the Gotairo, as he handed 
 him the order that he had just written, “ as I have dealt 
 frankly and liberally with you, I hope that you will deal 
 with me after a similar fashion in regard to a few ques- 
 tions that I desire to put to you.” 
 
 “ Your worthy and obscure beneficiary will do all that 
 may lie within the scope of his limited intelligence to 
 give you satisfactory answ r ers,” replied the priest. 
 
 “ Generously spoken ! ” exclaimed his Lordship, smiling 
 gloomily. “ Now, sir Abbot, be pleased to explain to 
 me what you mean by that which you just now said about 
 chanting services for the souls of the dead. If the spirit 
 of Gongen-sama has entered upon that Nirvana about 
 which Shaka, the founder of your religion, taught us, 
 what need has he for your prayers ? ” 
 
 “ Truly spoken, most honorable sir,” replied the priest, 
 “ but he may now be struggling through some lower forms 
 of existence trying to regain his human form. We there- 
 fore pray that his struggles may be shortened.” 
 
 “ But to whom do you pray ? ” 
 
 “ We pray to Shaka.” 
 
 “ But Shaka, according to your teachings, entered Nir- 
 vana over twenty-five centuries ago. You define Nirvana 
 to be an eternity of utter and absolute unconsciousness. 
 How can he aid you in any way ? Do you not see that 
 your definition of Nirvana has practically annihilated 
 him ? ” 
 
 “ But, sir, there may be unseen powers that require 
 propitiating.” 
 
 “ How can that be, O Monk, when Shaka taught 
 that there was no creator ; that this universe was a mere 
 accident of matter ; and that the destiny of the human 
 soul was annihilation ? Do you not see that such doc- 
 trines rule unseen powers out of existence ? Shaka never 
 taught any thing about unseen powers. Why then do 
 you teach such doctrines ?” 
 
Hikone Castle. 
 
 22 1 
 
 “ Sir, the founders of our sect taught that there were 
 unseen powers.” 
 
 “ But, O learned Monk, they had no right to tamper 
 with the fundamental principles of Shaka’s religion in 
 that manner. The fundamental principles of any religion 
 are those principles incorporated into it by the founder 
 thereof. This proposition is self-evident. But you priests 
 in Thibet, Ceylon, China, and Japan have gone to work 
 since Shaka’s death and have invented a vast mass of 
 doctrine that does not belong to the religion of Shaka. 
 You have made a hopeless mess of every thing. As 
 matters now stand, a man can believe any thing he likes, 
 and can prove himself to be a good Buddhist by citing 
 some monastery or monk as authority. You must cite 
 Shaka as your authority, and not the monasteries. See 
 what you Buddhists did when you came to Dai-Nippon ! 
 You found our Shintoism recognizing the existence of 
 some power behind the phenomena of nature, and teach- 
 ing that our islands were created by the gods above, and 
 that the inhabitants of our empire had descended from 
 some god who had come down with his wife and dwelt 
 here. You fellows then went to work and coined the 
 fiction that Shaka had come back from lower animal 
 forms to human form eighty thousand times before he 
 finally succeeded in entering Nirvana, and that on one of 
 those occasions he became incarnated in the form of this 
 particular god, and became the progenitor of our race. 
 By this fraud you captured the land and pushed our 
 native religion into the remote valleys and glens, where 
 but little money was to be made. 
 
 “ When the Kirishitans came here three hundred years 
 ago, you found that you could not capture their god by 
 the same trick, because he happened to have been born 
 five hundred years after Shaka had entered Nirvana. 
 As a person cannot very well be annihilated more than 
 once, you hadn’t the face to say that their god was an 
 incarnation of Shaka. Come, now, tell me candidly 
 what you really do believe.” 
 
 “ It is manifest that your Lordship is deeply versed in 
 matters pertaining to our religion,” replied the priest. 
 
222 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “ It will, therefore, not be well for me to converse as if 
 I were talking to a common person having but little in- 
 telligence. I will be very frank with you, and will state 
 exactly all of my views. Of course we know almost noth- 
 ing concerning what Shaka himself taught. His teach- 
 ings and sayings were not recorded in writing until (as 
 some writers put it) two hundred years after his death, 
 or (as other writers put it) five hundred years after his 
 death. Under such conditions, what can be depended 
 upon ? But the fundamental principles that he incor- 
 porated into his religion were treasured up by his fol- 
 lowers and became so welded into the creed, that we 
 may be reasonably certain that they were Nirvana, trans- 
 migration, and mercifulness to all living creatures. Be- 
 yond this, of course, every thing is uncertain, and 
 abundant room has been left for speculation and inven- 
 tive imaginations in the monasteries everywhere. Of 
 course he taught that there was no creator, and that 
 matter was a mere chance concerning whose origin he 
 cared nothing. It was sufficient to know that organized 
 matter entailed on humanity a most miserable existence, 
 and that the only way out of that wretched condition 
 was to merge the soul into Nirvana, and thus forever 
 end matters. Of course there is no immortality. The 
 soul becomes annihilated eventually.” 
 
 “ Then why do you bring in the doctrine of transmi- 
 gration ? ” 
 
 “ Because we wish to terrify humanity into striving to 
 attain Nirvana. We teach men that if they neglect to 
 attain it now they will be compelled to keep coming 
 back to human form after having lived as degraded rep- 
 tiles, insects, and animals, until they finally consent to 
 attain Nirvana.” 
 
 “ But what right, O Monk, have you to terrify hu- 
 manity? You have no proof that such a thing as a soul 
 exists in man. It is a pure assumption on your part. 
 You can no more prove the existence of a soul than 
 you can that of a creator. There is no more evidence in 
 support of one hypothesis than there is for the other. 
 
Hikone Castle. 
 
 223 
 
 If there be no creator and no Supreme Being presiding 
 over the affairs of men, then one man has no right to 
 dictate to another one on such matters. There is noth- 
 ing to base your authority upon. Following your plan, 
 
 I could invent a little scheme of my own and force it 
 upon humanity.” 
 
 “Ah ! Now your Lordship has plunged deeper into the 
 subject than I ever knew anybody to do. You compel 
 me to say that there is no authority for our scheme. But 
 listen. Know, then, that all men crave immortality. 
 That religion which promises immortality to man will 
 win the day. Men shrink from annihilation, although 
 such will be their ultimate destiny. Therefore, to be in 
 a condition to meet this peculiarity of our natures, we 
 say that men, if they do not attain Nirvana, can keep on 
 living in lower forms of existence until they have be- 
 come tired of that sort of thing, and decide to attain 
 thereto. This, you will perceive, gives them practical 
 immortality in this world should they chance to desire that 
 kind of immortality.” 
 
 “ But, sir Abbot, you have no right to say this. You 
 have no authority on which to base your action. Your 
 entire scheme is a pure fabrication. You have no right 
 to say to your fellow-men that such a thing is wrong. 
 One man is as good as another. Only some higher 
 power — a creator, for example — can say to his created 
 beings : ‘ This is wrong, that is right.’ By his mere will 
 he may create the distinction between right and wrong, 
 and may implant within the hearts of his creatures in- 
 tuitive convictions on the subject. Right and wrong do 
 not exist in the nature of things, as some philosophers 
 dogmatically assert. The idea of right and wrong can * 
 only spring from the relations that some Supreme Being 
 has arbitrarily caused to exist between sentient beings 
 created by himself, — between man and man, between 
 man and beasts, between man and God. If there be no 
 such Supreme Being, then nobody has authority to set 
 himself up as an arbiter in such matters, — to dictate to 
 his fellow-men what they shall or shall not do. 
 
224 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “ A fine time we would have in this world if everybody 
 were to set up his own standard of right and wrong and 
 force it upon humanity ! Who shall dare to step between 
 me and the gratification of every desire ? Did not the 
 Kirishitan priests rebuke the great Hideyoshi and the 
 Daimios for their lustful indulgences, alleging that such 
 practices were against the laws of God ? Were they not 
 eventually swept out of the country for such insolent 
 presumption ? Who will now venture to dictate in such 
 matters ? 
 
 “ It is all very well, O Priest, for a father with a fam- 
 ily of beautiful daughters to lift up his hands in holy 
 horror and pronounce debauchery to be a crime, and to 
 assert that whoever commits such an offense must do 
 his utmost to make full and ample restitution both in 
 this world and in the world to come, — nay, more, he 
 may even go so far as to grandiloquently and pompously 
 assert that ‘ no man can be perfectly happy, either in 
 this world or the other, who has by his perfidy broken a 
 loving and confiding heart,’ — but all such talk is merely 
 the individual opinion of an interested party trying to 
 terrify humanity into his own notions of morality, and 
 it goes in at one ear of the libertine and out at the other, 
 for the simple reason that none but a creator has a right 
 to dictate in such matters. If men be merely creatures 
 of chance, then each one becomes a law unto himself, 
 and is at liberty to do whatsoever seemeth desirable and 
 expedient in his own eyes, just like the beasts of the 
 fields. What have you to say to this, O Monk?” 
 
 “ Ah ! you plunge yet deeper into the subject, O 
 Lord of Hikone. Know, then, that religion is necessary 
 • to control men. Mankind will not be submissive unless 
 you hold out either the hope of reward or the fear of 
 punishment. Therefore, when governments first began 
 to rule over society, it became speedily apparent that 
 anarchy would ensue unless these two motives were ap- 
 pealed to. Therefore, the rulers of the nation early saw 
 the policy of calling to its assistance the aid of religion. 
 The history of our government has, from the remotest 
 
Hikone Castle. 
 
 225 
 
 times, been interwoven with religion of some kind. 
 And if I am not greatly mistaken, you will find that in 
 all countries the various governments have been wedded 
 to some kind of religion. Those religions that best con- 
 trol men are generally the most popular with govern- 
 ments ; while those religons that promote seditions and 
 disturbances are quickly rooted out as pestiferous. By 
 nature all men are more or less religious in their inclina- 
 tions. When these religious impulses are degraded by 
 profound ignorance, they become unreasoning and fanat- 
 ical, and become known as superstitions. And these 
 superstitions can best be controlled by terror of future 
 punishments. I presume that this is why the various 
 sects of our religion, since Shaka’s time, have invented 
 hells of torment. Very naturally, superstitious people 
 soon become imbued with the idea that souls of friends 
 could be bought out of these places, — or their sufferings 
 therein greatly reduced, — if the priests would exert their 
 mystic influence in propitiating the unseen powers of the 
 other world (whoever or whatever they may be). So 
 long as the pandering to these superstitious ideas tended 
 to soothe the disquieted minds of ignorant people, and 
 to fill the coffers of the monasteries, there seemed to be 
 no harm in keeping up the delusions, — especially as the 
 government was vastly benefited by having the people 
 kept in a tractable state of mind.” 
 
 “ That which you have just spoken, O learned Monk, 
 savors largely of political wisdom. I presume that you 
 have really given the true reason why Tokugawa took 
 your religion under the patronage of the state. It is for 
 this reason that I do not grudge the contributions that 
 we have poured forth upon the various monasteries 
 throughout the empire. But there are other matters 
 concerning which I wish to interrogate you in a frank 
 spirit. Our minds have become bared to each other’s 
 inspection, and you need not hesitate to speak freely 
 and fearlessly. But at present we cannot continue the 
 discussion. It is the hour for the midday meal. Be so 
 kind as to dine with me, and to spend the balance of the 
 
226 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 day with me, as I am desirous of continuing the discus- 
 sion. It is very rarely that I feel disposed to talk on 
 such subjects. 
 
 “ But to-day I have received the news of the sudden 
 death of a faithful vassal, and this fact has opened up a 
 vista of queries that reach out into unknown regions of 
 thought and speculation. I am very much like Shaka, 
 in that I do not believe in any creator, and do not be- 
 lieve in any future world. I have lived this life for all 
 that it is worth, and I shall continue to do so. But occa- 
 sionally the inquiry comes unsought, — Am I right in my 
 belief ? Is there positively no hereafter ? If there be 
 no creator and no future spirit-world, is there any spirit 
 at all ? On such occasions I desire to converse with 
 learned and candid minds like yours.” 
 
 “ The honor that you confer on me,” responded the 
 Abbot, “ is indeed great. I will endeavor to give you 
 £he benefit of such meagre information as I may possess. 
 Although believing substantially as you believe, yet 
 there has arisen in my mind, on those evenings among 
 the moon-lit pines when we, in accordance with our an- 
 cient usages, reduce to ashes the body of some deceased 
 member of our brotherhood, the same questionings that 
 agitate you. As the flames leap up against the pallid 
 features and dissolve them into dust, I would feign ask : 
 Where is the spirit that animated those features ? If 
 there be no spirit at all, what was it then that formerly 
 shone forth from those eyes and communicated intelli- 
 gible ideas to my mind ? What has become of that subtle 
 yet real influence ?” 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 A METAPHYSICAL SIESTA. 
 
 “ O Learned Monk,” said the Gotairo when he re- 
 sumed his tcte-h-tete with the Abbot at the pavilion after 
 dinner, “ reveal unto me the mystery that I am about to 
 propound unto thee. Behold ! last night a subtle in- 
 fluence crept over my body, my eyelids drooped, my limbs 
 were relaxed, and I merged into a condition of pro- 
 found unconsciousness until the morning light dissolved 
 the charming spell, — and I awoke to find that seven 
 hours of time had been forever blotted out of my exist- 
 ence while I slumbered. No dream, no smothered 
 thought had crept in upon my brain ; and I started up 
 to grasp the volume that I had been reading when I sur- 
 rendered myself to the sweet influence. O Monk, tell 
 me what was that subtle influence ? ” 
 
 “ O awesome Lord of Hikone,” replied the Abbot, 
 ‘it was merely the lapsing of your system into a period 
 of sweet sleep. Your brain had become tired with stu- 
 dious application, your nerves and muscles had become 
 wearied with many hours of unremitting toil, and your 
 body — unable any longer to bear the strain — clamored 
 for repose and sank into the comatose condition that 
 you have so well described. In short, your mighty 
 Lordship went to sleep like all mortals are wont to do.” 
 “O Monk, as you have well said, my body was indis- 
 posed any longer to perform its functions and drifted 
 into unconsciousness. But where was my soul during 
 that period ? Did that also sleep ? Behold ! this is the 
 mystery that I would have you reveal unto me. If it 
 sleep not, then where abideth it while the body enters 
 upon its temporary Nirvana?” 
 
 227 
 
228 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “ O philosophic Lord, your question is indeed hard 
 to answer. I presume the soul lapses into its natural 
 condition, — utter and absolute unconsciousness ; but it 
 is roused into conscious existence just as soon as the 
 body awakes from its period of repose. So long as it 
 is linked to a mortal body, just so long must it be sub- 
 jected to the horrors of being perpetually dragged 
 back into conscious existence. Behold ! how desirable 
 a thing it is to enter upon that eternal repose — that 
 Nirvana — wherein no shadowy dreams, no smothered 
 thoughts ever flit across the midnight of the soul to vex 
 it with the miserable consciousness of its own existence.” 
 “ But wherein does this partial and periodical annihila- 
 tion differ from eternal anihilation, O Priest ? ” 
 
 “ In the same way that this drop of water that I hold 
 in the palm of my hand differs from the vast body of 
 water in the lake. I now cast it over the balcony railing, 
 and it becomes merged into that glorious sheet.” 
 
 “But, O Priest, suppose an enemy had crept upon 
 me unawares, and had smitten off my head with one 
 dread stroke before consciousness could have been 
 regained, would then the unconscious condition of my 
 soul have been prolonged forever? Would it have en- 
 tered Nirvana even though I had not desired nor had 
 ever endeavored to enter therein ?” 
 
 “ Our religion, sir, teaches that nobody can enter 
 Nirvana unless he desire to enter therein and has labori- 
 ously striven to enter therein.” 
 
 “ But, O Priest, if the soul sleep not, but, as you 
 say, merely lapses into its natural condition of uncon- 
 sciousness until such time as the body to which it is 
 linked may be good enough to rouse it therefrom, what 
 shall rouse it when that body is instantly dashed out of 
 existence with one mighty blow? Under such condi- 
 tions, what shall prevent the soul’s temporary Nirvana 
 becoming eternal — just as you forced the drop of water 
 to merge into the body of the lake ? ” 
 
 “ Such a doctrine, sir, would be opposed to our 
 theories.” 
 
A Metaphysical Siesta. 229 
 
 “ O most sagacious Monk, have you ever seen the 
 soul ? ” 
 
 “ O penetrating mind, I never have.” 
 
 “ Have any of your friends ever seen it ?” 
 
 “ They never have.” 
 
 “ Has anybody, to your knowledge, ever seen it ?” 
 
 “ No one ever has.” 
 
 *' Then what evidence have you that there is any soul 
 at all? You say that there is no creator, or Supreme 
 Being, no immortality for the soul, why not finish up 
 matters by saying that there is no soul ? What is the 
 use of a soul anyway ? Why do you halt on the thresh- 
 cold of your own existence after having wiped out the 
 universe ? Why are not you consistent ? Why not come 
 forth candidly and say that there is no soul ?” 
 
 “ Because, sir, there is overwhelming evidence of 
 some personal intelligence in the human body. Surely 
 at the present moment there is something in my body ex- 
 changing intelligible ideas with something in your body ! ” 
 
 “ But that evidence is no stronger than is the evidence 
 of some personal intelligence behind the phenomena 
 of nature. Yet, in one case, you deny a personal intel- 
 ligence, and, in the other case, you admit the personal 
 intelligence. And in each case the evidence is precisely 
 the same ! Then, again, how do you know that there is 
 but a single soul in a body ? Each varied thought, each 
 sentiment, each emotion, may emanate from a distinct 
 soul lurking within our mysterious mechanisms. For all 
 you can show to the contrary, each person may have a 
 hundred — yea, a million — souls instead of one, as you 
 assume.” 
 
 “ Sir, the unity of sentiment and of action that char- 
 acterizes each individual, argues the existence of a sin- 
 gle soul.” 
 
 “ No more, O Priest, than does the unity of design 
 and of plan in the universe argue the existence of 
 a Supreme Being.” 
 
 “ Sir, I cannot answer you otherwise than I have 
 done.” 
 
230 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “0 Monk, be candid. You have merely assumed the 
 existence of a soul in order to account for the phe- 
 nomena of this life. In other words, know that the fun- 
 damental principle, or principles, of every theory must 
 be taken on faith, — they can never be demonstrated.” 
 
 “ I do not think that you are right, sir. What room 
 for faith is there in the science of mathematics as taught 
 in those wonderful books imported by the Hollanders ? 
 The laws of lines, angles, and triangles are so immutable 
 that they can measure distances in space far beyond our 
 earth, and can calculate eclipses with the utmost preci- 
 sion. Pray, what fundamental principle do you accept 
 on faith in mathematics as developed in geometry, 
 trigonometry, and astronomy ?” 
 
 “ O Priest, the entire science of mathematics is based 
 upon the single fundamental principle that there are 
 such things as straight lines. You must accept on faith 
 this underlying fact. You can never demonstrate that 
 any given line is straight. But, believing in the exist- 
 ence of such a thing as an absolutely straight line, then 
 you can build thereon your wonderful science that 
 measures so many millions of leagues into space. No 
 progress can be made unless you assume that your lines 
 are straight.” 
 
 “ But, sir, observe me draw this line with this pen and 
 ruler. Can you prove that this line is not straight ? ” 
 
 “ I can, O Priest. 
 
 “ How, sir ? ” 
 
 “ With this lens imported from Holland. It magni- 
 fies an object many thousand times. Now look at the 
 side of your ruler with it. See how rugged it is, — just 
 like the teeth of a saw ! How could you draw a 
 straight line with such a thing as that ? Now look at 
 your alleged straight line with it. See how jagged and 
 wavering it is ! Do you call that a straight line ? ” 
 
 “ I see, sir, where you are crowding me. If I accept 
 the fundamental principles of mathematics, then must I 
 accept the fundamental principles of the universe on 
 faith and accept the fact that there is a Supreme Being. 
 
A Metaphysical Siesta. 
 
 231 
 
 Therefore, I deny that there are such things as straight 
 lines ! I demolish the entire science of mathematics. I 
 can be just as happy without knowing any thing about 
 the subject.” 
 
 “But what progress will humanity make, O Priest ? ” 
 
 “ Let humanity stagnate if it so desire. I do not care 
 for humanity. There is no Supreme Being, I insist ! 
 There are no such things as straight lines even in theory ! ” 
 “ But, O Priest, the books of the foreigners describe 
 parallel lines as being straight lines in the same plane 
 which never intersect even if produced to infinite dis- 
 tances from either end. Surely such lines must be 
 straight in theory or in the abstract ! ” 
 
 “ I deny the fact that there are such things as parallel 
 lines. I can be just as happy without believing that.” 
 
 “ In order to be consistent you must also deny that 
 hvo and two make four, because there may be a class of 
 beings in this world, or somewhere in the universe, who 
 consider that two and two make forty, or four hundred, or 
 four thousand. You must start by assuming that all 
 minds are alike, and that to all of them two and two 
 appear to make four.” 
 
 “ But, sir, I can prove that two and two make four.” 
 
 “ How will you do it ? ” 
 
 “ I take these two oranges and add them to these other 
 two oranges. I now have four oranges. What better 
 proof can there be than that?” 
 
 “ O Priest, you have utterly failed to make out your 
 case. These oranges are all of different sizes. Now if 
 this smallest one be your unit of measure, it follows that 
 this next larger one must be more than one orange. You 
 should trim it down to exactly the size of your unit of 
 measure before adding. When you took these two small 
 oranges and added them to these two large oranges, you 
 must have had more than four oranges, because your 
 units of measure were all unequal. What you mean to 
 say is that if two equal units be added to two other equal 
 units, the result will be four units. But you must 
 assume at the start that there are such things in the 
 
232 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 abstract as equal units, because you can never demon- 
 strate any given set of units to be equal. Your proof, sir, 
 has vanished into air.” 
 
 “ I see your point, sir. Therefore I deny that two and 
 two make four invariably, inexorably, and under every 
 conceivable form of existence.” 
 
 “Yet you believe in the existence of a soul without 
 proof ! ” 
 
 “ Sir, for social and political reasons it is best to teach 
 the existence of a single responsible soul. As a matter 
 of fact, I am quite willing to confidentially intimate to 
 you that I deny the existence of any such thing.” 
 
 “O Priest, why did you just now withdraw your hand 
 from the sunlight ? ” 
 
 “ Because, sir, the heat was so intense that it was blis- 
 tering my tender skin.” 
 
 “If I were to tell you that the sun had stretched forth 
 his finger across an abyss over ninety millions of miles 
 wide and had touched your hand, I fear you would not 
 believe me.” 
 
 “ Most assuredly I could not.” 
 
 “Yet as a matter of science explained in the mysteri- 
 ous books of the Hollanders, the sun sends forth subtle 
 vibrations of heat and of light that travel across an abyss 
 of ether and reach the earth, producing light and heat. 
 That warm finger touched your hand and you shrank 
 from it. In this science the theory of light and heat has 
 reached its wonderful development by its discoverers 
 accepting the fundamental principle that such a sub- 
 stance as ether intervenes between the sun and our earth. 
 In order for you to be consistent it will be necessary for 
 you to demolish all such theories. But, tell me, did you 
 believe that you felt the heat of the sun a few moments 
 ago?” 
 
 “ Certainly I did.” 
 
 “ Why ? " 
 
 “ Because such matters fall within the cognizance of 
 my senses.” 
 
 “ Are your senses infallible ? ” 
 
A Metaphysical Siesta. 233 
 
 “ I have never known them to deceive me in such 
 matters.” 
 
 “ But do you think that they never can deceive you ? ” 
 “ I presume that they may at some time deceive me.” 
 
 “ Then, O Priest, the basis of your belief after all is 
 faith in the correctness of your impressions. You begin 
 by assuming that your nerves are in sound condition and 
 are capable of transmitting correct impressions. You can- 
 not prove that your nerves are in sound condition, nor 
 are you in a position to prove that you have any nerves 
 at all, because neither you nor anybody else has ever 
 seen them. You assume that you have a nervous system 
 like that of mankind at large ; then, having faith in the 
 correctness of your assumption, you proceed to act 
 thereon. According to the wonderful books of the 
 Hollanders treating about the science of astronomy, 
 there are stars which we mortals can see, which have 
 ceased to exist for many thousands of years ; but so 
 immense is the distance intervening between those stars 
 and this earth, that their radiance does not reach us for 
 thousands of years, — long after the fiery worlds have 
 ceased to exist. If I were to point out to you one of 
 those points of light in the heavens, you would at once 
 say that it was a star. Yet no star exists there ! How 
 then can you trust the correctness of your senses ? It is 
 absurd to assert that they can be always trusted. The 
 eyes of men very frequently deceive them. All that you 
 can allege is that because the general results of the 
 various impressions upon our senses have been found 
 to agree in the majority of instances, therefore we 
 assume that our nervous organizations are similar, and 
 that they are in sound condition and transmit impres- 
 sions correctly from the outward world to our brains.” 
 
 “ Sir, that which you say sounds very extraordinary 
 indeed, and I am not prepared to contradict what has 
 been stated. Nevertheless I assert that reason must 
 always remain the supreme and final test in all matters 
 pertaining to this life. Whatever conflicts with our 
 reason must be rejected as false.” 
 
234 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 “ But whose reason shall be accepted as the supreme 
 and final test ? Surely not your reason, nor mine, nor 
 that of any single individual. Is the reason of each man 
 to be presumed to be absolutely correct ? Are not you, 
 O Priest, rendering human reason infallible ? Surely you 
 cannot believe that it is not liable to error. How often 
 have conclusions that have appeared to be entirely con- 
 sonant with our reason been shown to be entirely wrong ! 
 Then if it cannot be each man’s reason that is to be the 
 supreme and final test, whose or what reason shall it be ? 
 Shall it be the reason of this race of men or of that race 
 of men ? Shall it be the reason of this age or that of 
 some previous age ? Shall it be the reason of to-day or 
 that of to-morrow? You must bear in mind that the 
 human reason fluctuates like the tides of the ocean ; it is 
 as evanescent as the dews upon the lilies ; it is as 
 changeable as the clouds of heaven.” 
 
 “Yet, sir, human reason is the only test. It is our 
 only light. If you extinguish that, nothing but darkness 
 remains. To be consistent, I presume that I must be 
 prepared to admit that there is no such thing as human 
 reason anyhow.” 
 
 “ But how do you know that no other light remains ? 
 How do you know that no other faculty may lie dormant 
 within us ? Perhaps some minds may possess peculiar 
 faculties of comprehension quite independent of reason, 
 — some faculty not possessed by the average man. 
 Surely you cannot say that such may not be the case. 
 No, sir Abbot, you must allow me to score another 
 point ; you are at your old subterfuges again. You 
 assume, first, that your reason is generally correct, and 
 then you assume that all men’s reasons resemble your 
 own. Then, having faith in these fundamental principles, 
 you start out and say that whatever meets the general 
 approval of the average intellect of intelligent humanity 
 must be correct or nearly so. That is all that you can do 
 or say on that point. But certain great truths that are 
 essential to our welfare and to our happiness, we take 
 cognizance of quite independent of reason. When you 
 
A Metaphysical Siesta. 
 
 235 
 
 suddenly withdrew your hand from the scorching heat 
 just now, you took cognizance of the fact without stop- 
 ping to reason about it. We know positively when we 
 are hungry, or thirsty, or sleepy, without reasoning to a 
 definite conclusion about it. Therefore, O Priest, I say 
 that although I individually do not believe in any 
 Supreme Being, or in immortality, or in any soul at all, 
 yet I am not prepared to say that other races of men may 
 not possess subtle faculties of perception whereby to take 
 cognizance of such tremendous mysteries. Nor am I 
 prepared to say that minds of my own countrymen may 
 be so peculiarly constituted that the existence of such 
 mysteries may be certainties quite above their reasoning 
 faculties, — invisible yet real facts of the universe.” 
 
 “ Then, sir, what solace is there for that large portion 
 of humanity born under hard conditions of life ? Multi- 
 tudes are born poor, remain poor during life, and die 
 poor. The few have always held the wealth in this 
 country, while the majority have always struggled for a 
 bare existence. Nay, more, the greater portion of 
 humanity are born with the certainty of remaining poor 
 during their whole lives. What possible inducement do 
 you offer to such unfortunate ones to continue the hard 
 and thankless struggle for existence ? Upon your theory 
 life is merely a struggle to keep forty or fifty feet of 
 alimentary canal flush with nutritive fluids. Eat ! eat ! 
 eat ! What for ? Oh, just for the sake of keeping up the 
 hopeless struggle. If every thing be mere chance, and 
 we be merely freaks of chance, then the most philosophic 
 course for a poor man to pursue would be to take things 
 into his own hands at once and end his ill-starred ex- 
 istence. In common parlance, he should call for a fresh 
 shuffle of the cards, and see if the next deal will not pro- 
 duce better luck. Pray, sir what is human life worth 
 under your theory ? ” 
 
 “ Pray, what is it worth under yours, sir Abbot ? ” 
 
 “ It certainly is worth more than it is under yours.” 
 
 “Well, perhaps it may be so. Of course it is just as 
 well that the people do not venture into such subjects as 
 
236 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 deeply as we do. I will admit that your theory is better 
 for the common people. Nevertheless, when men become 
 more cultivated in their intellects, like the samurai , then 
 they adopt my theory, which, after all, seems to be the 
 most philosophic one. As you already well know,- we do 
 take matters into our own hands when hard times come 
 upon us. Multitudes have shortened their unhappy lives 
 with the knightly hara-kiri. Multitudes of the common 
 people have drowned themselves. What course can be 
 more philosophic? Yes, take matters into your own 
 hand ; that ’s our doctrine precisely. Get all the pleasure 
 out of life that you can while it lasts. Then call for a 
 fresh deal of the cards, a new throw of the dice. Here- 
 tofore I have been studious and diligent in my habits. 
 Henceforth I shall make the funds at my command pro- 
 duce the utmost pleasure. What course can be more 
 philosophic ? I now hold the reins of power, and grasp 
 the revenues of the realm. I shall never surrender either. 
 Having once tasted of supreme authority I become as in- 
 satiable as the tiger that has once tasted human blood. 
 When my power shall end, then shall end my life ! ” 
 
 “ It is well, sir, that such teachings are not communi- 
 cated to the people of Dai-Nippon. Pray, what would 
 be the end of the horrors that would ensue?” 
 
 “Oh, it of course would not be well to instruct the 
 vulgar crowd in matters beyond their comprehension. 
 But when that time does come, sir Abbot, — mark my 
 words, — when the masses shall think as I think, then 
 matters must adjust themselves as best they can. By 
 that time I expect to be safely out of the way. And then 
 what shall I care about matters pertaining to humanity ? ” 
 “Your doctrine, sir, is terribly — nay, inhumanly — 
 selfish. What progress would humanity ever make under 
 such teachings? The results following their application 
 to practice would be too horrible to contemplate.” 
 
 “What care 1 for that? Your religion teaches self- 
 extinction ; why then do you complain at the logical ap- 
 plication of your creed ? Every man has the right to 
 destroy himself whenever he ceases to crave any further 
 
A Metaphysical Siesta. 
 
 237 
 
 existence under hardships. Who shall dare step in and 
 dictate to me as to what constitutes right and what con- 
 stitutes wrong ? There being no Supreme Being, then 
 who shall decide such matters, since one man’s opinion is 
 as correct as another one’s, — so far as we can tell ? 
 Don’t you perceive, O Priest, that to be consistent with 
 your alleged beliefs and public teachings, you must ad- 
 mit that there is no right, no wrong, in this universe ; 
 that every thing is reduced to a mere question of ex- 
 pediency and policy for those who chance to hold the 
 power ? That is right which agrees with the will of the 
 prince, and that is wrong which conflicts with the will 
 of the prince. That is all there is about it. I hold 
 the supreme power in Dai-Nippon — ” 
 
 “Yea! O mighty Prince,” solemnly intoned the Ab- 
 bot, bowing low. 
 
 “ And whoever displeases me I catch and slay, pro- 
 vided I can lay my hands on him.” 
 
 “Verily! verily!” came the response in mournful 
 cadences. 
 
 “ In other words,” continued the Gotairo, “ the will of 
 him who holds the reins of power is the only arbiter of 
 expediency and policy in Dai-Nippon. As regards me, 
 right and wrong have no existence. It is merely a ques- 
 tion of whether I have the power to back up my wishes. 
 When some mightier power overshadows mine, it then 
 becomes expedient and politic for me to back down.” 
 
 “ Well and truly spoken ! ” chimed in the Abbot. 
 
 “ Yet, O Priest, on days like this I am not satisfied 
 with my own theories and beliefs. Restless queryings 
 disturb the repose of my being. Deeply have I meditated 
 on this subject, and my mind is ill at ease. I am wearied 
 with doubt and speculation. Recently a superior power 
 has menaced the supreme will that rules Dai-Nippon, and 
 that will now bends before a mightier influence. It was 
 compelled to surrender the policy of two centuries, and 
 to submit to the arrogant dictation of a superior power 
 that hovered on our shores. A race of beings fashioned 
 after our own similitude is to-day mightier than we. 
 
238 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 Our strength is but as an egg-shell compared with the 
 power of that dread nation. Long and wearily has my 
 heart vexed itself with speculation as to the cause of 
 such pronounced superiority. 
 
 “ In the books furnished by the Hollanders I read 
 strange things. The history, the religion, the customs of 
 this western nation are indeed wonderful. Through my 
 spies I have studied their personal characteristics. Nay, 
 more, I myself in person have studied them nebon on 
 various occasions. With but trifling variations these for- 
 eigners are in all particulars the same as we are. They 
 eat, drink, sleep, laugh, see, hear, smell, taste, and touch, 
 just as we do. On the day when the great feast was 
 given on board of their flagship in Yedo bay, to celebrate 
 the ratification of the treaty, I went ndbon unknown to 
 anybody present except my two Commissioners. What 
 a scene it was ! Awnings were stretched overhead, and 
 tables were spread in the shade beneath. Flags, flowers, 
 and bunting, in most gorgeous profusion, decorated 
 every thing. And a band of musicians performed on 
 mighty brazen and silver instruments with such power 
 that the massive timbers of the ship quaked beneath my 
 feet. Multitudes of officers, gorgeously dressed in gold 
 and silver trappings, moved about the decks. Multitudes 
 of stately soldiers, with gleaming muskets, marched and 
 countermarched with majestic tread to the sounds of 
 sonorous drums and throbbing music. And immense 
 black cannon vomited forth at intervals clouds of flame 
 and smoke with concussions that shook the heavens and 
 smote the very hills with terror. Truly the grandest of 
 our state dinners would be tame in comparison with such 
 stupendous pageantry ! 
 
 “ And then everybody sat down like brothers to the 
 magnificent collation. The very gods might well have 
 hungered after the boiled ham and wondrous wine called 
 champagne ! My Commissioners carried away from the 
 feast abundant samples of every article, and I examined 
 them at leisure on shore, and they were indeed wonder- 
 ful concoctions of skilful cuisine, for the ingredient sub- 
 
A Metaphysical Siesta. 
 
 239 
 
 stances were familiar to me in many cases. The feast 
 flowed on like a mountain stream let loose from the up- 
 lands, — rapidly becoming noisier and more tumultuous 
 as it gathered volume and headway. Ye gods ! At the 
 close of the convivialities I could not distinguish, so far 
 as actions went, my own countrymen from the strangers. 
 They might all have been members of the same family 
 descended from centuries of common ancestors, so far as 
 methods of expressing joviality and good-fellowship 
 went. About the only persons not hilariously inclined 
 were my Commissioners and a few of the ship’s officers. 
 Such shouting, such laughter, such affectionate em- 
 bracings between foreigners and sons of Dai-Nippon, I 
 never could have dreamed possible ! Dignity and 
 decorous propriety were slid under the table to keep 
 company with the susceptible fellows already there. 
 
 “ Of course in our own feasts we have abundance of 
 hilarity, but we confine our potations entirely to sake, so 
 that drinks do not get mixed. But these foreigners mix 
 up fully a dozen kinds of wonderfully stimulating bever- 
 ages, so that our systems, unaccustomed to such doses, 
 become unduly exhilarated. Then we drink from small 
 cups, while they drain large goblets. And the foreign 
 officers, apparently possessed with a droll combination of 
 humor and hospitality, persisted in pouring the wine 
 called champagne down the willing throats of my country- 
 men, just as soon as it became manifest that that quality 
 of wine was their favorite potation. I can excuse their 
 partiality for this drink, for it is truly a most delightful 
 beverage. From my vantage-ground I could observe all 
 these things deliberately and philosophically. And I was 
 forced to the conclusion that these foreigners were men 
 just like ourselves, but having constitutions developed 
 more powerfully by stronger food. Even those sailors 
 who were as black as this lacquered box — coming from 
 an entirely different race, as the Hollanders say — moved 
 about and acted like human beings. Yet, behind this 
 wonderful similarity between three different races of 
 men, I detected about the Commodore, his officers, and 
 
240 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 many of his men, a loftiness of bearing and an exaltation 
 of mien that betokened their superiority over ourselves. 
 It was an expression of countenance that betokened a 
 loftier mind, and a more refined sentiment and spirit.” 
 
 “Yet, O Lord of Hikone, according to your doctrine 
 so ably enunciated just now, there can be no such thing 
 as a spirit or a soul. You merely assumed that there 
 was a loftier mind dwelling within those foreign bodies. 
 You cannot prove that any such elements existed 
 there.” 
 
 “ Quite true, O Priest. And that is the very thing 
 that has puzzled me ever since. Of course I can prove 
 nothing in the matter. Yet, just as you were bound to 
 recognize some outside force when you withdrew your 
 hand from the sun, so was I compelled, in the presence 
 of those foreigners, to feel the power oi something in their 
 inner natures that impressed and appealed to something 
 in my nature. And I am convinced that that something 
 in my nature took cognizance of some superior force in 
 their natures. Furthermore, this process of recognition 
 was quite distinct from reason. And I am also con- 
 vinced that this intangible power is the secret of their 
 great physical and material power as a nation. There 
 must be some spring whence this effect flows, — some prin- 
 ciple that inspires their natures with exalted aspirations.” 
 
 “Yet, O Prince, there can be no such spring or princi- 
 ple, if your theories be correct.” 
 
 “I know that well enough, O Priest. Yet I am in 
 search of power, and when I see any thing tending to 
 promote and strengthen power, I want to get hold of it. 
 These strangers have something in their natures that we 
 do not possess. They have a loftiness of spirit that I am 
 compelled to recognize, and to admit to be the secret 
 source of their greater power as a nation. And it is this 
 intangible something that I want to get at. We can imi- 
 tate their ships, cannon, and houses, but, unless we pos- 
 sess ourselves of this secret inspiration, our labors will 
 be fruitless. We shall be like the mountain boor who 
 puts on the garments of a samurai — his vulgar spirit will 
 
A Metaphysical Siesta. 
 
 241 
 
 crop out and make him a source of ridicule and con- 
 tempt to all the world.” 
 
 “ Yet, O most learned Prince, this is all a delusion, 
 according to your learned deductions of this afternoon.” 
 “ I know it, O Priest. But I want power. And, by the 
 shades of Taiko-Sama, I am going to have it ! ” 
 
 “ Then, after all, O Prince, it would appear as if power 
 were the only reality in this universe, because you are 
 able to feel it. In other words, the tangible is not real 
 because it cannot be demonstrated to exist ; but the in- 
 tangible, that appeals to something in us that is above 
 reason, can be felt by a responsive something that we 
 designate the spirit. Are you aware, sir, that, if we ac- 
 cept any such theory, you and I will be forced to admit 
 all the conclusions that we have been so vigorously re- 
 pudiating this afternoon concerning a Supreme Being, 
 the soul, and immortality ? Do you mean to tell me that, 
 because I cannot demonstrate the fact that I am sitting 
 here and talking to you, therefore this lovely lake and 
 yonder lordly mountains do not exist ? If I shut my 
 eyes and sweep the vision away, yet will the substance of 
 the landscape exist as before. These beauties will be 
 here, even if there be no eye to gaze on them. Surely 
 this present moment is real ! Surely I am here talking 
 to you ! Surely we are environed by these fields and 
 mountains ! These things must be true even if every 
 thing else in the universe be mere phantasms ! ” 
 
 “ Nay, O Monk, you merely assume that these things 
 exist. If I choose to deny your assumptions, you have 
 no demonstrations at hand that could force conviction 
 upon me. Also bear in mind that, if these things be true, 
 then, by the same method of assumption, a multitude of 
 other things are equally true. Either every thing exists, 
 or nothing exists. You cannot assume that just a few 
 things that you enumerate do exist, and then forbid the 
 existence of the balance of the universe, that other minds 
 assume to exist as well as the few things that you have 
 seen fit to dignify with existence.” 
 
 “ Then, O Prince, I presume that this intangible power 
 
2\2 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 in the foreigner does exist, as truly as yonder shadow that 
 Hiyeisan is casting upon the waters of this lake. If this 
 concession be made, I do not see where you will land me 
 short of the accursed doctrines of the Kirishitans.” 
 
 “ I do not care where it will land you. All I know is 
 that, so far as I am concerned, there are certain phe- 
 nomena that I consider it politic and expedient to recog- 
 nize as realities, even though they be invisible realities. 
 Did not my mind wrestle with the minds of these for- 
 eigners over the terms that should be incorporated into 
 the treaty, and am I not positive that in matters of 
 diplomacy and reasoning their minds are constructed on 
 the same plan as mine ? What can be more real than 
 that fact ? Let the treaty speak for itself.” 
 
 “ O most profound and learned Prince, you are tread- 
 ing upon very dangerous ground if you intend to adhere 
 to your first declarations about the universe.” 
 
 “ Never mind about that, O Priest, but look to your 
 own laurels and to those of your religion, for I am about 
 to make some marvellous revelations unto thee. Know, 
 then, that in my researches to discover what was the 
 secret power of these foreigners, and whence flowed their 
 inspiration, I came across the following historic record : 
 It appears that nearly four centuries ago there dwelt on 
 the shores of a far distant sea a man who not only 
 assumed this earth to be spherical in shape, but who 
 also asserted the same to be a fact with endless persist- 
 ency. He spent many years in navigating his native 
 seas, and also the shores of a vast ocean contiguous 
 thereto. All the wise and learned men of those days 
 laughed him to scorn. Yet did he persist in his assertion, 
 and endeavor to verify his allegation, that land lay be- 
 yond those apparently boundless waters, by showing cer- 
 tain berry-bushes and sundry curiously carved pieces of 
 wood that had drifted across that vast expanse of waters 
 and had floated upon the shores of those countries that 
 bordered the eastern shores of that ocean. Still persist- 
 ing in placing absolute faith on the correctness of his 
 assumption, he even dared to venture upon that unex- 
 
A Metaphysical Siesta. 
 
 243 
 
 plored waste of waters, and to sail westward for many 
 months, until he actually came upon the shores of an un- 
 known continent. Further voyages and discoveries veri- 
 fied his theory beyond all possible doubt. And, within 
 fifty years from the time that he reached the shores of 
 that new world, another navigator, sailing in an opposite 
 direction, came upon our own shores. 
 
 “Now, the strange part of this matter is, that the in- 
 habitants of this new continent, who, by the way, are 
 the descendants of the race to which the discoverer be- 
 longed, are the very people who now come to our shores 
 and demand commercial intercourse with us. Now the 
 actions of this great discoverer reveal unto me the prin- 
 ciple, not only of his own success, but also of the success 
 of the race to which he belongs. He, being convinced 
 of the correctness of his conclusions, then by faith laid 
 hold of things unseen, and thus out of his intangible 
 theories revealed a new world to humanity. And the 
 race to which he belongs are given to acting on faith in 
 many matters that are extremely practical in their nature. 
 They appear to have imbibed this principle from their 
 extraordinary religion, of which this great discoverer was 
 a very devout follower. Having accustomed their minds 
 to this peculiar method of procedure, they very naturally 
 drift into the habit of applying this wonderful principle 
 of human nature to things outside of their religion. In 
 their sciences and arts they appear to have assumed 
 certain fundamental principles to be correct, and then to 
 have gone ahead and constructed their comprehensive 
 theories and their marvellous mechanical productions. 
 This principle of laying hold on the invisible and the in- 
 tangible and building thereon in accordance with their 
 enlightened reason, appears to be the secret of their 
 superior power as a race. The people of this very race 
 were savages a thousand years after our nation had 
 adopted Chinese civilization ! Yet, under the subtle in- 
 fluence of this principle, they appear during the last 
 thousand years to have made immeasurable progress, 
 while we have stagnated. This race of savages has de- 
 
244 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 veloped a boldness and a keenness in metaphysical and 
 scientific speculation, an exalted devotion in the search 
 for truth, and a magnanimity of spirit that will eventually 
 cause them to crowd out of existence all races not devel- 
 oping such characteristics.” 
 
 “ But hold on, O Prince ! Whither will you lead me ? 
 If that which you say be true, then the meteoric stones 
 and foreign substances that drift across the boundless 
 ocean of space upon our shores prove the existence of 
 other worlds beyond this mighty abyss, for the books of 
 the Hollanders say that the elements composing these 
 pieces of drift from unknown realms beyond us are iden- 
 tical with the mineral substances entering into the com- 
 position of our earth. Pray, where will your next step 
 lead us ? ” 
 
 “ Now zealously guard the laurels of thy creed, O 
 Priest. Know that this foreign race has applied this 
 same principle of faith to the intangible and invisible 
 spirit-world, as they call it. They assume the existence 
 of a Supreme Being and of a soul, and they believe that 
 this Supreme Being has promised immortality to man- 
 kind. Assuming and believing these fundamental prin- 
 ciples to be correct, they have built thereon their hopes 
 and their energies. They also allege that this Supreme 
 Being has revealed unto them a magnificent and perfect 
 system of moral ethics, whereby to guide and to direct 
 them in this life, and to prepare them for a future life 
 after death. Upon this system of ethics they have built 
 their social and political institutions, which appear to 
 have developed into something quite superior to ours. 
 Now, even if there be no Supreme Being, no soul, no im- 
 mortality, yet the very principle of laying hold on the 
 reality of such profound mysteries by faith, and acting 
 thereon, appears to develop a nobler spirit in mankind 
 than the rejection of these mysteries, or the remaining in 
 a state of uncertainty concerning them, seems to develop. 
 The application of this principle seems to produce higher 
 types of races. Therefore I am convinced that this is 
 the source of the foreigners’ exalted aspirations and 
 
A Metaphysical Siesta. 
 
 245 
 
 inspired sentiments, which have developed in their na- 
 tures lofty and noble impulses, that stamp their existence 
 on their very faces. 
 
 “ O Priest, what chance has your weak and childish 
 creed against such vitalized and glorious beliefs ? Look 
 to your laurels, sir Abbot. I foresee great changes in 
 this country. The day may soon come when this foreign 
 religion will again challenge your creed. Three hundred 
 years ago it swept, within forty years, over Kiushiu like 
 wildfire, and, but for the intervention of the State, where 
 would your sect have been ? Beware of its second ad- 
 vent, and make ready your weapons. Be assured that 
 the religion which can offer a reasonable hope of immor- 
 tality to man will soothe the cravings of the human heart, 
 and will sweep your dead creed out of existence. As for 
 myself, I shall continue to live and to believe as I have 
 heretofore done. I cannot understand these mysteries. 
 Therefore I reject them. But your creed is under our 
 patronage, and it behooves us to give you timely advice 
 and warning whenever our forecast becomes gloomy. 
 
 “ It is now getting toward the close of the day, and you 
 must hasten homeward. My swiftest boat with eight 
 lusty scullers will bear you across the lake directly to the 
 base of Hiyeisan. Return, then, to thy engroved mon- 
 astery on yonder summit, and ponder well my warnings. 
 Seek the shadows of the moon- lit pines, and brood yet 
 more deeply over the profound mysteries of life, of death, 
 and of immortality ; and when thy sombre communings 
 shall disclose whither hath fled the spirit that erstwhile 
 shone forth in the countenance of thy departed brother, 
 then hasten to reveal unto me the dread truth. Fare- 
 well ! ” 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 ORANGE BLOSSOMS. 
 
 On the same day that the Lord of Hikone wrestled so 
 nonchalantly with the Abbot of Hiyeisan on matters per- 
 taining to the dread mysteries of life and of death, there 
 came a messenger to the gateway of Mito Yashiki, en- 
 quiring for the sons of Nakashima. He was duly escort- 
 ed to the lodge, where dwelt the two gentlemen for whom 
 he was searching. The messenger reported himself to be 
 the bearer of letters from their father at Atago-Yama, 
 With reverent hands the despatches were received, and 
 quickly opened. The one addressed to Junzo contained 
 merely a few items of family news and some expressions 
 of general pleasure at the auspicious commencement of 
 his vassalage to Mito. 
 
 The letter to Tomokichi, however, was far different in 
 its import. To the Caucasian reader it would have ap- 
 peared a droll specimen of literature. It ran thus : 
 
 “ My son, it has been truly said that he, who leaves no 
 children to burn incense before his shrine, well merits 
 the commiseration of both gods and men. To have one’s 
 name pass into utter oblivion, to become extinct in root 
 and in branch, are calamities to be guarded against with 
 great care by judicious and thoughtful members of the 
 community. Has not our name been handed down from 
 generation to generation for more than one thousand 
 years ? Should not we, therefore, see to it at this day 
 that the proper precautions be taken to prevent the con- 
 tingency of so dire a calamity as the decadence of so 
 ancient a family ? Profoundly have I dwelt upon this 
 subject, until my meditations have brought me to definite 
 
 246 
 
Orange Blossoms. 247 
 
 conclusions and action in the matter. It is already well 
 known to you that our worthy friend Yamada grieves 
 deeply over his supreme misfortune in being deprived of 
 male offspring. In accordance with the ancient and 
 praiseworthy custom of our country, he has offered to 
 adopt as his heir my youngest son, your brother Kunisa- 
 buro, thus perpetuating his family and transmitting his 
 name to posterity. It is needless for me to say how 
 supremely honored I feel at this token of confidence on 
 the part of so discriminating a person as this gentleman 
 of renowned lineage undoubtedly is. Another pleasing 
 feature of this matter was developed when our illustrious 
 friend also proposed a marriage between his younger 
 daughter and Kunisaburo (between which frivolous crea- 
 tures it appears that a weak and silly attachment has long 
 existed). The generous offers of Mr. Yamada have been 
 accepted by me after long and profound reflection ; and 
 the marriage will be consummated next month. Immedi- 
 ately thereafter, the adoption of my son will be ratified. 
 
 “ But there is another matter, allied to the one under 
 discussion, that more directly concerns yourself, and 
 concerning which I now notify you. I, being consumed 
 with the very natural and laudable desire to hand down my 
 name to posterity, have proposed a marriage between you 
 and Mr. Yamada’s elder daughter. This proposal, after 
 due deliberation, he has condescended to accept, thus 
 honoring us very greatly by the alliance. We have de- 
 cided to have this marriage consummated a few days 
 before the nuptials of your brother are celebrated. 
 Therefore I have written this letter to you asking that you 
 will obtain leave of absence for three months from Yedo, 
 and that you will forthwith journey home in order that 
 the bridal ceremonies be not held in abeyance after an 
 unseemly fashion. It will not be necessary for your 
 brother Junzo to leave his duties in Mito Yashiki. At 
 the end of three months you may resume your duties in 
 Yedo, and your wife can make her home with us at 
 Atago-Yama. We are all in good health and wish you 
 much joy and a pleasant journey.” 
 
248 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 Such was the substance of the epistle. Strange 
 enough does it seem to our Caucasian ears. Yet, in a 
 land where the family and the government were based 
 upon patriarchal principles, it was deemed just and 
 proper that the father should dictate in what manner and 
 with whom his name should be perpetuated, — and from 
 his decision there was practically no appeal. If a matri- 
 monial alliance seemed proper in the eyes of the parents, 
 orders in council were forthwith issued to the young 
 couple, and they meekly obeyed. Making love after the 
 manner of the Caucasians, to them would have appeared 
 coarse and tumultuous. For a love-lorn swain to have 
 confessed his passion to the object of his admiration, 
 would have been regarded as vulgar and indecent. In 
 such matters the services of a mutual friend were always 
 employed to discuss the affair with the young lady’s par- 
 ents, who pondered and rendered final decision in the 
 premises. 
 
 As a general thing, the young people were very rarely 
 consulted as to their own wishes in the matter. From 
 beginning to end, the entire transaction was viewed from 
 a purely business standpoint, and every vestige of 
 romance was duly eliminated therefrom. Of course, if 
 there existed a very violent antipathy on the part of one 
 toward the other, then the indulgent parents would 
 doubtless act cautiously and wisely. But where a match 
 was otherwise desirable, then no question of personal 
 preference would be allowed to intervene. The only 
 escape from the will of inexorable parents lay in suicide, 
 — a ghastly measure occasionally resorted to by thwarted 
 lovers, who would tie themselves together with cords and 
 then jump into the friendly waters of some river or inlet, 
 whence their unhappy souls drifted out upon the unknown 
 seas above, while their hapless bodies drifted about with 
 the uneasy tides that ceaselessly pounded the shores. 
 
 Whilst this despotic method of procedure in the 
 highest compact known to mankind may not be desir- 
 able, yet it would be well if we Caucasians learned to 
 conduct our campaigns in the domain of Cupid with more 
 
Orange Blossoms. 
 
 249 
 
 sober judgment and with less of gushing and tumultuous 
 pyrotechnics, so to speak. Now, owing to this peculiar 
 method of match-making, I fear that there will not be 
 found to be much of wooing and winning within the 
 pages of this book. Romantic incidents of that descrip- 
 tion will necessarily be very meagre, because the consci- 
 entious novelist will not try to picture the Oriental lover 
 as making love after methods peculiar to Caucasians. 
 However much of latitude may be given to the novelist 
 in matters of detail, yet the critical reader notices with 
 displeasure any liberty taken with matters of general 
 principle. To weave through the web of my romance 
 the subtle fibres of a charming tale of wooing and win- 
 ning might be very tempting, but it would be violently 
 introducing ardent foreign methods into the mild and 
 unpoetic marital customs of the Far East. 
 
