'■.:r;r:- 
 
 
 
 . ,-.f t', t'f -<it» M* .... |i. 
 
 
 ^^^ •;';r^.', ;•.::!:; ;i-i!.'j 
 
 
 
 7C.U".,T' 
 
 
 rrMr, -Hlf 5^i"^i^'nv: 
 
Life and Adventure 
 
 1 EMPIRE OF JAEAnI 
 
 ILLUSTRATED FROM ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS. 
 
 ^ 
 
 BY E, WARREN CLAR. 
 
 AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 
 
 150 NASSAU STREET, NEW YORK. 
 
COPYRIGHT, 1878, 
 BY AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY. 
 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 If the young folks for whom this book is prepared find 
 in it as much pleasure as the author has experienced in wri- 
 ting it, the labor will prove well bestowed. 
 
 Japan is an interesting country, and peculiar fascination 
 may be found in studying its people and watching the ever- 
 changing scenes in this beautiful " island empire." 
 
 The author resided four years in the country (1871-1875), 
 in the service of the Japanese government ; two years were 
 spent at the city of the exiled Tycoon, and two at the mod- 
 ern capital of the Mikado. 
 
 This book is a simple narrative of his experiences and 
 adventures, presented from a Christian standpoint, and re- 
 flecting the novel phases of Japanese life and character with 
 which he was daily brought in contact. 
 
 The story will explain itself and needs no introduction. 
 
 The book, though intended primarily for the young, will 
 be appropriate and acceptable to "children of a larger 
 growth," who will find in it a permanent record of religious 
 and political events that have recently transpired in^'that 
 once-secluded land which now lies nearest our western shore. 
 
 The illustrations are taken from original photographs, 
 and no pains have been spared in making the pictures at- 
 tractive and true to the subject. 
 
 The outline map will help the young reader in locating 
 the places of interest described. The original copy of this 
 map was kindly given to the author by his friend and fellow- 
 traveller, Mr. W E. Griffis ; only a few Japanese names have 
 been used, which can easily be understood and remembered. 
 

 
 -4- 
 
 CHAP. I. First Sight of Japan PAGE 7 
 
 CHAP. II. A Journey on the Tokaido 17 
 
 CHAP. III. Life in a Buddhist Temple 35 
 
 CHAP. IV. Life in a Feudal Castle 53 
 
 CHAP. V. Excursions and Comical Experiences 74 
 
 CHAP. VL The Ascent of Fuji-Yama 96 
 
 CHAP. VII. Removal to Tokio 128 
 
 CHAP. VIII. Rambles about the Capital- 147 
 
 CHAP. IX. A Peep into the Mikado's Palace 170 
 
 CHAP. X. A Trip to Kioto i?7 
 
 CHAP. XL The Missionary Outlook 215 
 
 CHAP. XIL Farewell to Japan 231 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 The New House on the Castle Moat Frontispiece 
 
 Map PAGE 
 
 A Japanese Junk 8 
 
 The Tokaido, or Public High Road i6 
 
 Dai-Butz; the Bronze Idol, 50 feet high 20 
 
 Lake and Village of Hakone - 24 
 
 Japanese Hotel in the Hakone Mountains 28 
 
 Temple Gateway 36 
 
 School House at Shidz-u-o-ka — - 44 
 
 Buddhist Temple and Pagoda 50 
 
 The New House with the Castle Grounds 58 
 
 Man Pounding Rice 76 
 
 Mode of Sleeping 80 
 
 Fuji-Yama, the Matchless Mountain, 11,500 feet high 96 
 
 Gathering Tea-leaves ; Fuji-Yama in the Background 120 
 
 Heating and Firing the Leaves — 4 views 124 
 
 Sifting and Sorting the Leaves - 126 
 
 The Kaisei Gakko, or Imperial College - 140 
 
 Entrance of the Kaisei Gakko - 144 
 
 Tower and Moat of the Tokio Castle 14S 
 
 Tomb of the First Tycoon 150 
 
 The Home in Tokio 162 
 
 Suruga-Yashiki, and College Building 166 
 
 The Mikado in Modern Dress 172 
 
 The Empress in Court Costume 176 
 
 Representative Classes of Society 180 
 
 A Japanese Gondola 196 
 
 Riding in a Kango - - 210 
 
 Mode of Carrying the Baby 214 
 
 American Mission Home 220 
 
 The Lord's Prayer in Japanese 228 
 
 Japanese Summer House and Garden 244 
 
. ONUNCIATION 
 
 ^y^y^ letter is sounded J 
 as in falher^ 
 
 „ „ bona, 
 ^ ft tf <junv. 
 