 Yet the essence of love was the same as with us. It 
 differed only in the manner of expression. The Japan- 
 ese maiden loved coyly and demurely, scorning to ex- 
 hibit any outward sign of emotion as being unwomanly 
 and silly. The young man loved deeply, and, instead of 
 publishing that fact to the world with serenades and 
 motiveless meanderings about the premises of his dul- 
 cinea’s parents, at once retained the services of some 
 astute and diplomatic friend to press his suit before 
 mademoiselle’s father, who was generally disposed to 
 give kindly attention to the young swain’s advance, pro- 
 vided his connections were respectable. 
 
 I will not waste time, however, in moralizing upon 
 the possible advantage to be derived by us from a care- 
 ful study of the practical and business-like methods of 
 conducting Oriental matrimonial alliances. Suffice it to 
 say that Tomokichi read, comprehended, and obeyed. 
 As a matter of fact, I feel justified in confidentially 
 stating that the young man was not entirely unprepared 
 for his father’s abrupt announcement and peremptory 
 command. He had long had his eyes open to the way 
 matters appeared to be shaping themselves (observing 
 young man as he was) and he perceived the thorough 
 
250 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 appropriateness of the entire proceeding. In addition to 
 this he long had admired and esteemed the stately and 
 modest Masago. Had the customs of the country per- 
 mitted him to take the initiative in the matter, he would 
 long before have bloomed forth in the role of the ardent 
 lover. But the chilling proprieties of the social atmos- 
 phere wherein he had been brought up discouraged any 
 open advances on his part, and so he had plunged yet 
 deeper into his studies and had patiently awaited devel- 
 opments. 
 
 And how about Masago herself, I hear you asking ? 
 Had she been consulted in the matter ? Nay, not as we 
 understand such things. Her father briefly notified her 
 one morning that within two months she was to be mar- 
 ried to the eldest son of Mr. Nakashima, and that her 
 arrangements must be accordingly made. She bowed 
 her head to the tatamis and said : “Very well, father,” 
 and forthwith set to work to make her exceedingly sim- 
 ple trousseau. But she also had kept her eyes open and 
 had drawn shrewd conclusions as to how matters were 
 shaping themselves. And in her little Japanese head 
 she saw the thorough appropriateness of the whole plan. 
 And, then, had she not always admired the grave and 
 courtly youth ? Had she not always felt happy when he 
 visited her father’s house, and had she not felt inex- 
 pressibly lonely whenever he departed ? Did she not 
 love to recall the time when he forgot his fan and she 
 ran after him, all blushes and smiles, and returned it to 
 him at the gateway ? Could she forget his profound and 
 gracious acknowledgments, and how he touched her 
 hand so gently (accidentally, of course) when he reached 
 forth and took it back ? Ah, mademoiselle, your father’s 
 announcement fell upon ready ears. It was not unwel- 
 come news, and it filled your heart with strange joy. 
 
 It did not take long for our young knight to com- 
 plete his arrangements for his overland trip. His first 
 plan was to foot it over the Nakasendo. But when the 
 impulsive old Prince heard about it he at once gave 
 orders for a horse and bettd to be furnished from his 
 
Orange Blossoms. 
 
 251 
 
 own stables for the journey. And, when our young 
 friend went up to take leave of his Lordship, that gracious 
 old gentleman handed him one hundred rios for his nup- 
 tial expenses, quite overwhelming him with confusion 
 and astonishment. Early on the following day he rode 
 forth on the Nakasendo and journeyed for ten days over 
 the road traversed nearly a year before by the fleet- 
 footed couriers of the Shogun. About midway through 
 the mountains he met the retinue of the Gotairo returning 
 to Yedo. At last he drew near the base of Atago-Yama, 
 and his heart beat with proud and happy emotions as 
 he anticipated the pleasure that his honored return 
 would produce. Late in the afternoon he rode into the 
 mouth of the glen and began to ascend the winding 
 road that led up toward the hamlet. 
 
 “ A gallant knight comes riding up the glen ! ” whis- 
 pered the children with bated breath as they rushed 
 home to report the news to their parents in the hamlet. 
 
 “Sure enough! Who can it be?” exclaimed the 
 startled villagers as they gathered about their gateways 
 and gazed curiously down the road, for it was indeed an 
 unusual occurrence to have a horseman enter the secluded 
 hamlet, and the timid people had learned to shrink from 
 the lawless blades that occasionally roamed abroad to 
 test their cruel swords on any luckless subject that 
 chanced to fall in their way. The terrible tales of reck- 
 less ronins had served to subdue the insubordination of 
 many a peevish youngster in the peaceful hamlets of the 
 realm. 
 
 Presently a little fellow, somewhat bolder than his 
 companions, crept cautiously through the thickets that 
 bordered the hillside and peeped down directly upon the 
 approaching horseman as he toiled up the steep ascent. 
 The little fellow was not long in recognizing the stranger, 
 and dashed back shouting at the top of his voice : “ It is 
 Tomokichi, the son of Nakashima ! ” The last trace of 
 fear fled at the sound of these magic words, for the 
 young man was loved and respected by everybody who 
 had ever known him. Fathers leading their little ones, 
 
252 
 
 Mito Ycishiki. 
 
 mothers with babies tied on their backs, maidens with 
 hastily plucked flowers in their hands, all flocked about 
 the gateway of the Nakashima cottage to bid welcome 
 to the returning wanderer, whom they greeted with pro- 
 foundly respectful obeisances as he came up to the en- 
 trance. Great was the joy and the pride of the simple 
 people to see one of their neighbors thus enter the gate- 
 way of his home. 
 
 Dismounting at the veranda and handing the reins to 
 the betto, Tomokichi was received by his family with 
 that affectionate and decorous ceremony so admirable 
 in the Japanese people. And then the neighbors poured 
 in with warm congratulations. In the meantime the 
 meek betto held the horse beside the gateway, the centre 
 of an admiring group. At last the animal became restive 
 under the close inspection, and lashed out with his hoofs 
 at an old gentleman who had ventured too near so as to 
 obtain a good view of the handsome saddle. This mani- 
 festation of equine rudeness precipitated upon the nag’s 
 devoted head a torrent of harsh rebuke from the bettd, 
 together with a volley of sarcastic admonition from the 
 same source, to the effect that his Yedo manners had bet- 
 ter not be laid aside, unless he was hungering “ to taste a 
 bit of stick.” This cutting observation appeared to over- 
 whelm the nag with confusion, for he forthwith subsided 
 into demure contemplation of the scenery, and the 
 people filled up the measure of their curiosity even to 
 overflowing. 
 
 After the levee had lasted for about an hour, Tomo- 
 kichi suddenly became mindful of the companions of 
 his journey and came out to order that the horse be 
 stabled. But presto ! there was not a stable in the ham- 
 let. The people themselves had always been the carriers 
 of burdens, so that the interesting disclosure was made 
 that from the remotest generations nobody had ever 
 owned a horse. The next question was “ What was to be 
 done?” Surely, it would never do to send the noble 
 animal down into the stables in the city. At this per- 
 plexing juncture a good neighbor came forward and 
 
Orange Blossoms. 
 
 253 
 
 offered the use of a shed, where in the winter season 
 he was accustomed to store bags of charcoal. And he 
 bettd himself was billeted to chum with the old man- 
 servant in the Nakashima kitchen. 
 
 Having thus settled down, Tomokichi plunged into a 
 description of his adventures and experiences that held 
 the household entranced far into the night. In fact, the 
 next two days were given up very largely to smoking and 
 to conversation, and O-Hana allowed her household work 
 to run sadly behind in order that she might hear about 
 the thrilling wonders that were transpiring beyond the 
 mountains that environed her home. To the Caucasian 
 reader it may appear strange that the young man did not 
 cut a swell on his steed and dash down to Yamada’s at 
 once to see his dulcinea. But such exhibitions of vulgar 
 show and inordinate haste were not according to refined 
 Japanese taste. Such matters were conducted with sim- 
 plicity and decorum. 
 
 Therefore three days were allowed to pass before he 
 called on Mr. Yamada. On the morning of that day the 
 entire family went to Kioto, and spent a couple of days. 
 The Misses Yamada were, to all outward appearances, 
 the same courteous young ladies of last summer enter- 
 taining their friends. They acted their parts to perfec- 
 tion. And it required a keen observer to see and to ap- 
 preciate the many delicate attentions of which the two 
 young men were the recipients from their respective 
 fiancees. Why was it that whenever Masago dipped out 
 the rice the elder brother was always first helped, while, 
 when Seisho dipped it out, the same fate befell the 
 younger brother ? Why was it that the side-dishes of the 
 two young men always contained delicate morsels of 
 some dainty not seen on the other less fortunate side- 
 dishes ? Why was it that the sisters always happened to 
 be on hand when the gentlemen went out calling, so as to 
 be ready to hand from the rack the swords of their 
 respective lovers, while the old gentlemen had to help 
 themselves to theirs. You do not know what Tomo- 
 kichi’s favorite flower is, yet Masago always wears it in 
 
254 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 her hair. And Seisho always wears the silken girdle pre- 
 sented to her by Kunisaburo on her last birthday. Do 
 you, my Caucasian friend, call these but tame manifesta- 
 tions of love ? Do you shrug your shoulders and remark 
 that such servile attentions do but disgust your more 
 rugged nature ? 
 
 Well, well, my carnivorous countryman, it may seem 
 tame to your beef-fed constitution, and it may appear 
 servile to your modern democratic perceptions, but you 
 must bear in mind that the feudal theory upon which so- 
 ciety was founded in that country rendered such attentions 
 eminently becoming and proper. The structure of their 
 society was based upon the idea of lord and vassal. As 
 every man was the vassal of some lord to whom he bowed 
 down in homage, so every woman was the vassal of some 
 man (whether father, brother, or husband) to whom she 
 owed allegiance and rendered homage. Man was the 
 bulwark that girded the prince about with a living wall, 
 standing betwixt him and every danger, and he was also 
 the lion that stood at the threshold of the home to rend 
 asunder the spoiler and the ravisher. What then could 
 have been more appropriate and dignified than for hands 
 unfitted for mortal combat to gently gird on the keen 
 blade and to minister to the wants of the warrior, the 
 guardian of the home ? 
 
 We will not detain you with such scenes, but will 
 hasten with the story of the simple wedding that took 
 place within a fortnight after the return of our gallant 
 knight from Yedo. It was indeed very simple. There 
 were no wedding bells, no organ marches, no church 
 processions, no temple ceremonies. It was viewed 
 almost entirely as a business transaction. Yet to the 
 maidenly hearts of the sisters the occasion was one of 
 supreme importance and happiness. On the morning cf 
 the eventful day the Nakashimas went in norimons to the 
 mansion of Mr. Yamada. A few friends had been in- 
 vited to the sumptuous feast prepared by the host. It 
 was spread out on the floor of the upper story, which had 
 been ornamented with silken hangings and flowers until 
 
Orange Blossoms. 
 
 255 
 
 it resembled a lovely bower. A bevy of servants from 
 some renowned caterer flitted about noiselessly arranging 
 the dishes and the cushions on the tatamis. 
 
 The Nakashimas were quietly ushered into the lower 
 rooms, where they chatted with their host and with the 
 assembled guests, while the bearers were sent to the 
 quarters of the gate-keeper, where a feast had been pre- 
 pared for them and for the household servants. At 
 about midday the guests were ushered upstairs, where 
 they were duly arranged around on the floor, — and the 
 feast began. It was one of those interminable Orien- 
 tal repasts that beggars description. It comprised forty 
 courses, served up in little messes of fish, flesh, and 
 fowl. Of course none of the courses were very heavy. 
 Some of them might well have been characterized as 
 merely a nibble and a bite. Little bowls of soup, tiny 
 morsels of some choice vegetable or fruit, and rare 
 selections of roots and confectionery comprised the bulk 
 of the courses. The entire afternoon was given up to 
 eating, drinking, and smoking between times. The 
 utmost good-humor and hilarity characterized every 
 thing. Choice brands of saktf flowed freely, and the 
 band of musicians downstairs at intervals wrestled with 
 sundry stringed instruments and flutes after a fashion 
 that would have impressed a Caucasian with the idea that 
 the tune was rapidly getting the better of the performers. 
 
 The bride sat with her parents on one side of the room, 
 while the groomsman dined with his family at the other 
 end of the room, where he was the recipient of consider- 
 able good-natured chaffing and badgering. As the feast 
 merged into its closing courses there gradually settled 
 down upon the convivial gathering a hush of expectancy, 
 as if the supreme moment of the entertainment were ap- 
 proaching. At last an attendant brought in a beautiful 
 tray whereon were placed a tiny cup and an exquisite 
 little porcelain jar containing the choicest of sake. He 
 ceremoniously deposited his burden before two vacant 
 cushions beside the balcony. Then, amid the plaudits 
 and the congratulations of their friends, the bride and 
 
256 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 the groom slowly rose, and, advancing to the cushions, 
 seated themselves thereon. Then Masago, with nervous 
 hands, filled the cup with sak /, and handed it to Tomo- 
 kichi to quaff ; and he, in turn, refilled it and handed it 
 back to her to quaff. 
 
 And this pretty ceremony — emblematical of the fact 
 that from thenceforth they were to imbibe pleasures and 
 sorrows at the same bowl — constituted the happy couple 
 Mr. and Mrs. Nakashima. And from that time until the 
 close of the feast they ate and drank together as husband 
 and wife, receiving from and giving back to the p ompany 
 much witty and pleasant badinage. There was no kiss- 
 ing of the bride, no handshaking, no dancing ; but verbal 
 congratulations poured forth freely from all parts of 
 the room. And quite bride-like did Masago appear with 
 her blushing cheeks and lavender-colored robe. On this 
 interesting occasion Kunisaburo and Seisho sat side by 
 side, and graciously helped each other to choice morsels 
 of edibles. Late in the evening the jovial revellers dis- 
 banded. The newly married couple departed in their 
 norimons for the glen that very night, but the rest of the 
 family did not return until late the following day. 
 
 About ten days after the events chronicled above, 
 Kunisaburo’s wedding came off. It was a great day in 
 the hamlet. The guests assembled in the upper story of 
 the cottage, and feasted far into the night. Good old 
 neighbor Yenzo called for a fiddle, and essayed an am- 
 bitious flight in the realms of harmony, but his efforts 
 merely served to increase the volume of the prevailing 
 hilarity. At the supreme moment the attendant again 
 brought in the cup and the jar, and pretty Seisho daintily 
 dealt forth the beverage to her new lord. The congratu- 
 lations of the kind-hearted neighbors then poured forth 
 in a steady stream. Good old Yenzo, undismayed at his 
 previous shortcomings in the realms of harmony, now 
 launched forth into an improvised rhapsody in the dread 
 realms of Chinese poetry to the unbounded amusement 
 of the company. The little children of the hamlet were 
 furnished with a juvenile entertainment downstairs, and 
 
Orange Blossoms. 
 
 257 
 
 feasted to their hearts’ content on cake, fruit, and candy. 
 Late in the evening the party broke up, and, a few days 
 thereafter the bride and the groom returned to the house 
 of her father, where her husband’s formal adoption as the 
 heir to the estates of Mr. Yamada was duly ratified. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 A RETROSPECT. 
 
 Four years have elapsed since the events chronicled 
 in the previous chapter transpired. The course of public 
 affairs has flowed on steadily, but there have been abun- 
 dant indications of ill-disguised and deep-seated resent- 
 ment on the part of the conservative element in the 
 country against the liberal concessions made to the 
 foreign treaty powers by the Shogun’s government. 
 Unwonted earthquakes, storms, and pestilence have 
 sorely vexed the country until the people — naturally 
 superstitious — cry out that the gods are angry at the 
 actions of the government in subverting the ancient anti- 
 foreign policy of the nation. The year 1854 was one of 
 great seismic agitation throughout the empire, and the 
 native chroniclers assert that during that entire twelve- 
 month the islands of Dai-Nippon never ceased to quake 
 and to tremble in some portion or other with continuous 
 vibrations. The Vries islands, situated to the eastward 
 of the mouth of Yedo bay, were in a state of violent and 
 continued eruption, so it is not unlikely that the native 
 accounts are true. 
 
 In the month of November, just after Tomokichi had 
 returned from Atago-Yama, these seismic disturbances 
 seemed to culminate in intensity around Yedo as a centre, 
 and produced one of the most terrific disasters on record. 
 In the vivid language of the native historians, Yedo was 
 reduced to a rubbish heap. The massively built yashikis 
 and temples were not thrown down ; but all of the com- 
 mon structures were demolished. The shocks com- 
 menced early in November, and continued for many 
 
 258 
 
A Retrospect. 
 
 259 
 
 days almost uninterruptedly, and spasmodically stirred 
 the country even up to the close of December. Tomo- 
 kichi was in his room at the lodge manfully wrestling 
 with the mysteries of a Dutch grammar, when the deep- 
 toned booms, like suppressed thunder, caused him to 
 start up and listen to what seemed to be a distant can- 
 nonade. Presently the leaves of the trees began to rustle 
 as if blown by some unseen tempest, and the shock struck 
 Mito Yashiki with a rush and a roar that threw him off 
 his feet. 
 
 Then ensued scenes of appalling horror. Shrieks and 
 yells could be heard arising from all parts of the city. 
 With one impulse the inmates of Mito Yashiki rushed 
 forth from the buildings and sought the groves that filled 
 their spacious grounds, so that in case the earth should 
 split open, then would the interlacing roots of the trees 
 keep them from falling into the yawning fissures. The 
 shocks were so violent and rapid that before Tomokichi 
 could regain his feet he was most unceremoniously rolled 
 about the room and out upon the veranda, whence he 
 was tumbled out upon the ground, along with the debris 
 of numerous flower-pots and porcelain vases. He picked 
 himself up and staggered out under a tree and tried to 
 stand up beside it, but the swaying motion rendered him 
 so deathly sick that he felt constrained to lie down on 
 the grass and allow himself to be rolled about at the 
 mercy of the successive waves that beat against the hill. 
 It seemed as if the lodge would surely be set on end. 
 Large patches of tiles slid off until the rafters were laid 
 entirely bare. It swayed from side to side like a ship in 
 a gale. The shojees were twisted out of their grooves 
 and thrown down, while the timbers creaked and groaned 
 most dismally. The long lines of barracks were thumped 
 and twisted until their roofs slid off with horrid din. 
 They writhed and squirmed like vast serpents when the 
 seismic waves rolled beneath their foundations. The 
 stately palace, with its massive roof, sustained but little 
 damage, although it swayed and rattled with deafening 
 turmoil. During the intervals between the shocks, our 
 
26 o 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 young friend hastily removed the tatamis from the lodge, 
 and spread them out under the trees, so that his com- 
 panions and himself might spend the night there if 
 necessary. He then started out to find his brother. 
 Whenever the vibrations commenced he threw himself 
 flat on the grass and waited until they had subsided. 
 
 Everywhere the wildest confusion and consternation 
 prevailed. Twenty thousand men had simultaneously 
 rushed forth and sought the open air, and were now 
 scattered all about the lawns and groves, excitedly dis- 
 cussing the catastrophe. During the intermissions, ta- 
 tamis and bedding were brought forth, and they prepared 
 to camp out all night. Finding his brother at last, he 
 returned with him to the trees beside the lodge, and 
 there awaited further developments. The shocks con- 
 tinued at intervals all through the night, and the crash of 
 falling houses, together with the glare of conflagrations 
 caused by overturned hebachis, made it a scene of inde- 
 scribable horror. And from that time onward to the 
 close of December they camped out most of the time in 
 the open air. According to estimates, twenty thousand 
 houses and sixteen hundred fire-proof godowns were 
 destroyed during the continuation of these shocks. Over 
 one hundred thousand people were reported killed. The 
 great cities along the southern coast were nearly de- 
 stroyed. Osaca and Hiogo were well-nigh demolished, 
 and Kioto was very badly shaken up. The little hamlet 
 in the glen of Atago-Yama was off the great vein of seis- 
 mic vibration, and escaped with a slight shaking up. 
 
 Toward the close of November the disturbances 
 seemed to break up the fountains of the great deep, for 
 the ocean rose up and dashed itself in mighty billows 
 against the coast, and created incalculable havoc to har- 
 bors and seaside villages. The Russian frigate Diana 
 lay at anchor in Shimoda, one of the two ports just 
 thrown open to foreign commerce, and the water rushed 
 out of the harbor, leaving her bumping on the rocks, 
 while the thoughtless people on shore, following their 
 first impulse, rushed down the beach to catch the fishes 
 
A Retrospect. 
 
 261 
 
 floundering in the mud. Then back came the wave 
 from the ocean in a billow thirty feet high and rushed 
 over the town and broke in surges against the base of the 
 bluffs beyond, while the Diana , on beams’ end, was 
 swirled around her anchor with sickening rapidity. Then 
 back went the wave, and crash went the frigate against 
 the bottom of the harbor. Five successive times did the 
 mighty billows advance shoreward, and then recede 
 oceanward, until the town had been washed away, and 
 all the mud had been swept off the floor of the harbor, 
 thus utterly destroying it for commercial purposes ; and 
 the noble frigate was so badly wrecked that it sank 
 shortly afterward. Then the water resumed its normal 
 level, and so peacefully lapped the beach of Shimoda 
 that a stranger would not have known any such disaster 
 had befallen the place, until he beheld the fields covered 
 with the mud and slime deposited there by the ocean 
 waves. It truly seemed to the native mind as if the gods 
 had stepped in and had destroyed the harbor that had 
 been desecrated by foreign anchors, — for the place had 
 to be abandoned as a seaport. 
 
 By the commencement of 1855, however, nature settled 
 herself down, and matters resumed their accustomed 
 course. During the three years that succeeded the great 
 earthquake, Tomokichi and Junzo pursued their perilous 
 vocation with great success, and without exciting any 
 suspicion as to the real nature of their presence at Mito 
 Yashiki. And Mr. Yamada, at Kioto, pursued so peace- 
 ful and exemplary a life that he regained favor in the 
 eyes of the Shiro people, and his name was accordingly 
 crossed from their lists. About a year after the wedding 
 of his brothers, Junzo was duly lassoed with the paternal 
 halter, and was meekly led up to the marital altar — so to 
 speak, — where he was tied to a very delightful morsel of 
 humanity, known as Miss Akashi. She was the only 
 daughter — in fact the only child — of a warm friend of 
 Mr. Yamada. She was pretty, blithesome, and highly 
 educated according to Japanese ideas. Her father was 
 the retainer of a kug/, and, unlike most gentlemen of that 
 
262 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 description, he was quite wealthy, and owned a very 
 choice tea plantation not far from Kioto. The marriage 
 was celebrated with great zest, for the old Prince of Mito 
 had generously put down another hundred rios where- 
 with to celebrate the nuptials. This showed to the Kioto 
 people that the Lord of Mito was highly pleased with his 
 new vassals from Atago-Yama, for some reason unknown 
 to the public. As old Mr. Akashi had no heir, he very 
 naturally adopted this surplus son of Mr. Nakashima as 
 the heir to his estates. 
 
 With matters thus arranged, these two brothers had 
 most excellent pretext for alternately visiting their homes 
 in Yamashiro every six months or so, and staying a few 
 weeks with their wives and children, for at the date of 
 the opening of this chapter, Masago rejoiced in two 
 robust sons, while young Mrs. Akashi smiled upon a 
 lovely daughter. Nor was Seisho to be outdone by her 
 sisters, for she boasted of a sturdy son and a merry little 
 daughter, the very image of herself. It would be need- 
 less to say that on the occasion of these visits our young 
 spies fully posted Mr. Yamada on all that was going on 
 in Yedo. With young Konishi in the office of the Bak- 
 ufu in daily communication with the ministers of state, 
 it is not surprising that they were able to keep marvel- 
 lously well informed about affairs in general, without any 
 apparent exertion on their part. No wonder the Gotairo 
 frequently found himself headed off in many of his pet 
 schemes, and felt obliged to sharply admonish the com- 
 mandant of the Shiro in Kioto to increase his vigilance 
 over suspected characters in that city. Yet, in spite of 
 every thing, matters at Kioto shaped themselves after a 
 fashion that plainly showed that secret information was 
 being regularly transmitted from Yedo. It became mani- 
 fest that there was a leak somewhere. In vain did the 
 Gotairo storm at his subordinates. The foxy Yamada 
 only laughed the more in his sleeve while his crafty lieu- 
 tenants demurely and unobtrusively plied their vocation 
 without exciting the least suspicion. Could the sands 
 of the Kamogawa shoals have voiced the many conver- 
 
A Retrospect. 
 
 263 
 
 sations that took place in their picnic booths during these 
 years, the Gotairo would soon have stopped the leak in 
 his office. 
 
 During the years 1855 and 1856, it became manifest to 
 the Gotairo that a knowledge of the English language 
 would be indispensable in the office of the Bakufu, inas- 
 much as that language appeared to be the commercial 
 vernacular of the outside world. Accordingly, orders 
 were given to discourage the study of Dutch and to take 
 up that of English. As Mito ranked as the most 
 scholarly of all of the clans, he very naturally looked in 
 that direction for material wherewith to organize a corps 
 of English linguists. Through young Konishi, he had 
 already heard of Tomokichi’s scholarly attainments, and 
 accordingly gave orders that he and Konishi should go 
 down to Shimoda and connect themselves with the cus- 
 tom-house at that port, in order to learn as much as pos- 
 sible from the American and English merchants trading 
 there. With diligent application, they not only acquired a 
 fair mastery of the English language during their sojourn 
 there, but they also gained an insight into foreign commer- 
 cial usages that was of great service to them. They also 
 reaped a rich harvest of information as to the peculiar 
 methods of the Bakufu in conducting a custom-house. 
 
 In all countries a prejudice of corruption has always 
 existed against those who “sit at the receipt of customs.” 
 It will not be too much to say that under the Shoguns’ 
 administration this service was probably as corrupt as 
 any thing that ever existed in the political history of this 
 world. The officers of the government well understood 
 the unfriendly spirit of their master toward foreign com- 
 merce, and were aware that they were at full liberty 
 to make trade as uncomfortable as possible, both for 
 the native merchant and for the outside trader. They 
 hovered like a flock of harpies over every transaction. 
 Every sale had to be conducted under their directions. 
 They craftily compelled their own countrymen to tuck 
 on the prices, and then pounced down upon the luckless 
 dealers and plucked them of their inflated profits. 
 
264 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 As produce and merchandise began to be drained from 
 the country, scarcity and corresponding high prices began 
 to prevail everywhere. The people groaned, the mer- 
 chants tamely allowed themselves to be plundered of 
 their profits, and the Bakufu grew enormously rich with 
 ill-gotten spoil. This, in connection with storms, pesti- 
 lence, and earthquakes, which seemed to be rampant 
 during these four years, created deep-seated and wide- 
 spread murmurings throughout the empire. But what 
 cared the Gotairo for that ? With the purse in his hands, 
 he could afford to smile at the situation and continue on 
 his course. At no time had his power been so great. 
 And it seemed to grow stronger every day. With this 
 vast source of foreign income he was rendered indepen- 
 dent of the Daimios. He defied the conservative ele- 
 ment in the land, and, metaphorically speaking, snapped 
 his fingers in the face of the Emperor himself. In the 
 estimation of his own party the Gotairo was the ablest 
 and most upright individual in the empire. But in the 
 estimation of his adversaries he was a cesspool, wherein 
 stagnated the slimy ooze of villainous corruptions and 
 fiendish cruelties. Thus, even in that remote corner of 
 the globe, did political nomenclature enshrine public 
 characters in a manner to indicate very strongly the 
 common origin of the human race. 
 
 And thus opened the year 1858. Shimoda had been 
 abandoned as a treaty port, and Kanagawa, just eighteen 
 miles below Yedo, was opened as a new port in lieu 
 thereof. In addition to this, Osaca and Hiogo on the 
 Inland Sea — or rather at the entrance thereof — were to be 
 thrown open in the following year, thus bringing the 
 hated foreign traffic within a day’s march of the sacred 
 precincts of the Gosho. Loud and bitter were the im- 
 precations of the conservatives against this unhallowed 
 action on the part of the Gotairo, but he laughed them 
 to scorn. So threatening, however, became the attitude 
 of the hostile clans, that his Lordship deemed it prudent 
 to persuade the foreigners to settle in Yokohama, a little 
 fishing village a short distance below Kanagawa, thus 
 
A Retrospect. 
 
 265 
 
 getting them off the line of the Tokaido, where hostile 
 clans were perpetually streaming along with thousands of 
 fierce retainers. Thus he still held the reins with a firm 
 grasp and seemed assured of an indefinite lease of power, 
 when an event occurred that seriously disturbed his cal- 
 culations and threatened dire disaster to his cause. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 IYILSADA. 
 
 “ Iy^sada the Shogun is dead ! ” exclaimed a breath- 
 less messenger from the citadel one morning in August, 
 when he had been ushered into the presence of the Go- 
 tairo at his yashiki. This abrupt communication fell like 
 a thunder-clap upon his Lordship. Doubtless the reader 
 but dimly comprehends the full significance of this dread 
 message. It meant that the Gotairo was down. His 
 authority to govern the realm had lapsed. A new Shogun 
 must now be chosen by the grand council of Daimios — 
 for there was no heir, — and he well knew that their choice 
 would be Keiki, the seventh son of the old Prince of 
 Mito, a brilliant young man who had been adopted by 
 the house of Hitotsubashi. With the scion of the hostile 
 house of Mito in power, then Nawosuk£ becomes merely 
 Lord of Hikone, a common Daimio of the realm. Then, 
 being thus stripped of his power, would his enemies 
 jump on him for his alleged misdeeds while in office, and 
 badger and humiliate him until his life would cease to be 
 desirable. Nay, they might even bring against him 
 charges of treason toward the Emperor, and send him to 
 the blood pit. 
 
 This was the direful situation in which his Lordship 
 was placed by the death of Iyesada, his liege lord. It 
 all flashed upon him in one moment. Yet did he not 
 lose his balance. Even his enemies credited him with 
 prompt energy and daring boldness in action, although 
 they took pains to modify this complimentary admission 
 with the allegation that he was thoroughly unscrupulous 
 as to his methods of securing an end. Admirably did 
 
 266 
 
Iyesada. 
 
 267 
 
 his great qualities shine forth in the present emergency, 
 and his spirit rose to the momentous struggle with 
 wonderful promptness. When the messenger was so 
 hastily ushered into his presence, he was in his office 
 looking over some papers relating to the new treaty 
 recently negotiated with the Shogun by the American 
 Minister, Mr. Townsend Harris. This fresh batch of 
 concessions had created boundless fury among the con- 
 servative Daimios, and had given rise to dark threaten- 
 ings against Iyesada and himself. Although he was 
 overwhelmed with astonishment and regret at the mes- 
 sage, yet did he not for one moment show by any out- 
 ward sign how deeply he was affected by the sudden 
 announcement. He coolly invited the messenger to sit 
 down, and then ordered in some tea and tobacco. With 
 the utmost deliberation he then proceeded to sip, to 
 whiff, and to interrogate. 
 
 “Your master’s illness appears to have culminated 
 very suddenly,” said his Lordship. “ I was aware 
 that he was ailing last night, but I did not under- 
 stand from the physician that any thing serious was 
 to be apprehended. He seemed to be troubled with 
 slight spasms in his stomach. I understood that the 
 symptoms merely indicated a slight attack of indigestion.” 
 
 “Quite so,” replied the messenger, “ but soon after 
 the spasms commenced they increased very rapidly in 
 frequency and in violence. In a very few hours they 
 culminated in the most frightful convulsions, and he died 
 in great agony.” 
 
 “ Why did nobody send me word ?” 
 
 “ Every thing was in such utter confusion,” replied the 
 messenger, “ that it never occurred to anybody. Besides 
 that, none of us for one moment anticipated death. Our 
 master was too ill to give orders, and there was nobody 
 to assume authority. The attendants were running about 
 in every direction bringing warm water, plasters, and hot 
 drinks. The members of the household were so over- 
 whelmed with the suddenness and the terrible violence of 
 the spasms that they were dazed. The truth is, that we 
 
268 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 all thought that by morning the illness would yield to 
 treatment. Alas ! sir, but that was not to be.” 
 
 “This matter must be kept profoundly secret until a 
 successor has been chosen,” replied his Lordship. “ Speak 
 to nobody concerning it, and carefully caution every one 
 at the citadel to keep the matter quiet until notice from 
 me. I will now accompany you to the saddened home 
 of our unfortunate master and arrange matters.” So 
 saying, he clapped his hands and ordered the responding 
 attendant to notify his retinue to be in readiness within 
 half an hour. 
 
 At the appointed time, he was borne down the hill, 
 through the Sakurada Gate, and up to the main entrance 
 of the citadel. Every thing was quiet. There was 
 nothing to indicate that so momentous an event as the 
 death of the ruler of the land had taken place. To the 
 outside world Iyesada was still the Shogun. And he 
 continued to be such for many days thereafter. Leaving 
 his retinue at the entrance, his Lordship went with two of 
 his officers to the palace, where he met the weeping ladies 
 of Iyesada’s household. They were overcome with grief 
 and horror. He was then ushered into the darkened 
 chamber where lay the body. So sudden had been the 
 catastrophe, and so unnerved had all the members of the 
 royal household become, that the lifeless form of the un- 
 fortunate prince had been left just as it was when the 
 spirit fled, lying in the middle of the room on a heap of 
 silken quilts. His Lordship carefully examined the body 
 and satisfied himself that life was extinct. 
 
 He then gave orders that the body should be prepared 
 for private burial until such time as a public funeral be- 
 came feasible. Then, convening the entire household in 
 the audience-hall, he enjoined on everybody the strictest 
 secrecy until such time as a successor might be chosen. 
 He then went to the death chamber and called in each 
 inmate of the palace and instituted searching inquiries as 
 to the cause of the illness, — (for the preceding Shogun 
 had died under very suspicious circumstances at the time 
 of the granting of the first treaty in 1853, and it was 
 
269 
 
 doubly suspicious that his successor should suddenly die 
 just after signing the second treaty). In fact, his Lord- 
 ship felt morally certain that there had been foul play. A 
 searching examination revealed nothing of importance. 
 Everybody told the same story. The master had been 
 taken ill with slight spasms in the stomach on the 
 previous day ; the illness rapidly increased in intensity 
 toward night, but was still supposed to be nothing 
 serious ; but in the night the spasms merged into horrible 
 convulsions, causing an agonizing death before morning. 
 It was so terrible for one so young and so amiable to be 
 thus stricken down ! 
 
 But his Lordship was not yet satisfied. He submitted 
 the personal attendants to a further series of questions as 
 to what their master had been eating and drinking just 
 before his illness. It did not appear from their replies 
 that the diet of the deceased had varied from the usual 
 routine. It is true that he had eaten some watermelon 
 and had taken a glass of foreign wine ; but these articles 
 appeared to have come from proper hands, so that no 
 suspicion of poisonous substances injected therein could 
 arise. Had the science of chemical analysis been under- 
 stood in those days, the body of the deceased would 
 surely have been subjected to a post-mortem examina- 
 tion ; but, nothing of the sort being known, the secret 
 locked up in the tissues of the stomach remained untold. 
 His Lordship then subjected the entire premises to a close 
 scrutiny for some clue that would indicate the presence 
 of intruders, but every thing appeared in good order. 
 He then placed guards in all parts of the palace with 
 strict instructions not to allow any one to go forth or to 
 come in until further orders. 
 
 He then returned to his yashiki and sent for his coun- 
 cillors. These elderly gentlemen were the head men of 
 the Hikone clan, and had been his advisers from youth 
 upward. On all important matters they were invariably 
 consulted. 
 
 “ Revered Councillors,” said he when they had assem- 
 bled in his private office, “ it is my sad duty to notify you 
 
2 JO 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 that our noble and generous master, the Shogun Iy£sada, 
 has entered upon the shadowy way. We are now with- 
 out a head. It therefore becomes of paramount import- 
 ance for us to take counsel and to devise measures to 
 prevent popular panic and public disturbance until 
 matters have become again settled. For this purpose 
 have I caused you to be here assembled in consultation.” 
 
 “ Most worthy Lord,” replied the senior member of the 
 council, a gray-haired gentlemen whose wisdom and 
 loyalty had rendered him highly esteemed by the entire 
 clan, “this news is sudden and terrible indeed, but not 
 altogether unexpected in view of the threats breathed 
 forth lately by those who opposed the second treaty. Of 
 course our mighty Lord perished by violence ? ” 
 
 “ There I am at a loss to answer you,” replied his 
 Lordship, smiling at the clever declarative interrogation 
 of the senior councillor, “ because there is no appearance 
 of any violence on his person. Of course I am morally 
 certain that there has been foul play somewhere. Matters 
 would be somewhat simplified if I could establish death 
 by violence.” 
 
 “ What are the facts in the case ? ” enquired the senior 
 councillor. 
 
 “It appears,” replied his Lordship, “that he was in 
 good health until taken ill yesterday. The case seemed 
 to be merely an attack of indigestion, or some such 
 slight stomach ailment. But he grew rapidly worse 
 toward night, and, before morning, died in terrible con- 
 vulsions.” 
 
 “ Then, sir,” said the councillor, “ in view of the 
 political situation, it seems to me that the presumption is 
 conclusive that there has been foul play. This is the 
 second time within five years that this thing has hap- 
 pened under precisely similar circumstances. I have no 
 doubt but what some attendant is in collusion with our 
 enemies. He has been bribed to mix some deadly 
 foreign poison with the wine. Either this or some 
 attendant has allowed an outsider to scale the ramparts 
 at night and to clandestinely mix the poison in the wine. 
 
lyesada. 
 
 271 
 
 I do not doubt for a moment but what this thing has 
 been done in some such way. In this corrupt age, what will 
 money not accomplish ? Dangle before the eyes of the 
 average samurai the prospect of a grand carouse in the 
 Yoshiwara and what can you not induce him to do ? 
 Under such circumstances, honor and loyalty become 
 shadows that vanish in the glare of the brothels. Sir, we 
 should trim our sails to the breeze that whispers ‘foul 
 play,’ and act accordingly. This is my humble advice.” 
 
 “You have spoken wisely, most revered councillor,” 
 replied his Lordship. “ Your theory as to the cause of the 
 death of our most unfortunate Lord, agrees with mine. I 
 shall therefore adopt it as correct in view of the circum- 
 stances of the case. I have long since come to the 
 conclusion that there is a powerful coalition of conspira- 
 tors somewhere in Yedo working against us. And 
 recently I have, through my spies, come across some 
 clues that indicate Mito Yashiki as the head-quarters of 
 this gang of traitors. I need but one or two more con- 
 necting links to complete my chain of evidence. And 
 then beware, you sneaking curs over there ! The 
 operations of these fellows are conducted with consum- 
 mate skill. They never leave behind them any foot- 
 prints. This work of last night is a fair specimen of 
 their way of conducting their campaigns of iniquity. Not 
 a clue ! Not a shred of evidence ! Yet, beyond doubt, 
 traitors have murdered their liege lord. O my fine 
 fellows, don’t laugh in your sleeves too much. I shall yet 
 run you down.” 
 
 “ The manner of death rather indicates the use of 
 some powerful foreign poison,” suggested .one of the 
 councillors. 
 
 “ Quite true,” replied his Lordship. 
 
 “ And who can more easily secure foreign poison than 
 these same Mito men, who are continually communicating 
 with the foreigners ? ” suggested another one. 
 
 “ Equally true,” replied his Lordship. 
 
 “ And who but Mito will reap the benefit of this 
 deed ? ” suggested yet another one. 
 
272 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “ Who, indeed ? ” queried his Lordship. 
 
 “ It would appear,” said the senior councillor, “ as if 
 we had a very strong case against Mito, and I fail to see 
 how this case can be shaken. We are all familiar with 
 their ancient grievance against the Shoguns ; and we 
 also are well aware of their present hostility against the 
 Bakufu. We all know that they expect to reap vast ben- 
 efits from the death of Iyesada, inasmuch as young 
 Hitotsubashi will surely be the choice of the Daimios. 
 And we are fully informed of their recent threats, and 
 well know the readiness with which they can procure 
 subtle and deadly substances from foreigners wherewith 
 to poison their adversaries. Thus, having the means and 
 the disposition to perpetrate this foul deed, they traded 
 on the weakness of human nature somewhere and gained 
 access to the royal premises. With the aid of a friendly 
 rope let down from above, a person could easily scale 
 the ramparts in the rear of the garden at night and slip 
 into some closet in the palace, where he could mix up 
 his accursed drug in a glass of wine, and have it slyly 
 administered by his coadjutor when the victim (perhaps) 
 is in a condition not to be cognizant of any peculiar 
 taste about any thing he may chance to put into his 
 mouth. Promises of promotion under a Mito Shogun 
 would be a powerful inducement just now, when so many 
 are dissatisfied with the present administration of affairs. 
 Sir, after all, the fault in this disaster will be found to 
 rest very largely with us, for we did not carefully weed 
 out from the members of our master’s household all per- 
 sons suspected of having conservative ideas. In case 
 we secure control of the next Shogun, we must carefully 
 select his household and know exactly what people serve 
 him. Even his concubines should be thoroughly scruti- 
 nized. Women frequently make very dangerous con- 
 spirators.” 
 
 “ Well and truly spoken,” exclaimed his Lordship. 
 “ Our plan, then, shall be to accuse Mito of causing the 
 death of the Shogun by violence. This, of course, they 
 will deny. But the effect of this public announcement 
 
Iyesada. 
 
 273 
 
 will be to create a prejudice against their candidate for 
 the office. I do not anticipate that this will defeat his 
 election by the grand council of Daimios, but it will 
 serve as a cover under which to introduce my candidate 
 and force him on them. Desperate cases require despe- 
 rate remedies. We are not going out of office in the 
 natural order of things, but are being forced out by our 
 adversaries resorting to foul and treasonable methods. 
 This patent fact will justify us in using extraordinary 
 methods to circumvent our enemies. We are compelled 
 to meet violence with violence. The sympathies of a 
 large part of the people are with us in our foreign 
 policy ; and when it shall be proclaimed that Iyesada 
 was the victim of the enemies of this popular policy, 
 then will our violent course be deemed praiseworthy. 
 The people will say that Mito had been justly punished 
 for such unscrupulous and treasonable conduct. Then, 
 in addition to this, our enemies are scattered, while we 
 are concentrated here in Yedo, — thanks to the wise pol- 
 icy of Tokugawa Iyeyas. Their forces cannot success- 
 fully cope with our army here. I hold the power, and 
 shall not resign it without good cause. The murder of 
 our gentle master I shall certainly feel called upon to 
 punish.” 
 
 “ But, sir, have you selected your candidate ? ” enquired 
 the councillors. 
 
 “ I have been thinking over that matter very carefully,” 
 was the reply, “ and I have decided upon the young 
 prince of Kii-shiu.” 
 
 “ But, sir, he is only twelve years old ! ” 
 
 “ So much the better for me, inasmuch as I myself 
 cannot be a candidate for the office.” 
 
 This witty reply provoked loud laughter among the 
 councillors, who shook their sides immoderately over the 
 shrewd scheme of their lord. 
 
 “ Besides that fact,” continued he, “ this plan has the 
 merit of placing the minds of you councillors at ease 
 concerning female conspirators within the citadel, for we 
 shall not be called on to select his wife and concubines 
 
Mito Yashiki. 
 
 274 
 
 for a long time to come. In the meantime we can have 
 the most absolute control of his household matters, and 
 shall see to it that nobody enters his service until we 
 have passed upon him. How does all this impress you, 
 my worthy councillors ? ” 
 
 This sly hit was received with unbounded good-humor 
 by all present. The details of the plan were then fully 
 discussed, and the minutest points were carefully ana- 
 lyzed with that exhaustiveness which rendered his Lord- 
 ship so difficult a person to catch unprepared. It was 
 midnight before the council adjourned, and by that time 
 a scheme had been perfected to keep the power in the 
 hands of his lordship for an indefinite period. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 lYlsMOCHI. 
 
 “ Long live Iyemochi the Shogun ! ” Such would 
 have been the greeting of a Caucasian mob to their new 
 ruler. But no such welcome awaited the new Shogun. 
 In fact, the populace knew nothing about the death of 
 the prior incumbent until the successor had been duly 
 installed in office. The Lord of Hikone had again car- 
 ried the day, and the little Prince of Kii-shiu was now 
 the “Ruler of the Four Coasts ” and the “Barbarian- 
 Exterminating Lord.” His Lordship continued on as the 
 Gotairo, and could afford to smile upon his enemies, who 
 sneered at him as the “ swaggering Prime-Minister.” 
 Truly he had carried matters with a high hand, and had 
 done most unprecedented things that had filled the hearts 
 of the conservative Daimios wuth rage and fear. 
 
 On the day following the death of his liege lord, as set 
 forth in the preceding chapter, the Gotairo succeeded in 
 extracting from the attendants at the palace evidence 
 that criminated the old Prince of Mito. Popular rumor 
 alleged the use of torture, and it is not unlikely that such 
 measures w r ere resorted to by this bold and desperate 
 man. At all events, depositions w'ere procured by some 
 means or other to the effect that the luckless Iyesada had 
 come to his death by poison administered at the instiga- 
 tion of the old Prince. Without delay the Gotairo sent 
 notice to Mito Yashiki, ordering that old gentleman to 
 retire at once into banishment at Mito, — for reasons best 
 known to himself, — and to remain there in close confine- 
 ment in his palace until permission to come out had been 
 decreed by the Bakufu. This peremptory mandate was 
 
 275 
 
276 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 accompanied with a suggestive intimation that, if he in- 
 stantly obeyed, matters would be allowed to rest, but 
 that, if he did not at once obey, then he would be com- 
 pelled to perform seppuku (hara-kiri), and his estates 
 would be confiscated. This ominous notice it was 
 deemed best to obey, and the old Prince forthwith de- 
 parted from Yedo, vowing eternal vengeance against the 
 wily author of his woes, as well as against “ that nest of 
 robbers,” the Bakufu. When the choleric old gentleman 
 arrived at his place of exile, he allowed his wrath to ex- 
 plode in terms of unmeasured denunciation at the out- 
 rageous indignity imposed upon him, and, in the highly 
 expressive political colloquialism of the nineteenth cen- 
 tury, “ he painted the town red.” The reverberations of 
 his wrath reached Yedo, and he received speedy notice 
 to subside, else extreme measures would be taken against 
 him. Pressed against the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by 
 powerful Tokugawa clans, with fiery Aidzu on the north- 
 west ready to swoop down on him like a mighty ava- 
 lanche, his position was indeed isolated and defence- 
 less. He sulkily subsided. But his deep mutterings 
 reached Kioto through underground channels, and found 
 the imperial ear ready to listen to his complaints. 
 
 But the Gotairo did not stop here. He preferred 
 charges against the most powerful of the conservative 
 Daimios (even Satsuma and Tosa), and commanded that 
 they should consider themselves under arrest and impris- 
 onment within the seclusion of their respective yashikis 
 until further notice, under penalty of incurring the dire 
 displeasure of the Bakufu. Loud, angry, and ominous 
 were the threatenings of the enraged clans at this extra- 
 ordinary action. A less intrepid man than he would 
 have quailed before the storm of indignation that arose 
 from within the walls of almost every yashiki in Yedo. 
 But, unterrified, he steadily pursued his course and 
 heeded not the mutterings of the tempest that he had 
 created. 
 
 With these preliminary steps thus energetically taken, 
 he proceeded to convene the Daimios with a fair chance 
 
Iyemochi. 
 
 2 77 
 
 of winning the election. His manoeuvrings would have 
 done credit to the methods of a modern ward caucus. 
 How admirably convenient to be able thus to bottle up 
 your opponents until after the campaign ! Nevertheless, 
 even with this handicapping, the election was a most 
 hotly contested one, for young Hitotsubashi was not 
 only exceedingly popular, but was also eminently fitted 
 for the office both by maturity and ability. Most stub- 
 bornly did his adherents wage battle for him in the con- 
 vention, and most eloquently did they urge that the 
 national crisis demanded a man and not a boy at the 
 head of the state. Vain ! When the tide seemed setting 
 in their favor, and when victory seemed almost within 
 their grasp, the Gotairo played his trump card and won 
 the game. He asserted that Iy^sada had verbally 
 designated to him the young Prince of Kii-shiu as his 
 heir and successor. True, no formal adoption had ever 
 been consummated, but the wish and the intention to 
 adopt had been so strongly and so frequently intimated, 
 that the behest must be looked upon as a binding will. 
 Such being the facts in the case, he felt called upon to 
 see that the wishes of his late master were scrupulously 
 complied with, and that his estates and his succession 
 should revert to that one whom he had manifestly chosen 
 to inherit them, and who, but for an unexpected contin- 
 gency, would have inherited them. 
 
 This statement overwhelmed the Daimios with amaze- 
 ment and confusion. The wishes of the dead are 
 respected in all lands. And when, as in this case, those 
 wishes are urged for adoption by a man who clearly inti- 
 mates that, unless they are adopted peaceably, then 
 he must endeavor to enforce them with all the power at 
 his command, the chances stand decidedly in favor of 
 their adoption. In the present case they were adopted. 
 The shrewd schemer precipitated the balloting just as 
 soon as he had played his trump card and before his ad- 
 versaries could put their heads together for consultation ; 
 and, as a very natural consequence, the young Prince of 
 Kii-shiu was declared elected. The little fellow was 
 
278 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 brought from chasing butterflies and flying kites in the 
 vast enclosures of his father’s yashiki , and was duly 
 installed in the stately halls of the palace amid all the 
 pomp and circumstance of royal power, and was bowed 
 down to and reverenced by every one who entered his 
 presence as Iyemochi the Shogun. And the crestfallen 
 Daimios were dismissed to their respective yashikis, to 
 chew at leisure the cud of bitter reflection over this 
 brilliant illustration of how the realm was indeed ruled 
 by one master-mind, and how helpless they all were to 
 frustrate the ambitious schemes of this bold man. 
 
 The Gotairo then announced the death of Iyesada to 
 the public and allowed the people to manifest whatever 
 emotions they pleased. The English and the American 
 Ministers, who had recently come to Yedo to reside, 
 were duly notified of the event and were allowed to send 
 in their somewhat tardy condolences. Lord Elgin, the 
 Plenipotentiary from Great Britain, whose fleet had been 
 riding at anchor before the city, found that he had been 
 negotiating with a Shogun dead, for nobody knew how 
 long a time. But he did not allow this Oriental idiosyn- 
 crasy to disturb his diplomatic relations, and, with the 
 sang-froid of an experienced hand, he proceeded “ to 
 sign, to seal, and to deliver” as if nothing had happened. 
 
 Then did the councillors of the Gotairo arrange the 
 household matters of the new Shogun after a fashion to 
 suit themselves. There was a thorough overhauling of 
 the domestic economy of the entire establishment. In the 
 first place, all the attendants of their late master sud- 
 denly found themselves out of employment, being sum- 
 marily dismissed under the vague charge of implied 
 negligence in the matter of the sudden death of Iyesada. 
 Then their places were slowly filled with persons whose 
 loyalty could not be in any way doubted. The guards 
 about the citadel were doubled. And the gardens 
 surrounding the palace were placed under the surveil- 
 lance of the keenest spies. So thoroughly did the coun- 
 cillors perform their work, that the new treaties of that 
 year, granting greater concessions to foreigners than had 
 
Iyemochi. 2 79 
 
 ever yet been conceded, were not followed by the usual 
 death of the Shogun. 
 
 Having thus rendered his position almost impregnable, 
 the Gotairo turned his attention to punishing his 
 political adversaries in Yedo and Kioto, and he entered 
 upon one of the bloodiest and most cruel campaigns of 
 vengence on record in Japanese history. He arrested 
 his enemies on every side and consigned them to the 
 blood-pit and to disembowelment. He sent orders to the 
 commandant of the Shiro at Kioto to arrest and send 
 to Yedo, under close guard, all persons known to be 
 plotting against the Shogun. Thanks to his vigilant spies, 
 he knew exactly where to lay his hands. Scores of 
 avowed imperialists were arrested and forwarded to 
 Yedo, where some were beheaded and others were 
 granted the privilege of performing seppuku , in order to 
 save their estates from confiscation and their families and 
 kindred from blood-attainder, consequent on their overt 
 acts of treason. The old Prince of Mito was ordered to 
 remain in perpetual banishment. He was also compelled 
 to hand over all authority to his son. Having thus 
 finished off his more formidable enemies, his Lordship 
 exultingly turned to crush the ring of spies that had so 
 long been pestering him at Mito Yashiki. With the 
 tiger’s thirst for blood, and with deep rancor long goaded 
 beyond endurance by the gadflies that had so long buzzed 
 about his ears, he set out upon a campaign of inhuman 
 atrocity, in order not only to gratify his thirst for revenge, 
 but also to strike terror into the fearless spirits that had 
 tampered with his secret plans. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 THE ENTERING IN OF THE WEDGE. 
 
 In the spring of 1859, the Gotairo one morning was 
 deeply involved in consultation with his councillors, when 
 a messenger handed to him a note from a gentleman 
 waiting at the gateway of the yashiki. After reading the 
 note, he hastily dismissed his cabinet and ordered the 
 attendant to usher the visitor into his private office. 
 
 “Well, sir Fox,” said he, good-humoredly, when the 
 spy (for such was the gentleman) had been brought 
 into his presence, “have you succeeded in kidnapping 
 your man ? ” 
 
 “ I have, most honored sir,” modestly replied the spy. 
 
 “ Well done ! ” exclaimed the Gotairo. “ Now we shall 
 have some fine sport I can assure you. Pray how did 
 you manage the matter ? ” 
 
 “ I heard last week that the fellow was going back to 
 Mito with some horses for the stables of the old Prince, 
 so I lay in wait for him among the groves beyond the 
 tombs of the Shoguns, north of the suburbs, and arrested 
 him just as he came out on the Mito-kaido." 
 