Life and Adventure in Japan. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 FIRST SIGHT OF JAPAN. 
 
 At early dawn on Wednesday, October 25th, I 
 looked out of my state-room window from the 
 steamer Great Republic, and lo ! the snow- 
 white dome of Fuji-Yama, the *' Matchless Moun- 
 tain'' of Japan, rising like a temple of beauty 
 above the clouds and mist ; and as I caught sight 
 of it the sun rose higher and higher, causing the 
 mountain to brighten up, and its face to smile a 
 welcome to us in our approach to the old, old 
 world. 
 
 Slowly we steamed up the great bay of Yedo, 
 passing verdure-covered cliffs, rocky promontories, 
 and small islets clothed in brightest green, while 
 here and there the thatched-roof cottages of the 
 fishermen were scattered along the shore. 
 
 A slight breeze rippled the surface of the water. 
 
8 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 and Japanese junks came scudding by under full 
 sail. The junks had low prows and ver)^ high 
 sterns, with broad sails sometimes made of mat- 
 ting or bamboo, and having large characters in- 
 scribed on black bands of cloth, with which the 
 main-sail was ornamented. The cargo of the junk 
 was carried amidship, with a bamboo roof built 
 over it ; and not a particle of paint appeared on 
 the whole craft. The junks came quite near 
 the steamer, dashing the spray from their low 
 prows, and rocking violently in the rollers left in 
 the wake of the Great Republic. 
 
 With the captain's permission I brought my 
 new flag on deck, presented by friends far away, 
 and up went my bright star-spangled banner in 
 place of the ship's dilapidated ensign, and it 
 flapped and fluttered proudly from the stern of 
 the steamer. 
 
 As we passed vessel after vessel of various na- 
 tionalities lying at anchor in the harbor, that flag 
 was saluted with respect — German, Italian, Eng- 
 lish, French, Dutch, and other ships dipped their 
 colors as we went by, and only ceased when the 
 signal-gun from our steamer announced that we 
 had made fast to our moorings in Yokohama Bay. 
 
 Swarms of little skiffs surrounded us, sculled by 
 nearly naked Japanese, with brawny arms and 
 brown skins. Dropping into one of these boats, I 
 
FIRST SIGHT OF JAPAN, 9 
 
 made for the shore. Alone I wandered off, and 
 peculiar were my feelings as I wended my way 
 among the strange sights and people. 
 
 It is said that the sounds of a place first attract 
 the stranger's attention, and so it was here. I 
 heard an unearthly shout or yell, repeated in quick 
 and regular succession, and turning down the 
 street I saw a line of rough wooden carts drawn 
 by strong coolies, who tugged away like horses 
 and gave these guttural yells in keeping step with 
 each other. 
 
 Boxes of tea were piled on the carts, and as I 
 passed by the stone houses on a side street I 
 could smell the sweet aroma of the tea that was 
 being ** re-fired *' within, and hear the merry prat- 
 tle in a strange tongue of the tea-girls as they sang 
 together and stirred the tea-leaves on the hot cop- 
 per ovens. 
 
 Taking a straight street to the left, I passed 
 through a portion of the foreign settlement, which 
 was substantial and comfortable, and came to a 
 bridge crossing the canal. On ascending a steep 
 flight of steps I reached the top of ** The Bluff,*' 
 where many English and Americans live ; from 
 this point a beautiful view spread before me of 
 the bay, shipping, city, and the native town of 
 Yokohama. 
 
 I met many kind friends at the American 
 
TO LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 Mission Home, a beautiful building on *'The 
 Bluff/' where Japanese girls are instructed in 
 Christian truth, and where the first Sunday-school 
 in Japan was established. 
 
 After a few days the Japanese officials arrived 
 at Yokohama who were appointed to conduct me 
 to their distant province in the interior of the 
 country. 
 
 I had engaged to go to the city of Shidz-u-o-ka, 
 one hundred miles south-west of To-kio, to take 
 charge of a scientific school there, and teach the 
 Japanese in chemistry, physics, and other branches 
 of study. I was to be liberally paid by the Jap- 
 anese Government, who were also to furnish my 
 horses, guards, interpreters, philosophical appara- 
 tus, attendants, and give me a large temple in 
 which to live. Thirteen long articles, written in 
 Chinese, Japanese, and English, and forming three 
 imposing-looking books, constituted the ** con- 
 tract" or agreement made between us for the 
 space of three years. 
 