 “ Was he alone ? ” 
 
 “ Entirely so.” 
 
 “ What, then, became of the horses ? ” 
 
 “ I turned them loose to take care of themselves,” said 
 he. “They will wander back to Mito Yashiki, and the 
 powers there can puzzle their heads over the spiriting 
 away of their bettd at their leisure.” 
 
 “Ha! ha!” chuckled the Gotairo, as he gleefully 
 rubbed his hand, “ now we shall soon see whether we 
 have caught the right man. Does Yamagata still fre- 
 quent the Yoshiwara ? ” 
 
 280 
 
The Entering in of the Wedge. 
 
 281 
 
 “ He does, sir ; and whenever he becomes exhilarated 
 over his cups he invariably launches forth into that same 
 old tale that he has been rehearsing down there for the 
 last four or five years, about his wonderful cleverness in 
 bleeding a couple of high officials travelling ne'bon one 
 dark night whilst shadowing the fleet of Commodore 
 Perry. He keeps adding to the amount levied on those 
 gentlemen until his hearers will some of these days 
 gather the impression that he struck a gold mine that 
 night.” 
 
 “ Nevertheless,” said the Gotairo, “ the bloated fool 
 has given me the clue whereby to follow up the assassin 
 of Shimidzu the spy.” 
 
 “ I am well aware, sir, that you have always regarded 
 that tale as a clue of some sort, but I must confess that 
 I have never been able in any way to connect it with 
 the murder." 
 
 “ Do you remember the testimony of the fishermen 
 near Yokoska ? ” 
 
 “ Certainly, sir. They said that two Bakufu officials 
 stayed there several weeks about the time of Perry’s 
 visit, and appeared to take great interest in the fleet, 
 visiting it in their boat at all hours of the day and night. 
 They also said that the young men were in the habit of 
 climbing the neighboring hills and spending hours in 
 watching the vessels. But how does that connect them 
 with the murder of Shimidzu ? Surely sa?nurai travel- 
 ling nebon would not ruthlessly slay an inoffensive gen- 
 tleman sight-seeing like themselves.” 
 
 “Very true,” said the Gotairo, “but the testimony of 
 the villagers further stated that one afternoon, when one 
 of those young men came back from a solitary tour 
 among the hills, he reported himself so badly injured 
 from a fall that it would be necessary at once to leave 
 for home, in order to consult a physician, and that forth- 
 with they all hurried off that very night. About two 
 weeks after their departure, Shimidzu’s body was dis- 
 covered on a neighboring hill-top, having evidently 
 been slain in single combat with somebody. It always 
 
282 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 seemed extraordinary to me that he should have fought 
 on that lonely hill, so I visited the place and clearly 
 saw that he must have walked inadvertently into a trap, 
 and was compelled to fight for his life.” 
 
 “ But, sir, at that time many of our Yedo people went 
 down the bay nebon 
 
 “Very true, but the two men shadowing the fleet wore 
 the Tokugawa crest, according to this Yamagata. There- 
 fore they belonged to the Gosank/, for I know that none 
 of the Bakufu officials were down there. This limits the 
 investigation to the three clans of Kii, Owari, and Mito. 
 I am on good terms with Kii, and know that none of 
 their men were down there. The issue, then, is nar- 
 rowed down between Owari and Mito. I am reasonably 
 certain that no Owari men were down there. Therefore 
 during nearly five years I have confined my investiga- 
 tions to Mito. My theory is that the old Prince sent 
 these men down the bay to spy out the foreign fleet, and 
 that Shimidzu, in some unknown manner, got wind of 
 the matter and started down to catch them, and that he 
 inadvertently came upon one of them on that lonely 
 hill-top, and, being recognized, was obliged to fight to 
 the death. At any rate, the animus of Mito makes my 
 theory seem very plausible. 
 
 “ Now, the people at Mito Yashiki are so exceedingly 
 close-mouthed that I have not been 'able during these 
 years to obtain a single clue. Every batch of the rollick- 
 ing blades that has visited the Yoshiwara has been shad- 
 owed by my most expert spies, and not a single com- 
 promising word has ever passed over their cups. This 
 convinced me that they knew nothing about the matter, 
 and that it was a close secret limited to a few persons 
 within the yashiki , and that those individuals were evi- 
 dently not in the habit of visiting the Yoshiwara. This 
 limited me to a very small circle indeed, as you may 
 well imagine. I have long known that the two sons of 
 Nakashima from Yamashiro were studious young men, 
 not given to corrupt practices, and that they have always 
 been exceedingly interested in the affairs of foreigners. 
 
The Entering in of the Wedge. 283 
 
 Furthermore, they are exceedingly expert swordsmen. 
 The slayer of Shimidzu must indeed have been expert ! 
 But just at this point I am non-plussed. It seems mani- 
 fest that the antagonist of Shimidzu must have been a 
 left-handed person. But both of these young men are 
 right-handed men ! But for this fact I should have laid 
 hands on them long ago. But I think that we shall 
 catch them this time. If they be so close-mouthed in 
 Yedo, perhaps they are a little more communicative 
 when they visit their homes in Yamashiro. It occurred 
 to me some time ago that the human propensity to brag 
 and to swagger might manifest itself in the bosom of 
 one’s family when it did not show itself away from home. 
 And now we shall see what this clever bettb has heard 
 during his frequent visits to Yamashiro. Where have you 
 put him ? ” 
 
 “ He is at the guard-house beside your gateway, in the 
 care of my two assistants.” 
 
 “ Bring him in at once.” 
 
 Within ten minutes the pale and trembling bettS, filled 
 with a nameless fear at the uncertainty that clouded the 
 reasons for his arrest, came slowly into the dread presence 
 of the Gotairo, where he prostrated himself in the grov- 
 elling fashion that characterized the salutation of the 
 plebeian in those days of despotic oligarchy. 
 
 “ Bid the fellow sit up,” commanded the Gotairo. An 
 attendant forthwith punched the prostrate form in the 
 back with a stick, saying : “ You are bidden to arise ! ” 
 Then the attendants took their positions, — one on each 
 side of him and one behind him, — and tapped his bare 
 pate with sticks whenever his answers came slowly and 
 his ideas seemed to need enlivening. When the unhappy 
 fellow sat up, he found himself looking into the keen 
 eyes of the Gotairo, who cast upon him a fierce look 
 that smote him with terror. Those snapping gray eyes 
 seemed to pierce his very soul. 
 
 “Fellow!” said his Lordship, in severe tones, “in 
 affairs of this kind the safety of the culprit always depends 
 upon the truthfulness of his replies. Let that one 
 
284 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 tremble who dares to conceal facts, or to prevaricate 
 when I question him.” 
 
 “ Tremble, indeed ! ” groaned the attendants, in har- 
 rowing tones as they mildly punched the culprit in the 
 back, and gently tapped his head to emphasize his Lord- 
 ship’s awful statement. 
 
 “ Know, then,” continued the Gotairo, “ that satisfac- 
 tory answers must be given to all of the interrogatories 
 that will now be put to you, and that false and careless 
 replies will entail nameless miseries and profound an- 
 guish.” 
 
 “ Lay this well to heart, fellow ! ” moaned the assist- 
 ants in doleful accents, as they proceeded to emphasize 
 as before. 
 
 The luckless culprit murmured his willingness to 
 answer all questions, and replied falteringly to a long 
 series of inquiries as to his name, birth-place, age, kin- 
 dred, occupation, and so forth. A brief summary of his 
 replies divulged that he was Kochiki Bandu, of the city 
 of Mito, aged thirty years, a betto by birth and by choice. 
 Thus far his answers had been entirely satisfactory to the 
 dread tribunal, and no enlivening of ideas had been 
 necessary. But as his remorseless interlocutors plunged 
 deeper into matters concerning which he, in his con- 
 fidential relations to the Nakashimas, had become con- 
 versant, the interview became much less cheerful. By a 
 long series of questions the Gotairo had elicited from 
 him the fact that, in the beginning of 1854, he had ac- 
 companied the two young men on a trip to Mito, and 
 that after several weeks he had returned with them. But 
 he was unable to give any information as to where his 
 young masters had gone during the interim, — except that 
 he supposed that they had amused themselves at the sea- 
 shore villa, where he left them while he tarried in the 
 town of Mito. 
 
 The unfeigned exultation with which the Gotairo re- 
 ceived this information revealed to the bettb that his 
 terrible inquisitor was upon the track of his young 
 masters and not upon his own track. His little black 
 
The Entering in of the Wedge. 285 
 
 eyes saw far deeper than anybody credited them with 
 seeing ; and, behind the mask of his stolid features, he 
 was taking in the situation and maturing his course of 
 action. Now, beneath the boorish exterior of this man, 
 there dwelt a kind and a brave heart. He was bound to 
 the Mito clan by sentiments of loyalty and affection. 
 His ancestors for many generations had served the 
 house of Mito in the capacity of bettds, and had received 
 kind and considerate treatment. An unwritten law of 
 honor bound him to the masters of whose salt he had 
 partaken. In addition to this, the kind and generous 
 treatment that he had received from the entire Naka- 
 shima family had kindled within his simple mind feelings 
 of gratitude and sincere affection. And now, when he 
 clearly saw from the trend of the questions that his 
 replies were manifestly getting his young masters into 
 trouble, he determined to suppress and to equivocate. 
 He well knew that he had overheard at Atago-Yama suf- 
 ficient confidential matter to condemn the young men to 
 a cruel death, if divulged before this heartless tribunal. At 
 first he denied having accompanied the young men on 
 their trips home. But his Lordship coolly informed him 
 that he himself had seen him on the first trip about half- 
 way down the Nakasendo , and that his subsequent visits 
 could be proved by a witness on hand. Addressing an 
 attendant he ordered him to usher in Mr. Honda. Very 
 soon a tall, well-dressed samurai responded to the sum- 
 mons, and came in and sat down where all could clearly 
 see him. 
 
 “ Do you recognize this gentleman ? ” said the Gotairo, 
 softly, as he exultingly beamed upon the astonished 
 bettd. 
 
 “ I do, most revered sir,” faltered that luckless indi- 
 vidual. 
 
 “ Who is he, then ? ” 
 
 “ It is he who formerly kept a stand for fruit and 
 confectionery beside the road that entered the glen of 
 Atago-Yama,” replied the crestfallen culprit. 
 
 “ Precisely so, fellow ! ” thundered the Gotairo ; “ and 
 
286 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 he has seen you on every occasion that you went there in 
 company with your young masters. He is my pet spy. 
 It is manifest that you are not giving heed to my admo- 
 nition about veracity. Be admonished now to adhere 
 henceforth to rigid and exact statements. Failing in 
 this, you shall feel my power in unpleasant ways ! ” 
 
 “Take heed and tremble ! ” shrieked the chorus of 
 assistants, as they proceeded to admonish him with a 
 series of sharp taps and vicious punches. 
 
 But the poor fellow had more pluck than they credited 
 him with possessing. His regard for his masters was so 
 great, and his sense of gratitude and loyalty was so strong, 
 that he determined to adopt the perilous course of keep- 
 ing his mouth shut about every thing pertaining to his 
 visits to Atago-Yama. The same spirit that is shown by 
 the North American Indian while under torture is fre- 
 quently found in the Japanese nature. That admirable 
 vein of fortitude and endurance crops out among all 
 classes at the most unexpected times. Bandu, the betto, 
 belonged to this type. In vain did the whacks rain down 
 upon his defenceless head. In vain did blows and punches 
 descend upon his poor shoulders and back. He remained 
 as mute as an oyster whenever the questions related to 
 the visits of his young masters to their home. His Lord- 
 ship wheedled, badgered, and bullied to no purpose. 
 Smiles, cajoleries, and threats were all thrown away. In 
 a moment of extreme wrath his Lordship so far forgot his 
 dignity as to draw forth his fan from his belt and smite 
 the sulky culprit a stinging blow on the cheek. All in 
 vain ! The man was obdurate. 
 
 “ It is manifest,” said his Lordship, finally, in savage 
 tones, “ that we shall be compelled to put our questions 
 under less comfortable surroundings. Adjourn to the 
 warehouse ! ” 
 
 This warehouse was a large fire-proof godowrt, built 
 into a distant wing of the palace in order to store valu- 
 ables in case .of fire. Its immensely thick walls and 
 massive flanged doors fitted it admirably for a dungeon 
 and a torture-chamber. Cries and groans would not 
 
The Entering in of the Wedge. 
 
 287 
 
 reach far beyond its solid masonry. Of late it had wit- 
 nessed the agonies of many political offenders. In about 
 half an hour the tribunal reassembled within the dark 
 chamber of the godown , — the judge and his associates 
 having refreshed themselves betimes with some hot, 
 spiced sakt, wherewith to restore their shaken equipoise. 
 They seated themselves on a little platform at the farther 
 end of the gloomy vault, and ordered the culprit to 
 be brought in for further questionings. The dim candles 
 flickered in a ghostly fashion as the poor fellow was led 
 into the sepulchral place by two fierce-looking torment- 
 ors, whose naturally savage features had been painted 
 and blackened in a hideous manner, in order to strike 
 terror into the heart of the timid peasant. The Gotairo 
 did not condescend to put the questions in person, but 
 handed a written list of interrogatories to the inquisitors, 
 who savagely shouted them forth at the culprit, and 
 menacingly demanded answers thereto. There was no 
 response. Then, with fierce imprecations, they rushed 
 upon their trembling victim and roughly removed the 
 cords that bound his arms and hands. Then they rudely 
 stripped him, and laid him face downward on the ground. 
 Calling a couple of assistants, they directed one of them 
 to hold his head down, and ordered the other one to 
 press his toes close together on the ground, while holding 
 the heels as far apart as possible, — a position in itself 
 painful. Then the tormentors, with rods in their hands, 
 stood, one on each side of the victim, and thundered 
 forth the final question : 
 
 “ Base-born fellow ! Do you still refuse to answer the 
 questions put to you ? ” 
 
 There was no reply. Then the luckless fellow was 
 most unmercifully flogged from neck to heels. His pluck 
 was indeed admirable. Nothing but a few groans indi- 
 cated his anguish. Whenever he writhed in his agony 
 the cruel assistants crowded his face into the ground and 
 violently wrenched his heels from side to side, thus add- 
 ing sprained joints to the torture of the mangled back. 
 Fully two hundred blows had poured down before a stop 
 
288 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 was called. He still refused to answer. It was manifest 
 that the man would permit himself to be beaten to death 
 before any answer could be elicited. This was not what 
 the Gotairo desired. “ That will do for to-day,” said he. 
 “To-morrow you may apply the copper moxa to the raw 
 spots on his body. Perhaps that course of treatment 
 will loosen his tongue a bit.” Accordingly, the court 
 adjourned. 
 
 On the morrow the court again convened in thegodown. 
 The miserable betto was carried in, for he was too stiff 
 and lame to walk. Again the tormentors shouted at him 
 the interrogatories of the previous day. Again did he 
 refuse to answer. And again was he stripped and thrown 
 flat on his face. A glowing hebachi holding an iron pot 
 brimful of molten copper was then brought in. While 
 the assistants held the wretched fellow down, the tor- 
 menting fiends dipped forth small quantities of the hor- 
 rible fluid and poured it upon the raw spots on his poor 
 back. But the only response that they could elicit was a 
 heartrending groan. With devilish deliberation they 
 applied moxa after moxa , but with the same unsatisfactory 
 results. It soon became manifest that the fellow would 
 allow himself to be burnt to death before he would reveal 
 any information damaging to his masters. 
 
 “ That will do for the moxa” finally exclaimed the 
 Gotairo, “ now apply the stomach test, and let him die 
 under that if he chooses so to do.” 
 
 This stomach test was a horrible form of torture in- 
 vented during the days of persecution against the Jesuits. 
 The victim was thrown on his back and held down. A 
 funnel was then thrust down his throat and water was 
 forced into his stomach until it was full. Then a board 
 was laid across his body just over the distended member, 
 and a man would jump upon it with all his might, thus 
 causing water and blood to gush from the victim’s nose, 
 mouth, and ears, causing the most excruciating agony. 
 This operation would be repeated again and again, until 
 the unhappy wretch either recanted or died. 'Now, this 
 bcttb would probably have stood any amount of external 
 
The Entering in of the JVedge. 289 
 
 torture, and have died under it, rather than to have re- 
 vealed any thing detrimental to his young masters ; but he 
 was filled with a peasant’s superstitious horror at having 
 his internal organs tampered with. When the funnel 
 was thrust down his throat and he perceived the devilish 
 atrocity of the torment about to be inflicted on him, then 
 arose in his mind a feeling of undefined terror at having 
 the mysterious organs of his existence wrenched, rup- 
 tured, and mangled in this horrible manner. In his ig- 
 norance he conjured up agonies not only more painful 
 than what he had already endured, but also anguish of 
 an unknown description, concerning which he could form 
 no conception in his mind. He had defied that which 
 was known, but he surrendered to that which was un- 
 known. He therefore made a sign, and the funnel was 
 withdrawn. 
 
 “ What do you wish to say ? ” inquired the torturers. 
 
 “ I will answer the questions,” was the feeble reply. 
 
 “ The culprit consents to answer your Lordship’s ques- 
 tions,” reported the tormentors. 
 
 “ Then remove him at once to my private office, and 
 let us note his replies,” was the brief response. 
 
 In a few minutes the conclave reassembled, and the 
 unhappy culprit was laid on his face before the inquisi- 
 tors. The Gotairo took up the list of interrogatories, and 
 proceeded to catechise. 
 
 “ Have you ever heard the two elder sons of Naka- 
 shima, during their visits to Atago-Yama, tell about any 
 extraordinary experience or exploit in or about Yedo ?” 
 was the first question. 
 
 “ I have,” was the reply. 
 
 “ Clearly state what you heard.” 
 
 “On the night of Tomokichi’s wedding I heard him 
 state to his father that Junzo had killed in terrific com- 
 bat a Bakufu spy.” 
 
 “ Well, what else ? ” 
 
 “ When Junzo went down on the occasion of his wed- 
 ding I heard the family inquiring about the particulars of 
 the affair, He told them that he and his brother had been 
 
290 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 sent by the old Prince of Mito to shadow the American 
 fleet in Yedo bay, and that while so engaged he one day 
 met the famous spy Shimidzu, on a hill-top near some 
 woods, and that he killed him after a long fight, in order 
 to shut his mouth. On one or two occasions I have 
 heard the family discussing the matter.” 
 
 “ Is Junzo a left-handed man ?” 
 
 “ No, but he is equally skilful with either hand. I 
 have heard him say that in that combat he held his left- 
 handed stroke in reserve, and then suddenly delivered it 
 at an unexpected moment, and gashed Shimidzu across 
 the bowels from right to left. He is celebrated at Mito 
 Yashiki for this peculiar stroke.” 
 
 “ I understand every thing now,” graciously responded 
 his Lordship. “ Remove the culprit to the dungeon, and 
 keep him there under close guard until I send for him.” 
 
 Like a bloodhound that has caught the scent, so sped 
 the Gotairo on the track of his victims. He at once sent 
 a messenger to Mito Yashiki, requesting young Konishi 
 and the two sons of Mr. Nakashima to call on him at his 
 yashiki in reference to some business of importance. He 
 had rightly conjectured that their suspicions had not yet 
 been aroused, and that it would not occur to them that 
 the notice was any thing more than to do some translat- 
 ing for the Bakufu. His surmises were sound. The 
 messenger delivered his message at the gateway of the 
 yashiki , where it did not excite any thing more than a 
 passing comment. The note was then duly forwarded to 
 the Konishi lodge, where it found Tomokichi and young 
 Konishi playing chess. Junzo was down on the parade 
 ground and had to be sent for. Within an hour they all 
 met at the main gateway, where the messenger awaited 
 them. Interchanging a few bantering remarks with their 
 friends as to the probability of their notice being the 
 harbinger of promotion to some fat office, they started 
 down the hill, crossed the moat, and walked straight into 
 the trap. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THE CAT PLAYS WITH THE MOUSE. 
 
 As soon as our young friends stepped within the gate- 
 way of Hikon£ Yashiki, the heavy portals were closed 
 behind them, and they were requested to step into the 
 guard-room. Somewhat surprised at such unusual pro- 
 ceedings, they nevertheless did as they were directed to 
 do. Presently ten samurai came into the room, and 
 ranged themselves around its sides, so as to completely 
 surround the visitors, who were demurely sitting in the 
 middle of the floor warming their hands over a hebachi. 
 Nothing was said, and no salutations were interchanged. 
 In about five minutes three gentlemen of forbidding 
 aspect came in bearing huge bundles of stout hempen 
 cord in their hands. Bowing low, they demanded of the 
 three young men the surrender of their swords, which 
 were reluctantly handed over without comment. After 
 having complied with this order they were directed to 
 stand up and permit themselves to be bound. At this 
 juncture the strangeness of the proceedings caused 
 Konishi to exclaim that they were being made prisoners 
 for some unknown reason. “Oh, no, indeed,” replied the 
 gentlemen in waiting ; “ you are merely to be the hon- 
 ored guests of the Lord of Hikone for a brief period.” 
 
 “You will kindly excuse our rudeness,” said the three 
 jailers (for such they were) as they unrolled the cord, 
 “ but we are acting under the orders of our master. Our 
 noble lord sometimes honors his guests after an extra- 
 ordinary fashion. Be pleased to hold forth your wrists 
 in order that we may tie your hands together, most hon- 
 orable sirs.” 
 
 291 
 
292 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “We fail to comprehend the meaning of such actions,” 
 said Konishi, with affected surprise and nonchalance. 
 
 “ His Lordship will soon explain matters to you,” was 
 the reply. “ Who knows but what this is merely a prel- 
 ude to some delightful promotion?” 
 
 “ Sure enough ! Who knows ? ” exclaimed all the 
 samurai , as they bowed low in mocking salutation. 
 
 It took fully half an hour to perform the very intricate 
 operation of binding the prisoners. First the wrists were 
 tied so tightly together as to nearly stop the circulation 
 of the blood. Then the elbows were drawn as far back 
 as possible and tied together behind the back as closely 
 as possible. Then a complicated system of knots and 
 loops was woven all over the upper part of their bodies, 
 so that it appeared as if a net had been cast about 
 their trunks. These knots and loops were drawn so 
 tight that respiration became difficult, and the arms and 
 shoulders became almost immovable. The position was 
 not only uncomfortable, but was positively painful. 
 When prisoners have been left bound for many days 
 there have been instances where the flesh on the hands 
 and arms has mortified. When the binding had been 
 completed, each jailer tied a rope about the neck of his 
 charge and prepared to lead him out of the guard-house 
 into the presence of the Gotairo. In the meantime the 
 news had spread like wildfire throughout the Yashiki to 
 the effect that his Lordship having, after years of patient 
 burrowing, finally unearthed a nest of dangerous Kioto 
 spies in Mito Yashiki, was going to amuse himself by 
 perpetrating one of his grim jokes on them by receiving 
 them as if they were imperial ambassadors worthy of dis- 
 tinguished notice. 
 
 When the prisoners reached the courtyard they found 
 an elaborate guard of honor waiting to escort them to 
 the Gotairo’s palace. A trumpeter sounded the signal, 
 and the procession took up its line of march. Throngs 
 of retainers crowded the roadside, and showered profuse 
 salutations with mocking humility upon the unfortunate 
 ones. Everybody caught the spirit of the huge jest with 
 
The Cat Plays with the Mouse. 
 
 293 
 
 that marvellous readiness of impersonation so prominent 
 in the Japanese character, and profound bowings and 
 scrapings were showered upon the party as if they 
 indeed were ambassadors, and not culprits, whose ap- 
 pearance presented a laughable contrast to the elaborate 
 ceremony of their mocking reception. With due decorum 
 the young men were slowly led by their jailers through 
 the maze of courtiers up to the main entrance of the 
 palace. Here they were reverently received by the 
 entire staff of councillors, all dressed in regalia costume. 
 It took them fully five minutes to sufficiently humble 
 themselves in the presence of such renowned personages 
 as their visitors presumably were. The contrast pre- 
 sented by the crestfallen and forlorn appearance of the 
 prisoners caused the immensity of the joke to dawn with 
 such power upon the crowds of retainers flocking about 
 the entrance that they could no longer suppress their 
 merriment, but exploded in fits of jeering laughter, which 
 swelled into roars of derision as it was communicated to 
 the outside mob. 
 
 The prisoners were then escorted through long corri- 
 dors and lofty suites of chambers, where the household 
 attendants carried out the colossal jest of receiving im- 
 perial ambassadors from Kioto by prostrating themselves 
 on the floor as the solemn procession stalked majestically 
 along. After endless marchings and countermarchings 
 for the sport of the palace, the jailers finally led their 
 prisoners into the private office of the Gotairo, who 
 arose to meet them with the most elaborate exhibition of 
 the profoundest respect. Bidding them to be seated 
 upon some elegant cushions, he ordered an attendant to 
 set tea and tobacco before them. The drollery of this 
 bit of humor was too good to keep within the palace, and 
 was speedily communicated to the barracks, where shouts 
 of immoderate laughter greeted the announcement of how 
 his Lordship had set refreshments before fellows who 
 could not even brush away the flies that tickled their 
 noses ; and he was the recipient that evening from the 
 flunkies of the palace of many compliments on the 
 extreme brilliancy of his most amusing paradox. 
 
294 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 And how did our young friends take all this bitter 
 mockery ? They were mortified beyond expression. It 
 was bad enough to be ridiculed by strangers, but to see 
 the faces of their numerous acquaintances distorted with 
 derision and contempt was unendurable. When the farce 
 commenced at the guard-room they had not time to make 
 up their minds as to the meaning of the strange proceed- 
 ings, but, as the play progressed, they overheard remarks 
 among the retainers that left no doubt that they were 
 under arrest on the charge of being secret spies in the 
 service of the Kioto faction. Gradually the grave 
 seriousness of their position dawned upon them. They 
 had no opportunity to converse with one another, but they 
 all came to the same conclusion as to the nature of the 
 proceedings. The deep blushes of intense humiliation 
 and overwhelming mortification that had at first tinged 
 their cheeks slowly faded into the blanched pallor of sup- 
 pressed fear and stern resolve. The equipoise that had 
 been so sadly disturbed in the guard-room was speedily 
 regained in the court-room. From behind screens and 
 shades his Lordship had watched with intense gratifica- 
 tion the shame of his victims, and, when he perceived 
 that the gibes and the scoffs of his retainers were begin- 
 ning to lose their force, he cut short further teasing, and 
 ordered the prisoners into his private office, where he 
 hoped to continue the sport for a while longer. He well 
 knew that he could not have chosen a more distressing 
 method of revenge than to badger the proud and sensitive 
 spirits in his power by such refined mockery as that to 
 which he was subjecting them, and he purposed keeping 
 up the game just as long as it produced the desired 
 effects. 
 
 “ Most honorable gentlemen from Kioto,” said he, in 
 the blandest tones, as he bowed before them, “ permit me 
 to congratulate you on your safe arrival after your long 
 and circuitous journey. Allow me to express the hope 
 that your health may continue good in this insignificant 
 city, and that you may successfully prosecute your 
 mission in behalf of your august master within the Gosho.” 
 
The Cat Plays with the Mouse. 
 
 2 95 
 
 “ We do not understand you, most honorable sir,” re- 
 plied Konishi, putting a bold face on the matter in order 
 to compel his Lordship to fall back on his proofs to meet 
 this plea of Not Guilty. 
 
 “ Oh ! indeed, do you not ? ” exclaimed his Lordship, 
 with leering eyes and sneering lips. 
 
 “ Indeed we do not,” was the reply. “ We are the 
 vassals of Tokugawa, and now you intimate that Tens/ii 
 is our master. Pray, sir, what is the meaning of this 
 unexpected treatment to which we are now being sub- 
 jected ? ” 
 
 “ Oh ! indeed, do you not understand that ? ” slowly 
 drawled his Lordship, as he daintily filled his pipe and 
 quizzically ogled his prisoners with half-closed eyes. 
 
 “ Will you kindly explain this matter to us ? ” said 
 Tomokichi. 
 
 “ Oh ! you have found your tongue, have you ? ” said 
 his Lordship, as he turned a severe look on him. 
 
 “Sir,” exclaimed Junzo, “there must be a mistake 
 somewhere in this matter. Will you kindly explain your 
 action, in order that we may justify ourselves ? ” 
 
 “ And so you thought it about time for you to com- 
 mence your little speech, did you ? ” replied his Lord- 
 ship, as his eyes lit up with a dangerous glare. “You 
 also are hungering after an explanation, are you ? You 
 must be very obtuse, young man, not to be able to read 
 the signs of the times. Don’t you see that I am tender- 
 ing you folks a reception as the accredited envoys of his 
 Imperial Majesty, the Mikado ? ” 
 
 “ How can that be, sir, since we are in the employ of 
 the Shogun, and have been so employed for many years 
 past ? ” exclaimed Konishi, with a well-feigned air of 
 bland astonishment. 
 
 “ Oh ! you gentlemen speak by turns, do you ? And 
 it has swung around again for you to open your mouth, 
 has it ? ” was the insulting reply. 
 
 Thus did the Gotairo chaff and dally with his prison- 
 ers for fully an hour, to the unbounded amusement of 
 his retainers. Scores of listening ears, pressed close to 
 
296 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 the shojees, caught each choice repartee and reported it 
 to the courtiers outside, who duly published the brilliant 
 saying in the barracks for the edification of their com- 
 rades. Sometimes he was humorous ; sometimes severe. 
 Sometimes he would appear on the point of making 
 some explanation, when the spirit would suddenly move 
 him to branch off on to a line of cutting sarcasm and 
 biting irony intended to crush the recipients thereof into 
 abject silence. Sometimes he insulted them. Sometimes 
 he spoke in elaborate riddles or lengthy parables. Some- 
 times he indulged in familiar jests. Sometimes he gave 
 expression to harsh and gloomy threats of mysterious 
 torments. But the young men adhered to their policy 
 of demanding an opportunity to justify themselves, and 
 would neither be cowed nor silenced, so that the sport 
 finally lost all savor of interest. In addition to this, his 
 Lordship’s supply of wit was becoming rapidly ex- 
 hausted. At last he smote the rim of the hebachi a 
 sounding blow with his pipe and exclaimed : 
 
 “ So it is an explanation that you fellows want, is it ? 
 Well, you shall have it. Dost thou, Junzo, son of 
 Nakashima, recognize this sword that I now place upon 
 the stand before thee ? ” 
 
 “ I fail to recognize it,” replied Junzo, after looking 
 at it carefully. It is needless to remark that the sword 
 was the one with which Shimidzu the spy fought his 
 famous duel. As a matter of fact, Junzo did at once 
 recognize it, but there was nothing in his creed of moral 
 ethics to prevent his prevaricating under the somewhat 
 foreboding circumstances that environed him. 
 
 “ If you fail to recognize the sword,” leered his Lord- 
 ship, “ perhaps you will remember the circumstances 
 under which you murdered its possessor.” 
 
 “ I do not understand you, sir. I have never mur- 
 dered anybody. My life has been peacefully spent in 
 Yamashiro, and in attending to my duties at Mito 
 Yashiki.” 
 
 “ Nevertheless, you went down the bay spying out 
 the American fleet five years ago,” replied his Lordship, 
 
The Cat Plays with the Mouse. 297 
 
 fastening his piercing eyes upon the young man with a 
 searching gaze. This unexpected announcement might 
 have thrown a less ready antagonist into confusion. But 
 Junzo betrayed not the slightest trace of surprise, and 
 he returned the gaze with a look of bland innocence 
 and said : 
 
 “ You are mistaken, sir. I never went on any such 
 expedition.” 
 
 “ Nevertheless, you did do so. And, furthermore, 
 when caught on the hill-top by my spy you foully slew 
 him and concealed his body and sword in the adjacent 
 woods.” 
 
 “ I deny this most respectfully.” 
 
 “ Nevertheless, you did do so. And, furthermore, 
 you boasted of the act in the presence of witnesses.” 
 
 “Never having done the act, it would have been im- 
 possible for me to have boasted of it.” 
 
 “ Perhaps this little document will refresh your mem- 
 ory,” said his Lordship, as he spread out before his eyes 
 the confession of the luckless bettd. 
 
 Junzo read it with a terrible sensation of fear at his 
 heart. But, after a careful perusal, failing to see any 
 name attached thereto, he concluded that it would be 
 best to put in a bold denial of its truthfulness. 
 
 “ I do not know what this paper means. It is quite 
 true that I have been to Kioto on visits during the last 
 three or four years. It is also true that I described the 
 exciting incidents of my Yedo life to my friends. But 
 no such story as that contained here ever passed my 
 lips. This thing is a pure fabrication.” 
 
 “ Perhaps this distinguished gentleman here is also a 
 pure fabrication,” sweetly replied his Lordship, as he 
 drew aside a screen and showed the unhappy bettd held 
 up by two stout samurai. 
 
 It would be very difficult to describe the exact feel- 
 ings of our young friends, when they recognized in the 
 pale and pitiful countenance before them the features of 
 their bettd. In a brief period of time their minds had 
 travelled over much ground, and speedily arrived at the 
 
2gS 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 same conclusions as to what course of action to pursue. 
 To all outward appearances they were cool and self- 
 possessed, yet at heart they were faint and sick as the 
 utter hopelessness of their position dawned upon them. 
 The Duke of Wellington defined a brave man as one 
 who clearly perceives his danger, yet faces it. In the 
 light of this definition our young friends were indeed 
 brave, for during five years they had faced the perils of 
 their situation, and now when entrapped by their crafty 
 enemy they intrepidly faced torture and death. For 
 years past they had again and again discussed their line 
 of action in case of detection. They well knew that 
 the detection of any one of them would involve the 
 conviction of all of them, and so they had planned that 
 in case any one of them should be caught, that then the 
 others should at once become ronins and fly to the 
 mountains of the interior, and organize bands of ronins 
 to prey on the Bakufu at all points, and to annoy them 
 as much as possible. By becoming ronins they for- 
 mally severed their allegiance with the Prince of Mito, 
 and thus absolved him from all responsibility for their 
 acts. In case all of them should be caught at the same 
 time, they had decided to stand and fall together with- 
 out implicating any one else. 
 
 That time had now arrived. During the past year 
 Konishi had noticed a growing coldness on the part of 
 the Gotairo toward himself, and had felt that the eyes 
 of suspicion were upon him. He was shrewd enough 
 to perceive that criminating evidence had been wrung 
 from the hapless bettd, and that a network of evidence 
 had been woven about himself and his friends quite 
 sufficient to crush them. The same conviction forced 
 itself upon the minds of the brothers. In advance they 
 had discussed this precise situation so frequently that 
 they were prepared for it, and were ready without con- 
 sultation to act harmoniously. The samurai was taught 
 to despise death, so that when he was brought face to 
 face with it he defied it. When he had abandoned all 
 hope of life he hurled defiance at his enemies, and 
 
The Cat Plays with the Mouse. 299 
 
 courted their utmost fury with the reckless coolness of 
 the North American Indian. Our young friends, with 
 fainting hearts, read the handwriting on the wall, and 
 then sorrowfully but unflinchingly faced their destiny. 
 With unruffled demeanor they met gibe with suavity, and 
 parried insolence with urbanity. 
 
 “Well, young gentlemen,” said his Lordship, after a 
 long pause, “ are you prepared to pronounce this indi- 
 vidual a pure fabrication ? ” 
 
 “Oh! he is genuine enough,” replied Junzo. “I 
 perceive that he appears quite ill. Probably he is under 
 your charge for medical treatment.” 
 
 “ None of your impudence, you beast ! ” thundered his 
 Lordship ; “ answer me and tell me if you recognize him.” 
 “ He is one of the bettds belonging to Mito Yashiki. 
 But I do not see what he has to do with our case.” 
 
 “ Don’t you ? Well, he is the author of that docu- 
 ment. And by that document your heads fall into the 
 blood-pit at noon to-morrow. Do you see any connec- 
 tion now ? ” 
 
 “ I see that you have kidnapped him, and have tried 
 in vain to get some voluntary testimony out of him, 
 and, failing in that, you wrung out of his mangled body 
 some sort of crazy confession like what you have there 
 in writing. Under torture a peasant like that will con- 
 fess any thing after a while. If you deem it proper to 
 convict satnurai on such testimony as that you are at 
 liberty to do so. But we assert our innocence, and con- 
 tinue to demand some proof of the charges made 
 against us. Of course you have us in your power, and 
 can do what you like with us, but we are true samurai 
 and shall fear nothing.” 
 
 This bold reply awakened a feeling of admiration in 
 the hearts of those who stood by, but it was like the 
 flaunting of a red flag in the face of an enraged bull so 
 far as the Gotairo was concerned. His passion had 
 been steadily rising for some time, and now it burst 
 forth in ungovernable fury and broke upon the unpro- 
 tected heads of the prisoners. 
 
300 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 “Yea! you speak truly. Most assuredly are you in 
 my power, and most assuredly shall I do with you as I 
 deem best. Know, then, ye miserable whelps,” roared 
 he, as he drew forth his fan and smote each one of them 
 a stinging blow on the cheek, “ that I have this year 
 condemned fellows like you on evidence far less satis- 
 factory.” 
 
 The look of hatred and defiance that gleamed forth 
 from their eyes in response to this shameful insult but 
 stimulated his Lordship’s wrath, and he proceeded to 
 beat upon the shaven tops of their heads a series of re- 
 sounding tattoos, remarking meanwhile that their skulls 
 made most excellent drums. This vigorous exercise 
 served to cool him down somewhat, and he called for 
 his papers and proceeded to read off his sentence against 
 them. 
 
 “ Know, then, ye miserable abortions of monkeys, 
 that have so long disturbed my peace,” said he, in savage 
 tones, “ that according to the ancient customs of Dai- 
 Nippon nobody is executed until after he has made due 
 confession of his guilt. Although your iniquity has 
 been established beyond peradventure or doubt, yet 
 you persist in stubbornly denying it. But we have 
 means of loosening tongues. Beware ! beware ! there- 
 fore to-morrow morning you shall feast to your heart’s 
 content on stick, copper, and water, and if you choose 
 to die under that course of treatment, — well and good. 
 It is a matter of utter indifference to me how you die. 
 But by putting your signatures at any time to this con- 
 fession that I hold in my hand you can be ushered out 
 of this life at once and with but a single stroke.” 
 
 “ Take heed ! take heed ! Beware ! beware ! beware ! ” 
 groaned in harrowing accents a chorus of doleful voices 
 in an adjoining room. 
 
 “ Furthermore,” continued his Lordship, when the 
 impressive admonition had subsided, “ know that the 
 punishment will not end with your death. By ancient 
 custom, whosoever perpetrates treason against the Sho- 
 gun, thereby entails blood-attainder on his family and 
 
The Cat Plays with the Mouse. 
 
 301 
 
 kindred, and they become extirpated root and branch. 
 Therefore, O Konishi, I condemn your father and his 
 entire family to death, and his entire estate to confisca- 
 tion. As regards you, O sons of Nakashima, I condemn 
 your father and his entire family, together with his re- 
 motest kindred and your own families, and all of their 
 estates shall escheat to the Shogun. And your respect- 
 ive fathers, as heads of the family, being responsible for 
 the acts of all members thereof, shall die by crucifixion. 
 All the others shall die by decapitation and impalement. 
 But in your case, O Konishi, I am pleased to be lenient 
 in view of the services rendered by you to the Bakufu. 
 I therefore commute the sentence passed on your family 
 to perpetual banishment in the island of Yesso, and 
 your father shall be allowed to wipe out the blood- 
 attainder for treason by being permitted to perform 
 seppuku. But thou shalt die like a dog to-morrow at 
 high noon ! And thy head shall grin from the gate- 
 posts of Mito Yashiki before sundown ! As for you, 
 ye sneaking curs from Yamashiro, I decline to remit one 
 jot or one tittle of your sentence. Die like dogs ! And 
 may the soil of Dai-Nippon be forever purged from 
 such an accursed litter of traitorous whelps ! Ye and 
 your polluted breed shall perish root and branch so that 
 coming generations shall point to the dunghills and say : 
 ‘ There lie the remains of the malignant and treacherous 
 Nakashima family ! ’ This, then, shall be your doom. 
 To-night I shall send my orders to Kioto, and within 
 twenty days the heads of your corrupted kindred shall 
 be impaled on spears, and shall garnish the shoals of the 
 Kamogawa as a warning to the traitorous dogs hovering 
 about the Gosho when they cross and re-cross the bridge 
 on their sneaking tours. As they gaze down upon the 
 long row of picketed heads that roll their sightless eye- 
 balls upward toward the moon and open their gaping 
 mouths as if to speak, then shall those who pass by 
 know what it is to arouse the lion of Lake Biwa. Ye 
 have had your sport for full five years. Behold the 
 accounting ! ” 
 
302 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 A deep silence followed the uttering of this horrible 
 sentence, that had been raked up from the fearful annals 
 of the Ashikaga period, when proscription perched as in- 
 variably on the banners of the victor as buzzards flock 
 around carrion. Five centuries had failed to expunge 
 from the unwritten law of the land the horrible customs 
 of a most cruel age, thus leaving it in the power of the 
 infuriated “ swaggering prime-minister ” to resurrect a 
 sanguinary law that had, during the dark times of the 
 thirteenth and sixteenth century, swept hundreds of 
 families out of existence amid scenes of the most hellish 
 cruelty. The prisoners had not anticipated such a terri- 
 ble sentence. They were chilled to the heart with horror, 
 and their countenances became as stone. Many of the 
 attendants had sympathetic hearts and could not endure 
 the pitiful sight of the mute agony of the prisoners. One 
 by one they slipped away and whispered with bated 
 breath to those outside the details of the awful decree. 
 Terrible indeed was the wrath of Nawosuke, Lord of 
 Hikone ! 
 
 But his Lordship glared on his victims with an ex- 
 pression of the most devilish hate, and cruelly taunted 
 them in their silent misery with gibes and jests so heart- 
 less and brutal that his own councillors would fain have 
 interposed to check the torrent of his fury. His vituper- 
 ation poured forth in raging floods until his courtiers trem- 
 bled and wondered whether or not their master was beside 
 himself. Finally his foul denunciation subsided, and he 
 mopped the dripping perspiration from his brow and 
 wiped the frenzied foam from his mouth, glaring mean- 
 while with the most unutterable hate at his victims, and 
 spasmodically clutching at his sword-hilt as if he could 
 hardly restrain himself from drawing the keen blade and 
 hewing them to pieces on the spot. As the swollen veins 
 in his forehead relaxed their tension he became more 
 composed, and gazed with manifest satisfaction upon the 
 compressed lips and blanched faces before him. Our 
 young friends had defied all that his Lordship might have 
 been able to heap upon themselves individually ; but 
 
The Cat Plays with the Mouse. 
 
 303 
 
 they had affectionate hearts, and they loved their families 
 and kindred, and were appalled at the frightful catas- 
 trophe overshadowing them. Too haughty to make any 
 plea for themselves, yet did they relax their pride to beg 
 mercy for their families. They bowed low and said as 
 follows in humble and eloquent tones : 
 
 “ Do as you please with us. But spare the old men, 
 the women, and the little children, for they are helpless 
 and in no way to blame for our actions. We alone are 
 guilty. We have plotted against the Shogun entirely un- 
 beknown to our kindred and families. Punish us but 
 spare them.” 
 
 “ Ha ! ha ! ” roared the Gotairo, “ then you confess 
 every thing charged against you ? ” 
 
 “ We do, most humbly,” was the low response. 
 
 “ Then sign this written confession,” said he. 
 
 “We will sign it if you will remit that part of the sen- 
 tence relating to our family and kindred and will limit 
 your punishment to ourselves,” was the noble answer. 
 
 “ Dogs ! ” yelled his Lordship in uncontrollable fury, 
 “ Dare you dictate terms to me ? I swear by the gods of 
 Dai-Nippon, not only that you shall sign it, but also that 
 your accursed breed shall be exterminated before the 
 new moon ! Were it not for the lateness of the hour I 
 would commence operations on you to-day.” 
 
 “ We shall not sign it until the sentence be remitted,” 
 replied the young men, as their meek expressions changed 
 into glances of deadly hate and unconquerable determi- 
 nation. 
 
 “ Then to the dungeon with them ! ” yelled the Gotairo 
 to the jailers. 
 
 “ What shall we do with the betto ? ” inquired those 
 gloomy and forbidding gentlemen. 
 
 “ He is of no further use. Finish him off to-night in 
 reward for his obstinacy, and send his head up to Mito 
 Yashiki with my compliments when you go up after the 
 old Konishi. Who knows but what that ,may bring 
 down some weak-kneed betid up at the stables ? ” 
 
 And so the meeting adjourned. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 AND THE MOUSE ESCAPES. 
 
 The prisoners were conducted from the dread presence 
 of the Gotairo into a long corridor that led out toward the 
 distant wing where was located the so-called dungeon, or, 
 more properly speaking, the godown that had been ex- 
 temporized as a dungeon. It had already become dusk 
 when they reached the gloomy chamber, so that candles 
 were needed to illumine the place. The heavy doors 
 were swung back and the funereal procession entered 
 the sombre vault whose massive walls had so often stifled 
 the moans of agonized victims. The dim flicker of the 
 lights revealed a room comparatively bare. In the cor- 
 ners and along the sides were stored sundry articles of 
 vertu and value. There were no windows, and the black 
 walls rose up on four sides like lofty shadows and were 
 merged in the deep gloom above. The jailers brought 
 in three tatamis and laid them in the middle of the room 
 and seated their prisoners thereon. Then they brought 
 in some rice and fish and invited their unwilling guests 
 to partake thereof after their arms had been sufficiently 
 loosened for them to feed themselves. But the poor 
 fellows made but a sorry meal, for their hearts were 
 heavy and they were parched and feverish. The merest 
 nibble seemed to appease their hunger. Then the food 
 was removed and they were tightly bound hand and foot. 
 Some pillows and quilts were then brought in and they 
 were requested to lie down on the mats and allow them- 
 selves to be covered up for the night. 
 
 Then the guards bid them good-night and withdrew to 
 the outside of the doorway, where they made prepara- 
 tions for making themselves as comfortable as possible 
 
 304 
 
And the Mouse Escapes. 
 
 305 
 
 for the death-watch during the long hours of the night. 
 They divided the time into three equal parts, arranging 
 that while two of them kept awake smoking and sipping 
 sakJ the third one should sleep in a room adjoining the 
 one into which the godown doors swung open. A light 
 was left inside the dark vault so that they could observe 
 every movement of the prisoners through the open door- 
 way. Then they ensconced themselves on the tatamis 
 just beyond the threshold and chatted away late in the 
 evening. At about nine o’clock one of them retired to 
 rest according to the plan already agreed upon. The 
 other two talked and smoked for another hour and then 
 began to yawn very vigorously over their pipes. Occa- 
 sionally they would turn their eyes in the direction of 
 their prisoners and then would nod and doze over their 
 tea and saM. They felt that their prisoners were abso- 
 lutely secure. In the first place, no human being could 
 possibly break loose from that complicated network of 
 knots. In the second place, they were within the walls 
 of Hikone Yashiki, surrounded by thousands of valorous 
 warriors within easy beck and call. In the third place, 
 their master, the Gotairo, was the lord of the realm with 
 the armies of the nation at his back. Who then could 
 have the rashness to beard the lion in his den ? What 
 possible contingency could arise wherein the prisoners 
 could escape ? The poor fellows indeed seemed doomed. 
 
 In the meantime, how fared the prisoners ? When the 
 jailers withdrew they had their first opportunity to ex- 
 change ideas since the time when the gates had closed 
 behind them that afternoon. Their swollen hands and 
 aching arms were giving them great pain, and their fever- 
 ish blood was beating and throbbing violently against 
 their burning temples. Their parched throats and 
 months could hardly articulate the trembling words to 
 which they gave utterance when the guards had retired 
 beyond earshot. 
 
 “ Well,” said Konishi, “ I fail to see how we are to ex- 
 tricate ourselves from this scrape. And yet I do not 
 see how we could have avoided it.” 
 
3°6 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “ Nor I either,” replied Junzo. “ The betto could hardly 
 have been blamed in any way. I did not credit him 
 with the great pluck that he has manifestly shown in 
 this matter. Poor fellow ! Whatever shortcomings he 
 may have been guilty of he has ere now most dearly 
 atoned therefor. I consider myself to be the chief one 
 to blame in this whole matter, because of my ill-starred 
 loquacity at Atago-Yama.” 
 
 “I do not see as anybody is to blame,” said Tomo- 
 kichi.” The simple fact is that the Gotairo has thoroughly 
 outwitted us, and we are fairly caught in his net. When 
 I consider what a sly old fox he is, I am amazed at our 
 success in evading him for so long a time. I have the 
 mournful consolation of knowing that Yamada has de- 
 rived much valuable information through us which he 
 could not otherwise have obtained. I can at least die feel- 
 ing that our great cause has perceptibly advanced during 
 the last five years, and that though we may not live to 
 see the fruit of our efforts, yet have we been the means 
 of that fruit ripening. So far as I am concerned, I have 
 but little to regret. But the dire calamity that I have 
 brought upon our families is breaking my heart. It is 
 cruel ! It is awful ! I swear by all the foul fiends that 
 infest the Buddhist hells that if there be a soul in this 
 body of mine it shall roam heaven and earth in its en- 
 deavors to wreak revenge on the savage beast that has 
 crushed us ! Unseen hands shall stretch forth from 
 those shadowy regions and shall terrify and torment 
 him with their subtle influences ! Flaming tongues and 
 hideous faces shall haunt his life until his misery shall 
 become unbearable ! I shall lead the pestilential miasms 
 from swamps and cess-pools into his palace, and shall 
 rot him with their fetid breath ! I shall discover the 
 springs of corrupting disease and shall fill his bond to 
 overflowing with the deadly mildew of corroding leprosy 
 and the blasting virus of dropsy and marasmus, until his 
 fevered limbs shall split open and crumble to pieces in 
 the fierce viewless flames that warp and twist his tortured 
 nerves ceaselessly both day and night ! And when his 
 
And the Mouse Escapes. 
 
 307 
 
 foul spirit shall be withdrawn from the putrid tissues 
 that enchain it, I shall be there to seize it and to drag it 
 through the torments of the deepest hells, where it shall 
 steep in the seething dregs of substances that will dissi- 
 pate his molten copper into vapor— so intense will be 
 their heat ! ” 
 
 “ Well spoken ! Well spoken ! ” exclaimed his two 
 companions in fierce and exulting whispers. “ We swear 
 by the same powers that we shall be there to aid thee in 
 thy praiseworthy work. This miserable fiend shall find 
 that there are kindred spirits somewhere in the vast uni- 
 verse that also delight to feed on anguish and despair.” 
 
 Thus they conversed in low and sullen whispers for 
 nearly two hours. They had arranged all the details 
 for the horrors that they anticipated on the following 
 day. Each one agreed to watch for a favorable oppor- 
 tunity when their cords were removed, preparatory for 
 torture, to snatch one of the short swords from the belts 
 of the jailers and, after disabling or killing those gentle- 
 men, to slay themselves, thus escaping the agonies about 
 to be inflicted on them. There was a very good pros- 
 pect of this scheme being successfully carried out, for 
 those gentlemen seemed to repose absolute confidence 
 in the power of their master, and were careless and 
 exceedingly deliberate in all of their actions, thus ren- 
 dering themselves fit subjects for some such sudden 
 onslaught. In vain did our young friends try to sleep. 
 Slumber deserted their eyelids. They turned restlessly 
 from side to side until midnight. At this hour they heard 
 one of the guards go and rouse the sleeping man in the 
 adjoining room. They could plainly hear him calling to 
 the man that his turn to watch had come, and they heard 
 the drowsy fellow shuffle out and take his place beside 
 the doorway. In a few minutes his loud snoring pro- 
 claimed the fact that he had again succumbed to the 
 sweet influence of his interrupted slumbers. Presently 
 the responsive snorings of the other two men proclaimed 
 the fact that the entire guard was asleep. 
 
 But still the poor fellows vainly courted the shadowy 
 
3°8 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 influence. They rolled from side to side in feverish 
 uneasiness. Finally Tomokichi dropped into a troubled 
 slumber and dreamed that he was riding his horse over 
 the mountain passes of the Nakasendo in frantic efforts 
 to escape from some enemy. Onward he rushed at break- 
 neck speed, for the pursuers were close upon his heels. 
 He wound the reins tightly about his wrists and arms. 
 This gave him great pain, but there was no time to con- 
 sider that, for it was of the utmost importance that he 
 should reach Atago-Yama before his enemies, so as to 
 warn his family to fly to the mountains. 
 
 Twice did the sun rise and set on his mad gallop. 
 His head spun with aching pain, his wrists writhed 
 within the agonizing grip of the reins, his blood boiled 
 with fever, but he could not stop. The life of his entire 
 family depended on his efforts ! Though fainting and 
 sore and almost ready to drop from his horse, yet he 
 chased the western sun until he drew near to his native 
 glen. One more supreme effort and all would be well ! 
 He had gained on his pursuers, and there was yet time 
 to save his loved ones. Onward he dashed into the 
 glen just as the lengthening shadows were commencing 
 to coquet with the mists that rose from the brook. 
 Over the bridge, past the shrines, and up the steep road 
 he rushed with reckless speed until the gateway of his 
 cottage home had been reached. He was just making 
 ready to dash through, when somebody from behind 
 seized his arm and held him back. Without turning to 
 see who had thus rudely grasped his arm, he shouted to 
 his loved ones to fly. But they did not seem to hear, 
 for nobody paid him the slightest attention. 
 
 His father was calmly smoking his pipe on the balcony 
 and was gazing vacantly down at the very spot where 
 the frantic horseman was struggling to enter. Masago 
 sat demurely on the veranda sewing on some children’s 
 garments. O-Hana was under the cherry-trees romping 
 with her little nephews in noisy glee. Loudly did he call 
 to her, but she heeded him not. Drat that girl ! Would 
 she not cease*her frolic even on the threshold of death ? 
 
And the Mouse Escapes. 
 