 But when I came to sign the agreement, I 
 found that the ** Dai-jo-kan*' — as the Council of 
 State is called — had slyly inserted a clause forbid- 
 ding me to teach Christianity, and binding me 
 to silence on all religious subjects for a space of 
 three years. Many reasons prompted me to ac- 
 cept, and some of my friends urged me to sign the 
 
FIRST SIGHT OF JAPAN, II 
 
 contract as it was. The interpreter said, '' Sign 
 the promise ; but when you get way off in the 
 country you can break it and teach w^hat you 
 please.'* Others said, ** Sign it, or you will lose 
 $300 a month, and all your good chances besides ; 
 some mere adventurer may get the position, who 
 will do the people more harm than you can do 
 them good." 
 
 It was a great dilemma, for I had spent all my 
 money in coming to Japan and getting ready to 
 go into the interior, and were the contract to fail 
 I should find myself in a tight place. 
 
 Nevertheless I determined to stand firm on the 
 principle at stake, and sent word to the govern- 
 ment that unless the objectionable clause was 
 withdrawn, the contract could not be accepted. 
 ''It is impossible,'* I added, ^'for a Christian to 
 dwell three years in the midst of a pagan people, 
 and yet keep entire silence on the subject nearest 
 his heart." 
 
 To my surprise an answer was returned after 
 three days, saying that the clause against Chris- 
 tianity should be stricken out ; and the messenger 
 who brought m: the news exclaimed, ** You have 
 conquered, and have broken down a strong Jap- 
 anese wall. Now you can also teach us the Bible 
 and Christianity !" 
 
 I mention this to show that it pays to hold fast 
 
12 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 to the right, at whatever apparent cost ; for, in- 
 stead of thinking less of me, or being vexed at my 
 obstinacy, the Japanese officials were more friend- 
 ly than ever, and respected the ''pluck*' dis- 
 played. 
 
 They immediately advanced all the necessary 
 funds to meet the heavy expenses incurred, and 
 were so liberal and polite as to excite my grati- 
 tude and astonishment. Under their kindly 
 assistance I was soon ready to start on the long 
 journey. 
 
 But never before had I so many things to think 
 of at once. Not only had I the care of perfecting 
 my official arrangements, but I had all the minute 
 details of ** first going to housekeeping*' beyond 
 the range of civilization. 
 
 Imagine yourself preparing to keep house where 
 a real house was never known ! Imagine yourself 
 endeavoring to furnish said house where furniture 
 was never heard of ; where bedsteads and beds 
 and carpets and stoves were never seen ; where 
 mirrors and windows and chimneys and coal had 
 not even been dreamed of. Imagine yourself go- 
 ing to live a certain number of years in said house 
 and place. The probability is you would want 
 something to eat during your sojourn ; but there 
 beef-steaks and mutton-chops are unknown, a loaf 
 
FIRST SIGHT OF JAPAN, 13 
 
 of bread is a myth, and milk, butter, and cheese 
 are fairy tales. 
 
 Perhaps now and then you would like to know 
 the time of day. But no town-clock ever strikes 
 to inform you, no chronometer exists by which to 
 set your watch when it stops, no almanac to tell 
 the day of the week or month when you have 
 forgotten them. In fact I frequently did forget 
 the day of the week, and once kept the scientific 
 school waiting several hours for me, supposing it 
 was Sunday ! After that I thought of cutting 
 notches in a stick every day, after Robinson Cru- 
 soe's fashion ; and when my watch stopped I 
 would set it by a sun-dial, which I made with two 
 sticks, a compass, and a string. 
 
 Na-ka-mu-ra was the name of one of the officers 
 sent from the province where I was going ; and 
 although he was the most noted scholar of Chinese 
 literature in Japan, he was as simple as a child, 
 and quite amusing in his use of broken English. 
 He called at the Mission Home to see me one 
 day, while I was off making some purchases, and, 
 as he awaited my return, the children of the 
 Home volunteered to entertain him. ** They 
 take out several cards,*' he wrote, ** singing the 
 songs which are written on them'' (Sunday-school 
 hymns), ** then passing the biblical pictures, very 
 
14 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 fine, to me, they said, * While you look at them 
 Mr. Clark will soon be returned. ' The girls again 
 merrily explained them to me, saying, * This is 
 John the Baptist,' * This is dove,' * This is Jesus,* 
 ' This is Abraham sacrificing his son, ' and the like. 
 During one hour I feel myself to get some advan- 
 tage from the surrounding children." 
 