 309 
 
 What could all this mean ? Nobody paid him the slight- 
 est attention — and he there shouting forth tidings of 
 life and death ! Perhaps he was not calling loud enough. 
 He must make a greater effort. Then somebody from be- 
 hind clapped a hand tightly over his mouth and bent his 
 head backward. As his eyes rolled upward he saw Mr. 
 Yamada standing on the balcony serenely looking at 
 him. Surely he would hear him and help him ! With 
 a supreme effort he shook the hand from his mouth and 
 shouted out at the top of his voice : “ O Mr. Yamada ! 
 Bid my people fly at once to the distant mountains ! An 
 enemy is at the gate ready to destroy them ! Oh ! Save 
 my wife and children from cruel death ! ” — But Mr. 
 Yamada heeded him not. With provoking indifference 
 he stared blankly down at the gateway as if buried in 
 profound thought. Oh ! The horror of the situation ! 
 Again was the hand clasped over his mouth, and he was 
 dragged from his horse and shaken most violently. And 
 he awoke dripping with perspiration and sobbing bit- 
 terly, to find that there was indeed somebody’s hand 
 pressed tightly over his mouth, while another hand was 
 holding him tightly by the arm and shaking him most 
 violently. 
 
 “ Be still, Tomokichi ! In the name of Jimmu-Tenno, 
 don’t ruin us with your uproar ! Wake up, sir ! Wake 
 up, I say ! There, that is better. Now keep quiet. I 
 came just as you reached the climax of your nightmare, 
 and if I had n’t taken hold of you with a strong hand, 
 every thing would have been lost.” 
 
 Tomokichi lifted his head from somebody’s shoulder 
 and stared about him in the dim light with a bewildered 
 gaze. Junzo and Konishi were sitting up looking at 
 some apparition behind him, with eyes that seemed to be 
 starting from their sockets in unutterable amazement. 
 The voice had sounded strangely familiar, and he turned 
 around in joyous haste that was almost delirious in its 
 excess, and found himself face to face with the smiling 
 countenance of 
 
 “ Mr. Yamada ! ” exclaimed Tomokichi, in wild aston- 
 ishment. 
 
3io 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “It is indeed Mr. Yamada ! ” whispered Junzo, in a 
 low tone to Konishi. “ How under the wide heavens he 
 ever got here, I can’t imagine. I thought I heard an un- 
 usual gurgling and shuffling sound outside the door a few 
 moments ago ; and after that I heard somebody creeping 
 toward us. But I did not pay any attention to the 
 sounds, as I attributed .them to the guards. I could not 
 be more surprised if a thunderbolt had dropped from the 
 skies. Surely this man is the veriest devil for adroitness 
 and boldness ! ” 
 
 “Honorable sirs, I salute you,” said Mr. Yamada, in a 
 low voice, as he bowed down to the ground. “You seem 
 surprised at my visit. Nevertheless, I am here at your 
 disposal.” 
 
 “ How came you here at so opportune a moment?” 
 inquired Junzo. 
 
 “ That would take a long time to explain, — in fact, 
 rather more time than I have to spare. Nevertheless, 
 while I am cutting loose your bonds, I can give you the 
 general details of this my latest trip. I heard mutterings 
 of coming trouble over three weeks ago in Kioto. Ha ! 
 ha ! The old fox does not forget its cubs. If that 
 Bakufu dog can burrow, he will find that I can also bur- 
 row. If he can have his spies under the “ phenix-car ” in 
 Kioto, I can have mine beneath his latticed windows in 
 Yedo. Through underground channels I have long 
 known that this vicious cur was scowling on you, and, as 
 soon as I heard that some blow was about to be directed 
 at you, I at once announced that my regular attack of 
 spring fever was at hand, and forthwith disappeared. I 
 left my family most assiduously nursing an old dummy 
 carefully tucked beneath the quilts, with instructions to 
 report slow convalescence of the invalid. Vanishing 
 from Kioto, I went to Osaca and engaged a stout and 
 swift boat for a coast trip. When we had left the city 
 far behind we put to sea, and with favorable winds, to- 
 gether with steady sculling, we reached a secluded village 
 on the shores of Yedo bay, within ten days. I ordered 
 the boat to be pulled up on the beach in line with some 
 
And the Mouse Escapes. 3 1 1 
 
 other boats, and left it in care of the headman of the 
 village. 
 
 “Then I hired a much smaller boat to take me up near 
 to Yedo and land me. I left my own crew down the bay, 
 with instructions to go out fishing every day in our large 
 boat and await my return. During the last week I have 
 been in the Yoshiwara taking notes. If that Bakufu cur 
 can make men drunk and extract information from them, 
 he will find that to be a little game at which two can 
 play. This afternoon I found out all about your arrest, 
 and I heard about the abusive treatment heaped upon 
 you through hordes of Hikone retainers that flocked 
 down to the brothels for their regular carouse. I kept 
 my eyes open, and laid my plans accordingly. I first 
 secured a stout rope and a small saw, which I hid away 
 under my clothes. I then retired to my room and drew 
 forth my plan of Hikone Yashiki, which you gentlemen 
 kindly sent me a couple of years ago. I found by the 
 specifications there laid down that in a certain part of the 
 walls there was a window that was but a short distance 
 from the ground. I then hunted up a jovial Hikone 
 samurai and invited him to partake of a repast that I had 
 prepared, and, in the course of a long conversation, elici- 
 ted from him the very interesting fact that that portion 
 of the barracks was at present used for a kind of store- 
 room for armor and spears. As it was getting very late, 
 and as he was pretty far gone in his cups, I accompanied 
 him home, under the pretext of seeing that he came to no 
 grief. This brought me up to the gates of his yashiki , 
 where I parted company with him, he going inside, while 
 I prowled about the dark walls until near midnight, when 
 everybody appeared to be asleep. 
 
 “ I then cautiously crept to the designated window and 
 listened carefully. All was silent. To one end of my 
 rope I fastened an iron hook that I had secured for this 
 purpose. With a stick I managed to hook it around one 
 of the wooden bars in the window. Then I pulled my- 
 self up, and looked in to inspect the room. There was 
 nobody there. Then I went to work and quietly sawed 
 
312 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 out two of the bars and let myself into the room. I had 
 found out from the tipsy braggarts in the Yoshiwara 
 precisely where you were confined, and so had no diffi- 
 culty in marking out my course. Slipping out of the 
 room, I picked my way through the shrubbery and crept 
 about under verandas, until I came to the wing where 
 this dungeon is located. I crept up on the veranda and 
 wet the shojee with my tongue and pushed my finger 
 through it. Through this aperture I could see the two 
 guards asleep beside the hebachi. I then slipped the 
 shojee back and crept in upon them. The nearer one 
 was lying flat on his back, so that I had a splendid 
 chance at his throat, and was able to cut it so deeply that 
 no outcry or noise was made, the windpipe having been 
 entirely severed. But the other fellow turned partly over 
 as I crept upon him, and turned his drowsy eyes upon 
 me, so that I was obliged to clutch him tightly by the 
 throat to prevent an outcry, and then stab him through 
 the heart. This created a slight disturbance. When 
 every thing had settled down, I crept in to inspect' the 
 inside of the dungeon, and found this young man wrest- 
 ling with a nightmare, and came just in time to prevent 
 an outcry.” 
 
 Thus this extraordinary man kept up in low tones a 
 running conversation while he cut the cords that bound 
 the prisoners and brought in the swords of the guards 
 and armed them therewith. It was found that there was 
 need of another set of swords for Konishi. 
 
 “Was there not another jailer?” inquired Mr. Ya- 
 mada. 
 
 “There was, sir,” replied Junzo. 
 
 “ Where is he, then ? ” 
 
 “ He is asleep in that room to the right.” 
 
 “ Well then, please wait here a moment, and I will 
 bring another pair of swords. Our dangers are but 
 beginning, and we must be well armed. We must be pre- 
 pared to die like samurai , and not like dogs.” 
 
 So saying, Mr. Yamada crept cautiously across to the 
 room where slept the third jailer. A dim light was burn- 
 
And the Mouse Escapes. 3 1 3 
 
 ing within the chamber. Slyly making a hole in the 
 paper, he carefully inspected the premises. The man 
 appeared to be soundly asleep. Noiselessly sliding back 
 the s/iojee, he stealthily crept upon his victim. The 
 sleeper had buried his head beneath his quilt, and heard 
 nothing. Mr. Yamada slowly folded back the heavy 
 coverlid, and unintentionally disturbed the sleeper, who, 
 supposing that his time to relieve guard had come, sat 
 up in bed and began rubbing his eyes, thus exposing the 
 back of his neck to a fair blow. Mr. Yamada rose with 
 cat-like rapidity, and with one swift stroke severed the 
 head from the body. It fell forward noiselessly upon the 
 well-padded quilts, while the body sank back on the floor 
 with a sighing sound, where its flounderings were quickly 
 smothered beneath the heavy coverlids at once drawn 
 over it. In a moment every thing had quieted down. 
 Mr. Yamada then took possession of the coveted swords, 
 and hastily returned to the young men, who had been 
 watching him from the doorway of the dungeon. 
 
 “That was no mean stroke,” remarked Junzo in an 
 undertone. 
 
 “ I have not been practising fencing with Kunisaburo 
 during the last two years for nothing,” was the laconic 
 reply. “ Now, gentlemen,” continued he, “ we have but 
 little time to spare. Here are some straw sandals for 
 you to put on while I am washing my sword in this 
 bucket of water here. Make great haste, for we have no 
 time to lose. Our perils now begin.” 
 
 In about five minutes all were ready to start. Leaving 
 the lights burning, Mr. Yamada directed the young 
 men to form in a line behind him, and take hold of each 
 other’s skirts in order not to become separated in the 
 darkness. Then sliding back the shojee they slipped out 
 into the yard, where they were soon obscured by the 
 gloom. The lynx-eyed leader, however, seemed to be 
 familiar with every nook and corner of the yashiki, for 
 he picked his way along with the most unerring certainty. 
 Every thing was hushed in the profoundest repose. Fi- 
 nally they reached the room where the entrance had been 
 
3H 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 forced. It was undisturbed. Going to the window, Mr. 
 Yamada directed the young men to slide down the rope. 
 Then he slid down after them. Again they formed line, 
 and with stealthy step stole down the edge of the moat 
 to the Sakurada gateway. Here they turned abruptly to 
 the right and directed their course toward the Tora 
 gateway that led beyond the outermost moat of the 
 castle. 
 
 Mr. Yamada had entered this same gateway but a short 
 time before with the rollicking Hikone samurai, and had 
 carefully remembered the password hiccoughed forth by 
 that very jovial gentleman. In addition to this he was 
 dressed in one of the garments of Tomokichi bearing 
 the Tokugawa crest, which he had been far-sighted 
 enough to borrow from that young man on one of his 
 visits to Kioto over a year before. These crests on their 
 dresses at once stamped them as men intimately con- 
 nected with the Tokugawa interests. So that when Mr. 
 Yamada boldly stepped up to the drowsy guard and 
 gave the countersign he was at once allowed to pass 
 through the wicket-gate with his companions. Once out- 
 side the castle and their course was much simplified. 
 They turned abruptly to the left, and followed the moat 
 for a long distance towards the bay. At intervals they 
 met revellers returning from some rollicking cruise. But 
 no one interfered with them in any way. Finally they 
 reached the waters of the bay, and followed its shores 
 southward a short distance to where it made junction with 
 a deep and broad canal. 
 
 Here they paused while their leader peered into the 
 darkness as if looking for some person with whom he 
 had pre-arranged a meeting. Finally he spied a boat 
 moored close to the bank. He crept up to the top of 
 the embankment, and uttered a word, to which the 
 countersign at once came back from somebody in the 
 boat. After a short conversation with the invisible per- 
 son, he returned to the young men and said that every 
 thing was ready for immediate embarkation, as this was 
 the boat he had engaged by secret messenger that very 
 
And the Mouse Escapes. 
 
 315 
 
 afternoon. It was now about three o’clock in the morn- 
 ing, and daylight was drawing on apace. Quickly they 
 cast loose from their moorings, and slipped out into the 
 bay. They sculled far out beyond the Shinagawa shoals, 
 and then spread their sails, and went scudding down the 
 bay before a brisk breeze. About midday they reached 
 the hamlet, where Mr. Yamada had beached his large 
 boat. Sending the smaller boat back to Yedo, they 
 launched their sea-going boat without delay, and by 
 nighttime were far out to sea, scudding southward on the 
 swift wings of the northeast monsoon. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 
 AN UNEXPECTED MEETING. 
 
 Again at dawn a swift-footed courier is standing be- 
 side the western gateway of Yedo castle patiently waiting 
 for the delivery of the despatches that he has been 
 ordered to call for and forward to the next station. 
 Long does he wait, but the despatches come not. The 
 guards have swung back the massive portals, but 
 still he lingers there on the threshold while the glorious 
 sun rides high into mid-heaven. After long hours of 
 monotonous delay a messenger rushed up with a despatch- 
 box for the commandant of the Kioto shiro. The 
 courier overheard sundry remarks about the delay being 
 caused by the intense excitement prevailing in Hikon6 
 Yashiki over the miraculous escape during the night of 
 three dangerous spies under sentence of death, who were 
 immured in the godown under a strong guard that had 
 been found by the attendants early that morning butch- 
 ered in cold blood. Great was the anger of the Gotairo ! 
 Everybody in the yashiki trembled lest the rigid exami- 
 nations that had been instituted might bring some friend 
 or companion under the suspicions of that dreaded man. 
 It was manifest that there must have been a coadjutor, 
 for how could human beings have escaped unaided 
 from the meshes of the net woven so strongly about their 
 bodies ? But all clues ceased abruptly at the window 
 whence flight had been effected. Beyond that point 
 nothing was known, — not a trace of the prisoners could 
 be found anywhere to tell in what direction they had 
 fled. Couriers had been hurried off to all the mountain 
 passes to caution the guards to exert the utmost vigi- 
 
 316 
 
An Unexpected Mecti?ig. 
 
 317 
 
 lance in examining all suspicious characters. But of 
 what consequence was all that, since the prisoners had 
 escaped torture and execution anyhow ? 
 
 Such were a few of the hurried and excited remarks 
 caught by the ear of the courier as he gave his receipt for 
 the box and made his preparations for starting. Then 
 away went the box like a hunted deer from station to 
 station, until it reached the distant mountains. As it 
 was borne deeper into those mighty ranges its progress 
 became much slower, for it found the streams swollen by 
 the melting snows of the highlands. Although the skies 
 were bright and clear overhead, yet angry floods filled 
 the ravines, and the little rivulets were raging torrents. 
 Frequent delays were experienced, and many vexatious 
 detours became necessary. 
 
 In one place a rivulet deep down in a valley had re- 
 ceived an unexpected accession of water, so that the 
 stepping-stones had disappeared far beneath the yellow 
 waves. The stream was not deep, and could easily have 
 been forded under ordinary circumstances, but the swift- 
 ness of the current was such that no person could have 
 kept his footing on the slippery stones. There was no 
 bridge at this point, for the stream had always been 
 forded, even during freshets. So the courier had to sit 
 on the banks and wait for the floods to subside. Not 
 until late on the following day was he able to resume his 
 interrupted journey. Then the box flew from summit to 
 summit until it came to a place where the torrents had 
 swept away a bridge. A long and vexatious detour here 
 became necessary. Far up the rugged valley the courier 
 slowly picked his way through paths overgrown with 
 underbrush and reeking with mud, until he came to a 
 place that could be safely forded ; and when he came 
 back on the other side and resumed the road, he found 
 that he had lost nearly an entire day. But onward sped 
 the box. 
 
 At one or two other points on its way through the 
 mountains it was delayed in its course for a few hours, so 
 that the despatch was fully three days behind time when 
 
Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 318 
 
 its bearer finally leaped forth from the frowning gorges of 
 Shinano and sped across the plains of Mino toward the 
 hill country encompassing the southern shores of Lake 
 Biwa. Toward evening a fresh courier seized the box, 
 and plunged into a ravine among the hills. With bated 
 breath and bowed head he rushed along as if he were 
 some express train behind-time. His glistening body 
 gleamed through the trees as he sped by copse and 
 thicket. Now he has reached the base of the range, and 
 is slowly climbing the steep road that winds up through 
 the woods. He has reached the summit, and is starting 
 off on another spurt of speed when he suddenly utters a 
 wild screech of pain and terror, and tumbles down in a 
 heap in the middle of the road, — hamstrung in both legs. 
 The next instant, his head rolls into the dust ; and the 
 body, that but a moment before had been bounding 
 along with the grace and the buoyancy of a gazelle, 
 now lies twitching and floundering convulsively on the 
 ground. 
 
 This bloody deed was perpetrated by a band of ronins , 
 who had sprung from a thicket with the swiftness and 
 the fury of a man-eating tiger. As they washed their 
 swords in a spring that bubbled along the roadside, they 
 glanced hurriedly up and down the road to make sure 
 that nobody was in sight. Then they dragged the body 
 far into the thickets, and sprinkled sand over the bloody 
 traces along the road. Then they seized the despatch- 
 box and bounded into the woods. They picked their 
 way for a mile or so along a wild and rugged foot-path 
 until they came to a deserted hut, near a little stream 
 that flowed down the rugged sides of a deeply wooded 
 ravine. Here they took up their quarters, and eagerly 
 broke open the box and proceeded in the dim light 
 to peruse the contents thereof. But, O quick-witted 
 reader, you have already guessed who these ronins are. 
 Therefore an introduction will be needless. 
 
 Our friends had scudded day and night before the 
 favoring monsoon all the way down the coast until they 
 had outstripped the tardy couriers. On the third day 
 
An Unexpected Meeting. 
 
 3*9 
 
 after their departure from Yedo, they entered Owari bay 
 and beached their boat at a fishing village in the friendly 
 Daimiate of Ise. Then they had cut across country 
 by forced marches, and had intercepted the fatal de- 
 spatches. Within an hour after leaving Yedo bay, Mr. 
 Yamada had fully posted himself about the details of the 
 Gotairo’s horrible sentence. When he realized that Ku- 
 nisaburo, Seisho, and the children were included within 
 the text of this exterminating decree, he became moody 
 and silent for several hours. There did not appear to be 
 any earthly chance of saving these innocent and unfortu- 
 nate victims of the Gotairo’s savage fury. Allowing four 
 days (the usual time) for the despatch to reach Kioto, 
 then that would mean the arrest of the proscribed indi- 
 viduals on the morning of the fifth day after the escape 
 of the prisoners from Hilcone Yashiki. And how could 
 he himself possibly reach Kioto in less than ten days ? 
 Impossible ! All seemed lost. 
 
 Far into the night he sat on the deck buried in deep 
 thought. The young men respected his grief, and sought 
 the cabin, where they quietly discussed the thrilling inci- 
 dents of the last twenty-four hours. They were indeed 
 ronins, and could now do just what they pleased, without 
 any danger of involving their Mito friends, for it ap- 
 peared that the far-sighted Yamada had sent, on the 
 afternoon of the previous day, a letter with their (forged) 
 signatures to the Daimio of Mito, announcing their in- 
 tention of immediately withdrawing from his service for 
 political reasons, and of forthwith becoming ronins , — 
 thus absolving him and his clan from all responsibility 
 for their acts. Henceforth they were to be lawless des- 
 peradoes ! Long and anxiously did they discuss their 
 future prospects, until overpowering drowsiness, superin- 
 duced by the protracted vigils of the previous night, 
 settled down upon them and buried them in the pro- 
 foundest slumbers. 
 
 But Yamada slept not that night. His bold and busy 
 brain was exerting all of its extraordinary powers to ex- 
 tricate his friends from their horrible dilemma. How 
 
320 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 could it be done ? Ah ! there lay the supreme difficulty. 
 In vain did he struggle in the meshes of the perplexing 
 net. Toward midnight he rose with a sigh and went be- 
 low. He soon found it utterly impossible to sleep, and 
 so returned to his former position on deck. Whether or 
 not the motion had quickened his circulation, and had 
 thus brightened his ideas, I cannot say. But his eyes 
 now lit up, as if inspired with a hopeful thought. He 
 called the captain of the boat, and inquired whether there 
 were any more sails that could be set to his craft. 
 
 “ There are two other sails that can be set, most hon- 
 ored sir,” was the humble reply. 
 
 “ Then spread them at once,” was the laconic order. 
 
 “ With such a strong wind, most honored sir, it would 
 be dangerous, for our boat is already struggling under as 
 much sail as she can safely carry.” 
 
 “ Do as I tell you, Mr. Captain, and spread every sail 
 you can. I will be responsible for the risk,” was the 
 prompt command. 
 
 “Very well, sir,” replied the startled captain, as he 
 proceeded to set the sails. It was indeed a risky thing 
 to do in that stiff gale, for the boat careened as if about 
 to capsize, and the masts bent as if about to snap off. 
 
 But Mr. Yamada had well balanced the chances and 
 had come to the conclusion that nothing but this course 
 of action could save his friends. He knew that the 
 monsoon blew steadily from the northeast for many days 
 at a time during this time of the year. Instead of stop- 
 ping at night he purposed to keep right on through the 
 entire period of darkness. With such a breeze he cal- 
 culated that they were averaging fully six miles per 
 hour. If the wind kept up they would make during 
 twenty-four hours fully one hundred and forty-four 
 miles. The distance from Yedo to Osaca would be fully 
 four hundred miles by sea. But he well knew that he 
 could not make this distance under eight days, even 
 under the most phenomenal circumstances, because the 
 course would have to be changed into the teeth of the 
 wind after rounding the Kii promontory. By that route 
 
An Unexpected Meeting. 
 
 321 
 
 he could not possibly reach Kioto under ten days. And 
 that would be too late ! But the Daimiate of Is£ lay on 
 this side of the promontory, and was only about three 
 hundred miles from Yedo, and it could be reached on 
 one tack with the present winds. This, then, would 
 land him at Is£ within three days after leaving Yedo. 
 So far, so good. 
 
 But the courier with his fatal despatch would by that 
 time be nearing the southern end of Lake Biwa, fully two 
 days’ journey to the northward. Too late to intercept 
 him ! But then he bethought himself of the fact that 
 the freshets in Shinano were always very bad in the 
 spring, owing to the floods of water let loose by the 
 melting snows that had draped the mighty crests during 
 the winter. The despatches might be delayed ; — they 
 frequently were at this season. But how long would 
 they be delayed ? Two days’ delay would suffice to 
 carry out his daring scheme. Should he take the risk ? 
 Certainly ! It was his only hope. Accordingly they 
 had scud along under full sail for nearly three days. 
 The boat was an unusually swift one, and the breeze 
 favored them all the way down the coast, so that on the 
 third day they were enabled to land at their destination 
 safe and sound. At once they pressed northward across 
 the hills and mountains. 
 
 When, they reached the Tokaido, the southern high- 
 way between Yedo and Kioto, the thought occurred to Mr. 
 Yamada that possibly the Gotairo might have sent his 
 despatch by this route instead of the midland one, thus 
 avoiding delays from freshets. But he well knew that 
 important despatches were far safer on the secluded 
 Nakasendo, away from the frisky antics and kittenish 
 humors of the swarming retainers of the hostile southern 
 Daimios, who invariably travelled by the southern road 
 along the coast. The bare bodies of the couriers pre- 
 sented too tempting a bait for the endless groups of 
 rollicking samurai from Satsuma, Tosa, and Choshiu, to 
 render it advisable to trust them to the fickle moods of 
 those dangerous gentlemen. A fleeting courier bound- 
 
322 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 ing around a sharp bend into a company of these irasci- 
 ble characters would probably never have been heard 
 from again. And for a courier to surrender the right of 
 way invariably demanded by these punctilious gentle- 
 men, would have entailed endless delays. Better take 
 the Nakasendo with its freshets, than the Tokaido with 
 its swaggering blades. So thought the Bakufu. Never- 
 theless, Mr. Yamada made diligent inquiry at this point, 
 as to whether any couriers had come through lately from 
 Yedo, and was informed that there had been none ex- 
 cept a few local ones from cities along the road. 
 
 Accordingly he pressed swiftly northward toward 
 where the Nakasendo made junction with the ranges 
 skirting the eastern shores of Lake Biwa, and had ar- 
 rived at the lonely spot on the highway but a few hours 
 before the arrival of the ill-fated courier. That half a 
 day of delay in Yedo had rendered this possible. But 
 they still did not know whether they were attacking the 
 right man. They took their risks on that. They knew 
 that a courier came through from Yedo every four or five 
 days or so, but they could not tell whether this one was 
 carrying the fatal orders presumed to have been sent on 
 the morning following their escape. With nervous hands 
 Mr. Yamada tore off the coverings and unrolled the 
 despatch and read it through with features absolutely 
 unruffled in their cool placidity. The young men 
 watched him anxiously but could draw no inference 
 from his countenance. Schooled in the art of self-con- 
 trol, the samurai wore an air of nonchalance where a 
 Caucasian would have thrown his cap into the air and 
 have shouted himself hoarse. At last Mr. Yamada 
 cleared his throat and quietly remarked : 
 
 “ It is all right. This is the despatch that we are after. 
 Read for yourselves.” 
 
 The young men eagerly conned the contents of the 
 letter. It ordered the commandant of the Shiro to place 
 the entire Nakashima family under arrest, because of the 
 blood-attainder that had been decreed against them for 
 treason toward the Shogun. Directions, however, were 
 
Ah Unexpected Meeting . 
 
 323 
 
 given that the prisoners should not be removed from 
 their houses, but should be allowed to remain there 
 under the surveillance of strong guards secreted about 
 the premises, in order that when the condemned sons of 
 Nakashima, who had recently escaped, should be de- 
 coyed thither, they might be pounced upon and cap- 
 tured ; but, if after the lapse of thirty days they did not 
 put in an appearance, then the prisoners were to be ex- 
 ecuted in accordance with specifications to be forwarded 
 from Yedo within a few days. 
 
 “ The miserable scoundrel has laid his plans with his 
 usual foresight and cunning,” remarked Konishi, after 
 the perusal. 
 
 “ He has indeed,” replied Mr. Yamada, thoughtfully. 
 
 “ I see that while Kunisaburo and his family are speci- 
 fied within the terms of this sentence,” said Junzo, “ yet 
 you and your wife do not come within its terms. It is 
 manifest that suspicions have not yet been excited against 
 yourself. It is only the unlucky Nakashima family that 
 is to be exterminated.” 
 
 “ That seems to be the case,” was the mournful reply, 
 “but what will life be to me without my children and 
 grandchildren ? My house will be as desolate as a 
 sepulchre ! That Bakufu whelp might just as well have 
 made a clean job of it while he was about it, and have 
 swept me also out of existence. However, things are 
 very much simplified by the fact that I am free from 
 suspicion as yet. But we have not any time to lose if we 
 wish to save our friends. It is evident from the terms of 
 this letter that another courier will be on the heels of this 
 one in a few days. Until then we can walk the streets of 
 Kioto with impunity. Do you feel equal to the exertions 
 of a night march ? ” 
 
 “ I am ready for any thing,” replied Konishi. 
 
 “ And so are we,” exclaimed the brothers in one breath. 
 
 “ Then let us be off now,” said their leader. “ There 
 will be a bright moon to-night, and we can reach the 
 city by daylight, for we can resume the road and press 
 on with greater speed than we made while cutting across 
 the country through by-paths.” 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 THE FLIGHT. 
 
 When the moonbeams had faded away from the lofty 
 crest of Hiyeisan, and the blue peak of that lordly moun- 
 tain stood forth clear and sharp against the hues of 
 dawning day, our band of ronins had just crossed the 
 granite range of high hills that serve as a water-shed 
 between Lake Biwa and Yamashiro. Yonder lay Kioto, 
 embosomed in the shadows of the vale. The mists that 
 had risen up from the rice-fields and from the Kamo- 
 gawa shoals during the night had become chilled by the 
 cool breath of the morning, and had shrunk down near 
 the earth, until their white billows vied with the myriad 
 clouds of cherry blossoms that embowered the foothills 
 around the city. The throbbing, deep-toned bells of the 
 engroved temples and monasteries were calling in mourn- 
 ful tones the many thousands of priests to chant the 
 orisons before numberless altars. The stupendous voice 
 of the Chionin bell boomed forth accents of despair- 
 ing melody that trembled through the vale at regular 
 intervals. 
 
 But what cared the ronins for all this ? Rapidly did 
 they descend through the woods on the reverse slope of 
 the hills, and hasten along the highway toward the city. 
 As they neared Mr. Yamada’s house, that crafty gentle- 
 man left them at the gateway, while he stole around 
 behind and entered the premises through a wicket in the 
 boxwood hedge. The members of his household had 
 become accustomed to his abrupt methods of appearing 
 before them, and consequently were not alarmed when 
 he crept up-stairs and blandly inquired after the health 
 
 324 
 
The Flight. 
 
 325 
 
 of the invalid. He found all well. Going to the gate- 
 way he directed Tomokichi to hasten at once to Ata- 
 go-Yama and warn his people to prepare for flight that 
 very night. Junzo was ordered off on a similar errand 
 in the direction of Mr. Akashi’s plantation. Konishi was 
 to come into the house and rest for the day. And as soon 
 as darkness came on they were all to journey by cir- 
 cuitous routes to a given point on the rugged borders of 
 the friendly Daimiate of Iga, thirty miles southeast of 
 Kioto. After resting for a day or so at that point he 
 would lay out their future line of march. So saying, he 
 dismissed them with the admonition to keep their hoods 
 well drawn over their faces, so as to disguise their 
 features. 
 
 Tomokichi hastened home as fast as he could, and 
 arrived there just as the folks were sitting down to 
 breakfast. Nobody recognized the cowled figure as it 
 came up to the veranda. Mr. Nakashima approached 
 with a stately bow, and inquired what might be the ob- 
 ject of the stranger’s early call. A low voice from the 
 depths of the hood replied that there was business of the 
 utmost importance that must be communicated privately. 
 Accordingly Mr. Nakashima led his strange visitor up- 
 stairs and ushered him into one of the back rooms. His 
 surprise was unbounded when the disguise was removed. 
 For several minutes he stared at his son in blank 
 amazement before he could find words to express his as- 
 tonishment. 
 
 “ There seems to be no doubt but what my son Tomo- 
 kichi is now before me ; but what is the meaning of this 
 unprecedented freak ? ” exclaimed Mr. Nakashima when 
 he had recovered from his dumbfounded wonder. 
 
 “ It means, my father, that we have been detected as 
 spies in Yedo, and have escaped to warn our families to 
 flee to the mountains,” replied Tomokichi. 
 
 “ Oh ! Is that all ? ” was the quiet response of his 
 father. “ Well, I am free to admit that this event was 
 not entirely unexpected. I did not think that you boys 
 would be able to play your game as long as you have 
 
326 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 already done. During your first year at Mito Yashiki I 
 lived in constant dread of exposure. Since that time, 
 however, I have become calloused and indifferent, just 
 like people who live at the base of a volcano. I might 
 almost say that I feel somewhat relieved to know that it 
 is all over with. But why should I and my family fly as 
 you suggest ? It seems to me that you and Junzo are 
 the ones to fly. Let us be up and planning without de- 
 lay. There are lots of monasteries about here where you 
 can easily secrete yourselves.” 
 
 “ O father ! You little know that our entire family 
 now trembles on the very brink of a raging volcano. It 
 is concerning this that I have hastened to warn you.” 
 
 “ My son, what do you mean ? I perceive from the 
 serious aspect of your countenance that you are pro- 
 foundly agitated, — otherwise I would deem you to be 
 jesting.” 
 
 “ Know then, O father, that the Gotairo, in his blind 
 rage, was not satisfied with sentencing Konishi, Junzo, 
 and myself to a painful death, but, in his savage fury, he 
 leaped beyond all bounds of moderation, and decreed 
 blood-attainder for treason against all of our families, 
 thus exterminating them root and branch. As an act of 
 special favor he allowed Konishi’s father to perform 
 seppuku , thus wiping out the blood-attainder as to his 
 family. But the unfortunate Nakashima family he has 
 doomed to utter extermination, root and branch. It is 
 cruel ! It is horrible ! Little did we dream that our 
 plottings would terminate so terribly ! The thought that 
 my deeds should bring such misery upon so many inno- 
 cent people has filled my heart with unutterable horror 
 and anguish, causing me boundless humiliation and 
 grief.” 
 
 “ Compose yourself, my son,” gently replied Mr. Naka- 
 shima, “ and do not fret yourself needlessly. VVe must 
 now act like men, and not like children. So that fiend has 
 decreed blood-attainder, has he ? Well, I presume he 
 has precedent in his favor. What a great misfortune it 
 is that our nation has no written laws, such as exist in 
 
32 7 
 
 The Flight. 
 
 foreign countries ! Here is this unscrupulous savage 
 raking up- an ancient and obsolete custom to glut his 
 frightful vengeance, and there is no help for it, simply 
 because this humane age has not had sense enough to 
 close the gates of the barbaric past with a few statutes of 
 definite purport ! Well, well, there is no help for it. Our 
 enemy holds the hilt, and it behooves us to get out of the 
 way of the blade. Have you any plans for escape ? ” 
 
 “ Every thing is already arranged. Make your prep- 
 arations for flight to-night. Leave the house in charge 
 of our faithful servants. Then we will journey around 
 to the borders of Iga, and meet the others. From that 
 point we will journey in accordance with further instruc- 
 tions from Mr. Yamada. I must sleep as much as possible 
 to-day, for I have had but little rest for several nights.” 
 
 “ I will order the breakfast to be served up here,” said 
 Mr. Nakashima, “and we will break the news as gently 
 as possible to the women. The time has now come when 
 they must be made conversant with every thing.” 
 
 The old gentleman then called to his wife, and re- 
 quested her to bring the breakfast up-stairs. In a few 
 moments the three ladies came up, — Madame Nakashima 
 carrying the dishes on a tray, Masago carrying the tub of 
 rice, and O-Hana carrying the little side-dishes. As they 
 modestly entered the room, with downcast eyes, they 
 did not at first recognize Tomokichi, but, when they had 
 set their burdens on the floor, they looked up and saw 
 him. The old lady stared in mute astonishment. O- 
 Hana gasped forth “ Tomokichi ! ” in tones of mingled 
 joy and surprise. And Masago, utterly oblivious of all 
 proprieties, and acting on her first impulse, rushed for- 
 ward, clasped her soft, plump arms about his neck, and 
 kissed him lovingly, — for all the world like a demon- 
 strative Caucasian ! The little boys, who had brought 
 up the rear of the procession, stood looking in at the 
 door upon the strange actions of their mother, and 
 seemed undecided whether to advance or retreat. 
 
 When Masago had recovered her equilibrium, and had 
 sat down beside her husband, with hands demurely 
 
328 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 folded in her lap and a countenance wreathed with beam- 
 ing smiles, the little fellows then had a chance to see 
 their father’s face, and they toddled forward and bowed 
 their heads to the floor in reverential salutation, — well- 
 bred sons of a well-bred mother as they were. Then 
 followed the tardy salutations of the mother and daughter, 
 together with a flood of congratulations and questions. 
 By degrees the sombre nature of the catastrophe that 
 had befallen the Nakashima family was revealed to the 
 poor creatures. It took them long to understand the 
 matter fully, — for the reader must bear in mind that 
 they had never been informed as to the real nature of the 
 young men’s mission at Mito Yashiki, but had always 
 supposed that they were gentlemen-in-waiting on the 
 Daimio of Mito. When the full extent of the disaster 
 had dawned upon them, the reaction was most painful 
 to witness. The old mother seized the hands of her 
 son and bowed her head down to the floor, overwhelmed 
 with grief. O-Hana buried her face in the wide folds 
 of her sleeves, and wept convulsively. Masago clung 
 to her husband and hid her face in his bosom. The 
 little boys, seeing such universal grief prevailing on all 
 sides of them, began to cry. Old Nakashima alone re- 
 mained unmoved. But his blanched face told plainly of 
 the bitter sorrow at his heart. He reached forth his 
 hands and drew the little ones toward him, and patted 
 their heads, while his bright eyes shone with moisture. 
 
 It took a long time for this distressing exhibition of 
 grief to subside. Finally those qualities of fortitude and 
 devotion, that have rendered the frail and gentle coun- 
 sellors of men so admirable in the estimation of mankind, 
 gained the mastery of their emotions, and they settled 
 down to a joyless breakfast and a quiet deliberation of 
 their perils. Toward the close of the meal the happy 
 volatility of the native temperament had gained the com- 
 plete ascendancy, so that a stranger glancing at the group 
 would never have imagined that they were sitting under 
 the shadow of death. 
 
 “ It is one consolation,” sighed the mother, “ to know 
 that if we must perish, we can all die together.” 
 
The Flight . 
 
 329 
 
 “ Yea, verily ! ” exclaimed Masago, with an emphasis 
 suggestive of a fierce exultation, “and also to know that 
 I shall not die by the hand of a stranger, and that my 
 face shall not mirror itself in the waters of the Kamo- 
 gawa. Oh, my husband, remember that you have pledged 
 me this upon your knightly word.” 
 
 “ But why talk of death at all ? ” chimed in the blithe- 
 some sister, unable longer to endure the gloomy tone of 
 the conversation. “ Surely we all have many days of life 
 yet to live, and who knows but what we may escape en- 
 tirely ? We, too, are ronins, and shall join this desperate 
 band of wayward desperadoes in their wild rambles over 
 the country. How gay ! How gay ! ” — and the merry 
 young lady actually clapped her hands in glee at the 
 thought. 
 
 “ Daughter, be still ! ” said her father in rebuking 
 tones. “ This is no time for merriment. Our condition 
 is far too serious to be discussed otherwise than in the 
 most solemn manner.” 
 
 “ Sir,” said Tomokichi, “ I do not know but what she 
 is adopting the wisest course. Let us all act cheerfully 
 even if we feel gloomy, and let us try to live the balance 
 of our lives as happily as possible.” 
 
 “ Perhaps you are right, my son,” sadly replied his 
 father, “ perhaps it would be better to get all the enjoy- 
 ment we can out of what remains to us of this life. But 
 we must now be making our preparations for flight. You 
 women keep up your spirits and act just as if nothing 
 had happened. You, my son, go to sleep and take no 
 further care about things until we wake you up to start. 
 And I will go out and engage some kagos.” 
 
 And so the sad company dispersed. Tomokichi slept 
 peacefully until sundown. The ladies packed up a few 
 small bundles and were ready for the journey, — so simple 
 a thing was it in that land to go travelling ! The stranger 
 glancing in at the gateway would never have imagined 
 that the quiet and cheerful household were beneath a 
 sword that hung by a thread. The evening meal was 
 served an hour later than usual, and the sleeper was duly 
 roused to partake of it. When it was over the house was 
 
330 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 closed and placed in charge of the faithful servant who 
 had served the family so long. Instructions were left to 
 answer all inquiries by saying that the family had gone 
 to Osaca on a visit. Then the ladies and the children 
 were carefully put into the kagos, the bundles were tied 
 on the top, and the party was ready to depart. 
 
 “ O, dear me ! ” exclaimed that maiden O-Hana, “ I 
 surely must not forget my battledoor and shuttlecock. 
 And there is my precious kitten also ! It would never 
 do to leave her behind. That would indeed precipitate 
 bad luck.” And out she jumped from her kago and 
 rushed into the house to secure her treasures. 
 
 “ Silly child, come back ! ” exclaimed her father in 
 severe tones. “ This is not the time for such folly. When 
 will you ever learn to act otherwise than as a foolish 
 child ? ” 
 
 “ Never mind her whims, father,” interposed Tomo- 
 kichi ; “ let her have them. It will be good policy to put 
 on an air of pleasure as we are starting, in order to give 
 our neighbors the impression that we are pleasure-seek- 
 ers. It will not do for our departure to have either the 
 appearance of a flight or of a funeral procession. The 
 more jolly and cheerful we seem the better will it be for 
 us.” 
 
 “ Very well, my son,” replied the old gentleman, as the 
 scowl faded from his brow while watching the young man 
 help to chase the frisky kitten about the yard. When it 
 had finally been caught and placed in the kago in the lap 
 of its mistress, he slowly shook his fan at his wayward 
 daughter and exclaimed : “ Take warning, young woman ! 
 I am going to marry you to the very next eligible young 
 man that makes application for you. Too long have I 
 put this matter off in deference to your childish protests. 
 Before I know it I shall have an old woman on my 
 hands. Now remember that hereafter no excuses will 
 avail. You are entirely too lively. We shall see if there 
 be any way of sobering you down a bit at a very early 
 date.” 
 
 “ Oh, my father ! Do not overwhelm me with con- 
 
The Flight. 
 
 33i 
 
 fusion before these strangers,” protested that lively young 
 lady, as she fanned the kitten vigorously with her battle- 
 door. “ Indeed I am very obedient, and will marry the 
 very next young fellow that you may choose for me ! ” 
 
 “ Remember your promise, young miss,” said her 
 father, as he gave the signal for starting. 
 
 They went down the glen as far as the Kioto road, and 
 then turned southward toward Osaca, and journeyed 
 many miles until they came to a village where they 
 changed bearers. Then they changed their course and 
 went eastward, passing across the flat region of country 
 that lay south of Kioto. All night did they travel. 
 Every few miles they changed their bearers. Toward 
 morning they entered the delightful hill country border- 
 ing the Daimiates of Iga and Yamato. For mile after 
 mile did they press onward through this beautiful region, 
 gradually approaching the mighty mountains of those two 
 Daimiates. Late in the day they reached the designated 
 village on the frowning borders of Iga. Here they met 
 the tearful families of Junzo and Kunisaburo. These 
 sorrowful people had been through scenes much resem- 
 bling those already described in this chapter. Mr. Ya- 
 mada and Konishi were to arrive on the next day. Until 
 their arrival everybody was to make time pass as pleas- 
 antly as possible. Four rooms were engaged in a hotel 
 picturesquely situated near a stream that rushed down 
 the glade. The ladies at once got together in an upper 
 room and had a good cry ; after which they appeared as 
 fresh and bright as a June day after a shower. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 MOUNTAIN SCENES. 
 
 The territory that stretches for one hundred and fifty 
 miles due south of Kioto, and which terminates in the 
 magnificent promontory of Kii, comprises one of the 
 grandest mountain regions of the Japanese empire. 
 Jutting boldly far out into the deep waters of the Pacific 
 Ocean, where the mighty whales sport amid the waves 
 that wash its stupendous foundations, the rugged shores 
 of this rock-bound promontory bend back and trend 
 toward the northwest and toward the northeast, thus 
 forming a gigantic wedge, cleaving the ocean’s bed. The 
 northwest bend terminates in the peaceful waters of the 
 Inland Sea, while the northeastern one terminates in 
 Owari bay. In the widest part — about midway up the 
 coasts — this Alpine region is about one hundred and 
 fifty miles wide. The important Daimiates of Senshiu, 
 Kawachi, Kii, Yamato, Ise, and Iga were situated within 
 this large district. 
 
 The Daimiate of Kii, or Kii-shiu as it was generally 
 designated, was the southernmost one, and, conforming 
 as it did to the coast lines, it was triangular in shape. It 
 was grandly and superbly rugged throughout its entire 
 length and breadth, especially so along its eastern face. 
 With its southern exposure, and with the tepid floods of 
 the Black Stream laving its shores, it had a mild and de- 
 lightful climate. The mighty ranges behind it screened 
 it from the north winds, thus making it the choicest 
 orange district in the empire. Forty different varieties 
 of this delicious fruit were cultivated upon the slopes of 
 the hills fringing the shores. To descend into the sweet 
 
 332 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 333 
 
 valley of the Arida during the heavenly winter months, 
 when the hills, as far as the eye could reach, were covered 
 with the golden fruit, was one of the sights of earth. 
 Kii-shiu was truly one of the choicest Daimiates in the 
 realm. Watered with innumerable streams that dashed 
 across it in speedy course from the highlands to the sea, 
 bathed in perpetual sunshine, and fanned with the warm 
 southern zephyrs, — what wonder that this should have 
 been the home of the camphor tree and of the citrus ? 
 Here the camellia shrub grew to the full stature of a tree, 
 and the magnolia and the cape jessamine assumed gi- 
 gantic proportions. Verily, the place might well have 
 been the home of the gods, for temples innumerable were 
 scattered all over the province, — from the magnificent 
 monastery of Koya-san, that lifted its deeply shaded crest 
 nearly five thousand feet above the sea, down to the little 
 shrines beside the deep inlets where the devout fisherman 
 needs must ring the bell to rouse the drowsy gods from 
 their dreamy siestas. 
 
 Then came the classic province of Yamato, which was 
 yet grander in its mountain scenery. This Daimiate 
 split its way deep into the back of Kii-shiu like a gigan- 
 tic plough, until its southernmost point came within 
 twenty miles of the Pacific Ocean. Its scenery was sur- 
 passingly sublime and beautiful, the superb mountains 
 being packed together in awful grandeur, and rolling 
 away in adamantine billows as far as the eye could reach. 
 The lofty peaks towered to an altitude of over six thou- 
 sand feet. Here dwelt the bear, the wild boar, the goat- 
 faced deer, the monkey, and the panther. The oak, the 
 beech, the chestnut, the cryptomeria, and the camphor 
 tree draped the landscape with sylvan beauty. Hamlets, 
 shrines, temples, and monasteries were scattered in all 
 available spots. In the heart of this province, near the 
 town of Tosamachi, was located the tomb of Jimmu 
 Tenno, who founded the dynasty of the Mikados over 
 twenty-five centuries ago. 
 
 To the northeast of Yamato lay Iga, which was almost 
 equally mountainous. The Daimiate of Ise skirted the 
 
334 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 shores of Owari bay, and was quite flat in its northern 
 part, but became very rugged and grand in its southern 
 portions. 
 
 Thus, it will be perceived, our refugees had succeeded 
 in escaping into a region where it would be very difficult 
 to catch them. They could most effectually secrete 
 themselves among the vast solitudes of this promontory. 
 It would take a large force to hunt them down in those 
 secluded regions, where they could easily fly from valley 
 to valley without leaving any tracks behind them. When 
 driven from human habitations they could fly to the vast 
 and pathless forests upon the remotest slopes, and defy 
 pursuit. Even if driven from these forest solitudes they 
 still could slip down to the shore and escape to the broad 
 ocean in a boat. And if supreme misfortune should over- 
 take them, they could with their own hands free their 
 spirits from further pursuit and vex their enemies with 
 the empty cages. But it was not at all likely that the Go- 
 tairo would have either the time or the inclination to 
 send an army chasing over the mountains after the fugi- 
 tives. His plan would be to wait until his spies made re- 
 port as to the Daimiate into which they had fled, and 
 then to demand of the Daimio their immediate surrender, 
 and holding him responsible for their capture and 
 delivery. But with Daimios hostile to him, as were 
 those of Iga and Yamato, this would not be a very easy 
 task, for these magnates would probably refuse to take 
 official cognizance of the presence of strangers within 
 their borders, and thus deny the allegation of the Gotairo 
 that any such individuals were there. If, upon proof, 
 the presence of strangers should be forced upon their at- 
 tention, then they would probably be so dilatory in their 
 movements that the fugitives would be thereby enabled 
 to escape over the border into somebody else’s jurisdic- 
 tion. Secret warnings could always be communicated in 
 advance, so that capture would be impossible. In those 
 days they managed such things very well in Japan. 
 
 Therefore, the Nakashima family was comparatively 
 safe for a time at least. But Mr. Yamada did not intend 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 335 
 
 to let them remain where they were ; he intended to 
 send them southward, far into the mountain fastnesses of 
 Yamato. He selected a lofty plateau nearly five thou- 
 sand feet above sea-level, known as the Odaigahara, and 
 situated in the wildest and most broken section of the 
 promontory, at a point where the three provinces of Ise, 
 Kii, and Yamato join corners, about twenty miles from 
 the ocean. They would thus be in a position to step 
 from province to province with the utmost ease, and 
 finally to take to water in case the land became too hot 
 to hold them. With such admirable foresight did that 
 cunning man lay his plans ! 
 
 After resting a day, the journey was resumed along 
 the rapidly ascending road that led up into the mountain 
 barriers that looked down upon the rice flats of Ise and 
 the blue waters of Owari bay. Here Mr. Yamada took 
 leave of the party and returned to Kioto, bent on further 
 schemes of daring espionage. He placed Mr. Nakashima 
 in command of the expedition, and left in his hands a 
 full description of the country through which he was to 
 pass ; for this far-sighted man had during the five pre- 
 vious years of leisure made extensive and minute geo- 
 graphical surveys of this entire promontory in anticipa- 
 tion of some such emergency. While the young men 
 were on duty at Mito Yashiki he had improved the time 
 in making pilgrimages to all the shrines and temples south 
 of Kioto. As the entire promontory was full of holy 
 places, this devout man tramped over every section of 
 Kii-shiu, Iga, Ise, and Yamato, thus becoming perfectly 
 familiar with the entire country and able to follow every 
 by-path. Every village was known to him, for he had 
 maps showing every thing. He had taken particular pre- 
 caution each summer, as he started out on his pilgrim- 
 ages, to let everybody know the object of his journey, so 
 that his reputation for sanctified devotion permeated 
 even the moats and walls of the Shiro where the com- 
 mandant took special delight in twitting Captain Murata 
 about his early suspicions concerning this holy man of 
 pilgrimages and prayers. 
 
336 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 By degrees he had footed it over every road in the 
 promontory without exciting the slightest suspicion, for, 
 during the summer months, multitudes flocked through 
 that region visiting the innumerable shrines and temples 
 scattered by sea-shore and mountain stream. Nor had 
 he confined his exertions to this region, but had dili- 
 gently visited the shrines to the east, north, and west of 
 Kioto also. It was thus that he was able with such 
 swiftnesss to cut across the country from Ise to Lake 
 Biwa and intercept the despatches. He was thoroughly 
 familiar with every by-road and mountain path. While 
 he had found much wild and rugged mountain country 
 to the north of Kioto, yet did he prefer the confused 
 medley of ranges in the promontory to the south, partly 
 because of the friendly character of the Daimios of Iga 
 and Yamato, partly because of the proximity of the 
 ocean, and partly because of the extreme difficulty in- 
 volved in finding anybody once lost in those vast forests 
 and broken valleys. 
 
 And so he left them with cheerful words of parting 
 and journeyed back to Kioto to await further develop- 
 ments. He had calculated that the despatches from 
 Yedo would be due within four or five days after his 
 return. In the meantime he could be industriously cir- 
 culating the report that the Nakashima family had gone 
 on a pilgrimage to some shrines among the moun- 
 tains north of Kioto. With the system of espionage 
 that he had so carefully developed during the last few 
 years in and about the city he could keep posted on all 
 the movements of his enemies without being detected. 
 Although as yet free from suspicion, nevertheless he 
 very well knew that this state of affairs could not very 
 long continue. He weighed the chances carefully, how- 
 ever, and had come to the conclusion that he could do 
 more good at home for the present, and that he would 
 stay there until his spies signalled the approach of some- 
 body from the Shiro, when he would leave his wife and 
 servants in charge of the premises and would retire from 
 the scene until the purport of the visit should be dis- 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 337 
 
 closed. The risk was certainly very great, but the man 
 was eminently daring and crafty. 
 
 After taking leave of Mr. Yamada, the party jour- 
 neyed by easy stages for many days far into the moun- 
 tains toward the point of destination. Sometimes they 
 would spend nearly an entire day in slowly climbing the 
 precipitous sides of some lofty range where human habi- 
 tations were very few and very far between ; where, for 
 hours, at a time, they heard nothing but the voices of 
 the cascades and torrents echoing the breezes that whis- 
 pered through the immense forests of oak, cryptomeria, 
 and chestnut ; where, from some overhanging crag, the 
 goat-faced deer peered at them curiously as they climbed 
 upward ; and where the spotted gazelles fled deeper into 
 the sylvan solitudes as the unaccustomed sounds of 
 shouting and of laughter disturbed the silence of those 
 rocky heights. They would spend the night at some 
 hamlet perched far up among the crags at the summit, 
 where they would find the startled inhabitants ready to 
 fly at the sight of such an unusual incursion of strangers. 
 But their fears would soon be put to flight by the 
 friendly appearance of the party, and then they would 
 hasten to place at the disposal of their guests the best 
 accommodations in the hamlet. Brook trout from the 
 neighboring streams would be daintily broiled over the 
 hebachi. Delicious sweet potatoes, that had been culti- 
 vated in stockaded clearings to save them from the dep- 
 redations of wild-boars and porcupines that dearly 
 loved to revel over them, were nicely boiled in earthen 
 pots and made ready for the evening meal. The good 
 people then brought forth their treasures of soy, pickled 
 plums, and salted shrimps, to tempt the appetites of the 
 travellers. 
 
 When the rice was thoroughly cooked the meal would 
 be served in that room whence the most picturesque 
 outlook could be obtained. As far as the eye could 
 reach, the blue mountains rolled away to the horizon in 
 endless waves and were bathed in the shadows and mists 
 that heralded the speedy approach of night. Joyous 
 
338 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 and hearty would be the repast. After it had terminated 
 the little ones would be carried off by their mothers to 
 be duly put to bed, where they would soon be found 
 asleep beneath the heavy quilts, for in those altitudes the 
 night air was very chilly even in mid-summer. Then the 
 company of ladies and gentlemen would gather on the 
 veranda overlooking the vast and motionless panorama 
 stretched before them, and would view the serene majesty 
 of the scene as they talked over the events of the day 
 and ventured timid surmises as to the future. Long 
 after the moon had cast its spectral mantle over the bil- 
 lowy landscape did they tarry and sip their tea. At 
 length they dispersed and were soon buried in slumbers 
 known only to those who have journeyed over lofty 
 mountains and have quaffed with their lungs the crisp 
 atmosphere of great altitudes. But the moon shone on, 
 and cast his beams into the dark ravines where dwelt 
 the panther, the wolf, and the fox, to guide them as they 
 scoured the remote fastnesses for their prey. 
 
 Bright and early in the morning our friends would de- 
 scend the reverse slope of the range. Down, down, 
 down through the endless forests of beech, maple, kayaki , 
 hinoki , and camphor trees, would they slowly sink like a 
 balloon settling in clouds. The monkeys gibbered at 
 them from the boughs. The ibex glanced askance at 
 the uncanny sight and leaped into the bamboo copses to 
 ruminate over the matter at leisure. An occasional wild- 
 boar, returning from his depredations in some barley 
 field or potato patch, halted as he crossed their path and 
 then fled in terror lest these might be the avenging Ne- 
 mesis of his night’s devastations. Down, down, down, 
 yet lower into the land of terraced rice fields and millet 
 patches, down where the trout sported in the brooks 
 and where the complaining wheel of some rustic mill 
 filled the valley with its dreary music, — went the strag- 
 gling procession. The peasant shades his eyes and gazes 
 in blank amazement at the sworded knights and fair 
 ladies, and wonders whether these people have fallen from 
 the clouds upon his native village. A few kind words, 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 339 
 
 however, dispel all fears ; and the gracious manners of 
 the ladies quite win the hearts of the simple rustics, who 
 forthwith bestir themselves to prepare the midday meal 
 for their unexpected guests. Then the journey is resumed 
 up the other side of the deep valley, and evening overtakes 
 the travellers at a romantic little hamlet about half-way 
 to the summit where they pass the night and resume 
 their journey in the morning. 
 
 And thus they journeyed for ten days, doing little else 
 but to commence climbing one mountain just as soon as 
 they had descended one. Sometimes, however, the road led 
 among the hamlets at the base of the valley. Sometimes 
 it followed the mountain side for many miles. But such 
 variations were not common. The road soon became 
 tired of the monotonous level and sought the air of the 
 bracing altitudes. On the morning of the tenth day 
 they began to climb up to the lofty plateau of Odaiga- 
 hara, where they were to rest until further orders. The 
 grandeur and the magnificence of this promontory 
 seemed to culminate about this black mass of mountains. 
 Up, up, up through vast forests of hinoki , cryptomeria, 
 beech, yew, oak, chestnut, and maple, crept the kagos 
 until they had attained an elevation of nearly five thou- 
 sand feet above sea-level. Here, as they emerged from 
 the woods, they came out upon a grassy district, con- 
 taining fully thirty square miles of meadow and forest, 
 around which towered summits to yet loftier heights, — 
 that of Odaigahara-yama, attaining an altitude of nearly 
 six thousand feet. From its top there was a superb out- 
 look. On one side you gazed down upon Iga, Ise, and 
 Yamato, while on the other side your eye took in the 
 coast of Kii-shiu, the deep-blue billows of the Pacific, 
 and (on a clear day) even the crests of Fujisan, fully two 
 hundred miles up the coasts. Beautiful groves of maple, 
 oak, and chestnut were scattered about in this vast 
 mountain basin, and many wild animals similar to those 
 found in the regions already traversed by our party 
 abounded in the vicinity, while the streams were filled 
 with trout. 
 
34 ° 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 Mr. Nakashima decided to halt here for the midday 
 meal. Accordingly, head-quarters were established be- 
 neath an immense maple tree that overshadowed a brook. 
 While the children tumbled about on the grass the kago 
 bearers industriously built an oven with stones from the 
 stream and proceeded to boil the rice in a large iron pot 
 that had been brought along in anticipation of such 
 “camping out.” And the young men, after securing 
 some bait, went a little distance up stream and tried their 
 luck at fishing. In a short time they had captured a 
 dozen fine specimens of trout and brought them back to 
 be broiled for lunch. It was a very jolly pic-nic party 
 that gathered about the steaming rice and demolished 
 innumerable bowls full of that snowy substance. While 
 they ate their meal, the bearers respectfully withdrew to 
 a deep pool some distance down stream and bathed and 
 shouted to their hearts’ content. After that they came 
 back with most formidable appetites and utterly annihi- 
 lated the allowance of rice and fish that had been set 
 aside for them. Mr. Nakashima, in token of his appre- 
 ciation of their faithful and arduous services, warmed up 
 some sake and dealt it out liberally to them until the 
 happy fellows were ready to pledge themselves to carry 
 him to the uttermost limits of the empire. 
 
 Everybody was in the most jovial spirits when the 
 journey was resumed, and they set out on the last stretch 
 that intervened between them and their destination. 
 Journeying slowly through this beautiful region of ver- 
 dure and streams, they finally reached its southern 
 boundary, where they took a road that led out to the 
 edge of the mountain barrier overlooking the ocean, that 
 lay but a few miles beneath. At that point there was a 
 little monastery romantically perched among the crags. 
 Mr. Yamada, on one of his excursions, had noted the de- 
 lightful spot, and, on his return to Kioto, had used his 
 influence to have one of his friends appointed as the 
 abbot of the institution. To this individual Mr. Naka- 
 shima was now carrying letters of introduction. Late in 
 the afternoon our party rounded a bold spur of the 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 341 
 
 mountains and saw before them, through the trees, the 
 blue waves of the ocean rolling against the rock ribbed 
 shores far beneath them. A few more steps brought 
 them to the sequestered retreat of the monks. 
 
 The massive bell was booming forth in melancholy 
 tones the vesper summons, and the yellow-robed priests 
 were marching in solemn procession from their dormi- 
 tories toward the main temple to chant Sanskrit rhythms 
 before the gloomy altars. The priest at the main en- 
 trance directed our friends up the steep mountain side 
 to the house of the abbot. They climbed up quite a 
 distance through the forest and finally came to a terrace 
 having its front walled up to a height of about twenty 
 feet with rough stones. Hereon was perched the very 
 comfortable abode of the abbot, which was approached 
 by a long flight of moss-grown steps leading up through 
 the crvptomeria groves on the right-hand side. But that 
 reverend gentleman was at that moment conducting the 
 services in the temple. An attendant hastily went down 
 and handed to him Mr. Yamada’s letters of introduction. 
 Quickly summoning his assistant, the abbot directed him 
 to continue the services and then hurried up to the 
 house, glancing over the letters as he went. He at once 
 comprehended the situation. With great cordiality he 
 invited his guests into the house, after having soundly 
 berated the servants for having left them standing at the 
 gateway. The kagos were then carefully stowed away in 
 a shed, and the bearers were paid and dismissed with a 
 few presents, which the grateful fellows dropped flat 
 down on the ground to acknowledge. 
 
 Orders were then given for the hot bath to be prepared 
 for the stiff and weary travellers, and for the larder to be 
 taxed to its uttermost capacity in preparing the evening 
 meal. Cushions were spread on the tatamis in the front 
 room, Jiebachis filled with glowing charcoal were brought, 
 — for the evenings were as yet quite chilly, — and the 
 choicest tea and tobacco were served. After a little 
 rest the ladies were allotted the corner room that opened 
 out on the veranda, and which adjoined the reception- 
 
342 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 room, where they were then sitting ; and the gentlemen 
 were allotted the other corner room on the opposite side. 
 Then the bath was announced to be ready. When every- 
 body had boiled themselves therein to their full satisfac- 
 tion, the rice was declared ready. An assault thereon 
 was at once delivered, which speedily developed into a 
 systematic and well sustained attack that lasted until the 
 host feared that with such appetites on his hands there 
 would soon be a famine in those regions. 
 
 After dinner the gentlemen gathered in the reception- 
 room and fully discussed the situation. The letters had 
 only furnished information of a general nature, so that 
 Mr.- Nakashima was obliged to explain matters more 
 fully. When the abbot had thoroughly grasped the 
 situation he most cordially extended the hospitality of 
 his roof to the fugitives for an indefinite length of time, 
 — for he detested the Bakufu most heartily and rejoiced 
 in being able to aid in sheltering its enemies. * * * 
 
 Four months have passed away. The fugitives are 
 still at the monastery. A few days after their arrival Ko- 
 nishi and Junzo were absorbed in a game of chess upon 
 the front veranda, when they were disturbed by a small 
 pebble falling on the ground near them. Looking up 
 they perceived the head and shoulders of a strange man 
 peering over the boxwood hedge at them. This beauti- 
 ful barrier of evergreen surrounded the premises on all 
 sides, and, at the point where the stranger was standing, 
 it separated the yard from the forest. When he saw that 
 their attention had been attracted he cautiously beckoned 
 for them to approach. Puzzled at this curious proceed- 
 ing, Konishi and Junzo went toward the man, and, after 
 noting that he was quite alone and apparently unarmed, 
 they came close up to the hedge and inquired what he 
 wanted. 
 
 “ I am the bearer of private despatches from Mr. 
 Yamada to Mr. Konishi,” was the low response, “ and I 
 must deliver them in person and take his receipt. Can 
 either of you gentlemen tell me where he is ?” 
 
 “ I am Konishi,” replied that young gentleman. 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 343 
 
 “ Then if you will kindly come into the woods here I 
 will deliver the despatches,” said the stranger, “and I 
 have a receipt already drawn up and ready for your sig- 
 nature, so that you need not take more than a moment 
 of time. I do not wish to be seen by anybody, for in my 
 line of business it is the safest policy to be seen by as few 
 persons as possible. By the way, here is the countersign 
 which you can compare with the code placed in your 
 hands by Mr. Yamada, and thus identify me to your 
 entire satisfaction. I will now hasten to the large rock 
 beside the spring back there in the woods, and will meet 
 you there.” 
 
 The young men hurried back to the house, and found 
 that the countersign tallied with the code. Then they 
 slipped out by a wicket gate in the hedge, and were soon 
 lost in the forest. After a brisk walk they reached the 
 spring, and found the stranger sitting on the rock, with 
 writing materials spread out ready for immediate use. 
 He drew forth from beneath his garment a small package, 
 which he respectfully handed to Konishi, at the same 
 time politely requesting him to sign the receipt without 
 delay, as he must start on his return at once. Konishi 
 did as the man requested. 
 
 “ Honorable sirs, I bid you adieu,” said that myste- 
 rious gentleman, as he took the receipt and vanished into 
 the forests. 
 
 Konishi then sat down upon the rock and unrolled 
 the paper wrappings from the parcel, and found a short 
 sword and a letter in Mr. Yamada’s handwriting addressed 
 to himself. Konishi at once recognized the sword as his 
 father’s, and, drawing it from its scabbard and perceiving 
 the blood-stains along its keen edge, he at once read the 
 ghastly tale that it told. An extract from Mr. Yamada’s 
 letter will make the matter clear to the reader : “ Soon 
 after my return to Kioto private despatches were received 
 from Mito Yashiki, stating that your father had been 
 compelled to perform seppuku by the enraged Hikone 
 beast. It was his dying request that the weapon with 
 which he made the fatal stab should be carefully pre- 
 
344 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 served and forwarded to you, with the request that you 
 should bide your time and some day plunge it into the 
 body of this mortal enemy of the house of Konishi. I, 
 having received this weapon from secret messengers, do 
 now with reverent hands send it to the son and heir of 
 him who has been so greatly wronged, and do most de- 
 voutly hope that the day may be near at hand when this 
 blade shall drink the blood of the foul aggressor.” 
 
 Konishi held the bare sword in his hands in a dazed 
 sort of fashion, and gazed upon it with moistened eyes. 
 Junzo fully comprehended the situation, and stood by 
 with silent lips and pitying face. Not a word was spoken 
 for several minutes. At length Konishi dreamily slipped 
 the sword back into its scabbard, and handed the letter 
 to Junzo without comment. He read it through, and then 
 handed it back in silence. 
 
 “ This means,” said Konishi, in determined tones, “ that 
 either the Lord of Hikone or I must perish by this blade.” 
 
 “Verily! verily!” responded Junzo, with decision, 
 “and at no very distant day either. We must, while we 
 now have leisure, lay our plans for ridding the country 
 of this ferocious beast.” 
 
 Returning to the house the young men told the sad 
 news to their friends, and Konishi at once became the 
 recipient of sincere and sympathetic condolences. The 
 tender-hearted ladies wept over the letter, and shuddered 
 at the sword. In deep and angry voices the men pro- 
 claimed a vendetta of eternal duration between the 
 houses of Konishi and Nakashima and that of HikonA 
 And the abbot, not to be behindhand in maledictions, 
 launched upon the Gotairo’s head bitter curses in pure 
 Sanskrit, the very translations of which would doubtless 
 have frozen the hearers with horror ; and he decreed that 
 daily during the hundred days of mourning that were to 
 be observed by the son the monks should chant at the 
 vespers the mass for the dead. 
 
 One day, after the period for mourning had ter- 
 minated and Konishi had allowed the razor to touch his 
 head, the young men were returning from a fishing ex- 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 345 
 
 cursion in the Odaigahara when they were stopped in a 
 lonely part of the road by the same mysterious messen- 
 ger, and were politely requested to sign a receipt for an- 
 other despatch from Mr. Yamada. This time the letter 
 contained no disagreeable news. It stated that a clan- 
 destine message had come through from the Prince of 
 Mito to the effect that if the son and heir of the Konishi 
 estates could be found it would be well for him to 
 secretly return to the city of Mito and attend to his 
 property, inasmuch as matters were becoming confused 
 owing to the long absence of a responsible head. The 
 letter went on to state that the son, although under sen- 
 tence of death, could easily evade capture, as he would 
 be in the midst of friends who would conceal his presence. 
 In conclusion, Mr. Yamada stated that his position in 
 Kioto was becoming so dangerous that he might be com- 
 pelled to fly at any time. The Shiro people had now 
 commenced to follow him with suspicious and angry 
 looks, and were evidently on some strong scent. The 
 announcement that the Nakashima family were off on 
 pilgrimages had long since been branded by Captain 
 Murata as a most outrageous “cock-and-bull ” story, and 
 that shrewd officer fairly fumed to lay hands on the “ old 
 fox.” But the commandant of the Shiro hesitated to 
 take this step without positive evidence of guilt. That 
 observing gentleman had noted how the tide of power 
 had begun to set toward the Gosho. The authority and 
 the ancient prestige of the Mikado were commencing to 
 revive and to assume formidable proportions, — such as 
 they had not borne for many centuries. The powerful 
 southern Daimios were already transferring their al- 
 legiance from the Shogun to the Emperor (Mikado). 
 Their fierce warriors were gradually gathering about 
 Kioto for some bold coup-cTetat. Five years ago it would 
 have been quite safe to have carried matters with a high 
 hand ; but as affairs were now shaping themselves it be- 
 hooved the emissaries of the Shogun in Kioto to conduct 
 themselves circumspectly if they did not wish to pre- 
 cipitate a revolution. 
 
346 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 On the day following the receipt of this second 
 despatch (and after a very exhaustive discussion thereof), 
 the ladies took the children and went down to a rustic 
 arbor on a jutting crag, whence a most glorious view 
 could be obtained of the ocean and sunny coasts. There 
 they spent the morning in sewing and chatting over the 
 Kioto news. Mr. Nakashima and his two sons borrowed 
 an old musket from a hunter in the vicinity and went off 
 into the forests to shoot deer and wild-boar. Konishi 
 complained of a headache and remained at home. The 
 day was very warm. So he placed a mat upon the grass 
 beneath one of the magnificent cryptomeria that so 
 deeply shaded the terrace, and lay there meditatively 
 smoking his pipe and gazing down through the trees on 
 the blue waves beneath. Finally, he appeared to have 
 been smitten with a brilliant idea, for he eagerly called 
 to the abbot, who was lounging on the veranda, to come 
 out and keep him company. That jovial gentleman was 
 always ready to converse with his intelligent guest, and 
 at once hastened to spread his mat also beneath the 
 shade trees. After having exhausted quite a number of 
 topics of conversation, Konishi suddenly turned to his 
 companion and said in a grave voice : 
 
 “ I have something of great importance to communi- 
 cate to you. It is a matter wherein I shall need your 
 friendly assistance. Can I rely on having it ? ” 
 
 “ Surely, surely ! ” replied the abbot, somewhat taken 
 aback. “ I very willingly place my humble services at 
 your disposal. Whether or not I can aid you much, 
 remains to be seen.” 
 
 “Be quite easy on that point,” replied Konishi, “ for I 
 have carefully considered the matter and feel assured 
 that your services will be of the utmost benefit to me.” 
 
 “ What will be the nature of the services ? ” languidly 
 inquired the abbot after a pause which he had improved 
 by taking several brisk whisks from his pipe. 
 
 “ I wish you to act as a go-between to negotiate a mar- 
 riage for me,” replied Konishi with charming bluntness 
 and a mischievous smile. 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 347 
 
 The startled priest looked incredulous at this announce- 
 ment. He, a priest sworn to celibacy, negotiate a 
 marriage contract ! Shades of Kobu-Daishi ! What 
 could this mean ? Was protracted loneliness making the 
 young man crazy ? Konishi laughed at his friend’s con- 
 fusion and then tapped him on the shoulder and 
 exclaimed : — “ Don’t be frightened, austere and holy 
 priest, for I shall not ask you to speak to the lady herself. 
 Her father is living, therefore your communications will 
 be addressed to him. This will remove all awkwardness 
 from the situation.” 
 
 “ Ah ! Very well. That is as it should be,” replied the 
 abbot, greatly relieved : “ In that case I will very willingly 
 assist you. Speak freely that which you have on your 
 mind.” 
 
 “ Know then, O man of prayers, that I have decided 
 to return to my home in Mito within a few days.” 
 
 “ So I heard you say last night. I congratulate you on 
 being so soon re-united to your friends.” 
 
 “ That is all very well, O priest, but I do not wish to 
 return alone.” 
 
 “ Ha ! ha ! I now see where the lady comes in,” 
 chuckled the priest as he patted Konishi on the shoulder : 
 “ I have not been blind, my young friend, during these 
 months of your sojourn here. Your choice is a good one, 
 and I will gladly assist you. Of course it would be too 
 much to expect that a susceptible young layman like you 
 should be travelling around with a bright and pretty girl 
 and not be smitten with her charms. Love-making is, by 
 the rules of our order, prohibited on our premises. But 
 I can afford to shut my eyes on this occasion and help the 
 thing along.” 
 
 “ O priest, your guesses do credit to your powers of 
 observation. Know then that I have long loved the 
 daughter of Mr. Nakashima, and do now desire to make 
 her my wife and carry her back to Mito. Now will you 
 kindly favor me by interviewing the old gentleman and 
 obtaining his consent to the match ? I imagine the young 
 lady will not be shocked at the proposal, for she has 
 
348 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 manifested increasing kindness toward myself during 
 many weeks past, so that I am inclined to think that she 
 and I are in the same predicament and that we both need 
 go-betweens. What say you ? ” 
 
 “ I will arrange matters this very afternoon,” was the 
 hearty response. 
 
 And he was as good as his word. For the midday 
 repast had no sooner been concluded than he beckoned 
 to Mr. Nakashima to follow him into his room. Having 
 closed the shojees, he proceeded to open the negotiations 
 with a lengthy and verbose exordium wherein he con- 
 tritely begged his guest’s pardon for intruding in family 
 affairs, but humbly justified his action by pleading 
 friendship for the scion of the house of Konishi. After 
 patiently listening for quite a while to this oratorical 
 effusion, it finally dawned upon Mr. Nakashima’s mind 
 that the abbot was acting as a go-between to secure the 
 hand of his daughter for Konishi. It is hardly necessary 
 to add that he was not at all averse to this state of affairs. 
 In fact, he also was not blind and had been watching the 
 course of events with great inward satisfaction. Conse- 
 quently he was not quite unprepared for the present 
 demonstration. So the negotiations dragged their slow 
 length along most amiably and satisfactorily. After the 
 lapse of an hour, the abbot was duly commissioned 
 to inform Konishi that his suit had been favorably con- 
 sidered and that the wedding would be celebrated in time 
 for him to return with his bride to Mito and with what- 
 ever ceremonies the peculiar environments would permit. 
 Then Mr. Nakashima called O-Hana into the room and 
 stated the case to her with abundance of flowery verbiage. 
 That young lady became very sober and very pale. She 
 sat with downcast eyes and with hands demurely folded 
 in her lap, listening respectfully. When her father had 
 concluded by expressing it as his wish that she should 
 now accept the suitor, thus pressing his claims, she 
 bowed her head to the floor and signified her willingness 
 to obey his wishes in the matter. She then retired into 
 - her room where her mother and her three sisters-in-law 
 crowded around her to know what the matter was. 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 349 
 
 “ My father has commanded me to marry Mr. Kon- 
 ishi,” said O-Hana in response to their inquiries. 
 
 “ Indeed ! ” exclaimed Seisho ; “ well, you do not look 
 as if that were going to be a very hard command to obey.” 
 
 “ I presume that it will be my duty to obey my father,” 
 said O-Hana, with an air of resignation. 
 
 The ladies all laughed at her when she had given 
 utterance to this martyr-like sentiment, and commenced 
 to tease and to banter her most unmercifully ; for they 
 revelled in this delicious opportunity to turn the tables 
 on this lively young lady who had teased them all, indi- 
 vidually and collectively, on so many occasions. 
 
 “ She is indeed to be pitied ! ” exclaimed Masago, in 
 tones of mocking condolence, as she offered her some 
 sugar on a tray. 
 
 The clever innuendo that lurked beneath this act made 
 them all laugh again. Then Masago got hold of one of 
 her hands, and Seisho got hold of the other one, and 
 they all sat down and discussed matters at length. Be- 
 fore the afternoon was half spent she was as gay as ever, 
 and laughed at her sombre first impressions of matri- 
 mony. It was arranged that the wedding was to take 
 place within a week, and that she was to depart with her 
 husband immediately thereafter. 
 
 The appointed day came around and the feast was 
 spread in the reception-room. It did great credit to the 
 ingenuity of the cook. The limited nature of the market 
 rendered it impossible to have over a dozen courses, but 
 the sake was most excellent, and the good-fellowship was 
 unbounded. None were present save the members of 
 the family and the abbot. It may seem incredible, yet 
 the presence of the strangers was hardly noticed by the 
 monks. In those days it was a common thing for fugi- 
 tives escaping from the vengeance of political adversaries 
 to fly to the monasteries for protection. So that when 
 our party of fugitives had settled themselves in the house 
 of the abbot, the only comment provoked by this event 
 was that they were merely political refugees. That ex- 
 plained every thing to the satisfaction of everybody, and 
 no further questions were asked and no acquaintanceship 
 
35 ° 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 was sought. Consequently our friends were as much 
 strangers as they were on the day of their arrival. The 
 feast progressed, nevertheless, with great Zclat. The 
 bride and groom drank from the same cup, and duly were 
 declared husband and wife amid the usual bantcrings. 
 Late in the afternoon the entertainment came to an end. 
 
 Then the happy couple prepared to depart. The kago 
 was ready at the gate, and the boat was ready on the 
 shore. After a season of protracted farewells the ladies 
 finally surrendered the bride to her husband to be car- 
 ried off. The children were greatly grieved at her de- 
 parture, for she had indeed made herself one of them, 
 with her sprightly ways and joyous temperament. After 
 she had been tenderly packed in her kago the gentlemen 
 escorted her down to the shore. The road was exceed- 
 ingly steep and rugged. It wound down through most 
 magnificent scenery. Although the distance traversed 
 was not over twenty miles, yet it was late in the evening 
 before they reached the deep inlet where the boat had 
 been moored. It was a bright moonlight night, however, 
 so that they were enabled to embark without difficulty. 
 The scullers then made for the open sea, where the sails 
 were quickly spread, and the wings of the southwest 
 monsoon bore them rapidly up the coast toward the 
 bridegroom’s home, where they arrived, in leisurely 
 course of sailing, in about three weeks, and settled down 
 in the Konishi homestead, where they were warmly re- 
 ceived by innumerable friends. * * * 
 
 It is now autumn, and still the fugitives linger at the 
 monastery. Mr. Yamada continues to tarry in Kioto, as 
 if bent on challenging fate itself. News has just been 
 received of the safe arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Konishi at 
 their home in Mito, and the ladies have been made ex- 
 ceedingly happy thereby. On the day following the 
 receipt of this information the three brothers started out 
 for a day’s fishing among the streams qf the Odaigahara. 
 They were returning well ladened with spoil, late in the 
 afternoon, when they were met in a lonely part of the 
 road by a monk coming in breathless haste toward them. 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 35i 
 
 Upon nearer approach they were much surprised to 
 recognize the abbot. 
 
 “ O worthy monk, what brings you to this spot in such 
 haste at this unseasonable hour?” inquired Junzo, as 
 the priest stood panting before them. 
 
 “ Alas ! There is reason enough, my luckless young 
 friends,” replied the abbot, ruefully. “ Dire disaster has 
 most unexpectedly befallen your family, and I come to 
 warn you not to return to the monastery, but to fly to 
 parts unknown.” 
 
 “Your words are freighted with fearful significance; 
 yet I am unable to catch your meaning,” said Kunisa- 
 buro, anxiously. 
 
 “ Then I might as well frankly tell you the worst at 
 once, as you are men, and can stand the shock,” replied 
 the abbot. “ Know, then, that a short time after you left 
 the house this morning, as I was going down to the gate- 
 way, I was much surprised to find several strange samurai 
 standing guard there. I asked them who they were and 
 what they wanted. They replied that they were the retain- 
 ers of the Daimio of Kii-shiu and had come to arrest, in 
 the name of the Shogun, the members of the proscribed 
 Nakashima family abiding in my house. I at once told 
 them that we were not within the jurisdiction of their 
 Daimio and that consequently they had no authority to 
 come across our borders and seize people by violence. To 
 this they respectfully replied that it had long been in dis- 
 pute as to which Daimiate had jurisdiction over my mo- 
 nastery, as boundary lines and landmarks had long been 
 in a very confused state in that vicinity. They said that 
 the Daimio of Kii-shiu had always laid claim to the juris- 
 diction, — although they were quite willing to admit that 
 the Daimios of Ise and Yamato had contested that claim 
 as being one that conflicted with their own claims. 
 
 “ But it seems that the foxy Gotairo had found out 
 through his spies that the Nakashima family had sought 
 refuge in my monastery and were being harbored in my 
 house. That man appears to be able to ferret out any 
 thing ! As soon as he had satisfied himself that his in- 
 
352 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 formation was correct, he laid his plans accordingly. He 
 induced the Kii-shiu people to trump up this ancient 
 claim as to jurisdiction and to quietly submit the matter 
 to him for arbitration. Of course he decided in their 
 favor. And this decision cannot be reversed except by 
 the Shogun or the Emperor. The Shogun, being of the 
 house of Kii, will not reverse it, and the Emperor has no 
 power to do so at present. In other words, your crafty 
 enemy has stolen a march on you. He quietly sent word 
 to Kii-shiu to have a strong force of armed men steal up 
 to the mountains and surround the monastery, and, after 
 capturing the Nakashima family, to hold them there under 
 arrest subject to his further order. The entire place is 
 now surrounded. The very woods are alive with soldiers. 
 During the conversation with the samurai at the gateway, 
 I looked about me and beheld guards stationed at every 
 wicket and at every angle of the hedge about the prem- 
 ises. Escape was impossible. They were all very re- 
 spectful, however, and were not inclined to use violence. 
 In fact, it was merely a nominal arrest. Their orders 
 were to keep the prisoners confined within the house and 
 yard, and not to touch their persons unless they ventured 
 to escape. These Kii-shiu gentlemen seemed to be some- 
 what ashamed of the whole business, and were disposed 
 to grant every privilege consistent with their orders. 
 Their captain then accompanied me back to the house 
 and made a list of all the prisoners and notified them of 
 their arrest. 
 
 “ When your father comprehended the unfortunate situ- 
 ation it was as much as I could do to prevent his slaying 
 the entire family and himself. Your wives were almost 
 beside themselves with hysterical frenzy, and begged him 
 to at once end their unhappy existence and thus save 
 them from falling alive into the hands of their cruel ene- 
 mies. I finally succeeded in quieting them all down by 
 explaining that the arrest was nominal for the present, 
 and that there would be abundant time thereafter to resort 
 to violent measures. I told them that I would slip away 
 to give you warning at the time when I was supposed to 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 353 
 
 be conducting the vesper service, and that I would tell 
 you to hasten to Kioto and lay the matter before Mr. 
 Yamada, who might perhaps prevail on the Emperor to 
 exert some of his ancient authority in this matter and 
 thus save them from the Gotairo’s fury. By forced 
 marches you can reach Kioto long before the news will 
 reach Yedo. Therefore fly with all speed. I will take 
 good care of your families in the meantime. A month 
 or two anyhow will elapse before definite orders will be 
 received from the Gotairo. Hasten ! Fly at once ! ” 
 
 “ All except me,” said Kunisaburo, firmly. 
 
 “ Are you crazy ! ” exclaimed the abbot. 
 
 “ No ; but you will bear in mind that I am not under 
 sentence of death like my brothers. I merely come under 
 the blood-attainder for treason. Two can attend to the 
 business in Kioto just as well as three. I shall be needed 
 at the house. If my brothers succeed in having the 
 blood-attainder set aside, I shall be free. If they do not 
 succeed, my position will be no worse, and I can then be 
 of service to my father in cheating the fox of his prey. I 
 will therefore return with you to the house and deliver 
 myself up to nominal arrest.” 
 
 “ Well spoken ! Well spoken, indeed ! ” exclaimed the 
 abbot in admiring tones. 
 
 And so they parted. The two elder brothers started 
 off with heavy hearts, but with an unconquerable deter- 
 mination. They journeyed far into the night and tarried 
 a few hours for rest at a little hamlet beyond the plateau. 
 Then they pressed onward by forced marches for five 
 days, until they drew near to Kioto. At night they stole 
 through the deserted streets, and came to the gateway of 
 Mr. Yamada’s house. The gate-keeper recognized them 
 and ushered them into the house, where an attendant 
 desired them to sit down while he summoned his master. 
 On this occasion it will be necessary to record that Mr. 
 Yamada was surprised. He cautiously glided into the 
 room as if in doubt as to whether these gentlemen might 
 not be enemies in disguise. Then, subduing all mani- 
 festations of surprise, he ordered the attendant to bring 
 
354 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 in tea and tobacco, while he suavely inquired after the 
 health of their respective families. His manner was so 
 cool and matter-of-fact that you or I would never have 
 dreamed that his heart was thumping in the utmost 
 agitation, as his keen eyes read in the faces before him 
 a tale of serious import. It was not long, however, 
 before he was fully posted on the exact state of affairs, 
 and then his countenance became exceedingly grave, 
 and for full half an hour he smoked in silence, while he 
 gazed upon the floor in an absent-minded fashion. At 
 last he drew his pipe from his mouth and vigorously 
 smote the rim of the hebachi, as if inspired with an idea. 
 
 “ This is truly a sad predicament,” he ejaculated. 
 “ That Hikone beast has indeed stolen a march on us ! 
 He could outwit a fox, — so devilish is his cunning ! But 
 never mind. We shall see if we cannot head him off in 
 his little game. Have you that pen-holder containing 
 the imperial signet and the cake of yellow ink ? You 
 will remember that I gave it to you six years ago when 
 you were commissioned by our imperial master to act as 
 spies in Mito Yashiki.” 
 
 “ I have it here in my sleeve,” replied Tomokichi. 
 “ You instructed me always to carry it about my person, 
 and I have not failed to do so these many years. Here 
 it is.” 
 
 “ That is well,” said Mr. Yamada. “ I see that you 
 obey orders most faithfully. I hope that you may now 
 reap your reward. You will remember that I told you that 
 this paper, ink, and signet were only to be used in some 
 great emergency, when it became necessary for you to go 
 over my head and address the Emperor in person. That 
 time has now come. You gentlemen will now go up-stairs 
 and sleep on the bedding that has been spread out for me. 
 While you slumber I will draw up a memorial stating all 
 the facts in your case, and respectfully petitioning the 
 Emperor, in view of your faithful services in his cause, to 
 exercise his authority over the Shogun and secure the 
 repeal of your cruel and unjust sentences. You see, 
 Yamato was the ancient heritage of the Mikados, and 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 355 
 
 the Gotairo has trespassed on this ancient domain. I 
 think that he feels rather weak himself in this matter, 
 else he would have acted with his usual vigor and have 
 used extreme measures at once. This transgression we 
 shall magnify and make political capital out of. I shall 
 have this petition all neatly copied before daylight. Then 
 I shall rouse you up to sign it and to seal it with this 
 signet. Then you must at once return to the little ham- 
 let on this side of the Odaigahara and there await my 
 coming. To-morrow I shall have this memorial pre- 
 sented to the Emperor. A grand council of kngcs will 
 probably be convened to consider this, in connection 
 with some other matter that I have to submit, and im- 
 mense pressure will be brought to bear on the Gotairo — 
 both directly and indirectly — to compel him to recon- 
 sider his action and rescind his barbarous decrees. Our 
 party has grown so much in power during the last year 
 that I have great hopes of your petition being successful. 
 As soon as something definite has been accomplished I 
 will hasten to join you at the designated hamlet.” 
 
 So saying, that able and crafty man bid his guests 
 good-night and labored over the important memorial far 
 into the small hours of the morning. Then the servant, 
 in accordance with his previous instructions, brought in 
 the breakfast and went up-stairs to rouse the young men. 
 After the meal the important document was duly signed 
 and sealed. Then the young men stole forth like moun- 
 tain wolves into the darkness and were far beyond city 
 limits before sunrise. By nightfall they had again 
 reached the hill country and were again comparatively 
 safe. They rested abundantly and journeyed leisurely 
 for seven days, at the end of which time they reached 
 the designated hamlet at the base of the Odaigahara, 
 where they took up their quarters in a comfortable 
 cottage belonging to the headman of the place, who re- 
 ceived them with that mixture of fear and veneration 
 that so peculiarly characterized the peasantry of old 
 Japan in their intercourse with the samurai. 
 
 They waited there nearly a month without hearing any 
 
35 6 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 thing from the outside world. As day after day rolled 
 away they began to feel very uneasy. Yet, as they were 
 under orders, they patiently waited for further develop- 
 ments. At last Mr. Yamada arrived one evening in a 
 drenching rain. Laying aside his dripping garments to 
 be dried beside the kitchen hebachi, he plunged into the 
 hot bath, and then emerged to don some dry garments, 
 kindly lent by the gracious host. Then he proceeded to 
 discuss over the evening meal the results of his efforts in 
 their behalf. It appeared that a grand council of kug/s 
 had been summoned early in the year to consider the 
 outrageous actions of the Gotairo in arresting and exe- 
 cuting so many of the prominent imperialists in Kioto, 
 as well as for his arbitrary imprisonment of so many 
 great Daimios in Yedo. It was thought that the occasion 
 was a proper one, either for imperial interference or for 
 some manifestation of disapprobation on the part of the 
 Emperor. After a protracted and exciting session it was 
 decided that the edge of the wedge could best be in- 
 serted by notifying the old Prince of Mito that his pro- 
 tests had been duly considered and that the Emperor 
 had commissioned him to look after the imperial inter- 
 ests in Yedo. 
 
 Accordingly, the following letter was drawn up and 
 clandestinely forwarded to that irascible old gentleman 
 while in banishment, who went into ecstasies of delight 
 over its receipt : “ The Bakufu has shown great disre- 
 
 gard of public opinion in concluding treaties without 
 waiting for the opinion of the court, and in disgracing 
 princes so closely allied by blood to the Shogun. The 
 Mikado’s rest is disturbed by the spectacle of such mis- 
 government when the fierce barbarian is at our very 
 door. Do you, therefore, assist the Bakufu with your 
 advice, expel the barbarians, content the mind of the 
 people, and restore tranquillity to his Majesty’s 
 bosom.” 1 
 
 Accordingly, many of the Mito samurai at once be- 
 came ronins and began prowling around the treaty ports 
 1 Kinse Shiriaku. 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 357 
 
 to slay some of these fierce barbarians, in order to create 
 diplomatic complications between the Bakufu and foreign 
 governments. During the past few months several French 
 and Russian sailors from the men-of-war in port had been 
 hacked to pieces in the streets of Yokohama. No clue as 
 to the assassins could be obtained by the government. 
 These atrocities had caused the Bakufu great annoyance 
 and uneasiness, inasmuch as if they were to be continued 
 there would surely be trouble with the foreign powers. 
 Consequently it became manifest to the officers of the 
 government that it would be good policy to conciliate 
 the hostile clans and to curry favor with the Mikado, and 
 thus to check these outrages on foreigners. Accordingly, 
 when it became known that the court had championed 
 the cause of the proscribed Nakashima family, tremen- 
 dous pressure was at once brought to bear on the Gotairo 
 to prevail on him to repeal his cruel and barbarous sen- 
 tence. That vindictive and savage man, however, was 
 for a long time deaf to all appeals. 
 
 Then the councillors of the Hikone clan were induced 
 to use their powerful influence to secure the repeal of 
 the sentence. Those able and astute gentlemen had 
 many interviews with their lord, and finally led him to 
 see that the times had changed, so that it would not be 
 advisable for him to do now what he might have done a 
 few years before. The old Prince of Mito, with the im- 
 perial commission in his hands, loomed up as a possible 
 rival in the near future, when the tide of power had set 
 more strongly toward Kioto. In short, so skilfully did 
 the councillors analyze the political situation, that they 
 finally induced their obstinate lord to reconsider his 
 action. After a long and stubborn contest he was finally 
 prevailed on to allow that portion of his sentence, which 
 had decreed confiscation and blood-attainder against the 
 Nakashima family, to be wiped out by allowing the head 
 of the family to perform seppuku. But no inducement 
 could make him rescind the sentence of death passed on 
 Konishi, Tomokichi, and Junzo. According to Japanese 
 ideas this adjustment of the matter was a just and merci- 
 
358 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 ful one. As the Gotairo was obdurate, the imperial party 
 was obliged to be contented with this compromise. Two 
 Bakufu officers were then sent overland to Kioto, bearing 
 the decree of seppuku against old Mr. Nakashima. They 
 were instructed to be present at the ceremony which was 
 to take place in the monastery among the mountains. 
 These officers had arrived in Kioto about ten days be- 
 fore, and were now journeying toward the monastery by 
 a longer but easier route along the coast. 
 
 Such was the sad situation as described by Mr. Yamada 
 during the course of the meal. The brothers heard the 
 recital with mingled feelings of grief and anger. Yet, 
 according to the customs of that country, the penalty 
 was a very mild one. Seppuku , or hara-kiri (belly-cut) 
 as Europeans term it, was a merciful institution that 
 originated during the terrible civil wars of the Ashikaga 
 period in the twelfth century of our era. By immemorial 
 usage the victorious party in war had the right to pro- 
 scribe its adversaries and to exterminate them root and 
 branch. The scenes of carnage that invariably ensued 
 when a victorious party came into power were more 
 frightful than the proscriptions that soaked Rome with 
 the blood of her best citizens during the memorable con- 
 tests between Marius and Sylla. First one faction and 
 then the other would be victorious, and the land was 
 filled with the slaughtering of multitudes of innocent 
 and helpless people, until it was found that the flower of 
 the land was being ruthlessly swept out of existence. 
 The wild horror of the scenes beggared description. 
 The kind nature of the natives shrank back from the 
 spectacle, and set about devising some scheme whereby 
 needless bloodshed might be spared and innocent lives 
 might be saved. 
 
 They finally hit upon the horrible yet beautiful cere- 
 mony of seppuku — horrible when considered in its ghastly 
 details, and beautiful when considered in the light of its 
 humane and beneficent effects. By this ceremony the 
 leaders of the vanquished party were allowed to take 
 their short swords and cut through their bowels into 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 359 
 
 the portal vein, and thus terminate their lives. By 
 this sanguinary act they washed away blood-attainder 
 from their families and kindred (thus saving them from 
 proscription) and also cleansed their own honor from all 
 stains. Their political shortcomings, whatever they 
 might have been, were thus fully atoned for. After a 
 battle, thousands of warriors, instead of flying from the 
 victors, would calmly kneel down and perform this 
 ghastly rite upon the bloody field, thereby limiting the 
 consequences of their political acts to their own per- 
 sons. 
 
 As the nation settled down to its long repose under 
 the Tokugawas, it became customary to extend this cere- 
 mony so as to include the families and kindred of offenders 
 guilty of treason against the Shogun. But in such cases 
 it was discretionary with the Shogun to grant or with- 
 hold the privilege of seppuku. It was necessary that the 
 Bakufu should make a judicial decree or sentence per- 
 mitting the offender to perform the ceremony, otherwise 
 his bloody act lost its efficacy so far as confiscation and 
 blood-attainder were concerned. It was essential that 
 the government should grant him permis-ion to disem- 
 bowel himself in the presence of two duly appointed 
 officers. Without this formal permission a man might 
 slay himself and yet not redeem his property from con- 
 fiscation and his kindred from extermination. Viewed 
 in the light of a redemption of innocent people from 
 the fearful effects of blood-attainder, the ceremony 
 of seppuku was indeed grand and beautiful. It was a 
 great boon to the families of political offenders. In the 
 case of the Nakashima family the Gotairo had intended 
 to withhold this favor and to extirpate them in a spirit 
 of bitter revenge. But, as already stated, the pressure 
 brought to bear on him had compelled him most reluc- 
 tantly to forego his fierce resolve. 
 
 On the following morning Mr. Yamada started out to 
 climb over the Odaigahara. As the two brothers were 
 yet under sentence of death, he directed them to remain 
 at the hamlet until he returned with the fugitives. They 
 
360 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 gloomily obeyed. That energetic man was soon far up 
 the deeply wooded slopes of the mighty range, and 
 toward evening he drew near the monastery. 
 
 As shadows of the parting day hasten in their course, so 
 must our closing scenes be brief and quickly told. It was 
 dusk when Mr. Yamada halted before the gateway of the 
 abbot’s house in response to the challenge of the guard 
 stationed there. Upon due explanation of the nature of 
 his mission he was permitted to enter the yard. Every 
 thing was quiet and orderly. The guards had never in- 
 truded themselves within the barriers, so that the prison- 
 ers had remained undisturbed in their possession of the 
 premises. Crossing over to the veranda, he surprised 
 his friends at their evening meal. Great was their joy 
 at his unexpected appearance. But no questions were 
 asked as to the nature of his visit until after supper. 
 Then, when the little ones had been put to bed, they 
 all crowded around him and anxiously inquired for 
 news. The entire evening was given up to discussing 
 what had transpired since the abbot had met the broth- 
 ers in the woods more than a month before. That por- 
 tion of the narrative which related to the freeing of 
 their property from confiscation and the redemption 
 of the family from blood-attainder was received with 
 unbounded delight by the ladies. But, when the woful 
 recital of sepptiku was rehearsed, a dark cloud rested 
 upon the household. Mr. Nakashima was perfectly com- 
 posed, but wore a solemn countenance that told full well 
 how he realized the gravity of the situation. 
 
 “ After all,” said he, during a lull in the conversation, 
 “ I do not know but what the termination of this affair is 
 about as satisfactory as I could desire. I have well-nigh 
 lived the full span of my life, and I now have an hon- 
 orable opportunity of terminating it in a highly distin- 
 guished and creditable manner. By the way, I will now 
 nominate Kunisaburo as my second in this matter. 
 And I desire, O most worthy abbot, that my body shall 
 be incinerated under your friendly supervision, and that 
 the ashes shall be carefully placed in an urn and taken 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 361 
 
 back to Atago-Yama and deposited in the cemetery be- 
 hind the upland temple, where repose the bones of my 
 ancestors. I appoint you, Mr. Yamada, my trusted and 
 honored friend, as my executor, to see that my wishes be 
 properly carried out. As a matter of course, my estate 
 will descend to my eldest son and his heirs. And this 
 short sword, with which I shall terminate my life, I be- 
 queath to my sons, to be used as an avenging blade 
 upon the accursed carcass of the miserable villain who 
 has hounded me to death. It is my wish that from 
 henceforth you shall all be cheerful and thus render the 
 balance of my life as pleasant as possible. On such 
 occasions tears are useless and merely serve to cast a 
 gloom over the departing spirit. Let us now all retire 
 to rest, inasmuch as you, my kind friend, must be very 
 weary after your long and toilsome journey.” 
 
 Several days elapsed before the Bakufu officers put in 
 an appearance at the monastery. When they arrived it 
 did not take very long to complete the simple prepara- 
 tions for the awesome ceremony. Mr. Nakashima was 
 imbued with the classical ideas about seppuku and dis- 
 dained all modern degenerations of this ancient rite. 
 Under his directions the ancient regime was most scrup- 
 ulously adhered to. Four lofty cryptomeria that grew 
 in the backyard, very nearly on the corners of an im- 
 aginary quadrangle, were selected as the spot where the 
 ceremony should be performed out under the open 
 heavens. The abbot then suspended several temple 
 curtains between these trees, thus enclosing a large rec- 
 tangular space. Then he took a tatami from the house 
 and laid it at one end of the enclosure, and placed two 
 camp-stools at the other end, in order that the judges 
 mighfrsit above the culprit. This completed the arrange- 
 ments for the performance of the bloody rite. 
 
 In order to conform to his punctilious notions, Mr. 
 Nakashima delayed the ceremony until night in order 
 that it might take place under the starry heavens amid 
 the baleful flickerings of torches and paper lanterns. At 
 the appointed hour he left the house and entered the 
 
362 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 enclosure, where he knelt down upon the tatami awaiting 
 the coming of the officers. Presently those elegantly 
 dressed personages came in and seated themselves on the 
 camp-stools. Mr. Yamada and Kunisaburo then seated 
 themselves on the grass behind the principal. After pro- 
 found salutations had been interchanged, one of the 
 officers drew forth from his bosom a long scroll which he 
 slowly unrolled and proceeded to read in solemn tones. 
 It was the sentence of death pronounced by the Bakufu 
 on the responsible head of the Nakashima family for al- 
 lowing members of said family to disturb the Shogun’s 
 peace of mind by hatching conspiracies in Yedo and 
 elsewhere. Could the Generalissimo of the Four Coasts 
 allow such things to transpire with impunity under the 
 very shadow of his citadel ? After the reading of this 
 solemn document, Mr. Nakashima bowed low to signify 
 his submission to the decree, and then returned to the 
 house to make ready for the ordeal. 
 
 On these supreme occasions the true samurai never 
 manifested the slightest emotion, and treated death with 
 the utmost contempt. Nor was it considered proper for 
 his family to give way to grief. Every thing was con- 
 ducted with such cool and hideous precision that the 
 blood of the foreign spectator would have been well-nigh 
 frozen at the sight. Bidding adieu to his heart-broken 
 wife and children and friends, the stately old gentleman 
 reentered the screened enclosure dressed in garments of 
 pure white. After he had seated himself again, Mr. 
 Yamada brought in upon a white tray the short sword 
 with which the deadly cut was to be made. This he 
 placed within easy reach in front of the principal. A 
 bucket of water and a bamboo dipper were then brought 
 in and placed near the tray. . 
 
 While this was going on within the curtains, the trem- 
 bling women and the terrified children huddled them- 
 selves together on the back veranda, where they could be 
 present at the ceremony, and yet not actually witness its 
 ghastly details. Down in the temple the abbot and the 
 priests were intoning a solemn mass, while the booming 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 363 
 
 drum responded in measured tones to the mellow notes 
 of the mournful bell. And yet farther down, the eternal 
 ocean rumbled amid the caverns along the shore. Truly 
 it was a weird and dreary scene ! 
 
 After a brief silence Mr. Nakashima reached forward 
 and grasped the sword with one hand while with the other 
 one he threw open his robe and laid bare his abdomen. 
 According to modern usage it was not necessary to do 
 more than inflict a slight wound and then bend the 
 head forward for the stroke from behind. But the old 
 warrior scorned such effeminate proceedings, and plunged 
 the cruel blade deep into his bowels in the most approved 
 ancient style, and then drew it entirely across his abdo- 
 men, making a sickening gash nearly a foot long. By 
 this time an expression of intense pain had settled upon 
 his rigid features, and he bent his head forward for the 
 stroke that should terminate his existence. Kunisaburo, 
 who from behind had been watching every gesture with 
 the utmost vigilance, now swept his sword from its scab- 
 bard, and, with one swift and sure blow, severed the head 
 from the body with such force that it bounded against 
 the enclosing curtain. Mr. Yamada hastily threw a cloth 
 over it until the facial contortions had subsided. Then 
 he lifted it tenderly and washed off the blood and the 
 sand. After which he held it up by the top-knot, and 
 exhibited it to the two officers. After due inspection, 
 those gentlemen retired. And within a few minutes they 
 and the guards had disappeared and thus left the fugi- 
 tives free to go and come as they chose. 
 
 On the following day preparations were at once made 
 for incinerating the body. In the grove beside the main 
 temple there was a large open space where the bodies of 
 the brotherhood had been consumed for many centuries. 
 Here was speedily collected a huge pile of underbrush 
 and resinous fagots. The body was then placed on top 
 of the heap, and the severed head was placed upon the 
 breast. The torch was quickly applied, and in a short 
 time nothing was left of Nakashima Yotori except a few 
 handfuls of ashes. These were sorrowfully collected by 
 
364 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 the widow, and were tenderly placed in a small bronze urn 
 presented to her by the abbot. After which, the lid was 
 tightly soldered down by one of the monks who had 
 grown very expert in that occupation. The bereaved 
 wife carried the receptacle up to her room and carefully 
 wrapped it in a piece of yellow brocaded silk, which the 
 thoughtful abbot had provided for this purpose. Then 
 she placed it on a shelf preparatory to departure for 
 Atago-Yama. 
 
 As there was now nothing to detain the fugitives at 
 the monastery, they made preparations for an immediate 
 return homeward. Two days after the tragic death of 
 the head of the family, the kagos were brought up to the 
 side of the veranda, and the ladies and children were 
 duly seated therein, while the grunting coolies speedily 
 bore them out through the gateway into the road that 
 led to the Odaigahara. The abbot escorted them far 
 into the woods and finally bade them a reluctant farewell 
 as he turned his steps back to the solemn groves of his 
 sequestered retreat, there to intone for one hundred 
 days a Sanskrit requiem for the dead. Late in the day, 
 as Tomokichi and Junzo were strolling along the road 
 that led up from their hamlet into the mountain, they 
 perceived a procession of kagos coming down the moun- 
 tain side, and at once surmised that their families were 
 returning from the monastery. 
 
 Hastening forward they first met their mother, who, 
 as she recognized her sons, immediately removed the 
 silk from the urn that she was holding in her lap, and 
 held it up for them to view. The procession at once 
 came to a dead halt, for all understood the significance 
 of the gesture. Not a word was spoken by anybody. 
 And the young men, at once comprehending the mourn- 
 ful meaning of these proceedings, prostrated themselves 
 in the dust before the ashes of their father. Long did 
 they thus kneel and rub dust by the handful into their 
 hair in token of boundless grief. At length they slowly 
 arose and saluted their mother. Then Tomokichi, as 
 the present head of the family, reverently took the urn 
 
Mountain Scenes. 
 
 365 
 
 and led the way back to the hamlet. The reunion was 
 sad, yet joyful. The incidents of the mournful scenes at 
 the monastery were rehearsed with a fierce exultation, 
 and the tarnished blade was received as a sacred trust. 
 Then and there the brothers vowed that it should taste 
 the Gotairo’s blood at no distant date. Ah ! Nawosuke, 
 Lord of Hikonti, beware ! beware ! The avenger is 
 abroad ! 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 THE CONSPIRACY. 
 
 Several months have elapsed since the closing scenes 
 of the last chapter. We are again at the sea-shore villa, 
 whence our young spies started down the coast in a 
 boat on their famous shadowing expedition six years 
 ago. It is the first day of March, and the blustering 
 gales are sending the frothing billows rolling far up the 
 beach in their vain attempts to smite the keen-prowed 
 boats that the experienced fishermen have taken the pre- 
 caution to draw up far beyond their insidious attacks. 
 The square-trimmed boxwood hedge surrounding the 
 front of the yard is coated on its seaward face with salt 
 spray, and the garden paths of broken shells resemble 
 strips of driven snow ; so that there is a wintry aspect 
 to the landscape even though it be the first day of spring. 
 The villa appears to be closed, and the rain-doors are 
 rattling noisily as the boisterous winds dash against 
 them as if clamoring for entrance. 
 
 That appearances are deceptive is an old adage and 
 one that is very true in the present instance, for behind 
 those doors is gathered in the seclusion of the inner 
 chambers of the villa a band of eighteen rotiins discuss- 
 ing in excited tones the details of some blood-curdling 
 scheme of carnage. The bright sunlight sifts through 
 the rifts in the doors sufficiently to reveal the faces of 
 these fierce men. They were formerly Mito samurai , but 
 they have recently absolved that clan from all responsi- 
 bility for their acts and have dedicated themselves to 
 wage eternal warfare against the Bakufu. Their faces 
 are mostly strange to us ; yet, as our eyes become accus- 
 
 366 
 
The Conspiracy. 
 
 367 
 
 tomed to the dim light, we recognize the countenances 
 of the centre group near the blazing hebachi. Yes, the 
 blood-avengers are in grave and earnest consultation with 
 their friends from Mito Yashiki as to the best method 
 of assassinating the Gotairo. Mr. Yamada has just 
 spread out a large map of Yedo upon the floor near a 
 lamp, and is addressing in his usual free and easy style 
 the company crowded about him. 
 
 “ Honorable sirs,” said he, “ this enterprise upon 
 which we are now engaged, is one of the utmost gravity. It 
 is not likely that any of us will come out of it alive. Do 
 you fully comprehend this, and are you willing to under- 
 take it ? ” 
 
 A hoarse shout of assent, more resembling the deep- 
 chested growling of a wild beast than the utterances of 
 human beings, was the response. 
 
 “ It is well spoken,” exclaimed Mr. Yamada ; “Now 
 let us proceed to business. In the first place, however, I 
 must apologize to you, honorable gentlemen, for my tardy 
 appearance here. A succession of mishaps has delayed 
 me and my three friends until we began to think that the 
 gods were not propitious to our enterprise. In return- 
 ing to Kioto from the Odaigahara we were storm bound 
 among the mountains for many days, inasmuch as we could 
 not face the tempests while escorting women and chil- 
 dren. Then it took much time to arrange our affairs at 
 home, as they had become confused during our absence. 
 Then, again, I had to wait until the spring season was 
 reasonably near at hand before I could succumb to my 
 regular attack of spring-fever. Even then I was com- 
 pelled to seclude my person from the public gaze a 
 month ahead of time. But as it will probably be my 
 last attack, I do not know as it will make much differ- 
 ence. After leaving Kioto and rejoining my two young 
 friends in the hamlet at the base of the Odaigahara, we 
 journeyed through the mountains and descended upon 
 the shore of Ise, where we had made arrangements for a 
 boat to meet us and bear us up the coast to this place. 
 We had a very rough time beating up in the teeth of the 
 
3 68 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 gales, and were so delayed that we could not reach our 
 destination until last night. This is our humble apology 
 for detaining you for so many days at this bleak place.” 
 
 This speech was interrupted by peals of laughter that 
 shook the house when the playful allusion was made to 
 the spring-fever, for Konishi had been regaling his com- 
 panions during the long evenings of their waiting with 
 humorous accounts of those mysterious spells of illness, 
 until the subject had become a standing joke at the villa. 
 At the conclusion of the speech they all begged him to 
 make no excuse for this delay and to take no account of 
 their detention. They one and all expressed themselves 
 ready for whatever he might propose, and urged him to 
 divulge his schemes without delay. 
 
 “ Well, honorable sirs,” resumed Mr. Yamada in re- 
 sponse to their request, “ the plan itself is simple enough ; 
 it will be the execution of it that will tax to the utmost 
 our ingenuity and courage.” 
 
 “Say on, say on. We are ready for any thing,” was 
 the hearty response. 
 
 “ Well, then,” said Mr. Yamada, “ we will consider the 
 subject under three general heads. First, how shall we 
 get to Yedo ? second, what shall we do there ? third, how 
 shall we get away ? Now as to the first part there will 
 not be much trouble. You can all embark in my boat, 
 and sail down the coast. When we enter Yedo bay a 
 dozen of you must consent to be stowed away under the 
 planks, so as to be kept out of sight. The rest of us will 
 seclude ourselves in the cabin. We will arrange so as to 
 approach Yedo after dark, and will land at this point 
 here on the map just below the southern suburbs. We 
 will then leave our boatmen under the command of the 
 captain, with instructions to go down the bay and play 
 fishermen, returning each night to this point for secret 
 orders from us. 
 
 “ After landing, we must break up in small parties, 
 and take these various roads here to this point in the 
 citizens’ quarter, where we will meet at the house of a 
 friend. There we can keep concealed until the morning 
 
The Conspiracy. 
 
 369 
 
 of the appointed day. In an upper room of that house 
 have been clandestinely collected eighteen suits of chain 
 armor, together with an equal number of oil-paper over- 
 coats for rainy weather. Having reached our destination, 
 we will act as follows : Every morning the Gotairo goes, 
 in the discharge of his official duties, from his yashiki 
 to the palace of the Shogun, by way of the Sakurada 
 gateway. We will wait for the first rainy day ; then put 
 on our water-proof overcoats over our armor, and will lie 
 in wait for his Excellency at the bridge that crosses the 
 moat before the gateway. We will then slay him without 
 delay. Should luck favor us we must take his head and 
 escape with it to our boat, and come back to Mito. 
 
 “ This, of course, is a very rough outline of the matter. 
 I shall now go more into details, and will divide up the 
 work, so that we may act like a single machine. On the 
 first rainy day after reaching Yedo we must, after putting 
 on our chain armor and overcoats, as just described, 
 firmly tie on our feet strong straw sandals, so that we can 
 run about nimbly on the slippery and muddy ground. 
 Around our legs we will tie oil-paper, in accordance with 
 the custom of travellers in rainy weather, thus completely 
 covering up the chained mail protecting our calves and 
 thighs, and inviting our enemies to waste many harmless 
 blows on those parts. Thus disguised, we will leave the 
 house in little groups, and make our way over toward the 
 Sakurada gateway. We will loiter about there in a man- 
 ner not to attract attention, and will await the approach 
 of his Excellency’s retinue. You will perceive from this 
 map that the distance between his yashiki and the gate- 
 way is less than five hundred yards. Being within the 
 first moat of the castle, he feels comparatively safe. As 
 soon as he crosses the second moat and enters the Saku- 
 rada gateway into the second system of ramparts, he 
 feels absolutely safe. The only place then where any 
 danger can befall him is on this short stretch of causeway 
 that comes down the hill from his yashiki to the gateway. 
 Once over the bridge, and none but traitors can touch 
 him. 
 
370 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “ Now during the last five years he has gone back and 
 forth between thej yashiki and the palace, until he has be- 
 come careless and indifferent about his body-guard. Not 
 over two hundred persons comprise his retinue, — and 
 these are not all samurai. No member of the Gosanke 
 would move out of his yashiki so ill attended. None of 
 the great Daimios would condescend to enter the castle 
 with less than five hundred retainers in his retinue. I 
 presume he considers himself merely moving from one 
 part of his grounds to another when he goes from his 
 yashiki to the palace. Except on very extraordinary 
 occasions, his men are never in armor. He usually starts 
 out with about twenty swordsmen and spearmen in his 
 van-guard. Then he follows close on their heels in his 
 norimon, with three samurai walking on either side. Then 
 the rear-guard of about a dozen samurai follow at a short 
 distance behind their master. And after that come the 
 rest of the retinue, comprising led horses, coolies, relief- 
 bearers, servants, and quite a number of samurai , all 
 straggling along behind in a most careless and demoral- 
 ized fashion, so that it frequently happens that when the 
 norimon has reached the bridge, the tail end of the pro- 
 cession is only just emerging from the yashiki, thus 
 leaving great gaps between the van-guard and the rear. 
 I presume his Excellency rather enjoys thus swaggering 
 down to the palace, just as if he were merely non- 
 chalantly straggling in slippered feet with his personal 
 servants from his room to the bath-tub. He seems to 
 regard the entire castle as merely a part of his yashiki, 
 and that he can lounge about from one part to the other 
 regardless of strict etiquette and ceremony. 
 
 “ Now you gentlemen can readily see that when 
 eighteen mailed warriors hurl themselves against the 
 norimon, that the inmate thereof is liable to sustain serious 
 injuries, — the long, thin column cannot concentrate with 
 sufficient quickness to avert such a catastrophe. So far, 
 so good. The slaying of our enemy can thus be readily 
 accomplished, but it will be quite another thing to get 
 away with the head in order that we may hold it up to 
 
The Conspiracy. 
 
 37i 
 
 well-merited public scorn and contempt. But that matter 
 must be left to me alone, — I will shower personal atten- 
 tions upon it. Now, the order of attack will be as follows : 
 My young friend, J unzo, must avail himself of his previous 
 knowledge of your skill and prowess, and must select 
 four of the best swordsmen, whose duty it shall be to 
 throw themselves across the line of march of the van- 
 guard as it approaches near to the bridge. Of course 
 every member of his Excellency’s escort will rush for- 
 ward to punish the insolence of these presumed country 
 boors. The four gentlemen selected for this purpose 
 must be prepared to fight to the death. Then two other 
 skilful swordsmen must rush upon the rear of these 
 samurai of the van-guard and body-guard, and thus not 
 only serve to confuse them, but also to prevent their 
 turning back to the norimon. Then seven other men 
 must throw themselves into the gap behind the norimon , 
 and rush upon the approaching rear-guard with the utmost 
 fury. 
 
 “ These assaults, if properly delivered, will so confuse 
 and demoralize the enemy that the norimon will be left 
 entirely exposed for at least a minute. This time will be 
 faithfully and vigorously utilized by Konishi, the three 
 sons of Nakashima, and myself, to pay our personal com- 
 pliments to his Excellency. Then I will secrete his head 
 under my water-proof cloak, and will run down this road 
 here on the map to the gateway that crosses the first moat ; 
 and escape through the suburbs to our boat. At the mo- 
 ment I fly from the norimon , one of you must cut off the 
 head of one of the bearers whom we shall have cut down, 
 and run down this long stretch of road beside the moat 
 in plain view of everybody, toward the other gateway. He 
 who does this must be prepared to fight to the death, for 
 he will surely be overtaken and slain. It will not be pos- 
 sible for me at this moment to designate who shall per- 
 form this heroic feat. In the melee , let him, who can, at 
 once avail himself of the opportunity. 
 
 “You will please to note very carefully this part of the 
 map. Here near the centre is the Sakurada gateway. 
 
37 2 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 This bridge crosses to it from south to north. The road 
 from the Hikone Yashiki comes down the hill from the 
 northwest, and, when it reaches the southern end of the 
 bridge, continues on past it due east for a long distance 
 beside the southern side of the moat toward the gateway 
 through which the man with the decoy head must dash 
 when he has led the pursuit down in that direction. This 
 road that trends nearly due south from the bridge is the 
 one down which I will run with his Excellency’s head. 
 It is built up with yashikis on both sides, so that my 
 movements will be well screened until I escape beyond 
 the first moat into the streets of the city. Just as soon 
 as you observe me run from the ?iorimon, all of you who 
 are able to do so must form a line across the road down 
 which I have escaped and must fight to the death. 
 While the hue-and-cry goes off on the wrong trail, your 
 desperate struggles across the true line of retreat will so 
 retard pursuit that I shall be enabled to effect my escape 
 to the boat. From the time when the signal for attack is 
 given by the four men flinging themselves across his 
 Excellency’s line of march until I run off with the head, 
 ten seconds must not elapse. So you must now improve 
 your time in practising the details of a sham attack and 
 by studying this map with the greatest minuteness.” 
 
 Such in substance was the running talk of Mr. Yamada, 
 that lasted for the entire morning, being frequently inter- 
 rupted with eager questions from the excited listeners. 
 The afternoon was given up to the arrangement of 
 details and to practising rapid manoeuvres. The build- 
 ing shook beneath the rush of many feet and the strug- 
 gles of an imaginary conflict. By nightfall the situation 
 had been thoroughly mastered. On the following day 
 the entire company embarked and went scudding down 
 the coast under tempestuous gales, very much to the 
 discomfort of everybody aboard. In due course of sailing 
 they reached Yedo and concentrated their forces at the 
 designated rendezvous in the citizens’ quarter. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 “ BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH ! ” 
 
 On the 23d day of March, i860, there prevailed in 
 in the city of Yedo a violent storm. The equinoctial 
 torrents, hastening up from the south, had come in 
 violent collision with freezing blasts from the north, and 
 came down in blinding sheets of sleet and snow. The 
 conspirators had been impatiently waiting for a rainy 
 day, and were up bright and early on this tempestuous 
 morning, making their arrangements for the momentous 
 work of the day. Breakfast was speedily washed down 
 with abundance of sak /, and the ronins quickly donned 
 their armor and rain cloaks and slipped out of the house 
 in groups of twos and threes. Mr. Yamada and his 
 young assistants were the last to leave, as it was neces- 
 sary that they should remain behind to superintend 
 matters, and to aid the others in dressing. 
 
 At length the last greave was strapped on and the last 
 sandal thong was knotted. Then Mr. Yamada, the three 
 brothers, and Konishi slipped down-stairs and made 
 ready to depart. As they stood there on the veranda, 
 equipped with large straw rain-hats, and cumbersome 
 oil-paper cloaks, they looked like a company of harmless 
 travellers, — for they carried their swords close to their 
 bodies, beneath their water-proofs, and their legs were 
 well wrapped in oil-paper. The lull before a naval 
 battle, when the decks are being sprinkled with sand, has 
 been pronounced to be the most depressing part of an 
 engagement. The quaffing of several cups of warm sakJ 
 by our friends at this point, rather indicated that this 
 was their mauvaise quatr heure. When they went forth 
 
 373 
 
374 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 into the streets they found the weather all that they could 
 have desired. The fitful gusts that always accompany 
 these changes of the monsoon, — blowing from all points 
 of the compass within an hour, — render travelling very 
 disagreeable. Nobody, who can avoid doing so, will 
 venture out on such occasions. The streets are aban- 
 doned to the sweeping deluge, the rain-doors are partly 
 closed, and the people huddle within doors over blazing 
 hebachis. Nothing but urgent business will take a native 
 out-doors on such days. 
 
 Our friends, therefore, found the streets entirely de- 
 serted. Even the patrols found the inside of their 
 guard-houses unusually comfortable. In addition to all 
 this, the sleet and snow alternated so as to greatly aid 
 the conspirators in their enterprise. When the snow 
 came down heavily it became impossible to see very far 
 ahead, and, when the stinging sleet hurled itself into the 
 face, the head had to be bent downward so that the 
 broad-brimmed hats might protect the eyes, thus greatly 
 obscuring the vision. Altogether it was an ideal day for 
 a dark deed. After strolling about for nearly an hour 
 they crossed the first moat and leisurely picked their 
 way through the mud toward the Sakurada gateway. 
 
 Nobody appeared to be abroad. Reaching the cause- 
 way that ran alongside the southern border of the second 
 moat, they turned their steps towards the bridge de- 
 scribed at the villa. With their heads bent well forward 
 against the wind that came rushing down the wide stretch 
 of moat and causeway, our ronins looked innocent 
 enough. As they drew near the gateway they saw three 
 or four groups of travellers dressed just like themselves, 
 straggling along at irregular distances down the road. 
 These turned out to be their coadjutors. The time was 
 now not far distant from the hour when the massive 
 portals of Hikon6 Yashiki on the hill-top were usually 
 flung back to let pass the retinue of the Gotairo. It was, 
 therefore, full time for Mr. Yamada to dispose of his 
 forces. Approaching the four young men, who had been 
 delegated to commence the attack by flinging themselves 
 
375 
 
 Beware the Ides of March ! 
 
 across his Lordship’s line of march, he directed them to 
 stroll leisurely up and down the causeway bordering the 
 moat until they perceived him signal to them that the 
 norimon was approaching, at which juncture they were 
 to go toward the bridge so as to arrive there when the 
 van-guard was but a few feet distant from it. Then he 
 distributed the rest of the band in such a manner as not 
 to attract attention, at irregular distances along the street 
 that ran southward from the bridge. Then he and his 
 assistants loitered up the road that led to Hikone Yashiki. 
 The snow and sleet served greatly to screen their move- 
 ments. 
 
 Just then occurred two unexpected events that nearly 
 dashed his well-planned schemes to the ground. As he 
 was strolling back to the beginning of his beat at the 
 bridge, he chanced to look down the street, and saw ap- 
 proaching the large retinue of the Daimio of Kii-shiu, 
 brother of the Shogun. At the same moment he dimly 
 espied the head of the retinue of the Daimio of Owari 
 coming up the causeway beside the moat. They were 
 both headed for the bridge, and would cross it not many 
 moments apart. It seems that this day had been pre- 
 viously selected as the one whereon the great Daimios 
 were to make congratulatory visits to the Shogun’s 
 palace. If the Gotairo were now to approach he would 
 be surrounded by a multitude of allies, for the retainers 
 of these powerful members of the Gosanke numbered 
 fully three thousand men. 
 
 At first it seemed to Mr. Yamada as if the execution of 
 the scheme must be postponed to some future day. 
 Then he remembered that, after all, the objective point 
 was the Gotairo’s death, and that that could probably be 
 accomplished even in the midst of such an array of 
 friends, — for the attack would be so sudden and unex- 
 pected that the opposing samurai would not have time to 
 disengage themselves from their cumbersome rain-cloaks 
 and clumsy lacquered hats before they would be cut 
 down while their swords remained sheathed. Of course, 
 there would be no prospect of getting away with the 
 
376 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 head. But, however gratifying that exploit might be, the 
 brave man bore in mind that the main object must not 
 be sacrificed to a secondary consideration. He there- 
 fore resolved to slay the Gotairo, and then die selling his 
 life as dearly as possible. 
 
 He accordingly signalled to his companions to hold 
 themselves in readiness for speedy attack. Feudal eti- 
 quette prescribed that travellers should stand aside when 
 a princely procession came along the road. Accordingly 
 the ronitts respectfully gave up the right of way, and 
 stood to one side. Just as the head of the retinue of 
 Kii-shiu stepped upon the creaking planks of the bridge 
 the portals of Hikone Yashiki were flung back and the 
 lacquered norimon of the Gotairo was borne forth and 
 was escorted slowly down the hill. Here, then, were 
 three processions converging toward the same point, and 
 likely to meet at nearly the same moment ! The situa- 
 tion was indeed a most critical one. A weaker head or 
 a fainter heart would have succumbed to the dilemma. 
 
 But Mr. Yamada never for one moment lost his head, 
 although his cool courage was taxed to its uttermost 
 capacity. He took his position at the corner of the 
 street a few feet westward of the bridge. All the groups 
 were in position ready for the attack just as soon as the 
 retainers of Kii-shiu had crossed over the bridge, and 
 just before the head of Owari’s column — now slowly ap- 
 proaching in the teeth of the wind, that was hurling the 
 sleet hissing into the murky waters of the moat — could 
 debouch thereon. Therefore they could with good ex- 
 cuse, and without exciting either comment or suspicion, 
 stand around until the Daimios had passed them. 
 
 The Kii-shiu men, having sighted the approach of the 
 Gotairo’s norimoti , hastened their steps so that their last 
 man had disappeared through the gateway just as his 
 Lordship’s van-guard came abreast of Mr. Yamada. 
 With a stately tread the two spearmen, who held aloft 
 on their long shafts the tufts of black feathers that 
 always indicated the presence of a nobleman of the realm, 
 slowly led the way to the bridge. Ah ! Nawostik£, Lord 
 
Beware the Ides of March ! 
 
 377 
 
 of Hikone, Prince Regent of the realm, hast thou made 
 thy peace with God ? The avenger is at hand ! Beware ! 
 
 When the van-guard had almost reached the bridge, and 
 when the norimon had come abreast of Mr. Yamada, that 
 gentleman of iron nerves gave the first signal, and in- 
 stantly four mud bespattered travellers trotted across the 
 line of march. As had been anticipated by the conspir- 
 ators, everybody around the norimon rushed forward to 
 punish the vile peasants for their infamous conduct. 
 Instantly the second signal was given, every rain-coat 
 fell simultaneously to the ground, and eighteen mail-clad 
 demons, with drawn swords, rose from the earth and 
 hurled themselves upon the dumbfounded warriors with 
 a yell so fierce and wild that the startled teal among the 
 sedges of the moat arose in a cloud and fled to less noisy 
 regions. It will take my slow pen a long time to describe 
 what transpired within the next few seconds. The 
 Hikond men lost their wits, while the Owari men stared 
 in helpless bewilderment. Many of the van-guard were 
 cut down before they could draw their swords ; some of 
 them fled over the bridge to call back the Kii-shiu men 
 to their aid ; some, in their efforts to secure a firm foot- 
 hold on the muddy ground, slipped and fell never again 
 to rise ; others were dashed over the embankment into 
 the waters of the moat, and a few were able to draw their 
 swords and wage a desperate but unequal combat. 
 
 In an incredibly short space of time the entire van- 
 guard had been swept away. At the very instant that 
 this assault had been delivered on the van-guard, seven 
 ronins hurled themselves with the utmost fury against the 
 rear-guard. The astonished Hikone men, unable to 
 quickly draw their swords, as they were encumbered 
 with their rain-cloaks, were cut down in great numbers. 
 The head of the column was swept away, and the long 
 line was rolled back up the hill in the wildest confusion. 
 A few samurai made a desperate, but unavailing, struggle 
 to resist the onslaught. They were either cut down, or 
 were tumbled over into the moat. The majority of 
 those behind at once took to their heels, and, after cast- 
 
378 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 ing aside their rain-gear and drawing their swords, 
 returned valorously to the attack. 
 
 Simultaneously with these two assaults, Mr. Yamada and 
 his four assistants rushed furiously upon the norimon and 
 instantly cut down the bearers, together with a solitary 
 samurai lingering behind. The norimon fell to the 
 ground. The door was slid back, and Mr. Yamada 
 grasped his Lordship by the hair, and dragged him out 
 upon his hands and knees. Instantly the avenging 
 blades of Konishi and Tomokichi stabbed their way 
 deep into his back, while the long sword of Kunisaburo 
 went whistling and crashing through his neck. Quick as 
 a flash Mr. Yamada placed the head beneath his arm, 
 caught up a rain-cloak to throw over his shoulders, and 
 started to run down the street. Three or four samurai , — 
 perhaps from the ranks of Owari — rushed forward to in- 
 tercept him, but they were instantly tackled by the 
 young assistants, and were cut down after a brief but 
 ferocious struggle. 
 
 By this time the routed samurai of the rear-guard had 
 rallied, and were pouring down the hill, and bearing 
 back their assailants, several of whom had been slain ; 
 and the men of Kii-shiu were now swarming back over 
 the bridge like angry bees from a hive. Quick as a flash 
 Junzo sprang forward and cut off the head of the 
 samurai lying beside the body of theGotairo, and, grasp- 
 ing it by the top-knot, brushed past the pursuers down 
 the long causeway beside the moat. The hue-and-cry 
 went after him in full halloo. By this time five of the 
 ronins had been killed. The remaining ones now threw 
 themselves across the true line of escape, and prepared 
 to die inflicting as much loss as possible upon their ad- 
 versaries. 
 
 Tomokichi, Kunisaburo, and Konishi were ordered by 
 the samurai who had assumed command upon the 
 departure of Mr. Yamada, to run down the street and 
 escape with that gentleman, as he would undoubtedly 
 require their further assistance. Catching up their 
 water-proofs, they dashed off, and soon disappeared in the 
 
Beware the Ides of March ! 
 
 379 
 
 falling snow. This entire series of transactions had 
 transpired within one minute ! The remaining eight 
 ronins now formed a line across the street, and dearly 
 sold their lives in a furious combat with the on-coming 
 Hikond men, in which several of the leading men of that 
 clan were slain. Before the last ronin had been cut 
 down the young men had overtaken Mr. Yamada far 
 down in the southern suburbs. 
 
 But what had become of Junzo? He had led the 
 chase far down the causeway past the entire length of the 
 Owari column, whose petrified warriors gaped in stupid 
 wonder at the wild proceeding. By degrees they realized 
 the nature of the catastrophe that had happened at the 
 head of the column, and some of them joined in the pur- 
 suit. It was a long and a hard one. Down the long 
 stretch of causeway, through the gateway, over the 
 bridge, and beside the edge of the outermost moat, did 
 the swift ronin lead the hounds. Panting for breath and 
 sadly hampered with his armor, he steadily lost ground. 
 At a short distance from the bridge he was overtaken by 
 two samurai. Throwing the head into the waters of the 
 moat, he turned suddenly on them, and cut them both 
 down before they could check their speed. Then he 
 turned to resume his flight, but found that the delay had 
 enabled several other samurai to head him off. 
 
 Escape was now impossible. The pursuers were clos- 
 ing in on all sides. Like a lion at bay he fought, with his 
 back to the moat for quite a while with the grim fury of 
 despair, and cut down so many of his adversaries that 
 they grew cautious, and sent for some spears in the 
 guard-house at the gateway. Then they formed a semi- 
 circle of bristling steel, and advanced to impale him. 
 But our hero did not relish this kind of a death. So he 
 slid down the sloping side of the moat and waded out 
 Waist-deep into the water, where he defied his adversa- 
 ries to come on. But they had no desire to expose their 
 unarmored bodies to the strokes of a mail-clad madman, 
 who fought with the fury and the skill of an incarnate 
 devil. So they proceeded to lay siege to him. Several 
 
380 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 spears were hurled down at him, but he deftly parried 
 them with his sword. Presently an arrow from behind 
 whizzed past his ear and went hissing into the reeds in 
 front of him. T urning around, he beheld the ramparts lined 
 with archers and spearmen. He was now merely a target 
 for arrows and spears. Escape was absolutely impossi- 
 ble. With sullen visage he glared up at his enemies and 
 signalled his intention to avail himself of the privilege of 
 a samurai. The warriors at once sheathed their swords, 
 the spearmen held their shafts at rest, and the archers 
 unbent their bows and slipped the arrows back into their 
 quivers. Everybody waited in respectful silence for the san- 
 guinary act that was to end the tragedy. Junzo first thrust 
 his long sword deep down into the mire. Then he slowly 
 drew forth his short sword and cut the leathern thongs 
 that bound the armor to his body. Then, throwing open 
 his tunic, he plunged the blade deep into his abdomen 
 and severed the great veins and arteries of that region 
 with one swift and skilful stroke. With his expiring 
 strength he withdrew the dripping blade and thrust it 
 through his throat, amid the admiring murmurs of his 
 adversaries. His arm then fell powerless to his side and 
 he sank slowly down beneath the crimson waves. 
 
 When the last bubble had come to the surface, two 
 men waded out and drew the body to the shore and laid 
 it upon the greensward beside the road. Thus perished 
 Junzo, the second son of Nakashima Yotori, — as brave a 
 youth as any whose deeds have been chronicled in classic 
 song. When the head had been fished up from the 
 depths of the moat and had been pronounced to be 
 merely a decoy, then the old warriors, gazing upon the 
 refined and youthful features that lay there on the grass 
 before them, knew full well the heroic nature of the deed 
 that had been accomplished by the devoted ronin. 
 
 When the fight was over, the warriors of the Hikond 
 clan crowded around the norimon to see whether their 
 lord had sustained any injury. Nothing but the head- 
 less trunk remained. According to the traditions of 
 feudalism, any Daimio who allowed himself to be caught 
 
Beware the Ides of March ! 
 
 38i 
 
 napping and to be ignominiously slain beyond the walls 
 of his yashiki might have his estates confiscated by the 
 Shogun. Therefore the body was hastily put back in the 
 norimon , and the Hikone men, by a legal fiction, carried 
 him back grievously wounded to his yashiki , where his 
 subsequent death was duly and formally reported. When 
 the foreign ministers residing in Yedo made inquiries 
 after his Lordship’s health, they were graciously informed 
 that he was “no worse.” Within two hours of the assas- 
 sination, every ward gate in Yedo was closed, so that 
 nobody could leave the city without the knowledge of 
 the Bakufu. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 THE FATE OF THE HEAD. 
 
 Mr. Yamada and his young companions settled down 
 to a long swinging trot when they reached the suburbs, 
 and they kept it up all the way to the point on the bay 
 where they had ordered their boat to meet them. They 
 met but few people, and these did not pay them the 
 slightest notice, as they were also hurrying along to get 
 out of the storm as soon as possible. Even the patrols 
 at the ward gates gazed unsuspiciously after them as 
 they trotted past, — evidently considering it quite natural 
 for travellers to make all haste to shelter themselves from 
 such weather. Within half an hour from the time when 
 the attack was made on the Gotairo, our ronins had 
 passed the last ward gate, and within an hour they were 
 at the point of embarkation. Here they paused a mo- 
 ment to take breath. 
 
 “Where is Junzo?” inquired Mr. Yamada, with anx- 
 ious surprise, as he for the first time noticed the absence 
 of that young gentleman. 
 
 “ It was he who ran off with the decoy head,” replied 
 Konishi, ruefully. 
 
 “ Ah, well, then he has ere this died the soldier’s 
 death ! ” exclaimed Mr. Yamada. 
 
 “ It was a brave and gallant deed,” said Konishi ; “ he 
 put us all to shame in the matter, for, after your depart- 
 ure, we were like people without heads, and were stupidly 
 gazing around, not knowing what next to do. He alone 
 kept his wits about him and remembered your directions 
 about the decoy head. The Kii-shiu men took after him 
 like hunters after a wild boar, and left only a few Hikon£ 
 men to settle accounts with us.” 
 
 382 
 
The Fate of the Head . 383 
 
 “ How, then, did you manage to escape so as to rejoin 
 me ? ” 
 
 “ Mr. Tanaka assumed command after your departure, 
 and ordered us off to aid you in escaping with the head,” 
 replied Konishi. 
 
 “ He indeed acted wisely and honorably,” said Mr. 
 Yamada, thoughtfully. 
 
 “ We have paid a dear price for our revenge,” remarked 
 Tomokichi, sadly. 
 
 “ Well, we have the beast’s head anyhow ! ” exclaimed 
 Mr. Yamada, as he drew forth the gory trophy from be- 
 neath his water-proof and held it out at arm’s length, 
 shaking it savagely by the ear. His companions crowded 
 around it and contemptuously spat in its face. 
 
 “Now, gentlemen, jump into the boat without further 
 delay,” said Mr. Yamada, as he replaced the luckless head 
 beneath his arm. 
 
 In a minute they were under full sail, and were soon 
 far down the bay, rushing before the gale at a terrific 
 pace. All day long the billows broke over them, and the 
 frightened boatmen begged repeatedly to be allowed to 
 shorten sail and to seek shelter under some headland. 
 But the stern command was to proceed at all hazards. 
 After dark they put into a secluded cove and waited for 
 daylight. 
 
 “ Bring those two casks of sakS that I ordered to be 
 placed under the planks when we left the villa,” said 
 Mr. Yamada, addressing one of the boatmen. 
 
 The casks were accordingly brought and placed in the 
 little after-cabin. On the downward voyage the con- 
 tents of one of them had become well-nigh exhausted. 
 The top of this one was removed, and the Gotairo’s 
 head was placed therein. Then the top was replaced 
 and the hoops were driven tightly down. After that the 
 bung was removed, and the sake from the other cask was 
 poured in until it was full. When the bung was re- 
 placed there appeared to be nothing but a very innocent 
 cask of sake, and no one would ever have imagined that 
 it contained the head of the ruler of the Japanese em- 
 
3 8 4 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 pire. On the following morning the gale had subsided 
 sufficiently to render it safe to put to sea, although the 
 billows were exceedingly tempestuous outside. The 
 voyage up the coast was a long and stormy one. They 
 finally reached their destination in safety, however, and 
 ran their boat on the beach in front of the villa, where 
 they tarried until a pack-horse could be engaged. Then 
 they tied the sake cask on his back and started off in- 
 land to pay their respects to the old Prince of Mito at 
 his capital. They had so timed their departure from 
 the villa that they entered the city under cover of dark- 
 ness. Mito is built upon and around a high hill that 
 rises abruptly from a wide plain. The lower town is 
 built about the southern and eastern base of the hill, 
 and the upper town is built upon the high ground 
 westward of the summit. The crown of the hill is 
 occupied by the castle, — one of the most picturesque 
 and beautiful in the whole empire. The precipitous 
 sides of the hill have been used to form mighty grassy 
 ramparts for the eastern and southern sides of the 
 massive fortifications, — while immense cuttings separate 
 the other sides from the parks and gardens of the upper 
 town. 
 
 Our party wended their way unobserved through the 
 long street that led around by the southern ramparts to 
 the upper town. Reaching the summit they followed 
 a clean broad street out toward the outskirts of the town, 
 where was located, the estate of Konishi. At about ten 
 o’clock they reached the gateway and roused up the 
 gatekeeper, who thrust forth his head from a window to 
 inquire what was wanted. Hearing his master’s voice, 
 he at once threw back the heavy doors and admitted the 
 party into the courtyard. 
 
 “ Where is the honorable mistress ? ” inquired Konishi. 
 
 “ She has long since retired to rest,” replied the gate- 
 man. 
 
 “ Well, do not disturb her until morning,” said 
 Konishi, “ but at once unload this sak / tub from the 
 horse, and place it in your room for the night. We will 
 
The Fate of the Head. 
 
 3*5 
 
 sleep in one of the chambers of the western wing of the 
 house. Order the servants to prepare the bath in the 
 morning. Serve breakfast at the usual hour. Let the 
 horse occupy our stables for the night, and in the morn- 
 ing pay off the man and let him depart. Deliver this 
 letter to the chief councillor of the Prince early in the 
 morning.” 
 
 So saying, Konishi led the way quietly across the 
 yard and around by the gardens until he came to the 
 entrance of the western wing. Here he gently roused 
 the attendant and gained admittance into the apartments, 
 where a comfortable night was made of it. O-Hana 
 was an early riser, and was speedily informed by her 
 maids on the following morning of the arrival of her 
 husband during the night. Rushing over to that part 
 of the house, she bounded into the room while the gen- 
 tlemen were yet vigorously snoring. In an incredibly 
 short space of time their slumbers were terminated, 
 and their gay and amiable hostess was nearly beside 
 herself with delight at the unexpected presence of her 
 brothers. She poured forth a perfect torrent of orders 
 to the servants, and deluged her guests with a multitude 
 of questions, — the answers to many of which had to be 
 diplomatically doctored in order to suppress information 
 not intended for anybody but the Prince and his coun- 
 cillors. 
 
 “ I am so glad that you were so thoughtful as to visit 
 me in my new home ! ” exclaimed that vivacious young 
 lady, as she dipped forth the rice at breakfast. “ But 
 why did not you bring Junzo along with you? Surely 
 he has not lost his interest in what concerns me, has he ? ” 
 
 “ He could not very well get away from his duties this 
 time,” replied Mr. Yamada, with a forced smile ; — “ but 
 you will surely hear from him very soon.” 
 
 After breakfast the attendant announced the presence 
 of a visitor at the gateway. Konishi hurried out, and, 
 in a few minutes, word came back for the other gentle- 
 men to join him at the gatekeeper’s lodge. When they 
 arrived there they were introduced to a very distin- 
 
3 86 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 guished-looking gentleman, who turned out to be the chief 
 councillor of the Prince. After profuse congratulations 
 upon the brilliancy of their daring exploit, he requested 
 them to meet him with their trophy at midday beside 
 the western gateway of the castle. Accordingly, when 
 that hour drew near, they secretly removed the Gotairo’s 
 head from the cask, and, slipping it into a blue silken 
 bag, hastened toward the designated spot. The coun- 
 cillor received them most graciously, and escorted them 
 over the bridge into the exquisite gardens of the Prince. 
 Tarrying at a beautiful pavilion long enough to place 
 the head upon an elegantly lacquered tray, they covered 
 it with a piece of red brocaded silk, and handed it to 
 an attendant to carry. 
 
 Then the councillor led them through the winding 
 paths of the lovely garden-like park to another pavilion 
 where the old Prince was busily engaged in reading 
 some Chinese classic. Prostrating themselves in his 
 presence, they remained in that position until the old 
 gentleman bade them rise and state the nature of their 
 mission. As they rose up he recognized Tomokichi and 
 addressed him in kind and courteous phrases, inquiring 
 after his health and that of his family. It appeared that 
 no news had been received from Yedo for many days, as 
 the Bakufu had established so strict a surveillance over 
 the city that even the matter of the assassination had 
 been suppressed. When the facts in that thrilling epi- 
 sode had been laid before him his excitement and ex- 
 ultation were boundless. His eyes gleamed with alter- 
 nate flashes of anger and triumph, while his face fairly 
 beamed with jubilant emotions. He apostrophized the 
 heroic deed in the extemporized measures of a Chinese 
 sonnet that he evolved on the spur of the moment from 
 his inner consciousness, and praised in exalted strains 
 the magnificent achievement. He ordered an attendant 
 to place refreshments before his honored guests. Again 
 and again did he go over the details of the tragic affair 
 until it seemed as if he would never get through with his 
 interrogations. 
 
The Fate of the Head. 
 
 33 7 
 
 After two hours of the most animated conversation 
 imaginable, Mr. Yamada bowed down low, and modestly 
 begged leave to present a small gift. The old gentleman 
 graciously consented, and the covered tray was accord- 
 ingly brought forward by Tomokichi and placed upon a 
 low marble table that stood before the Prince. The 
 cloth was then removed, and the ghastly eyes of the 
 Gotairo leered up into the countenance of his deadliest 
 enemy. At first the old gentleman was somewhat taken 
 aback, — for all information about the head had been 
 suppressed. Not expecting such a surprise, he failed to 
 recognize at once the blackened visage before him as 
 that of the Gotairo. When he finally did recognize the 
 features, however, he became wild with rage and hate. 
 He poured forth a torrent of bitterest malediction upon 
 the defenceless head, and repeatedly spat in its face. 
 Then he drew forth his fan and smote its cheeks repeat- 
 edly, in order to give emphasis to the flood of abuse that 
 he was showering upon it. When his fury had spent 
 itself, he gave orders that the head should be stuck on a 
 pole, and be exhibited in the streets of Mito. He took 
 a pen and wrote a vile and scurrilous placard, to be ex- 
 hibited along with it. Shortly after this the interview 
 terminated, and the ronins went back to Konishi’s house, 
 while the councillor busied himself with carrying out his 
 master’s instructions. On the following day, after the 
 luckless head had been exposed to the insulting jeers 
 and taunts of the populace, it was returned to Mr. 
 Yamada, with the compliments of the Prince. 
 
 It was again placed in the sake tub, and carried back 
 to the sea-shore villa for another voyage. Here Konishi 
 bade farewell to his fello vt-ronins, and returned to his 
 home in Mito, inasmuch as his services were no longer 
 requisite. The others embarked, and, after a quick pas- 
 sage down the coast, landed on the shores of Ise and 
 journeyed through Iga and Yamato in the guise of sakt 
 merchants, transporting a cargo of that beverage on 
 pack-horses. They slipped into Kioto under cover of 
 night, and, after ascertaining that every thing was peace- 
 
388 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 ful at Mr. Yamada’s house, entered therein and stored 
 the fateful cask in an upstair closet. Then they dis- 
 missed their horsemen and went to bed. On the follow- 
 ing morning word was sent to the Emperor that the head 
 awaited his pleasure. In a few hours orders came back 
 that it should be exposed for two hours upon the public 
 execution ground with the following placard posted over 
 it : “ This is the head of a traitor who has violated the 
 
 most sacred laws of Japan, — those which forbid the ad- 
 mission of foreigners into the country.” 1 
 
 It was quite safe to make this exposure, because the 
 features had become unrecognizable, so that the Shiro 
 people could not suspect that the head of their late mas- 
 ter was being thus ignominiously treated. At dusk it 
 Avas taken down, and clandestinely conveyed back to 
 Mr. Yamada’s house. That indefatigable gentleman then 
 repacked it, and, after leaving Kunisaburo in charge of 
 his house, and directing Tomokichi to secretly abide Avith 
 his OAvn family at Atago-Yama until his return, he set out 
 alone for the coast of Ise, where he arrived with his load 
 of sakd in due course of pack-horse travel. Embarking 
 again in a boat, he set out for Yedo, where he arrived 
 after the excitement connected Avith the assassination 
 had entirely subsided. Storing his merchandise in a re- 
 mote part of the city, he sought the brothels of the 
 Yoshiwara, and soon had posted himself on all the neAvs 
 of the day, and particularly about Avhat Avas going on at 
 Hikone Yashiki. 
 
 Tavo or three nights after his arrival, he escorted one 
 of the rollicking blades of that ardent clan through the 
 Tora gateway up the road toward his home. The tipsy 
 fellow hiccoughed forth innumerable barbaric odes all 
 the way up the hillside, and on one or two occasions, 
 when he lurched unexpectedly and violently to starboard, 
 came very near overturning his obliging companion into 
 the moat. After endless trouble Mr. Yamada finally 
 brought him up to the gateAvay of his yashiki, Avhere he 
 handed him over to the care of his friends, Avho thanked 
 ' Alcock’s “ Capital of the Tycoon.” 
 
The Fate of the Head. 
 
 389 
 
 the courteous samurai most cordially for his kindness in 
 the matter. Tarrying in the shadow of the walls until 
 the gates had been closed, Mr. Yamada then opened 
 a silken bag and drew forth the ill-fated head that but a 
 short time before had proudly emerged from those same 
 portals, and, waiting until all was quiet within the yashiki, 
 he threw it over the walls and glided away in the dark- 
 ness. Passing the Tora gateway on the strength of the 
 countersign, adroitly filched from his late boon compan- 
 ion, he made his way back to his quarters. On the 
 following day he started back overland for Kioto, jour- 
 neying by secluded mountain paths well known to himself, 
 and arrived there safely in about three weeks to find 
 every thing serene. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 A BRIEF HISTORIC R^SUMlL 
 
 Eight years have slipped away since the closing 
 scenes of the last chapter transpired. During this time 
 momentous changes have taken place in the empire of 
 Japan. The Shogunate has been swept away, and the 
 Mikado is now in Yedo (rechristened Tokio), ruling the 
 land as Emperor in fact as well as in name. The current 
 of political events during these years has ebbed and 
 flowed with the swift impetuosity of the tides that sweep 
 through the straits of Shimonosdki. The star of Toku- 
 gawa slowly faded as the imperial splendor rose above 
 the political horizon and cast its rays over the entire 
 land. In order that we may fully understand the present 
 situation, let us review briefly the principal events of this 
 epoch of mighty changes. 
 
 The death of the Gotairo proved to be an irreparable 
 loss to the Bakufu. With the fall of that able, daring, 
 and unscrupulous man, the speedy decadence of feudal- 
 ism became inevitable. Without his strong and crafty 
 hand to direct the course of events, bewilderment, con- 
 fusion, and gloom settled upon the councils of the 
 government. Its enemies (and they were legion !) 
 plagued it unceasingly. Since the incoming of foreign- 
 ers the price of rice had steadily risen, until it had 
 trebled in value, so that the people were in great dis- 
 tress, and the Daimios were no longer able to support 
 such swarms of retainers, and were compelled to disband 
 multitudes of samurai , who, being thus cast adrift, became 
 desperate ronins , roaming over the country, carrying ter- 
 ror whithersoever they went on their expeditions of law- 
 
 390 
 
A Brief Historic Resume. 391 
 
 less depredations. These dangerous gentlemen foraged 
 on the country at will. Scattered through the mountains 
 of the inland provinces, they descended like birds of 
 prey upon the highways, and plundered travellers and 
 caravans in order to supply their necessities. Many of 
 them crept like tigers into the treaty ports, and merci- 
 lessly slew those foreigners upon whom they could steal 
 unawares. In Yokohama alone there were twenty-three 
 persons cut down. 
 
 On the night of July 5, 1861, a band of about twenty 
 Mito ronins , under cover of darkness, broke into the 
 large temple, in Yedo, where the British Legation had its 
 head-quarters, and came very near slaying Sir Rutherford 
 Alcock and his entire suite. But for the darkness and 
 the skilful use of firearms nobody would have escaped, 
 for the attack was a complete surprise and was skilfully 
 conducted until the assailants seemed to lose their way 
 in the maze of rooms and corridors, from which they 
 were forced to make a hasty retreat, leaving many of 
 their comrades dead in the yard when the Bakufu guards 
 attacked them. 
 
 As a matter of course, the odium of all these deeds 
 fell heavily upon the government. Between the showers 
 of complaints poured upon them by the country people 
 and the angry protests and threats of the foreign minis- 
 ters, the lot of the Bakufu officials was far from being a 
 happy one. To add to their confusion, there happened 
 a most extraordinary event about this time that fairly 
 took away their breath. The Emperor served a notice 
 on the Shogun to come to Kioto and explain the charges 
 of misgovernment that were pouring in from all sides ! 
 What was coming to pass ? Where would things end ? No 
 Shogun had visited Kioto since the year 1634, and here 
 was the proud descendant of Tokugawa Iyeyas sum- 
 moned to the imperial court to give an account of 
 himself like an ordinary vassal ! Truly, a mighty change 
 had come over the spirit of the times when the imperial 
 puppet should dream of so unprecedented an exercise 
 of authority. A copy of this historic document, as 
 
39 2 
 
 Mito Yashiki . 
 
 translated by Mr. Adams in his diplomatic history of 
 Japan, will be here inserted, as its quaint and pictu- 
 resque phraseology gives a pathetic epitome of the state 
 of affairs that prevailed at that period, and also illus- 
 trates most grotesquely and touchingly the utterly inade- 
 quate idea of foreign power that prevailed among the 
 higher classes in Kioto and elsewhere throughout the 
 interior : 
 
 “ Since the barbarian vessels commenced to visit this 
 country, the barbarians have conducted themselves in 
 an insolent manner, without any interference on the part 
 of the Bakufu officials. The consequence has been that 
 the peace of the empire has been disturbed and the 
 people have been plunged into misery. The Emperor 
 was profoundly distressed at these things, and the Bakufu 
 on that occasion replied that discord had arisen among 
 the people, and it was therefore impossible to raise an 
 army for the expulsion of the barbarians, but that if his 
 Majesty would graciously give his sister in marriage to 
 the Shogun that then the court and camp would be 
 reconciled, the people would exert themselves, and the 
 barbarians would be swept away. Thereupon his Ma- 
 jesty good-naturedly granted the request and permitted 
 the Princess Kazu to go down to Kuanto (Yedo). Con- 
 trary to all expectations, however, traitorous officials 
 became more and more intimate with the barbarians and 
 treated the imperial family as if they were nobody ; in 
 order to steal a day of tranquillity they forgot the long 
 years of trouble to follow, and were close upon the point 
 of asking the barbarians to take them under their juris- 
 diction. The nation has become more and more turbu- 
 lent. Of late, therefore, the ronins of the western 
 provinces have assembled in a body to urge the Mikado 
 to ride to Hakone, and, after punishing the traitorous 
 officials, to drive out the barbarians. The two clans of 
 Satsuma and Choshiu have pacified these men and are 
 willing to lend their assistance to the court and camp in 
 order to drive out the barbarians. The Shogun must 
 proceed to Kioto to take counsel with the nobles of the 
 
A Brief Historic Resume. 393 
 
 court, and must put forth all his strength, must despatch 
 orders to the clans of the home provinces and the seven 
 circuits, and, speedily performing the exploit of expel- 
 ling the barbarians, restore tranquillity to the empire. 
 On the one hand, he must appease the sacred wrath of 
 the Mikado’s divine ancestors, and, on the other, in- 
 augurate the return of faithful servants to their alle- 
 giance, and of peace and prosperity to the people, thus 
 giving to the empire the immovable security of Taisan 
 (Mountain in China). Or, secondly, in accordance with 
 the law laid down by Taiko-Sama, five of the maritime 
 Daimios should take part in the government with the 
 title of the five tairos, defend the country against the 
 barbarians, and keep up the defences properly, and 
 should then perform the exploit of driving out the for- 
 eigners. Or, thirdly, Hitotsubashi Giobukio should be 
 directed to assist the Shogun, and the Daimio of Echi- 
 zen should be appointed Cairo to assist the Bakufu in its 
 conduct on domestic and foreign affairs. One of these 
 three proposals must be accepted in order to prevent 
 the disgrace of having to fold the left lappet over the 
 right.” 
 
 The Shogun promised to obey the commands set forth 
 in this extraordinary letter. In July, 1862, he duly ap- 
 pointed as Gotairo the Daimio of Echizen, a man 
 thoroughly in sympathy with the Kioto faction. He 
 also promised to visit Kioto in the following spring. 
 Furthermore, he made Keike (Hitotsubashi Giobukio) 
 his guardian, thus giving great prominence to the Mito 
 clan by placing a son of its old Daimio in authority over 
 himself. In April, 1863, the Shogun went in great state 
 to Kioto to render homage to his lord-emperor, the 
 Mikado, and to escort him to the Shinto shrines “ to 
 appease the sacred wrath of his divine ancestors.” The 
 camp having thus bowed down to the court and having 
 promised to obey its commands, the Shogun begged 
 leave to return to Yedo, where important business de- 
 manded his attention. Upon his return he issued his 
 famous order (through the Lord of Echizen) releasing all 
 
394 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 the Daimios from their compulsory residence in Yedo. 
 This was an overwhelming concession and admitted 
 more plainly than words how terribly shaken was the 
 dreaded power of the once supreme house of Tokugawa. 
 Accordingly, within one week, more than half a million 
 warriors marched forth from the Yedo yashikis and dis- 
 persed to their native provinces all over the empire 
 “like wild birds let loose from a cage”; and thus the 
 romantic yashiki life of that city, that had existed nearly 
 three hundred years, disappeared forever. A few retain- 
 ers were left in charge of the palatial residences of the 
 feudal dukes, and the glory of Tokugawa faded away 
 never to bloom again. 
 
 At this point I cannot forbear quoting the graphic 
 words of the native historian as found in Adams’ his- 
 tory : “ In consequence, all the Daimios and the Hatta- 
 motos, who owned land, sent their wives and children 
 to their country residences, and, in the twinkling of an 
 eye, the flourishing city of Yedo became like a desert ; so 
 that the Daimios allied to the Tokugawa family, and the 
 vassals of the Shogunate of all ranks, and the towns- 
 people, too, grieved and lamented. They would have 
 liked to see the military glory of Kuanto shine again ; 
 but as the great and small Daimios who were not the 
 vassals of Tokugawa had cut at the root of this forced 
 residence in Yedo, and few of them obeyed any longer 
 the commands of the Bakufu, they also began to distrust 
 it, and gradually the hearts of the people fell away. 
 And so the prestige of the Tokugawa family, which had 
 endured for three hundred years ; which had been really 
 more brilliant than Kamakura in the age of Yoritomo on 
 a moonlight night when the stars are shining ; which for 
 more than two hundred and seventy years had forced the 
 Daimios to come breathlessly to take their turn of duty 
 in Yedo ; and which had, day and night, eighty thousand 
 vassals at its beck and call, fell to ruin in the space 
 of one morning.” 
 
 On August ii, 1863, a powerful British fleet, in re- 
 venge for the slaughter of several of her subjects by 
 
A Brief Historic Resume. 
 
 395 
 
 Satsuma samurai , bombarded Kagoshima, the capital 
 city of that warlike clan. The place was laid in ruins. 
 This event seemed to put fresh life into the expiring 
 Shogunate. Up to this date the political tide had borne 
 the Bakufu along with irresistible force. But now, with 
 a mighty effort, the current was turned back for a couple 
 of years. During 1862 and 1863 anarchy had prevailed 
 in Kioto. Multitudes of ronins swarmed in from all parts 
 of the country, and made their headquarters there. Many 
 of the adherents of Tokugawa were cut down in the 
 streets, and their heads were pilloried on the Kamogawa 
 shoals. Matters came to such a pass that nobody could 
 safely venture into the streets after dark. The brutal 
 ronins , running short of available material whereon to 
 try their lawless blades, began to cut each other down in 
 a spirit of pure wantonness. Many a man while walking 
 the streets in broad daylight would receive a mortal cut 
 from behind, delivered by some frolicsome fellow who 
 had crept upon him unawares from some alley. Fre- 
 quently tipsy fellows rushed forth from the brothels and 
 slashed away at any thing animated with the breath of 
 life. Dogs became obsequiously retiring in their habits, 
 and beggars girded up their loins and fled to safer 
 regions. Desperate street-fights between rival ronins 
 were of daily occurrence. Such a carnival of riot and 
 bloodshed had not been witnessed in Kioto for many 
 centuries. At the same time the city was a scene of 
 bustle and splendor unknown since the thirteenth cen- 
 tury. Daimios flocked hither with their trains to tender 
 homage and service to the Emperor, and the place 
 rivalled Yedo in its pageantry. 
 
 Soon after the bombardment of Kagoshima the Sho- 
 gun began collecting a powerful army around Kioto. 
 Suddenly his forces concentrated around the Gosho, and 
 expelled Choshiu from the city upon the ground that the 
 scheming members of that clan had formed a conspiracy 
 to capture the Emperor, and to compel him to issue a 
 decree abolishing the Shogunate. Without delay the 
 staunch Tokugawa clans gathered around the imperial 
 
39 6 
 
 Mito Yashiki . 
 
 palace, and placed powerful guards of Aidzu men in 
 charge of its nine gateways. A formidable body of 
 troops camped in the imperial flower-gardens in anticipa- 
 tion of some sudden assault on the part of crafty Choshiu, 
 and due preparations were made for repelling a violent 
 attack. Proceedings were instituted against a large num- 
 ber of persons supposed to be implicated in the plot. 
 Seven kuge's and a large number of ringleaders were con- 
 victed (according to Bakufu methods) of complicity in 
 this affair. The reader will not be surprised to know 
 that Mr. Yamada found it very convenient to per- 
 manently leave Kioto at this time. All the convicted 
 persons were compelled to fly to the distant Daimiate of 
 Choshiu, so as to escape the wrath of the Shogun. 
 
 Shortly after this some Choshiu troops marched upon 
 the Gosho, and delivered a series of fierce assaults that 
 lasted for two days, and during which the greater part of 
 the city was reduced to ashes. In the history already 
 quoted it is stated that 811 streets, 18 palaces, 44 large 
 yashikis , 630 small yashikis, 112 Buddhist temples, and 
 27,000 houses were destroyed. Twelve hundred fire- 
 proof godowns were knocked to pieces by the cannonad- 
 ing, in order to prevent their serving as shelter for the 
 enemy. Multitudes of people fled into the mountains to 
 escape the bullets and the shells. In the picturesque 
 diction of the native historian : “ The city, surrounded by 
 a ninefold circle of flowers, entirely disappeared in one 
 morning in the smoke of the flames of a war fire. The 
 Blossom Capital became a scorched desert.” Finally 
 Choshiu was routed and driven forth with great slaughter, 
 and quiet was restored. In the following year, when the 
 allied fleets destroyed the Choshiu forts at Shimono- 
 seki, the humiliation of that warlike clan seemed to be 
 complete. 
 
 Having thus gotten rid of his persistent enemies for 
 the time being, the Shogun, in 1865, prevailed on the 
 Emperor to ratify the treaties that had been made with 
 the foreign powers. For many years the Bakufu had 
 vainly tried to secure the imperial sanction to these un- 
 
A Brief Historic Resume. 
 
 397 
 
 popular documents, but had always been balked by the 
 machinations of the Kioto faction, headed by Satsuma 
 and Choshiu. Now they were triumphant, as they had 
 gained their great diplomatic victory. Flushed with 
 success, they secured an imperial decree, commissioning 
 the Shogun to raise an army and march against Choshiu 
 and punish them as traitors. Here the tide turned 
 against them most unexpectedly. During 1866 disaster 
 after disaster fell upon the Bakufu armies that undertook 
 to handle this political hornet. The Choshiu men had 
 clandestinely adopted foreign methods of warfare, and 
 were able to completely rout the clumsy mediaeval le- 
 gions of Tokugawa that marched against them. Rifles, 
 ammunition, and foreign instructors had been brought 
 across the sea from Shanghai, and landed on the coast. 
 Before the close of the summer the Shogun’s forces had 
 been driven back upon Kioto in great confusion. So 
 mortified and worried was Iyemochi by these disasters 
 that he fell into a fever, and died on September 19, 1866. 
 On January 30, 1867, the Emperor Komei Tenno died of 
 small-pox. His son, the present Mikado of Japan, suc- 
 ceeded him. The new Emperor at once appointed 
 Keik6 (Hitotsubashi Giobukio) as the new Shogun. 
 Thus was the house of Mito honored at last. But the 
 old Prince was not there to enjoy the triumph, for he had 
 died in the autumn of 1861. 
 
 Hitotsubashi was either a very weak leader, or he was 
 at heart an imperialist, and inclined to let the office of 
 Shogun become extinct. There is every indication that 
 the politicians of that period were disposed to let the 
 Shogunate down easy. The new Shogun repeatedly re- 
 signed his office, and tendered his power to the Mikado. 
 But his Majesty refused to accept the resignation, and 
 urged him to continue in office. Then did the enemies 
 of the Bakufu pluck up courage and plot to seize the im- 
 perial person, and establish a new order of things. 
 The warriors of Satsuma, Choshiu, and Tosa concen- 
 trated their armies about the imperial city. Desperate 
 battles ensued between these fiery spirits and the forces 
 
39 ^ 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 of Tokugawa. The Bakufu men were finally driven out 
 of Kioto with great slaughter, and the Emperor passed 
 under the control of the southern Daimios. Hitotsu- 
 bashi, impelled by fiery Aidzu, rallied the routed forces 
 at Osaca, and returned with numerous reinforcements to 
 the attack. Before he quite reached Kioto, however, he 
 was met by the imperial army under the command of the 
 immortal Saigo, and was driven back upon Osaca in 
 hopeless confusion. The discipline and the weapons of 
 the nineteenth century again triumphed over the clumsy 
 paraphernalia of feudal warfare. Hitotsubashi resigned 
 his office, and went into retirement at the castle of 
 Shidzuoka, about one hundred miles southwest of Yedo, 
 where he is yet living in seclusion. The victorious im- 
 perialists then marched upon Yedo, and abolished the 
 Bakufu, and the Emperor went up there and occupied the 
 citadel of the Tokugawas, whence had issued the man- 
 dates at which his ancestors had trembled for so many 
 generations. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA. 
 
 One bright sunshiny day in the autumn of 1868 the 
 Pacific Mail Steamship Company’s steamer China lay at 
 anchor in the harbor of Yokohama. Huge paddle-wheel 
 vessels like this one had been plying regularly for two 
 years between San Francisco and Hong Kong by way of 
 Japan. Every month one of these black leviathans of 
 modern commerce awoke with its hoarse bellowings the 
 echoes that slumbered among the green hills around the 
 bay, as it sought the shelter of the peaceful waters after 
 its long battling with the turbulent waves of the broad 
 ocean. The strong arm of the nineteenth century had 
 indeed stretched itself forth, and snatched the empire of 
 the rising sun from the category of hermit nations. On 
 the afternoon of the day above alluded to a sharp-prowed 
 native boat put off from the shore, bearing three samurai 
 toward the massive hulk that loomed up in the bay. 
 
 When these gentlemen reached the foot of the long 
 gangway that led up the side of the vessel they hesitated 
 a moment, as if in doubt whether to ascend or not, but 
 the elderly gentleman in the group speedily settled the 
 question by quickly mounting to the deck, with the other 
 two close at his heels. There they made inquiries for 
 the captain, and were directed to go up the main stair- 
 way to the hurricane deck, where his cabin was located. 
 Following these directions, they came out on the upper 
 deck, and then, instead of turning toward the bow of the 
 ship, they went aft toward a group of passengers who 
 were lounging about in steamer chairs enjoying them- 
 selves with comparing notes on their day’s excursion 
 ashore. Here they again made inquiries for the captain, 
 
 399 
 
400 
 
 Mi to Yashiki . 
 
 and were escorted by one of the obliging travellers to the 
 cabin of that august individual. 
 
 “ Who are those gentlemen ? ” inquired the compan- 
 ions of the accommodating passenger when he had re- 
 turned to the group. 
 
 “ I believe they are custom-house officers, who desire 
 to see the wonderful foreign steamer,” was the reply. 
 “ They seem to be a fine set of fellows.” 
 
 “ How exceedingly gracious were the manners of that 
 tall young man who spoke English so well,” exclaimed a 
 young lady. 
 
 “ They are not ordinary Japs, I ’ll bet,” put in a young 
 Californian, as he blew a ring of smoke from between his 
 lips and watched it float up against the awning overhead. 
 
 “I rather took a fancy to the intelligent features of the 
 elderly gentleman,” observed another passenger. 
 
 “ And I am free to confess,” replied the young lady, 
 “ that I did n’t like him at all. I did not like the cun- 
 ning and cruel expression of his eyes when he half 
 closed them and took me in from head to foot. I felt 
 afraid of him. I instinctively knew that the eyes of a 
 bold and crafty creature were searching me through and 
 through. I presume, however, that I am the first white 
 woman he has ever seen. Therefore, I will condone his 
 staring me out of countenance.” 
 
 “Now I must say that I rather liked his face,” ex- 
 claimed the Californian ; “ there was a dashing and dare- 
 devil expression about it that I really admired. I ’ll 
 bet he would make things mighty hot if he ever got to 
 swinging those knives that he carries in his belt. Great 
 Jupiter! what an orbit he could sweep with that long 
 blade of his. We would have to hustle around mighty 
 lively to get beyond his reach. I would most dreadfully 
 hate to have him get the drop on me.” 
 
 “ Oh, well, you men always admire a countenance that 
 has lurking about it a suggestion of blood and thunder,” 
 retorted the young lady ; “ but I don’t, and I never shall. 
 Now, I must say that I really admired the faces of the 
 young men. They were so refined and intelligent.” 
 
The Dawn of a New Era. 
 
 401 
 
 “ They were fine-looking fellows, that ’s a fact,” re- 
 plied the Californian ; “ I wonder who they are any- 
 how ? There they go with the quartermaster on a tour 
 of inspection. Well, when they have gone I will pump 
 his royal highness as to their pedigree.” 
 
 Accordingly when, after a thorough examination of the 
 ship, the quartermaster had bidden adieu to his guests at 
 the top of the gangway, the young Californian approached 
 him and inquired : “ Who are those chaps ? ” 
 
 “ I ’ll be blowed if I know who they be,” exclaimed 
 the quartermaster. “They do beat any thing 1 ever 
 tackled in all my days for downright, undiluted, up-and- 
 down, double-twisted curiosity. They poked their noses 
 into every nook and cranny of this ship. That old 
 codger, — well ! he do beat any monkey I ever seen. He 
 fingered every part of the machinery until his hands 
 were as greasy as the piston-rod ! When I offered him 
 some soap and water he did n’t seem to understand their 
 use until I explained the matter to the young man who 
 spoke English. I do believe that old Jap would have 
 had his head inside the steam-chest if I had left him 
 alone for a single minute. By gosh ! I breathe freely 
 now that they are gone. No, sir, you can’t prove by 
 me who they be.” 
 
 This unique and graphic description of the doings 
 of the three samurai was duly reported to the group on 
 the quarter-deck, who listened to its recital with great 
 merriment. As the vessel lay there on the bosom of the 
 peaceful waters they discussed late into the evening the 
 strange sights and sounds that surrounded them, and 
 ventured numberless conjectures as to what was tran- 
 spiring beyond the distant mountains that rose up so 
 sublimely against the dark horizon. 
 
 But who were these inquisitive samurai i The reader 
 has probably already surmised that they are our old 
 friends, Mr. Yamada, Tomokichi, and Kunisaburo. 
 How came they there ? Let us take a brief retrospect 
 and inform ourselves on that point. Mr. Yamada, as 
 before stated, after having thrown the luckless head of 
 
402 
 
 Mito Ycishiki. 
 
 the Lord of Hikone over the walls of his yashiki, returned 
 overland to Kioto. He lived there quietly with his 
 family until the kuge whom he served was compelled to 
 fly to Choshiu. As there existed no doubt in the minds 
 of the Shiro people as to Mr. Yamada’s complicity in his 
 master’s plottings, and as they felt strong enough to take 
 him vigorously in hand, this crafty gentleman deemed it 
 best to take his long anticipated departure from Kioto. 
 He retreated in his usual masterly manner, with his en- 
 tire family, to the glen of Atago-Yama, where Tomokichi 
 had been quietly living with his family ever since his 
 return from the tragedy of the Sakurada gateway. 
 Nobody had molested him because the exciting events 
 in Kioto had so absorbed the attention of the Bakufu 
 people that no time could be given to hunting down the 
 victims of the former Gotairo’s wrath. When, there- 
 fore, late one night Mr. Yamada and his family entered 
 the gateway and announced that the time for flight had 
 at length arrived, there was considerable commotion in 
 the Nakashima family. 
 
 Without delay Tomokichi prepared to join him in his 
 flight. His mother was dead, so that there would only 
 be his wife, himself, and the four children to pack off. 
 The old lady had died within one year after the mourn- 
 ful death of her husband at the monastery. She never 
 recovered from the shock, and pined away like a crushed 
 flower until the mysterious messenger summoned her to 
 the shadowy realms whither had fled the stern spirit of 
 her departed lord. Leaving the house in charge of his 
 faithful servant, he set out before daybreak of the follow- 
 ing day in company with the Yamadas, and climbed over 
 the lofty mountains north of the glen, and descended to 
 the shores of the Japan Sea by secret paths well known 
 to Mr. Yamada. Here they embarked on board of a 
 junk, and sailed down the coast until they reached Cho- 
 shiu, where they remained for three years. 
 
 During the bombardment of Shimonos£ki by the allied 
 fleets, Mr. Yamada, Tomokichi, and Kunisaburo watched 
 the fighting from a neighboring hill-top. Like nearly all 
 
The Dawn of a New Era. 
 
 403 
 
 of their countrymen of that period these gentlemen had 
 supposed that in warfare the only difference between 
 foreigners and the Japanese lay in the fact that the 
 weapons of the former were superior, and that just as 
 soon as the Japanese had adopted these weapons then 
 they would be able to fight the foreigner on equal terms. 
 It was therefore with great surprise that they wit- 
 nessed the ease with which the foreign vessels destroyed 
 the native forts and batteries that had been fortified 
 with imported rifled cannons. Their surprise was even 
 greater when they saw the foreign soldiers land and 
 attack the Choshiu warriors in their own strongholds. 
 With their keen military instincts they beheld with un- 
 bounded admiration the scientific formation of the 
 troops in order of battle. As the gleaming line of bayo- 
 nets advanced up the slopes, it was violently attacked by 
 bands of furious samurai with swords. With amazement 
 Mr. Yamada saw his countrymen swept away like chaff 
 before an advancing tempest by that invincible line of 
 steel. Whatever might have been the individual bravery 
 of the assailants they had no chance against the organ- 
 ized troops upon whom they so madly hurled themselves. 
 Down they went like grass before the scythe, doing but 
 little damage to their enemies. 
 
 As Mr. Yamada beheld the complete discomfiture of 
 the Choshiu warriors, “ a change came over the spirit of 
 his dreams.” Hitherto he had fondly imagined that his 
 countrymen by introducing foreign weapons might be 
 able to drive the intruders out of the country and thus 
 restore the peace of the realm. With profound astonish- 
 ment he now perceived that superior weapons formed 
 but a single element in the problem. He realized 
 now that behind the rifle and the bayonet there lay a 
 moral power that made those weapons irresistible in the 
 hands of those possessing that subtle force. This pe- 
 culiar fact has made itself very conspicuous during the 
 many wars waged by the troops of Great Britain and 
 France against the warriors of India and China during 
 the last hundred years. A mere handful of European 
 
404 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 troops conquered Hindostan. In the last war between 
 England and China, twenty thousand British and French 
 soldiers marched from the Taku forts up to Pekin, 
 driving before them in complete rout an army of Chinese 
 warriors estimated as high as half a million men. And 
 they captured the city without firing a single gun ! 
 
 When the sepoys of India went into revolt in 1857 
 they were armed with muskets and bayonets and had 
 been drilled for so many years in their use that they 
 could handle them quite as well as European troops. 
 Yet a few shiploads of British soldiers subdued the 
 great mutiny ! Fifty thousand of the flower of the 
 East Indian sepoy army garrisoned the fortified city of 
 Delhi, whose massive ramparts had been constructed by 
 skilled European engineers so as to be as formidable as 
 the vaunted ramparts of Strasburg, planned by the re- 
 nowned Vauban. Yet a little army of Englishmen (I had 
 almost said company), comprising barely six thousand 
 soldiers, unhesitatingly laid siege to the place, and, after 
 effecting a barely practicable breach near the Cashmere 
 gate, unflinchingly breasted the storm of shot and shell 
 that poured down upon them from the machicolated 
 battlements, and carried the city by storm, driving forth 
 ten times their own numbers ! The sepoys on that 
 occasion fought desperately and skilfully, yet were un- 
 able — although using the same weapons as their adver- 
 saries — to stand before them, and were swept out of the 
 city like dust before a tempest. Such has been the 
 result whenever the Christianized warriors of Europe 
 have come in collision with the pagan hosts of Asia. 
 
 “ Wherein lies the power of these foreigners ? ” ex- 
 claimed Mr. Yamada, as he admiringly watched their 
 operations ; “ whence is the source of their superiority ? 
 Surely it cannot lie entirely in their weapons, for our 
 soldiers have armed themselves with the same weapons. 
 Nor can it be merely a matter of courage, for our 
 soldiers are equally brave, as is clearly shown by the 
 way they threw away their lives just now in rushing on 
 the bayonets.” 
 
The Dawn of a New Era. 
 
 405 
 
 “Nor can it lie entirely in their knowledge of the 
 science of war,” remarked Tomokichi, “because these 
 Choshiu samurai have been for many years studying the 
 science of war from Dutch and French treatises, and 
 have had foreign officers to drill and instruct them.” 
 
 “ I do not think,” said Kunisaburo, as he watched the 
 troops with a powerful field-glass that one of his Choshiu 
 friends had lent him for the occasion, “ that their supe- 
 riority can lie entirely in their bodily strength, because 
 our men are very nearly as strong when you take them 
 man for man.” 
 
 “ Yet this organized aggregation of foreign soldiers,” 
 exclaimed Mr. Yamada, “ has crushed the troops of 
 Choshiu as if such work were mere child’s play ! If 
 reports be correct, there are in the foreign ranks many 
 men contemptible in their character and not over-brave 
 in their natures, yet some unseen power seems to seize 
 them and hold them in line of battle as parts of some 
 vast machine. Some inspired purpose animates the 
 entire body of men with unity of motion and action. 
 Some invisible but mighty force sways them as one body 
 and hurls them with overwhelming momentum upon our 
 unorganized bands of brave fellows.” 
 
 “ The single mind that controls those forces,” said 
 Tomokichi, “ you will probably find in the brain of the 
 commanding officer who is now standing on the deck of 
 the flagship watching the operations with his glass.” 
 “Yes,” replied Kunisaburo, “but his mind has been 
 instructed by the military books in his cabin. Therefore 
 you may say that the principles of those military treatises 
 constitute the controlling force moving those troops.” 
 “Yes,” rejoined Tomokichi, “but those military prin- 
 ciples have been evolved by other minds out of many 
 bitter experiences in war, and have been collected and 
 printed by some mind having but little practical knowl- 
 edge of war, — by some theoretical student perhaps. Now 
 tell me whose mind is controlling those soldiers. Is it 
 the mind of the author writing the book ? Or is it the 
 mind of the general (or generals) from whose experiences 
 
406 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 the military principles have been evolved ? Or is it the 
 mind of the officer there on the flagship who is now ap- 
 plying those principles ? ” 
 
 “ Those are all factors in the problem,” said Mr. 
 Yamada. “The mind of the officer is undoubtedly the 
 most prominent one. But, in addition to all this, it is 
 manifest that the moral qualities of the troops must be 
 the secret of the success of those organized movements. 
 You might drill our low-bred peasants in the same school 
 of science along with those foreigners, and yet I appre- 
 hend they would make but a poor showing against them 
 in battle. Intelligence, exalted devotion to their pur- 
 pose, manly courage, and self-sacrifice are the most pow- 
 erful factors in this matter. Now, the question in my 
 mind is as to the process by which these foreigners have 
 developed such moral qualities in their troops. The 
 rank and file of their armies are composed of common 
 people. Yet these sons of vulgar plebs when brought in 
 contact with our brave and intelligent satnurai are able 
 to vanquish them with the utmost ease ! Truly, we are 
 no nearer the solution of this mystery than when we 
 started. I must investigate this matter, and endeavor to 
 ascertain the cause of the foreigners’ superiority in bat- 
 tle. Until that has been done we can never hope to 
 cope successfully with them.” 
 
 Thus reasoned those keen and observing pagan intel- 
 lects. They went back to the little temple where they 
 were living, and discussed the matter at great length. 
 The results of this battle profoundly moved the thought- 
 ful minds of the Japanese empire. It effectually opened 
 the eyes of the people to the fact that imitation of the 
 manners and customs of foreigners would be of little use 
 to the country unless they also assimilated the principles 
 on which those manners and customs were based. From 
 that time the outcry against the “ barbarian ” subsided, 
 and the treaties were forthwith ratified. Progressive 
 Japan then set out to thoroughly investigate the institu- 
 tions of foreign nations, and to ascertain the reasons for 
 their superiority. From that time our exiles in Choshiu 
 
The Dawn of a New Era. 
 
 407 
 
 spent their leisure hours in diligently studying foreign 
 treatises on political science and the arts of peace, and 
 their interest in fighting the “ barbarians ” entirely sub- 
 sided. Their thirst for knowledge became insatiable. 
 They soon found that they needed more favorable sur- 
 roundings under which to prosecute their studies and 
 investigations. They felt greatly the need of a foreign 
 instructor to explain many things that were obscure. 
 
 When the tide of war turned against the armies of the 
 Shogun, our friends joined the forces that marched tow- 
 ard Kioto, and fought valiantly in the fierce struggles 
 around the imperial city. When the Shogun’s forces had 
 been driven back upon Yedo, they followed on their 
 track, and took part in the severe battles at the Uyeno 
 Park on the bluffs north of the city. When peace had 
 been restored they embarked on one of the Pacific Mail 
 steamers that plied on the branch line to Shanghai via 
 the ports of the Inland Sea, and reached Shimonoseki in 
 four days, instead of forty days as of yore. Bringing 
 back their families to Kioto they found every thing deso- 
 lated by fire. Not a vestige of the Yamada mansion 
 remained. The flames of war had done their work only 
 too well. Everybody that could do so was moving away 
 to the treaty ports in order to start in the new commer- 
 cial life that seemed to be opening up to the country. 
 
 Our friends decided to follow the tide. Accordingly, 
 Tomokichi sold out all his property at Atago-Yama, and 
 Mr. Yamada sold out all of his interests in Kioto, and 
 the entire party embarked on the steamer at Kobe, and 
 reached Yokohama within thirty-six hours. Shortly after 
 their arrival they received lucrative custom-house ap- 
 pointments at this port, in grateful recognition for their 
 many services in behalf of the Emperor’s cause. At 
 the same time Konishi was summoned from Mito, and 
 appointed to fill a prominent position in the Foreign 
 Office, a position for which his experience and great 
 linguistic abilities well fitted him. Our Yokohama party 
 forthwith purchased a fine piece of property on one of 
 the picturesque hills near the bay, and at the time of the 
 
408 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 opening of this chapter had well established themselves 
 in housekeeping to the great satisfaction of the ladies, 
 who had become thoroughly disgusted with journeying 
 from one end of the empire to the other. And Mr. 
 Yamada and the young men spent all their leisure hours 
 in visiting the ships in the harbor and in watching the 
 members of the foreign settlement as they engaged in 
 their business and sports. They made their observations 
 timidly and shyly at first, but gradually became bolder as 
 they perceived that the strange foreigners rather enjoyed 
 having crowds of natives at their horse-races and 
 athletic exhibitions. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 LIGHT BREAKS THROUGH THE CLOUDS. 
 
 Mr. Yamada was sitting on the veranda of his house 
 one morning, and was gazing in an absent-minded 
 fashion out upon the azaleas and chrysanthemums bloom- 
 ing in his back-yard. At intervals he filled his pipe and 
 listlessly sucked the smoke into his mouth, whence he 
 slowly and meditatively puffed it foith as he ever and 
 anon sipped the hot tea that his good wife occasionally 
 brought in upon a tray. The old lady had become so 
 thoroughly acquainted with her husband’s moody spells 
 that she knew just how to manage him during their con- 
 tinuance, and therefore she judiciously let him entirely 
 alone, — taking the precaution, however, as already in- 
 timated, to soothe his nerves with periodical quaffs of 
 the national beverage. 
 
 Thus did he sit and meditate during the greater part 
 of the forenoon. The elder children had gone off to 
 school, and the younger ones had accompanied their 
 mothers to a distant wing of the house, where their noise 
 would not disturb their grandfather. And what was that 
 old gentleman so profoundly meditating about ? He was 
 absorbed in wrestling with the mighty problem as to what 
 constituted the foreigner’s superiority over the Japanese 
 people. He had studied and observed all phases of the 
 characteristics of these aggressive Caucasians without 
 solving the mystery, or even coming nearer to a conclu- 
 sion than when he started out on his investigations. 
 He had studied these energetic creatures in all parts of 
 the settlement, and had availed himself of every oppor- 
 tunity to visit the ships in the harbor. But he had found 
 
 409 
 
4io 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 himself puzzled and confused with his inability to see 
 through the clouds. He had carefully watched them at 
 their business, and at their pleasures ; he had seen them 
 walking, riding, boating, running, and swimming ; he 
 had seen them eating, drinking, smoking, and lounging ; 
 he had noted their many virtues and their grossly sensual 
 dissipations ; he had observed their bodily prowess as 
 exhibited in athletic sports ; he had greatly admired their 
 exuberant energy in all their enterprises ; he had keenly 
 scrutinized their public behavior, and had carefully 
 posted himself on their domestic affairs ; — he had indeed 
 subjected them to a most searching analysis. And what 
 was the result of all his investigations ? Had his keen 
 intellect torn aside the veil that seemed to obscure the 
 cause of the foreigner’s superiority? From the great 
 mass of facts so carefully collected had his bright per- 
 ceptions evolved any principle that could explain why one 
 set of human beings should be so much in advance of an- 
 other set of human beings constituted after a precisely 
 similar fashion? He is soliloquizing. Let us listen to 
 his musings. 
 
 “ My perplexity in this matter seems to increase in pro- 
 portion as I plunge deeper into the subject,” mutters he, 
 as he dreamily poises his pipe between his fingers, and 
 gazes upon an orange shrub that is blooming in a porce- 
 lain jar beside him. “ I cannot make out what it is that 
 appears to inspire the lives of these foreigners with such 
 boundless animation, so that their existence seems to be 
 buoyant with joyousness, and not depressed with hope- 
 less and despairing indifference. They do not possess a 
 single bodily organ that we Japanese do not also possess. 
 They have hands, arms, legs, heads, and cuticle almost 
 exactly like ours. They eat, taste, drink, hear, and smell 
 just as we do. They walk, swim, run, jump, and ride 
 just as we do. Even their internal organs are similar to 
 our own in all respects. The blood in their veins is of 
 the same color and temperature, and circulates in exactly 
 the same way. 
 
 “ It is true that their food differs somewhat from ours, 
 
Light Breaks Through the Clouds. 4 1 1 
 
 but that alone cannot explain this difference of tempera- 
 ment, because the constituent elements entering into 
 their diet will not be found to differ very much from the 
 elements entering into our diet. They eat more meat 
 and consume greater quantities of cereals and vegetables, 
 but that fact will not account for the exalted and hope- 
 ful conceptions of human existence which my eye detects 
 in their actions, lives, and customs. Although these for- 
 eigners be not cowards, yet they seem to regard human 
 life as something strangely precious and exalted in its 
 nature. In this respect how greatly do they differ from 
 ourselves ! Although we inhabitants of Dai-Nippon have 
 a natural shrinking from death, and an instinctive cling- 
 ing to life, yet we treat dissolution with fearless contempt, 
 and meet it with defiance. Upon very slight provocation 
 we do not hesitate to slay ourselves. But these foreign- 
 ers, though brave as lions in battle, deem it a crime to 
 take matters into their own hands by terminating their 
 existence, even under the most adverse circumstances, 
 choosing rather to face the bitterest vicissitudes of mis- 
 fortune to avoiding them by their own hands. How very 
 strange this is ! Why should they consider human life 
 of so much value ? Does it not become worthless when 
 supreme misfortune overtakes us ? How can it be other- 
 wise ? Yet these strange foreigners, from the highest to 
 the lowest, seem to be imbued with a queer idea about 
 its sanctity and desirability ! Truly in this respect they 
 differ vastly from us people of Dai-Nippon. 
 
 “And pray what can be the cause of this exalted con- 
 ception of the sacredness of human life ? It surely can- 
 not be the outcome of any mental difference, for our 
 brains are precisely similar ; neither do they possess any 
 faculty of mind with which we are not also endowed. 
 Whence, then, this peculiarity of ideas ? Does there 
 dwell within the human body some faculty of mind, — 
 some subtle and invisible spiritual essence, — with which 
 they have become familiar, and with the secret of whose 
 development they have become informed ? Surely there 
 is a mystery about this matter that appears to defy analy- 
 
4 1 2 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 sis ! On this subject my mind is enswathed in the mists 
 of ignorance, just as the clouds envelop the distant cone 
 of Mount Fuji.” 
 
 Thus pensively mused that pagan philosopher. As 
 high noon drew on he roused himself from his reveries 
 and called for some writing materials. After writing a 
 letter he joined his family in the midday meal. In the 
 afternoon he went down to his office at the custom-house 
 to see how things were getting along. 
 
 “ How is the health of the American officer on the 
 man-of-war who was reported so dangerously ill yester- 
 day ? ” he inquired of Tomokichi soon after entering his 
 office. 
 
 “ He died during the night,” was the reply. 
 
 “ It is much to be regretted that one so young should 
 die before half the span of his life has been crossed,” 
 observed Mr. Yamada; “I understand that he was a 
 great favorite among his companions.” 
 
 “ Even so,” replied Tomokichi, “ and there is universal 
 lamentation over his untimely end.” 
 
 “While I regret his death,” said Mr. Yamada, “yet I 
 must confess that I am rejoiced to have an opportunity 
 to observe the funeral rites of these foreigners. At what 
 hour and at what place will the services take place ? ” 
 
 “ The body will leave the ship at about four o’clock 
 this afternoon, and will be escorted to the chapel in the 
 settlement, where the ceremonies will be conducted by a 
 foreign priest.” 
 
 “ How can we gain access to the chapel ? ” 
 
 “ That can be easily arranged,” replied Tomokichi ; 
 “ I go there every Sunday to practise my ear by listening 
 to the English preaching. In this way I have become 
 acquainted with the Japanese sexton who has charge of 
 the place. He will without doubt allow us to enter if we 
 take the precaution to get there about twenty minutes 
 ahead of the funeral cortege. We can then seat our- 
 selves in an obscure corner and watch the proceedings 
 without interruption. These foreigners are remarkably 
 liberal and good-natured about allowing strangers to ob- 
 serve their religious services.” 
 
Light Breaks Through the Clouds. 413 
 
 “ Very well,” said Mr. Yamada, “ you and I will attend 
 the services, while Kunisaburo remains in charge of the 
 office. Let me know when the boats leave the ship.” 
 
 Accordingly, at the appointed hour our two friends left 
 the custom-house and strolled toward the chapel. They 
 were graciously received by the sexton, who ushered them 
 into a pew beside a pillar, where they could sit in the 
 shadow and note all proceedings, without themselves at- 
 tracting attention. Never before had Mr. Yamada been 
 inside a Christian edifice, and it must be confessed that 
 the altar with its flaming red cross and the stained glass 
 windows with their array of Apostles and scriptural texts 
 made a weird impression upon his mind. Although the 
 place was deserted and silent, yet they conversed in 
 whispered tones as to the meaning of the strange em- 
 blems and words on tablet and window. Long did they 
 wait there in the chilly room. The short December day 
 had begun to fade away before the long roll of the muf- 
 fled drum and the mournful notes of the Dead March 
 announced the arrival of the funeral procession at the 
 entrance to the churchyard. Before the echoes had died 
 away in the vaulted roof overhead, a side door near the 
 altar suddenly opened, and a tall, white-robed figure 
 entered the chancel and walked slowly down the long 
 middle aisle of the chapel toward the main door. Ghost- 
 like and spectral enough did it look as it rustled past 
 them in the dim light. 
 
 “ Who is that ?” inquired Mr. Yamada, addressing his 
 companion. 
 
 “That is the officiating priest in his ceremonial robes,” 
 was the murmured response. 
 
 The clergyman — for such it was — reached the door- 
 way just as the heavy wooden portals swung back and the 
 coffin draped with the stars and stripes was borne in on 
 the shoulders of eight stalwart men in full naval uniform. 
 There was a momentary halt. The clergyman placed 
 himself in front of the procession and opened his book 
 as if to read therefrom. Then in deep and solemn tones 
 that broke the sepulchral stillness of the room and re- 
 
4 X 4 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 echoed in the vestibule outside the door, he uttered in 
 measured cadence the grandest and most thrilling 
 words in human speech, while he slowly led the way 
 down the shadowy aisle toward the altar: — “/ am 
 the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord : he that believeth 
 in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live : and whoso- 
 ever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. I know 
 that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the 
 latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms 
 destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God : whom I 
 shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not 
 another. We brought ?wthing into this world, and it is 
 certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the 
 Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord.” 
 Thus spake the minister as he walked down the aisle 
 and took his position within the chancel railing, facing the 
 audience. The coffin was placed before him, and the 
 people noiselessly glided into the pews on either hand 
 and awaited in silence his further utterances. The 
 shadows in the room were deepening, and the purple 
 light that came through the stained windows cast tremu- 
 lous and gauzy colors upon his white robes as he stood there 
 and solemnly uttered the immortal words of the Psalmist, 
 whose wailing accents, though venerable with age, have 
 never ceased to inspire the human heart with exalted 
 hope and strange joy : “ Lord, let me know my end, and 
 the number of my days ; that L may be certified how long L 
 have to live. Behold thou hast made my days as it were a 
 span long, and my age is even as nothing in respect of thee j 
 and verily every ?nan living is altogether vanity. For man 
 walkcth in a vain shadow , and disquieteth himself in vain ; 
 he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them. 
 And now, Lord, what is my hope ? Truly my hope is even 
 in thee. Deliver me from all mine offences ; and make me 
 ?iot a rebuke unto the foolish. O spare me a little that L may 
 recover my strength, before L go hence , and be no more seen. 
 Lord, thou hast been our refuge from one generation to 
 afiother. Before the mountains were brought forth, or even 
 the earth and the world were made, thou art God from ever- 
 
Light Breaks Through the Clouds. 4 1 5 
 
 tasting, and world without end. For a thousand years in thy 
 sight are but as yesterday : seeing that is passed as a watch 
 in the night. As soon as thou scat tc rest them they are even 
 as a sleep ; and fade away suddenly like the grass. In the 
 morning it is green, and groweth up ; but in the evening it 
 is cut down, dried tip and withered. The days of our age 
 are threescore years and ten ; and though men be so strong 
 that they conte to fourscore years, yet is their strength then 
 but labor and sorrotv j so soon passeth it away, and we are 
 gone. So teach us to number our days that we may apply 
 our hearts unto wisdom." 
 
 Then followed the exultant words of the apostle Paul, 
 that were penned a thousand years later within the damp 
 vaults of some Roman dungeon : “ How is Christ risen 
 from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept. 
 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrec- 
 tion of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ 
 shall all be made alive. If after the manner of men I have 
 fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if 
 the dead rise not ? Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we 
 die. Be not deceived : evil communications corrupt good 
 manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not. But some 
 man will say, How are the dead raised up ? Thou fool ! 
 That which thou sowest is not quickened except it die. And 
 that which thou scnvest, thou sowest not that body that shall 
 be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other 
 grain. But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and 
 to every seed its own body. All flesh is not the same flesh; 
 but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, 
 another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also 
 celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial ; but the glory of the 
 celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 
 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the 
 moon, and another glory of the stars ; for one star differ eth 
 from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of 
 the dead. It is sown in corruption ; it is raised in incorrup- 
 tion : it is sown in dishonor ; it is raised in glory : it is 
 sown in weakness ; it is raised in power : it is sown a 
 natural body ; it is raised a spiritual body. JVow this I say, 
 
416 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 brethren , that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of 
 God ; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold , , 
 I show you a mystery : we shall not all sleep, but we shall 
 all be changed, in a moment , in the twinkling of an eye, at 
 the last trump : for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead 
 shall be raised incorruptible , and we shall be changed. For 
 this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal 
 must put on immortality ; then shall be brought to pass the 
 saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O 
 death , where is thy sting l O grave, where is thy victory l 
 The sting of death is sin ; and the strength of sin is the 
 law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory 
 through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved 
 brethren, be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the 
 work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is 
 7iot in vain in the Lord." 
 
 “ What was the meaning of those impressive utter- 
 ances to which the people gave such close attention ? ” 
 inquired Mr. Yamada of Tomokichi, as they strolled 
 homeward after the burial. 
 
 “ They were quotations of profouqd import culled 
 from the sacred writings of the sect called Kirishitan ” 
 (Christian), was the reply. 
 
 “ Did you fully grasp the meaning ? or is your knowl- 
 edge of the English language not yet sufficient to com- 
 prehend sacred phraseology ? ” 
 
 “ Had the words of the service been entirely new to 
 me, I presume that I should have been much puzzled to 
 understand their meaning. But fortunately the entire 
 matter was very familiar to me.” 
 
 “ How does that happen ?” 
 
 Tomokichi hesitated a moment as if greatly embar- 
 rassed how to reply to this abrupt question of his 
 companion, whose keen scrutiny seemed to confuse him 
 the more. 
 
 “ There seems to be some mystery about this mat- 
 ter, sir,” said Mr. Yamada, as his young friend still 
 hesitated in his reply. 
 
 “There is, sir,” replied Tomokichi; “ but I do not 
 
Light Breaks Through the Clouds. 4 1 7 
 
 know as there is any reason now why you should not 
 know all about it. This is a matter, sir, that I have kept 
 secret for many years. As the Bakufu no longer exists, 
 however, no harm can result from making the matter 
 public. The fact is that nearly twenty years ago I was 
 one day rummaging in an old book-store in one of the 
 obscure streets of Kioto. I have always been an ardent 
 student of foreign literature, and in those days my thirst 
 for information led me into all sorts of out-of-the-way 
 places. Not finding any thing in the regular stock to 
 suit my tastes, I was about to depart, when the proprietor 
 of the shop laid before me a box filled with ancient and 
 curious manuscripts that had come into his possession 
 from various sources at different times. I spent nearly 
 half a day in examining this heap of literary rubbish, and 
 finally came across a strange manuscript that impressed 
 me as being something entirely out of the usual line of 
 literature, and which bore on its face the most unmis- 
 takable evidence of being of foreign origin. 
 
 “ Purchasing it at a merely nominal price, I hurried 
 home with it, and subjected it to a close and careful 
 study. This mysterious document turned out to be a 
 voluminous treatise on the religion of the dreaded sect of 
 Kirishitans. As you well know, that sect was at that 
 time branded by the Bakufu as accursed, and those 
 daring to study its proscribed teachings were visited with 
 the severest punishments. Although our family was 
 dreadfully frightened at the discovery of the exact nature 
 of the document in my possession, yet, after long discus- 
 sion, it was deemed best to keep the matter as a profound 
 family secret, and to allow me to retain my troublesome 
 prize, on condition that I used the utmost precaution in 
 preventing anybody outside of the family becoming 
 aware of its existence. At first, the greater part of the 
 language in the manuscript was quite unintelligible to 
 me. It appeared to be composed of abundant quotations 
 from the sacred writings of the Kirishitans , together with 
 the notes and comments thereon of some teacher of that 
 religion. Those portions of it which I could understand 
 
418 
 
 Alito Yashiki. 
 
 impressed me as being profoundly mysterious and won- 
 derfully sublime in their nature. When I went to Mito 
 Yashiki, I found in the archives of that clan several 
 books descriptive of this sect of Kirishitans. I also 
 found a full account of the rigid examinations to which 
 the Jesuit priests had been subjected more than a hun- 
 dred and fifty years ago, during their imprisonment on 
 Kirishitan-zaka, just behind Mito Yashiki. I also found 
 several ancient pamphlets, explaining in detail the mys- 
 teries of these strange doctrines. I was amazed to find 
 that these things threw a flood of light upon my Kioto 
 manuscript, making clear much that had been obscure 
 to me. 
 
 “ All my leisure hours at Mito Yashiki were spent in 
 studying this matter, until I found out that the principles 
 of this foreign religion were something infinitely superior 
 to any thing that we could boast of in all of our religions 
 combined. I also found much that was profoundly mys- 
 terious and incomprehensible. When the foreign priest 
 to-day began to read from his book, I was startled at the 
 strangely familiar sound of the words. I at once recog- 
 nized them as the words contained in my manuscript. 
 My careful study of the Kirishitan literature at Mito 
 Yashiki enabled me to understand the language of the 
 funeral service from beginning to end. This was not 
 only a most extraordinary circumstance, but it was also 
 a most fortunate one, as it thus enables me to explain the 
 meaning of what he read.” 
 
 “ That which you say is indeed wonderful,” exclaimed 
 Mr. Yamada. “ Pray, what was the import, then, of 
 those solemn utterances, — for I judge them to have been 
 such, inasmuch as the countenances of the listeners 
 seemed moved with the deepest emotions. The nonsensi- 
 cal mummeries of our priests never create such feelings in 
 our breasts. Why should the utterances of a foreign 
 priest, then, be so very solemn ?” 
 
 “ Sir, he was reading the utterances of their sacred 
 writers, as found in their sacred book. The theme of 
 the discourse related to the profound mysteries of life, 
 
Light Breaks Through the Clouds. 4 1 9 
 
 of death, and of immortality. The service commenced 
 with the mysterious words of the founder of the Christian 
 sect, who claimed to be the son of the Supreme Being 
 that created the universe. He promises immortality to 
 mankind upon condition of belief on him as the son of 
 the Supreme Being. By so doing, even those who are 
 spiritually dead will be quickened into eternal life. He 
 sets himself up as the Redeemer of the human race 
 from the destructive effects of sin. He promises to 
 mortal beings an immortal existence of endless duration 
 and development, in case they will but adopt his teach- 
 ings and practise his precepts. Truly the utterances of 
 this being have awakened in my mind supremely lofty 
 and magnificent conceptions of the nobler faculties of my 
 spirit, and have suggested bewildering ideas of the pos- 
 sibilities of a future life that overwhelm me with thrilling 
 hopes and morbid conjectures ! 
 
 “After the weird language of this mysterious Christ 
 came the words of an extraordinary man of the same 
 nation who lived many centuries before his advent. The 
 words in which he pours forth his sublime communings 
 are grand and thrilling. In prophetic vision he seems to 
 catch glimpses of his Redeemer, and to clearly see the 
 blissful existence beyond the grave, where his soul shall 
 take cognizance of the Supreme Being. After this superb 
 rhapsody came the poetic inspirations of a monarch who 
 was the earthly ancestor of this Christ. In sublime 
 reveries the uncertainty and the frailty of human life 
 seem to float before him like mists hovering over the 
 cascades on a moonlit night, and he earnestly implores 
 the Supreme Being in strains of magnificent eloquence to 
 teach him to be mindful of his fleeting years, and to pre- 
 pare himself for the nobler and the happier life after 
 death, — a life concerning whose existence these sacred 
 writers all seem as positive as if, forsooth, they had 
 soared into those unseen realms, or had skimmed the 
 waves of that boundless and invisible ocean. 
 
 “ The closing words of the service are taken from the 
 writings of a man who was a cotemporary of this Christ, 
 
420 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 — a person who, although never having seen Christ, yet 
 implicitly believed in him and in his teachings. He 
 shows that unless the facts connected with the life and 
 death of Christ be true, then his teachings as to a future 
 life must fall to the ground. He also shows that a future 
 existence would be in analogy with the facts of nature. 
 The life of the plant depends upon the death of the seed. 
 The life of the butterfly depends upon the death of the 
 worm. The life of the bird depends upon the destruction 
 of the egg from which it is hatched. So must the life of 
 the soul hinge upon the death of the body. This learned 
 and profound writer claims that Christ taught men how 
 to control their bodies, so that after death the spiritual 
 essence might enter upon an immortal existence of bound- 
 less happiness. If the seed be decayed, then no plant 
 can sprout therefrom, — or, at best, but a weak and sickly 
 one. If the body be corrupted by evil and unhallowed 
 practices, then there can be no blooming of immortal 
 happiness. Such, sir, is a feeble statement of the won- 
 derful language to which we have been listening.” 
 
 It was long after dusk before our friends reached the 
 door of their house ; for the foregoing paragraph, though 
 quickly read, contains in condensed form the substance 
 of many lengthy replies made by Tomokichi in response 
 to the eager and searching inquiries of his companion 
 during their homeward walk. 
 
 “ I can now understand much that was obscure to 
 me,” exclaimed Mr. Yamada as they entered the gate- 
 way of their yard ; “ that which you have just told me 
 fully explains a matter over which I have long puzzled 
 my brain in vain. Up to the present moment my pro- 
 foundest investigations have not availed to clear away 
 the mystery that surrounded the foreigner’s exalted con- 
 ception of so trivial a matter as human life. I have been 
 able to trace much of the foreigner’s superiority to this 
 exalted conception of the great value of human life ; 
 but, hitherto, I have been utterly baffled in my attempts 
 to analyze the principles and the reasons that underlay 
 that conception. It is all as clear now to me as 
 
Light Breaks Through the Clouds. 421 
 
 daylight. Of course if there be a Supreme Being, and 
 if we human beings be the creatures of his creative 
 powers, then our relations with the universe become 
 grand and important. If we have been endowed with 
 immortal spirits by this Creator of the universe and have 
 been placed on this earth to develop the subtle and mys- 
 terious powers of our souls, then this life becomes 
 supremely valuable. If there be a God, if there be a 
 soul, if there be immortality for that soul after death, 
 then this life becomes worth the living even under the 
 most adverse circumstances. No condition of human 
 existence, no matter how wretched and contemptible it 
 may be, should be despised. Like sentinels on the fields 
 of war we are to stand on guard until relieved from duty 
 by our commanding officer. It thus becomes wrong for 
 us to take matters into our own hands and to end our 
 own existence by violent methods when adversity over- 
 takes us. 
 
 “ I now understand why the Christian warriors of Kiu- 
 shiu, captured by Tokugawa Iyeyas at the battle of Seki- 
 gahara, refused to perform seppuku when overwhelmed by 
 defeat but allowed themselves to be ignominiously execu- 
 ted and to have their heads pilloried on the Kamogawa 
 shoals as targets for the insulting jests of the victors. 
 This theory of immortality is truly grand and elevating ! 
 Even if it be merely based upon the vagaries of the brilliant 
 imaginations of highly poetic minds, and should appear 
 on closer investigation to have absolutely no foundation 
 in fact, yet the very belief in such a theory would enno- 
 ble and beautify human existence as nothing else possi- 
 bly can do. Herein lies the secret power that has ele- 
 vated the Caucasian race ! Buoyed up by the hope of a 
 sublime existence beyond the grave, and believing that 
 they have been created by a merciful and fatherly God, 
 whose will they are obeying by living this life in accord- 
 ance with his directions, they very naturally count the 
 vicissitudes of this world as nothing when compared with 
 the immortal glories for which they are preparing the 
 soul. Light now shines through the rifts in the clouds ! 
 I see ! I understand ! ” 
 
CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 
 
 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and 
 the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. — St. John iii. , 5. 
 
 But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go 
 toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto 
 Gaza : the same is desert. And he arose and went : and behold a 
 man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of 
 the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jeru- 
 salem for to worship ; and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, 
 and was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said unto Philip, 
 Go near and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran to him, and 
 heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou 
 what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some one shall 
 guide me ? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him. 
 Now the place of the scripture which he was reading was this : 
 
 “ He was led as a sheep to the slaughter ; 
 
 And as a lamb before his shearers is dumb. 
 
 So he openeth not his mouth : 
 
 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away : 
 
 His generation who shall declare ? 
 
 For his life is taken from the earth.” 
 
 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom 
 speaketh the prophet this ? of himself, or of some other ? And Philip 
 opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto 
 him Jesus. And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain 
 water ; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water ; what doth hinder 
 me to be baptized ? And he commanded the chariot to stand still : 
 and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch ; 
 and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the 
 spirit of the Lord caught away Philip ; and the eunuch saw him no 
 more, for he went on his way rejoicing. — Acts viii. , 26-39. 
 
 The above picturesque and simple language, recorded 
 nearly two thousand years ago, is descriptive of the pro- 
 cess by which the stupendous spiritual phenomena of the 
 last eighteen centuries have been brought about. The 
 
 422 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 423 
 
 zealous missionaries of the Cross, armed with the immor- 
 tal words of the Redeemer, first above quoted, have 
 preached Jesus to every kindred and to every tribe in 
 Europe, until they have changed the face of that con- 
 tinent in a most astonishing manner. From century to 
 century the hearts of devout men and women have been 
 fired with apostolic zeal, and they have gone forth into 
 strange lands as missionaries bearing the Gospel tidings 
 of joy and peace to mankind. The leaven of the king- 
 dom of heaven and the sword of the Spirit have been 
 carried into communities where barbaric stagnation pre- 
 vailed and have stirred up and awakened the hearts and 
 the brains of the people in a manner unknown in the his- 
 tory of nations. Spiritual quickening has produced in- 
 tellectual commotion, that has moved human society to 
 its profoundest depths and has resulted in the evolution 
 of the great nations of the present century. The process 
 by which such tremendous results have been achieved is 
 truly a most simple one. By merely preaching “ Christ 
 crucified, — to the Greeks foolishness, and to the Jews 
 a stumbling-block,” — there has been instituted in this 
 world of ours a moral reformation that has blessed and 
 elevated all the social and political institutions of the 
 nineteenth century and has developed the grandest 
 civilization of all time. 
 
 Yea, simple and foolish enough does the process 
 appear to the reason of humanity. Yet such was the 
 process ordained by the Redeemer, and, judging from 
 its wonderful efficacy, there seems to be no good reason 
 for modifying it even if the philosophers and the skeptics 
 of modern times do sneer at its workings and endeavor 
 to belittle its results. The language of that immortal 
 missionary of Tarsus is as true to-day as it was eighteen 
 hundred years ago : “ God hath chosen the foolish things 
 of the world to confound the wise ; and God hath chosen 
 the weak things of the world to confound the things that 
 are mighty ; and base things of the world, and things 
 which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things 
 which are not, to bring to nought things that are.” 
 
424 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 The cultured philosopher and the snarling cynic of 
 the present day do not appear to differ much from the 
 Greek and the Jew of the time of Paul. With sneering 
 comments the modern critic ridicules the great mission- 
 ary endeavors of our times. With note-book in hand he 
 swings round the circuit of the globe and loudly clamors 
 for figures and statistics wherein to express the results of 
 apostolic labors in pagan lands. Silly fellow ! What 
 would there have been to jot down in thy book on that 
 day when gloom settled down on Calvary ? A mangled 
 corpse, twelve scattered and apostate disciples, a howling 
 mob of bitterly disappointed Jews ! Was ever failure 
 more complete ? Yet the seed had been planted ; the 
 principles of a system of divine moral ethics, illustrated 
 by the life of the Son of God, had been enunciated and 
 promulgated among men ; the leaven had been placed in 
 the measure of meal ; and the sword of the Spirit had 
 gone forth to subdue the nations of the world. Was that 
 failure ? Of course not, you may perhaps say. Yet, pray 
 tell me, how could you have expressed in figures the 
 subtle spiritual influence that had then-already gone forth 
 among men to elevate and to bless them ? Can you take 
 the measure of the sword of the Spirit as you would that 
 of a piece of merchandise ? Can you circumscribe with 
 metes and bounds that resistless power that has trans- 
 formed the savages of Britain, Gaul, and Germany into 
 civilized human beings ? Who shall duly estimate by 
 mathematical equations the force of those principles that 
 have ground up and are yet grinding up the institutions 
 of paganism and evolving therefrom higher and nobler 
 forms of human society ? 
 
 Vain task ! Worry not thyself about the harvest. Do 
 thou but plant the seed. Such is God’s command. Such 
 is God’s method, — and such has it been in all ages. 
 Simple, do you say? Yea, verily, — but profoundly effi- 
 cacious and scientific nevertheless. And until God shall 
 reveal unto mankind some other method of carrying on 
 his work in this world, it is more than probable that 
 Christ’s kingdom will continue to be built up by this 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 425 
 
 “ foolishness of preaching,” — this sending of mission- 
 aries to preach “ Christ crucified ” among the heathen 
 everywhere. Among all the wonderful scientific dis- 
 coveries and inventions made by the Christianized in- 
 tellects of the nineteenth century there has been no 
 solution to the problem as to how a man shall be re- 
 deemed from his sins. To institute reformation of 
 desire in human nature, and to rouse the sluggish spirit- 
 ual faculties into a life of progressive and endless de- 
 velopment, is a task that either lies beyond the powers 
 of human mind or that lies far beneath the notice of 
 selfish human indifference. The reformation of desire, 
 the quickening of the soul into active life through this 
 sincere desire being operated upon by the Holy Spirit, — 
 this is the only method known to humanity whereby men 
 may be redeemed from their sins. Except a man be 
 born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the 
 kingdom of God. 
 
 This principle is as true to-day as it was eighteen cen- 
 turies ago. And its faithful promulgation among the 
 nations of the earth has brought the world to the dawn 
 of an era whose spiritual possibilities defy human com- 
 putation. The soul of man gazes down a vista of de- 
 velopment that broadens out into fields of such glorious 
 and never-ending progress that the imagination becomes 
 dazzled at the sight. And this stupendous result has 
 been accomplished by the “ foolishness of preaching.” 
 Stuff and nonsense do you call it ? You do not speak 
 scientifically, my friend. It is spiritual evolution. As 
 the beauteous forms of organized matter have sprung 
 (according to modern belief) from protoplasmic germs 
 and have been developed by the influences of the su- 
 preme will operating thereon, so has the higher spiritual 
 nature of mankind been evolved from the germ of re- 
 pentance operated upon by the Holy Spirit. In all ages 
 man has been the divinely constituted agent for convey- 
 ing to his fellow-men the tidings of the necessity for re- 
 pentance and moral reformation. When the soul has 
 been awakened to a consciousness of sin then it is in a 
 
426 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 condition to be operated on by that subtle and mys- 
 terious power which we designate in human speech as 
 the Spirit of God. 
 
 It was in accordance with the command of the Master 
 that the Christian churches of America sent missionaries 
 to the empire of Japan very soon after the conclusion 
 of Commodore Perry’s treaty. In those early days the 
 journey to Japan was not the pleasure trip that it has 
 since become by means of railway and steamship travel. 
 It required at least four months to make the voyage from 
 New York to Yokohama. Five months were frequently 
 required for the passage. Adverse winds and calms 
 could easily protract the voyage from six to eight 
 months. In those days it required much self-sacrifice 
 to become a missionary. Not many offered themselves 
 for the service, and there were but few calls for volun- 
 teers made by the home churches because of the re- 
 stricted nature of the field of operations in that distant 
 realm. 
 
 During the first decade after the advent of Perry there 
 were barely a dozen missionaries in Japan. Among that 
 number was a young man whom I shall call Mr. Plymp- 
 ton. This young man, soon after completing his collegiate 
 and theological studies at home, had felt called of the 
 spirit to preach the Gospel of Christ to the heathen. 
 Offering himself to the board of missions connected with 
 his church, he was delegated by them to carry the tidings 
 of salvation to the far-distant shores of the empire of the 
 rising sun. With tearful partings with sorrowing friends 
 he embarked with his young wife on one of the stately 
 clipper ships that plied between New York and China 
 around the Cape of Good Hope. A favorable voyage of 
 one hundred and twenty days brought them to the port of 
 Hong Kong, where they embarked on a smaller vessel 
 that was loading for Yokohama, where they safely arrived 
 after a fortnight’s sailing. 
 
 His first efforts were directed toward securing a com- 
 fortable home for his family. Then he plunged into the 
 mysteries of an unknown language with the utmost 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 427 
 
 energy. His progress was necessarily slow and laborious 
 in the absence of dictionaries and grammars. When, after 
 a long struggle, he had obtained a fair mastery of the 
 language, he found nobody disposed to listen to what he 
 had to say concerning Christianity. The minds of the 
 people were engrossed with the intense political excite- 
 ment that was then running high. Besides that, the 
 lower classes stood in abject terror of the very name of 
 Christ as being that of the founder of a creed that had 
 been proscribed for more than two centuries. 
 
 Very naturally Mr. Plympton’s evangelical labors 
 were of a most limited nature and were confined entirely 
 to the servants of his household and to their friends. 
 Nevertheless he prosecuted his work with the utmost 
 zeal, so that by the end of the imperial revolution of 
 1868 he had acquired a correct and elegant use of the 
 vernacular, and had formed a Bible class of young 
 samurai , who were anxious to obtain a knowledge of the 
 strange religion that the new government appeared to 
 look upon with more favor than the Bakufu did. During 
 the great conflagration of 1S66 the residence of Mr. 
 Plympton was swept away, along with nearly the entire 
 European settlement. Instead of rebuilding his house on 
 the low land around the bay, he secured an elegible site 
 upon the garden-like bluffs half a mile back from the 
 water, and built a neat American cottage, where his wife 
 and children could have more sunshine and fresh air 
 than were available in their cramped quarters in the set- 
 tlement. He had just settled down in his new home 
 when our Kioto friends received their appointments at 
 the Yokohama custom-house. 
 
 Several weeks after the events set forth in the last 
 chapter two Japanese gentlemen were standing before 
 the gateway of Mr. Plympton’s house on the bluffs. After 
 some hesitation they entered the yard and inquired of 
 the obsequious gatekeeper if his master was at home. 
 Receiving an affirmative reply, they went down the broad 
 gravelly path that led to the house, and mounted the 
 short flight of steps to the front veranda, where they 
 
428 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 announced their presence by tapping a little bronze bell 
 that hung there beside the door. In response to this 
 signal a servant soon appeared and inquired the object 
 of their call. 
 
 “We have come to pay our respects to the foreign 
 priest living here, and also to make a few inquiries of 
 him,” replied Tomokichi, for he it was in company with 
 Mr. Yamada. 
 
 “ I will at once report to him your honorable pres- 
 ence,” bowed the obsequious servant. 
 
 In a few minutes he returned saying : “ My honorable 
 master will be pleased to see the honorable gentlemen in 
 his study in a very few minutes. If you will follow me 
 I will guide you there.” 
 
 Leaving their wooden clogs at the door, the visitors 
 walked noiselessly across a neat and spacious hall into a 
 large room to the left-hand side of the doorway. Here 
 they were duly seated in a couple of chairs, and were 
 requested to wait until the master of the house should 
 come down-stairs to see them. This study was a model 
 of neatness and comfort. Broad windows opened out 
 upon the sunny veranda, where two little children were 
 romping with a half-grown Newfoundland dog that had 
 been presented to the younger members of Mr. Plymp- 
 ton’s household by a friendly captain commanding one 
 of the superb clipper ships plying between America and 
 Japan. The floor was covered with matting, while 
 tables, chairs, and bamboo settees were set around the 
 room in convenient places. Beside one of the windows 
 stood a commodious desk covered with writing material 
 and manuscript that abundantly betokened the studious 
 nature of the occupant of the room. Against the white 
 Avails stood wide book-cases containing a library of theo- 
 logical, historical, and philological literature. Pictures and 
 maps filled in all the bare spaces on the walls, so that the 
 general appearance of the room was such as would have 
 at once stimulated the literary appetite of the scholarly 
 visitor. Our friends took all this in with a few quick 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 429 
 
 glances while they awaited the coming of their host. 
 That gentleman did not keep them long in abeyance. 
 As he entered the study the visitors prostrated them- 
 selves on the floor in profound obeisance after the cus- 
 tom of the country. 
 
 “ Arise, most honorable sirs, and be seated,” said Mr. 
 Plympton, addressing his guests in their own language. 
 
 “ Most honorable sir,” said Mr. Yamada, after the 
 usual preliminary greetings had been interchanged, “we 
 have heard many things concerning your great learning 
 and scholarly attainments, and we have long been de- 
 sirous of calling on you and making inquiries con- 
 cerning certain matters of profound interest to us, but 
 we have hesitated, being doubtful as to whether such 
 insignificant persons as ourselves would be deemed 
 worthy of admission into your honorable presence. 
 Yesterday, however, we attended the services conducted 
 by your honored self in the chapel down in the native 
 town, and heard you kindly invite inquirers after the 
 truth to call at your house and seek for information. 
 We have therefore availed ourselves of this invitation, 
 and have come with much hesitation and trepidation to 
 ask certain questions that have long puzzled us.” 
 
 “ Honorable sirs,” replied Mr. Plympton, “ it is the 
 delight of my heart to converse with those who sincerely 
 seek information concerning the pure and noble religion 
 that I preach to your people. You are most welcome 
 visitors. Be perfectly at home and ask whatever ques- 
 tion may occur to you. I cannot promise, however, to 
 answer all of your questions, because mystery environs 
 reality on all sides, the most commonplace tangibili- 
 ties baffle analysis, and we are daily compelled to admit 
 the existence of many things concerning whose cause we 
 remain in profound ignorance. I will endeavor, never- 
 theless, to answer all of your questions to the best of 
 my ability, and can only hope that the good Father of 
 the Universe will throw light upon my feeble remarks 
 and may enlighten your minds.” 
 
430 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “ 0 most honorable sir,” exclaimed Mr. Yamada, “we 
 offer up a myriad of thanks for your most generous hos- 
 pitality, and we shall make inquiries concerning matters 
 that have long troubled us. When you just now spoke 
 concerning the good Father of the Universe, you struck 
 the keynote of our inquiries. This is indeed the mys- 
 tery of mysteries, concerning whose existence you for- 
 eigners appear to have but little doubt. Sir, we have 
 carefully studied your sacred book, and are prepared to 
 admit the sublime morality therein expounded by para- 
 ble, allegory, historic narrative, and direct precept. We 
 find throughout the pages of this extraordinary book 
 three stupendous statements set forth with endless and 
 unvarying persistency and positiveness, — statements that 
 loom up above all other matter therein contained, as Fuji- 
 san towers above the bosom of Dai-Nippon, and which, 
 if they be true, dwarf into insignificance the teeming rec- 
 ords of wonderful achievements and miraculous events. 
 
 “ The first statement is to the effect that there exists a 
 Supreme Being, the creator and ruler of the universe. 
 The second statement is to the effect that the only son 
 of this Creator became incarnated in human form about 
 eighteen centuries ago, and was known as Jesus Christ. 
 The third statement is to the effect that men possess 
 souls that live after the death of the body. Sir, my ques- 
 tions are briefly stated : Is there a Supreme Being ? 
 Was Jesus Christ his son? Is there immortality after 
 death ? Answer these three questions, and I will admit 
 all the rest claimed in your sacred book. 
 
 “ Of course, if there be a Supreme Being that created 
 the universe, then it follows that he can do what he likes 
 with that which he has created. The Creator can do as 
 he pleases with the creature. With such a Being in the 
 universe, of course miracles can happen. He can do as 
 it pleaseth him with his own. That which appears im- 
 possible to us becomes possible with him. It goes for 
 the saying that if there be such a Creator, then miracles 
 may happen ; they become, in the legal parlance of your 
 country, merely part of the res gestce, or subordinate 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 43i 
 
 matter in dispute, whose existence depends upon the 
 settlement of the main point in dispute, as to whether or 
 not there be any Creator at all. I shall have no difficulty, 
 sir, in believing in the existence of miracles as stated in 
 your sacred book, if you will only show me with reason- 
 able certainty that a Creator does really exist. Then 
 when you shall have shown to my satisfaction that Christ 
 was the son of that Creator, I shall be prepared to accept 
 all of his wonderful teachings concerning morality and 
 immortality.” 
 
 “You surprise me by your candor,” exclaimed Mr. 
 Plympton, gazing steadily into the half-closed eyes of his 
 visitor, as if endeavoring to fathom the depth of his sin- 
 cerity ; “ your concessions are reasonable enough, but 
 they are very unusual ones to be made by a person pre- 
 sumably hostile to the Christian religion. Do you then 
 have no difficulty in understanding the doctrine of the 
 Atonement ? This tenet of our faith has been the one 
 most ridiculed by infidels. They loudly assert that ‘ no 
 power can step between acts and consequences ; that 
 there is no forgiveness, no atonement.’ They jeeringly 
 ask : ‘ How can a criminal be washed clean and pure in 
 the blood of another ? ’ They make merry over the fact 
 that the ‘ wrong fellow ’ gets punished. And they boldly 
 proclaim that ‘ every human being must bear the conse- 
 quences of his own acts.’ Before entering upon our 
 regular discussion, kindly let me hear your views con- 
 cerning this much ridiculed article of faith.” 
 
 “ Sir,” replied Mr. Yamada, slowly, “ I have thought 
 over the matter carefully, and am in a position to say 
 that I have no difficulty in believing your doctrine of the 
 atonement. Granted that there be a Creator and that 
 Christ was his son, then there would be nothing at all 
 impossible in that son offering himself as a substitute for 
 humanity to receive punishment for the violation of some 
 inexorable law of the universe that had been broken by 
 the erring children of the earth. It is, perhaps, easy for 
 us Japanese to understand such a doctrine, because we 
 have a political custom that somewhat resembles it. 
 
43 2 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 Know, then, O most learned sir, that in ancient times the 
 family of a political offender was exterminated for his 
 offences, whether those luckless individuals were inno- 
 cent or guilty of complicity in the deeds of their kinsman. 
 I am informed that this same doctrine of blood-attainder 
 prevailed in the countries of Europe for many centuries, 
 and that it was so repugnant to the humane feelings of 
 the framers of the American Constitution that they ex- 
 pressly declared, in that famous charter of human rights, 
 that blood-attainder should never attach for any offence 
 whatsoever. 
 
 “ Now, in our country the gentler feelings of our race 
 also revolted against this cruel custom, and it was de- 
 creed several centuries ago that blood-attainder should be 
 wiped out by the act of seppuku , wherein the offender 
 was permitted to take his own life, and thus save his 
 family and kindred from cruel extirpation. Therefore, 
 when I hear of the innocent and guileless son of the 
 God of the universe offering himself as an atonement 
 for the sins of humanity, in order to propitiate some su- 
 preme sense of violated justice, I am carried away with 
 admiration for the magnificent sacrifice. To my mind 
 there is nothing improbable about there being some 
 violation on the part of our progenitors of some great 
 universal law or principle of creation whereby countless 
 miseries would have accrued to the human race, leading 
 to extermination perhaps, were it not for the ‘ blood- 
 attainder ’ having been washed away by the noble sacri- 
 fice of a single individual. Why not ? What do we 
 mortals know about the principles involved in the crea- 
 tion of the universe ? 
 
 “ But, sir, all such considerations are purely secondary. 
 It will be useless to spend time in speculating thereon 
 until we have come to some agreement as to whether or 
 not there be any Supreme Being at all. And just at this 
 point there arises in my mind a question that seems im- 
 possible of an answer. I lay it down, sir, as a universal 
 and unalterable proposition, that every thing that exists 
 must have had a cause. We trace back on this line of 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 4 *> 1 
 
 J J 
 
 cause and effect until we come to the question as to who 
 made the universe, and you reply that .God made it. 
 Now I ask you who made this God of yours ? Surely he 
 must be the effect of some prior cause, because it is a 
 universal law that every thing must have had a cause.” 
 
 “ Honorable sir,” slowly replied Mr. Plympton, as his 
 guest concluded his lengthy remarks, “ it is manifest that 
 your questions come from a full heart and a keen brain. 
 You have propounded a question that has been agitating 
 the human race from the remotest times. It will not sur- 
 prise you, therefore, if I should make but a lame attempt 
 at answering so profound a query as that which you have 
 just propounded. I will, however, do my best to throw 
 some light on the subject, so that it may appear to you 
 as it does to me. In the first place, I positively deny 
 your proposition as to the universality of the law of cause 
 and effect. You appear surprised and incredulous at 
 this assertion. Yet I boldly say that the law of cause and 
 effect is not of universal application. Now if I can show 
 but a single exception to this law, I shall shatter -your 
 proposition. I positively assert that the space enclosed 
 by this room has always existed and has never had a 
 cause. The limitless realms of space that stretch beyond 
 the uttermost confines of the universe have eternally 
 existed and have had no cause. I insist that space never 
 had a cause. Yet space is a reality and has always 
 existed. 
 
 “ Therefore, I say that your proposition is not of uni- 
 versal application. I can show another exception to it. 
 Time, or duration as some metaphysicians designate it, 
 has always existed and has never had a cause. Back 
 through the cycles of eternity there never was a time 
 when prior time did not exist. Time never had a cause. 
 Yet it is a profound reality. And it exists just as truly 
 as you or I exist. Therefore, I have shown two excep- 
 tions to your sweeping proposition. And who knows 
 how many more may exist ? Consequently, when we 
 Christians say that God was never created, we do not 
 assert an impossibility. You are not in a position to say 
 
434 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 that it is impossible, owing to its conflicting with a uni- 
 versal and unalterable law of cause and effect, because I 
 have already shown you that your proposition is not of 
 universal application.” 
 
 “Sir,” exclaimed Mr. Yamada, “your reasoning is 
 shrewd and just. But how do you answer this question : If 
 God made all things, who then created time and space ? ” 
 
 “ Your question is a reasonable one,” replied Mr. 
 Plympton, “ and I will answer it thus : God has no be- 
 ginning nor end ; time and space have no beginning nor 
 end ; therefore I believe that time and space are but at- 
 tributes of God. If you ask me to explain how or why, I 
 candidly reply that I cannot. My intellect was evidently 
 made for use in this world only, and it cannot grasp sub- 
 jects of such vast scope. I can merely state my belief. 
 And I think that you will admit that my belief is not an 
 unreasonable one. Surely it is more reasonable to assume 
 this position than to take the other horn of the dilemma, 
 and assert that no God exists. Humanity has attained 
 to more exalted spheres of development by taking my 
 attitude, than by taking the degrading and cowardly atti- 
 tude of the infidel.” 
 
 “ You have well spoken ! ” exclaimed Mr. Yamada. 
 
 “ Having thus shown to you,” continued Mr. Plympton, 
 “that there is nothing inherently impossible about there 
 being a Supreme Being existing from all eternity and 
 never having had any cause, I will now endeavor to state 
 my reasons for believing that such a Being does really 
 exist in this universe. Do you think it more probable 
 that the material universe was the result of chance, or 
 that it was brought about by some intelligent cause ? ” 
 
 “ It would be impossible, sir, for us to arrive at so 
 ridiculous and improbable a conclusion as that it came 
 about by chance,” replied Mr. Yamada, after a brief 
 pause ; “the Buddhists teach such a doctrine, but they 
 are notoriously credulous in all things. Should we as- 
 sume any such position as that, we could not blame you 
 if you were at once to shut off all debate and to pro- 
 nounce us to be too silly to converse with. It appears 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 435 
 
 more reasonable and probable to me that the material 
 universe was brought about by some intelligent cause, — 
 although I am free to confess my inability to compre- 
 hend how or why. As there does not appear to be any 
 third hypothesis in this matter, I feel compelled to 
 choose what appears to my mind to be the more reasona- 
 ble of two very mysterious propositions. Should I deny 
 the existence of a creative cause in the universe, you 
 would be in a position to force me to deny my own 
 existence, to say nothing of compelling me to deny the 
 existence of all material objects. I can no more prove 
 the existence of the material universe than I can prove 
 the existence of a creative cause. Yet my mind is so 
 constructed that I am compelled to believe in the former, 
 and to attribute its existence to the latter.” 
 
 “ I thank you for your candor,” replied Mr. Plympton 
 earnestly, “ it will make a difficult task easier. I will 
 now give you my reasons for believing that a Supreme 
 Being does exist in the universe. But before plunging 
 into this difficult subject, I must say a few words about 
 the kind of evidence needed for my purpose. You must 
 bear in mind that each department of human learning 
 has processes of proof peculiar to itself. You must not 
 expect me to prove a historic fact otherwise than by his- 
 toric methods of proof. As a matter of fact, no fact can 
 be demonstrated. All that you can do is to adduce suffi- 
 cient evidence to satisfy reasonable belief that such and 
 such a fact did actually happen at some time or other, 
 whether recent or remote. In mathematics you demon- 
 strate your propositions by means of lines, angles, and 
 figures, after assuming said lines, angles, and figures to 
 be correct. In chemistry you demonstrate the correct- 
 ness of your theories by experimental tests with various 
 chemical substances, after assuming that any given set of 
 substances are really what they purport to be. 
 
 “ As an eminent scientific gentleman of modern times 
 has expressed it, — ‘ the bases of both science and religion 
 are grounded on faith.’ That is to say, you are com- 
 pelled to take the fundamental principles of all sciences 
 
436 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 on faith, just as you are compelled to take the fundamen- 
 tal principles of the Christain religion on faith. In the 
 domain of history and of law you prove your propositions 
 by means of certain well-established principles of testi- 
 mony. To demand that a mathematical proposition 
 should be proved by the methods used for proving 
 chemical or legal matters, would be absurd. Equally 
 absurd would it be to refuse to believe an historic fact 
 because it is not susceptible of mathematical demonstra- 
 tion. 
 
 “ Now you gentlemen must bear in mind that all proof 
 at best — no matter in what department of human 
 learning it may chance to be — is but approximate. 
 Nothing can be proved absolutely, beyond peradventure 
 or doubt. There is no such thing as infallible demon- 
 stration. You must always exercise your faith and 
 assume certain fundamental principles to be correct, 
 before you can proceed with proof of any description 
 whatsoever. All that human law requires in adjusting the 
 most momentous affairs is that the evidence brought 
 forward to prove any given proposition shall be sufficient 
 to satisfy reasonable belief. When the reason of the 
 average community has been satisfied upon any given 
 point, it will generally appear that the evidence adduced 
 to sustain that point was sufficient. Now the existence 
 of God and of Christ can only be proved (so to speak) 
 by testimony, and this testimony I hope will be sufficient 
 to satisfy your reasonable belief, as it has been sufficient 
 to satisfy the reasonable belief of the Caucasian race for 
 many centuries.” 
 
 “Sir,” exclaimed Mr. Yamada, “your remarks are 
 indeed to the point. It is only with the testimony that 
 has satisfied you and your race that I wish to deal. The 
 entire field of argument deducing the existence of a 
 Creator from analogy and design I have carefully gone 
 over with my intelligent young companion here, who has 
 studied the subject from your books during many years. 
 I am prepared to concede the arguments of your learned 
 writers. There is certainly sufficient evidence of design 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 ‘ 437 
 
 in this world of ours to suggest an intelligent Creator. 
 The tables, books, and chairs in this room here denote an 
 intelligent cause so clearly that nobody but a blockhead 
 would question the fact. Your watch and clothes also 
 indicate an intelligent cause. Houses, ships, roads, 
 castles, steam-engines, and a myriad of other things 
 about us indicate, beyond peradventure or doubt, intelli- 
 gent causes. Therefore I am prepared to admit at once 
 that the material universe about us gives such abundant 
 evidence of design that by analogy we are compelled to 
 attribute some intelligent cause to the existence of all the 
 wonderful things that we see about us. Thus having the 
 existence of a Creator so powerfully suggested to us on 
 every side, and also having in our hearts a well-defined 
 intuition that such a Creator does really exist somewhere 
 in the universe, it remains for us to search for testimony 
 asserting his existence as a positive fact.” 
 
 “ Do you see that orange-tree growing in the yard ? ” 
 said Mr. Plympton, abruptly, as he turned toward the 
 window. 
 
 “ I do,” replied Mr. Yamada. 
 
 “ What was its origin? ” was the next question. 
 
 “ It grew from an orange seed, sir,” was the prompt 
 reply. 
 
 “ Excuse the simplicity of my question,” continued 
 Mr. Plympton, “ but pray tell me whence came that 
 orange seed ? ” 
 
 “ It came, sir, from an orange that had been produced 
 by some other orange-tree.” 
 
 “ Precisely so,” exclaimed Mr. Plympton, “and it is 
 thus that you trace back from tree to seed for many cen- 
 turies, till you come to the original seed (brought from 
 China perhaps), whence have sprung the myriads of 
 orange-trees that to-day adorn the islands of Dai-Nippon. 
 Yet none of us ever set eyes on that original seed. The 
 millions of seeds and trees that have sprung into exist- 
 ence during the past centuries have long since become 
 dust. Nobody to-day living has ever seen them. Even 
 the seed from which yonder tree sprouted has long since 
 
438 ' 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 disappeared. Yet there is no reasonable doubt but what 
 the present orange-trees of Japan have descended from 
 the orange-trees of the middle ages, and that in turn those 
 trees were the descendants of some primeval seed that 
 first took root in the soil of Dai-Nippon many ages 
 before. These facts are established by human testimony 
 handed down from generation to generation. This testi- 
 mony is the only evidence obtainable in the premises. 
 You may call it weak and unsatisfactory, yet it is suffi- 
 cient to satisfy humanity of the reasonableness of the 
 proposition, that orange-trees grow from orange seeds and 
 have always done so even to remotest ages.” 
 
 “Sir,” exclaimed Mr. Yamada, “your proposition is 
 certainly well proven. Should anybody be silly enough 
 to reject it upon the ground of insufficiency of evidence, 
 I would decree that he be forbidden to taste the fruit of 
 the trees until such time as his perceptions had become 
 clearer.” 
 
 “ Do you see this Japanese book that I am holding in 
 my hand ? ’’continued Mr. Plympton, taking up a volume 
 from the table. 
 
 “ I do,” was the reply. 
 
 “ What is it ? ” 
 
 “ It is a native history of the great warrior Taiko-sama 
 who lived three hundred years ago.” 
 
 “ How do you know such to be the case ? ” 
 
 “ Because I recognize the volume as being similar to 
 one in my possession. The two books manifestly belong 
 to the same edition of the historian’s work.” 
 
 “ Precisely so,” replied Mr. Plympton ; “and upon the 
 testimony of this book you believe that such a character 
 as Taiko-sama existed three centuries ago and did really 
 perform the deeds credited to him. You believe all this 
 even though you never saw him nor have ever seen any- 
 body who has spoken to him. All the witnesses of his 
 deeds have long since passed away, and many generations 
 intervene between you and the historian who chronicled 
 his achievements. The original manuscripts of the au- 
 thor have long since crumbled to dust. Successive 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 439 
 
 editions of his works have disappeared from the face 
 of the earth. Yet I take up this modern edition of his 
 work and say that, like the orange-tree, it has sprung 
 from the seed of previous editions back to the original 
 manuscript of the author, and that his statements as em- 
 bodied in that original manuscript and based upon the 
 testimony of his cotemporaries who were familiar with 
 the doings of Taiko-sama I believe to be substantially 
 correct. By the methods of historic proof the life and 
 deeds of that great warrior are thus sufficiently proved 
 to satisfy reasonable belief. But what book is this that I 
 now hold before you ? ” 
 
 “ Sir,” replied Tomokichi to whom Mr. Yamada had 
 passed the book as being in an unknown language, “it is 
 an English translation of the “ Commentaries of Julius 
 Caesar ” — a great Roman warrior who lived two thousand 
 years ago.” 
 
 “ Precisely so,” observed Mr. Plympton, “ and it estab- 
 lishes with reasonable certainty the doings of that won- 
 derful man, even though his original manuscripts have 
 long since crumbled to dust, even though all the first 
 copies of his seed-germ have disappeared from the face 
 of the earth, even though not a single copy of the innu- 
 merable editions of his work issued during nearly seven- 
 teen centuries are to-day extant, and even though nearly 
 two thousand years have elapsed since the time when he 
 was on earth. And I have no hesitation in saying that I 
 believe this English translation that you now hold is a 
 substantially correct copy of the statements contained in 
 the original manuscript that came from the hand of Julius 
 Caesar. The historic proof is sufficient to satisfy reasona- 
 ble belief, and as such it is accepted as satisfactory by 
 humanity. The people of the present age ta.ke judicial 
 cognizance of the fact that great historic characters have 
 existed whenever a satisfactory chain of evidence certi- 
 fied by successive generations of human testimony reaches 
 back through the centuries to their deeds. 
 
 “ And whoever refuses to be convinced by this method 
 of human testimony generally has some special reason 
 
440 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 for so doing. Pride of intellect has led some scholars to 
 question the existence of the great Greek poet, Homer, 
 even after the very foundations of ancient Troy — the 
 subject of his most famous poem — were discovered. 
 Even the authorship of the poems of the illustrious Eng- 
 lish poet Shakespeare, who lived about the time Taiko- 
 sama did, has been denied by modern critics, who seem 
 to think it presumptuous for a common plebeian school- 
 master and despised playwright to produce such sublime 
 thoughts, and consequently attribute their authorship to 
 a nobleman of the realm. In short, honored sirs, I wish 
 to lay down this simple proposition, that to the candid 
 mind of average humanity the existence and the deeds of 
 all historic characters can be sufficiently well established 
 to satisfy reasonable belief, and that to the bitterly preju- 
 diced mind nothing whatever can be proved. Now let 
 me ask you, my young friend, to tell us what is the nature 
 of the book that I now hand to you.” 
 
 “ It is the sacred book of the Christians,” replied 
 Tomokichi. 
 
 “ Precisely so,” said Mr. Plympton, “ and in it you 
 will find the record of the birth, the life, and the death of 
 the founder of the Christian faith. The original records 
 were made by four eye-witnesses of the facts, who all 
 substantially agree in their statements. The truthfulness 
 of the records of these four historians was not questioned 
 by the generation in which they lived. Their assertions 
 related to matters of common knowledge. It did not 
 occur to anybody in that age to doubt them. During 
 the past eighteen centuries innumerable editions of these 
 four histories have been issued and scattered over the 
 face of the earth. Successive generations of men have tes- 
 tified to and verified the authenticity of the various edi- 
 tions. Copies of several of the ancient editions are to- 
 day extant, — same issued five hundred years ago, some 
 issued over one thousand years ago, and one issued fifteen 
 hundred years ago. Critical and scholarly comparisons 
 show that these editions all substantially agree in their 
 statements. This powerful and overwhelming cumula- 
 
The Light of the World. 441 
 
 tive evidence does not exist in the matter of Caesar’s 
 Commentaries. 
 
 “ Therefore, while I do not hesitate to allege that the 
 English translation just shown to you is a substantially 
 correct copy of Caesar’s original manuscript, with how 
 much greater assurance am I able to assert that these 
 four Gospels are correct copies of the original manu- 
 scripts of the four disciples of Christ. Had these his- 
 tories been false, their veracity would have been im- 
 peached by the cotemporaries of the Apostles. But their 
 truthfulness has been so well established by eighteen cen- 
 turies of successful defence that the rules of testimony 
 will not permit them, nor any portion of them, to be 
 ruled out of evidence by the pompously dogmatic and 
 fanatically prejudiced infidels of the nineteenth century. 
 I therefore lay down this proposition, which I think all 
 candid minds will accept as a reasonable one — namely, 
 that about eighteen centuries ago there lived in the 
 vicinity of Jerusalem a person named Jesus Christ, 
 and that he lived, taught, and died substantially as 
 alleged in the book that you are now holding in your 
 hand.” 
 
 “Sir,” exclaimed Mr. Yamada, “what candid mind 
 could dispute such a proposition ? Your sacred book is 
 better authenticated than any ancient work in existence. 
 When grains of wheat were discovered in the ancient 
 tombs of the Egyptians, the scientific men of Europe felt 
 justified in asserting that wheat grew in the valley of the 
 Nile several thousand years ago. No reasonable mind 
 will question this assertion. When a copy of your 
 Gospels, fifteen hundred years old, was found at a 
 monastery among the mountains just south of Palestine, 
 the scientific theologians of Europe were justified in 
 alleging that at that early date your sacred book was in 
 circulation among the people. Your chain of evidence 
 connecting the statements contained in this book with 
 the birth, life, teaching, and death of Jesus Christ is too 
 strong to be broken. I must admit that the allegations 
 of these Gospels actually transpired as herein asserted. 
 
442 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 But what has all this to do with proving the existence of 
 a Supreme Being ? ” 
 
 “ I will now proceed to show you the relevancy of 
 this chain of evidence, my friend. Having shown that 
 such a person as Jesus Christ did actually exist as stated 
 in this volume that has received the judicial cognizance 
 of humanity, and that he was a just and good man, as 
 herein alleged, I therefore produce him as my first 
 witness as to the existence of a Supreme Being. His 
 testimony, made in anticipation of immediate death, 
 while he was in the full possession of all his faculties 
 and in the presence of a court of justice, is in its nature a 
 most solemn legal deposition, — than which nothing more 
 trustworthy is known in the realm of human jurispru- 
 dence. Dying declarations have ever ranked as the best 
 evidence in courts of law. 
 
 “ Now what did this person testify ? Let us see. It will 
 appear upon examining the records that he not only as- 
 serted that there was a Supreme Being, seen and known by 
 him, but also that he was the son of that Supreme Being, 
 incarnated in human form. He asserted that this 
 Supreme Being was the creator of the universe and of 
 the human race, that he had existed from all eternity and 
 would continue to exist for ever, and that he had sent 
 his only begotten Son into the world to redeem men 
 from their sins, and to prepare their souls for the im- 
 mortal existence that lay beyond the grave. He persisted 
 in making these stupendous statements from boyhood up 
 to mature years. 
 
 “ The Jewish nation had already admitted the existence 
 of the Supreme Being upon the testimony of their great 
 lawgiver Moses, who, according to the well-authenticated 
 volumes of the Pentateuch, had seen and talked with him 
 on various occasions, fifteen hundred years prior to 
 Christ’s birth. During those fifteen hundred years a 
 long line of patriarchs, prophets, and kings testified 
 repeatedly from personal knowledge that there existed 
 behind the phenomena of nature an intelligent creative 
 power or Supreme Being. Their testimony was reduced 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 443 
 
 to writing and was handed down in volumes as well 
 authenticated as the ‘Commentaries of Julius Caesar.’ 
 From Adam downward, testimony of this description 
 had repeatedly been made both orally and by manuscript, 
 until there existed no doubt in the minds of the Jewish 
 people that such a Supreme Being did actually exist. 
 They worshipped him with the profoundest veneration, 
 and adopted the moral and political code that he gave to 
 Moses. So solemn was the veneration for this Being, 
 that they had decreed that any Jew guilty of claiming 
 to be his equal should be put to death as being a 
 blasphemer. 
 
 “According to this law, when Christ made his stupen- 
 dous claims he incurred the death penalty unless he 
 could make good his assertions. During the days of his 
 youth, but little attention appears to have been given to 
 his claims by the Jewish authorities. But when he had 
 attained to years of discretion and still persisted in his 
 claims, there arose angry protests and ominous threaten- 
 ings. And when he began to preach his astounding 
 doctrines and to verify his allegations with miracles, then 
 multitudes believed on him and accepted him as the Son 
 of God. Three years of such work produced the pro- 
 foundest agitation in Judea. The authorities were re- 
 duced to the necessity of either proclaiming him to be a 
 blasphemer worthy of death or of admitting his claims 
 and surrendering their own power. In their own minds 
 they rejected his claims, but they dared not arrest him 
 in public because of his numerous following. 
 
 “At length they succeeded in capturing him one night, 
 through the treachery of one of his disciples. Without 
 delay they carried him before the highest tribunal of the 
 Jewish nation, — the renowned Sanhedrim. The issue 
 presented at the trial was a very simple one : ‘ This 
 man claims to be the Son of God. Is he, or is he not ? ’ 
 In the most solemn manner the presiding judge of the 
 court put the question to the prisoner : ‘ I adjure thee 
 by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the 
 Christ, the Son of God ! ’ Jesus answered, ‘ I am.’ 
 
444 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “Then the judge pronounced him to be a blasphemer, 
 and the court condemned him as being worthy of death. 
 On the following morning the Sanhedrim with great diffi- 
 culty secured a permit for the execution of their prisoner 
 from the Roman pro-consul of Judea, who would not 
 grant it until he had made public protest as to the in- 
 justice of sentencing an innocent man to death. The 
 Romans, being pagans, did not consider blasphemy to 
 be sufficient ground for passing sentence of death on 
 a man. Christ was accordingly condemned to a linger- 
 ing death on the cross in order to pacify the tumultuous 
 mob of Jews that followed the Sanhedrim. Even in his 
 death agonies he persisted in his claims. He promised 
 to open the gates of Paradise to the soul of the dying 
 thief beside him, and when his own sad hour had come 
 he exclaimed in a loud voice, ‘ Father, into thy hands I 
 commend my spirit,’ — and died amid seismic and atmos- 
 pheric manifestations of so supernatural a character that 
 the pagan soldiers of the Roman guard stationed at the foot 
 of the cross exclaimed: ‘ Truly this was the Son of God.’ 
 “ Therefore, my inquiring friends, I introduce in 
 evidence upon the issue whether or not there be a 
 Supreme Being the duly recorded living and dying 
 declarations of Jesus Christ, who was crucified for 
 claiming to be the Son of that Supreme Being, and who 
 died testifying to humanity the existence of an immortal 
 life after death. In the second place, I introduce in 
 evidence the documentary testimony of Moses and of 
 the Hebrew prophets and kings cited in the Old Testa- 
 ment, — the correctness of whose records has been 
 vouched for by the Jewish people for over two thousand 
 years, and whose pages unequivocally predicted the 
 coming of Christ, and also taught the doctrine of immor- 
 tality. In the third place, I introduce in evidence, to 
 offset the verdict of the Sanhedrim pronouncing Christ 
 to be a blasphemous man, the testimony of eighteen 
 centuries of intelligent worshippers of all nations under 
 heaven, declaring themselves to be satisfied with his 
 claims and believing that he was indeed the Son of God. 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 445 
 
 Multitudes of these witnesses have perished in the arena 
 and at the stake declaring the reality of the invisible 
 communion between their redeemed souls and God, 
 thus bearing testimony to the consolation which had 
 been promised by Christ to his followers in all ages and 
 lands, — that Comforter which he would send upon his 
 departure from this earth. And finally, I introduce in 
 evidence the steady growth of this belief since the time 
 of Christ’s crucifixion, until to-day it is almost uni- 
 versally adopted by the Caucasian race. 
 
 “ This universality of belief is powerful evidence, not- 
 withstanding the infidel allegation that ‘ in the world of 
 thought majorities count for nothing and that truth has 
 always dwelt with the few.’ Did not the idea of one God 
 dwell with a few at first ? Did it not first spring from 
 one family, then from one tribe, then from one nation, 
 until it became largely spread over the world ? Has it 
 not been slowly accepted by reasoning mankind as the 
 most reasonable hypothesis ? Did not the religion of 
 Christ spring from a single thoughtful individual, then 
 from a few families, and then merge into the thoughtful 
 portions of a few nations in the teeth of the bitterest 
 opposition that the world has ever seen ? Has not this 
 truth dwelt with a thoughtful few ? Whilst the pagan 
 world went wild with the mad carnival of war, rapine, and 
 lust, whilst the Roman epicureans pronounced all of the 
 countless gods enshrined within their Pantheon to be 
 merely myths and phantoms born of the imagination, and 
 whilst the Greek philosophers declared intelligence, the 
 expanding of the human intellect, the practice of virtue, 
 the discoveries of science, the inventions of genius, and 
 the cultivation of the imagination through art and music 
 to be sufficient to redeem the human race — to be the 
 saviors of mankind ! — did not a few thoughtful Christian 
 communities become in those ages of shameless debauch 
 and nameless cruelties the conservators of virtue and call 
 the world to order ? ” 
 
 “O most learned sir,” exclaimed Mr. Yamada, deeply 
 impressed with the long and eloquent address of the 
 
446 
 
 Mito Ycishiki. 
 
 missionary, “ that which you say has great power of con- 
 viction. So far as the laws of human testimony and of 
 historic evidence are concerned your position appears to 
 be impregnable. A reasonable mind should be satisfied 
 that Christ was crucified for claiming to be the Son of 
 God, that the thoughtful portions of the Caucasian 
 race for eighteen centuries have allowed his claim to be 
 a well-founded one, and that the most intelligent, the 
 most powerful, the most scientific, the most inventive, 
 and the most cultured and virtuous nations of the nine- 
 teenth century are at least nominally Christian. 
 
 “ But I am troubled with two questions that I will now 
 propound to you, sincerely hoping that you may be able 
 to answer them as satisfactorily as you have answered 
 those already put to you. The first question has been 
 culled from infidel literature by my young friend here, 
 and is as follows : ‘ The sentence there is a God could 
 have been imprinted on every blade of grass, on every 
 leaf, on every star ; an infinite God has no excuse for 
 leaving his children in doubt and darkness ! ’ Of course 
 it would be grotesque to think of God as scribbling his 
 name all over the universe, and from that standpoint the 
 demand is stupid and unreasonable. But it seems to me 
 that on so important a matter as the existence of a Su- 
 pceme Being there might have been some evidence beside 
 mere design and historic evidence corroborating our 
 intuitions on the subject. It seems to me that there 
 should be some evidence so convincing that nobody 
 could dispute it. My second question is as follows : 
 Why could not God — aside from the question of the 
 atonement — have devised some other method of redeem- 
 ing men from their sins without having his Son pass 
 through such a frightful ordeal of suffering. This second 
 question is more speculative than the first one, and I do 
 not know as it can be answered. In fact, both questions 
 are childish and petulant, but I ask them in order to ob- 
 tain your views on the subject.” 
 
 “Your questions, sir,” replied Mr. Plympton, “are 
 very natural, and have puzzled the speculative minds of 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 447 
 
 Christendom for many centuries. Of course I can only 
 give speculative answers, as God in his wisdom does not 
 appear to have deemed it essential to man’s salvation to 
 explain such matters to him. Your first question, I 
 think, has been indirectly answered by Christ in the 
 famous parable of Dives and Lazarus. 
 
 “ You will remember that Dives, after having lived the 
 life of an Oriental voluptuary, finally died in his sins and 
 was consigned to a place of torment as punishment for 
 his numerous transgressions. Lazarus, on the other 
 hand, was found at death to be pure in heart, and was 
 admitted to the abodes of the blessed. In this cele- 
 brated allegory Dives is represented as calling to Abra- 
 ham across the impassable abyss that intervened be- 
 tween paradise and hell, and begged him to send Lazarus 
 to earth in order to warn his (Dives’) kindred and friends 
 to flee from the wrath to come by leading purer lives 
 than he himself had led while on earth surrounded by 
 luxury and refinement. The answer that went back across 
 that fathomless gulf touches a very peculiar chord in 
 human nature: ‘ They have Moses and the prophets ; let 
 them hear them. If they hear not Moses and the prophets, 
 neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the 
 dead.' In the matter of choosing between right and 
 wrong man has always shown himself to be a very obsti- 
 nate and perverse free agent. In all matters left open 
 to him to form opinions and beliefs about he has gen- 
 erally shown himself to be erratic and stubborn in his 
 views. In such matters it is useless to drive him. 
 Your only course is to reason with him and to persuade 
 him. Failing in this, you had better let him alone. 
 Such is the matured verdict of humanity. If you cannot 
 convince a man after having laid before him a reason- 
 able amount of evidence — such an amount as would 
 satisfy the average reasoning intellect of mankind, — 
 then no amount of cumulative evidence that you may 
 choose to heap up will be likely to convince him. This 
 is a peculiarity of human nature that appears to be uni- 
 versal. 
 
44-8 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “ Therefore, when men refuse to believe in the existence 
 of God, after having the testimony of Moses, the proph- 
 ets, and of Christ endorsed by the sanction of eighteen 
 centuries of devout disciples, and powerfully corroborated 
 by the analogies of nature and the intuitions of the 
 human heart, it is not likely that any accumulation of 
 testimony would avail — not even if ‘ one rose from the 
 dead,’ or if God were to ‘scribble his name all over the 
 universe.’ I lay it down as a proposition verified by 
 the experience of mankind, that when a reasonable 
 amount of proof fails to convince a man then any 
 amount of superabundant testimony rarely suffices to 
 convince him. 
 
 “ This has been found to be so even in matters of pro- 
 foundest importance. People have been warned not to 
 live in certain malarious districts, yet they have done so 
 in spite of friendly advice and have perished in untold 
 thousands. People have been warned not to live at the 
 base of volcanic mountains, yet they have persisted in 
 doing so and have perished miserably. People have 
 lived in narrow valleys with vast bodies of water in- 
 securely dammed up in the highlands, whence, if once 
 set free, the descending torrents would surely scour out 
 the valley. Yet people have persisted in living in such 
 dangerous places even after repeated warnings so strong 
 in their nature that nothing could have been more con- 
 vincing. I knew of one case where such a dam had 
 been known to be unsafe for many years ; where, during 
 a rainy season, the people had been warned weeks be- 
 forehand that it was daily weakening ; where, on the 
 very morning of the disastrous day, skilled engineers 
 had warned the people to flee to the mountains to es- 
 cape the flood ; where, but an hour or so before the 
 catastrophe occurred, urgent messengers had sped down 
 the valley and begged the people to escape to places of 
 safety ; and where, in the very face of death the people 
 laughed to scorn all warnings and were swept to destruc- 
 tion by the down-pouring torrents. In this case reason- 
 able proof of danger failed to convince the general com- 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 449 
 
 raunity. Then cumulative and overwhelming proofs were 
 produced with the same results. Though one were to 
 have risen from the dead, though God were to have 
 scribbled danger-signals all over the universe, I doubt 
 whether the people living in that valley could have been 
 convinced after the failure of reasonable proof. 
 
 “ What can be more momentous than matters of life 
 and death ? Yet men have repeatedly ignored reason- 
 able warnings of physical danger. So is it in matters 
 pertaining to the welfare of the soul. Men persist in 
 ignoring reasonable proofs and warnings, and perish in 
 their sins. Men have received sufficient notice of 
 the existence of a Supreme Being and of a future life. 
 Those who will not be convinced now, I feel assured, 
 will not be convinced though one were to rise from the 
 dead. Nothing can be proved to those unwilling to 
 believe. Thus I answer your question.” 
 
 “ It is ingeniously and well answered,” exclaimed Mr. 
 Yamada. 
 
 “ As regards your second question,” continued Mr. 
 Plympton, “ I shall answer it somewhat after this fashion : 
 According to the Gospel records Christ proclaimed his 
 visit to our world to have a twofold object. In the first 
 place, he came to atone for the sins of humanity. This 
 mysterious doctrine I accept on faith. I am free to con- 
 fess that I do not comprehend it. It is a matter that 
 lay between God and his Son. I take Christ’s word for 
 it, and assume that his sacrifice was essential to the 
 redemption of mankind. In the second place, he pro- 
 claimed himself to mankind as the founder and the 
 exemplar of a new divine system of moral ethics that he 
 desired the human race to practise even as he prac- 
 tised it. 
 
 “ This second object of Christ’s coming is of vast im- 
 portance. The great trouble with all human systems of 
 morality has been that the expounders thereof failed to 
 practise what they themselves urged other men to prac- 
 tise. Even in those exceedingly rare cases where the 
 founders of systems of morality actually practised their 
 
450 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 own doctrines, yet men in general would not practise 
 those precepts because they denied the authority of fel- 
 low-mortals to set up such standards and force them on 
 humanity. The result has been that while moral teachers 
 have said to men, ‘ you ought to do this and you ought 
 not to do that,’ nobody obeyed beyond their own incli- 
 nations in the matter, and each one did as he pleased. 
 Under such conditions no lofty system of morality re- 
 quiring self-denial and the crushing of base animal in- 
 stincts could ever prevail among men, because neither 
 inducement nor authority were at hand to urge men to 
 lead lives of rigid and austere virtue. When men came 
 to the point where some pet appetite had to be curbed 
 or some passion had to be subdued, they graciously said : 
 ‘ Excuse me, if you please,’ and passed over to the other 
 side of the way, upon the principle that in moral matters 
 men were born free and equal, and that nobody had the 
 right to dictate to his fellow-creatures what he should do 
 and what he should not do. 
 
 “ But Christ came teaching the most sublime system of 
 moral ethics that the world has ever seen, — a system 
 most difficult to practise in many of its details, and 
 directly opposed to the strongest appetites and passions 
 of the human race. He not only taught this system of 
 morality, but he practised it literally and rigidly in all 
 the details of his own life, and required all of his disci- 
 ples to do the same. As an inducement for thus running 
 counter to the currents of their inclinations, he taught 
 that the objective point of man’s existence was immortal 
 life with him in paradise. He proclaimed that he was 
 the Son of God, and that all power in heaven and on 
 earth had been given to him, and that men must obey 
 and practise his precepts. Thus was his system of 
 moral ethics based upon authority from which there 
 could be no appeal, as it was the highest in the universe. 
 He taught and practised his teachings even to the bitter 
 end, and allowed himself to be slain by mankind, thus 
 forever shutting the door by which men had been perpet- 
 ually escaping from the rigid practice of austere virtue. 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 45i 
 
 “The disciples of Christ cannot excuse themselves 
 from practising Christian morality because it is difficult 
 and runs against the fierce currents of their appetites and 
 passions — against the downward tendency of all their 
 animal instincts. The Son of God allowed himself to be 
 crucified for proclaiming and practising a divine system 
 of moral ethics, and his followers must practise in the 
 same way, even if called upon to suffer martyrdom (as 
 vast multitudes have actually done). Based upon such 
 authority this noble religion has overcome all obstacles, 
 and has shown itself to be a priceless gift to humanity. 
 It is fulfilling the prophecy of its founder, and is spread- 
 ing to the uttermost parts of the earth with joy and heal- 
 ing in its wings. Do you wonder that we Christians glory 
 in the cross of Christ ? Are not the results worth the 
 sacrifice ? The cross has become to the devout followers 
 of the crucified Redeemer the sign of their divine author- 
 ity to preach to perishing humanity. Armed with this 
 emblem of the bitterest anguish that the world has ever 
 witnessed, we shall conquer the world for Christ. All 
 the powers of evil — the very gates of hell — shall not pre- 
 vail against us. This is the only answer, honorable sirs, 
 that I can give to your question.” 
 
 “ O most learned instructor,” exclaimed Mr. Yamada, 
 “that which you have just spoken makes clear much that 
 was obscure in my mind. It is manifest that you Cau- 
 casians are a matter-of-fact race of people, who take a 
 common-sense business view of every thing. Recogniz- 
 ing the fact that men are religious by nature and possess 
 ineradicable intuitions concerning the existence of some 
 supreme and intelligent power behind the phenomena of 
 nature, you then select that religion which offers proof of 
 its divine origin, and give it to the people as being reason- 
 able and just in its claims. As in all your commercial 
 transactions your operations are based, more or less, on 
 speculative estimates that appear to be reasonably certain 
 of producing certain results, so in your religious calcula- 
 tions you proceed on faith and hard-headed common- 
 sense. 
 
45 2 
 
 Mito Yashiki. 
 
 “ Certain facts in this world are like mules, — if you ig- 
 nore them and dash yourself against them you are liable 
 to be kicked to death. You Caucasians have found out 
 that popular morality cannot be developed without a 
 religion of some sort, that in moral matters men are free 
 agents and refuse to be dictated to by their fellow-men, 
 and that for fully ninety per cent, of humanity this life 
 from beginning to end is but a series of hardships and 
 cheerless strugglings for a bare existence. You have 
 found out that life for the toiling masses of humanity is 
 not worth the living. You have found out that men need 
 encouragement and sympathy to enter the bitter and piti- 
 less contest for existence that rages around the world. 
 
 “ Therefore, when Christ proclaims the fatherhood of 
 God and the brotherhood of men, and enunciates a 
 matchless system of morality based upon divine author- 
 ity and offering priceless inducements to the struggling 
 creatures of this world to bear up cheerfully under their 
 heavy burdens, then you gladly accept his teachings on 
 faith as he directed his followers always to do, and you 
 make human life a glorious and magnificent period of 
 probationary existence. And then, when you observe 
 the stupendous effects of the principles of Christianity 
 upon the spiritual, the mental, and the physical develop- 
 ment of your race after eighteen centuries of practice, 
 you very naturally deem the prophecy of Christ as fully 
 verified, — you insist that the effects of his teachings on 
 humanity satisfactorily demonstrate all of his claims to 
 being the Son of One who thoroughly understood the 
 minutest peculiarities of human nature. Sir, your posi- 
 tion is impregnable. It is based on the matured conclu- 
 sions of the shrewdest race on the face of the earth. I 
 also believe in God, and in Christ his Son ! But, sir, 
 how am I to enter on this life of Christian development ?” 
 
 “ Sir,” exclaimed Mr. Plympton, with great feeling, 
 “ you have already entered upon the path. Continue as 
 you have begun. Read the Scriptures daily. Pray at 
 seasonable and regular periods to the Almighty Father. 
 Never allow the spark of reformation of desire to be- 
 
The Light of the World. 
 
 453 
 
 come extinguished in your soul. Make public profes- 
 sion of your new beliefs before your countrymen, by 
 means of the beautiful ceremony of baptism. Then 
 indeed will you be born of water and the Spirit ! Then 
 will you enter upon that glorious life of self-conquest 
 and of spiritual development that our blessed Redeemer 
 has promised to every soul that God has sent into the 
 world. 
 
 “ Sir, I extend to you the right hand of fellowship. 
 It matters but little to me with what Christian denomina- 
 tion you may choose to identify yourself. When I first 
 set foot upon your shores I was zealous to propagate 
 the theological views of my own peculiar sect. But 
 now, thanks be to God, the beauty and the grandeur of 
 Apostolic Christianity — the teachings of Christ himself 
 — have dawned upon my soul in their full majesty, and 
 have put to flight my narrow theories and metaphysical 
 dogmas. Love God and keep his commandments. Then 
 shall we always be friends. Honorable sirs, the day is 
 drawing speedily to a close, and other duties demand my 
 attention, so that our interview must terminate ; but feel 
 free to call upon me at any time that you may desire so 
 to do. Farewell ! May God be with you and ever 
 guide you in the spiritual war upon which you have 
 entered under the leadership of his beloved Son ! ” 
 
CONCLUSION. 
 
 My God, I love thee — not because 
 I hope for heaven thereby : 
 
 Nor yet because, if I love not, 
 
 I must forever die. 
 
 But, O my Jesus, thou didst me 
 Upon the cross embrace ; 
 
 For me didst bear the nails and spear, 
 And manifold disgrace, 
 
 And griefs and torments numberless, 
 And sweat of agony, 
 
 E’en death itself ; — and all for me, 
 Who was thine enemy ! 
 
 Then why, O blessed Jesus Christ, 
 
 Should I not love thee well ? 
 
 Not for the hope of winning heaven, 
 
 Nor of escaping hell ; 
 
 Not with the hope of gaining aught, 
 
 Not seeking a reward ; 
 
 But as thyself hast lov£d me, 
 
 O ever-loving Lord ! 
 
 E’en so I love thee, and will love, 
 
 And in thy praise will sing ; 
 
 Solely because thou art my God, 
 
 And my eternal King. 
 
 — A translation of a Latin hymn , written by Saint Francis Xavier, apostle 
 to Japan, 1550 a.d. 
 
 Many years have elapsed since the closing scenes in 
 the last chapter. Momentous changes have taken place 
 in the Empire of the Rising Sun. Feudalism has disap- 
 peared from the face of the land, and the Emperor has 
 granted a constitutional form of government to the peo- 
 ple. A complete system of telegraphic wires stretches 
 all over the country. The steamboat and the railway 
 
 454 
 
 
Conclusion. 
 
 455 
 
 have revolutionized methods of travel. Newspapers cir- 
 culate freely, and a most efficient postal system makes 
 it easy to communicate with the remotest provinces. 
 Schools and colleges of the highest grade have been 
 established in the great centres of population, and gen- 
 eral intelligence and learning are being scattered broad- 
 cast throughout the land. 
 
 Not less marked have been the changes in the religious 
 features of the country. Buddhism has been disestab- 
 lished as the state religion of the realm, and has been 
 contemptuously set aside as having been “ weighed in 
 the balance and found wanting,” and its stagnated life 
 is slowly ebbing away, notwithstanding the frantic efforts 
 of the priests to assimilate Christianity and to spawn it 
 on the country as a modified Buddhism. During all 
 these years the religion of Christ has advanced with 
 steady strides to conquest after conquest, until its con- 
 verts now cover the empire, and are to be numbered by 
 the thousands. It is not only tolerated by the Japanese 
 government, but it is directly and indirectly encouraged 
 in many ways. One of its most eloquent and able advo- 
 cates is Tomokichi, the son of Nakashima. 
 
 Shortly after the interview set forth in the last chap- 
 ter, Mr. Yamada and his entire household made public 
 profession of Christianity by receiving baptism at the 
 hands of Mr. Plympton, and from that time onward he 
 became a most zealous and valuable supporter of Chris- 
 tianity. The path upon which he had entered, however, 
 was by no means one of roses. He had to face coldness 
 and derision on all sides. But he persisted in his course, 
 and in a few years saw many of those who had derided 
 his action come forth and acknowledge the saving and 
 elevating power of Christ’s teachings. He grew daily in 
 favor with his government, who gladly availed themselves 
 of his adroit ability and loyal faithfulness by promoting 
 him to positions of great responsibility and trust. 
 
 Through his influence Tomokichi and Kunisaburo 
 were sent abroad, and were educated in one of the great 
 universities of the United States. Tomokichi then grad- 
 
45 6 
 
 Mi to Yashiki. 
 
 uated from a theological seminary, while his brother 
 went through a thorough course of medicine and surgery 
 in New York City. Returning to Japan, they took charge 
 of a school of Christian morality that had been founded 
 by Mr. Yamada during their absence. Here they settled 
 down to lives of great usefulness. Doctor K. Yamada 
 (nee Nakashima) organized a dispensary and a hospital, 
 and became greatly celebrated for his medical and surgi- 
 cal skill ; and his name spread into foreign lands as 
 being the author of a famous treatise on the diseases 
 peculiar to the Japanese people. The Rev. T. Naka- 
 shima became, as before intimated, an eloquent and 
 powerful expounder of Christian doctrines. His ser- 
 mons were eagerly listened to by multitudes of his fel- 
 low-countrymen. He received calls to preach and to 
 lecture in all parts of the empire, and his sermons were 
 put into print and were eagerly read by the people every- 
 where. As to our friend Konishi, my report is equally 
 flattering. He was rapidly promoted from one post of 
 honor to another until he was finally sent abroad to rep- 
 resent his country in an important diplomatic position, 
 where he now resides with his family. 
 
 The speeding years are now leaving deep imprints 
 upon the brow of old Mr. Yamada, but he heeds them 
 not, although he begins to notice that his eyes are not 
 as clear nor is his hand as firm as in the days of yore, 
 when he roamed the mountain fastnesses of Yamato and 
 Shinshiu. The greatest delight of his old age is to see 
 his countrymen advancing in all that pertains to elevation 
 of character and to intellectual and material develop- 
 ment. It is the delight of his heart to aid the deserving 
 and to encourage the despondent. Thus loved by his 
 neighbors and revered by his friends, he is peacefully 
 and joyfully approaching that spiritual kingdom for 
 which he has so long been preparing his soul. Like a 
 tale that is told, like a dream that has flown, the shadows 
 of the past have faded from our view ; and, as the shades 
 of the sweet islands of the sea float away from our gaze, 
 we bid a long farewell to the scenes of Old Japan. 
 



 
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