 Not long after this Nakamura boldly pre- 
 sented a memorial to the imperial government 
 suggesting that they build a Christian church in 
 Tokio ! in order that Japanese subjects might 
 have an opportunity of being instructed in the 
 truth. Of course the government did not quite 
 see it in that light. Nakamura was appointed 
 to go abroad with the Japanese embassy then 
 starting for America, but he declined, saying that 
 he had once lived in a Christian country — England 
 — without learning Christianity, and now he 
 wished to retire to his own province and study 
 religious subjects with his new foreign teacher. 
 He was subsequently my warmest friend and most 
 intimate companion ; he became a devout Chris- 
 tian under the instruction of my Bible-class, and 
 frequently would sign himself, ** Your most hum- 
 ble servant, and to be your future and forever 
 friend in the spiritual world/' 
 
 On my last Sabbath in Yokohama I attended 
 the little chapel where foreigners are accustomed 
 
FIJ^ST SIGHT OF JAPAN, 15 
 
 to assemble, and listened to an interesting sermon 
 
 from Rev. Mr. H , a missionary of North 
 
 China. It was communion service, my first in 
 Japan, and the last that I should have for a long, 
 long time, as I was going where there were no 
 Christians. On returning from church I wrote 
 home, saying : 
 
 '*The more I enjoyed the service, the more 
 vividly it brought upon me the realization of the 
 keen deprivation I am to suffer in being cut off 
 from all holy associations, and how I shall long for 
 the strength gained from Christian sympathy and 
 the sound of the Gospel. 
 
 ** You can scarcely imagine the impressions of 
 one fresh from a Christian land at the first view 
 of the heathenism of which he had heard but never 
 seen. There is no more Sabbath here than if the 
 Ten Commandments were never written. The 
 sounds of labor are heard in every direction, and 
 sin and corruption abound in their worst forms. 
 Instead of church bells, I hear ever and anon the 
 deep, prolonged sound of the great bell of the 
 heathen temple, as it strikes to announce that 
 another soul has entered to bow down to the idol. 
 Instead of sacred music, I hear fire-crackers in an 
 adjacent Chinese burying-ground, where worship 
 is going on to the spirits of the dead. As I visit- 
 ed the temples of Yedo the other day, and saw 
 
1 6 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 the hundreds of human beings prostrated before 
 their images and calling upon their gods, it did 
 seem to me the most pitiable sight I ever wit- 
 nessed ; and as I moved among the millions in the 
 great capital of Japan who never heard the name 
 of Christ, it seemed too solemn to be true. Pos- 
 sibly I may become so accustomed to heathenism 
 and its accompaniments as not to feel their pain- 
 ful reality, but I trust I may never lose the earnest 
 desire to turn these poor deluded souls from their 
 errors. * ' 
 
 On the following Monday the horses and 
 guards appeared at the door, and as my furniture 
 and freight had been sent by sea on a Japanese 
 junk, I bade farewell to all my new-made friends 
 at Yokohama, and started off with the guards to 
 encounter the strange experiences and adventures 
 of life in the heart of Japan, 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 A JOURNEY ON THE *' TOKAIDO/' 
 
 The great public thoroughfare of Japan is 
 called the ** To-kai-do/' It is several hundred 
 miles in length, and passes along the sea-shore 
 and over the mountains, connecting the ancient 
 capital, Kio-to, near Lake Biwa, with the modern 
 capital, To-kio, at the head of Yedo Bay. 
 
 The road is flanked on either side with venera- 
 ble pines, which have shaded generations of trav- 
 ellers and pilgrims who have passed to and fro 
 through this beautiful country. Near the sea- 
 shore it is protected by earthen embankments, 
 and over the steep declivities of the mountains it 
 is paved with stones. It runs through innumera- 
 ble villages and towns, and its way-side is the best 
 possible place to study the country life and char- 
 acter of the people. 
 
 Here you may meet the two-sworded ** Sa- 
 mou-rai," as the military gentlemen are called who 
 wear long sharp swords thrust in their belts, and 
 who sometimes look very fiercely at foreigners, 
 
 3 
 
1 8 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 whom they do not love overmuch for invading 
 the sacred seclusion of their country. Here you 
 meet the farmers also, carrying their produce to 
 market, and the coolies, trudging along with 
 their burdens suspended from the ends of a pole 
 carried on the shoulder. 
 
 Here you meet bands of pilgrims clothed in 
 white, wearing broad bamboo hats, and carrying a 
 small bell in one hand and a long staff in the 
 other. On the staff were strips of paper prayers, 
 and the little bells tinkled continually to call the 
 attention of the gods to the prayers while the 
 pilgrims were on their journey to the various 
 heathen shrines. 
 
 The country people were very polite, and as we 
 passed them on the road each one would bow 
 and exclaim, ** 0-hi-o !** (Good-morning). The 
 children would also nod their little heads politely, 
 and touch their foreheads as a mark of respect. 
 
 In passing through one of the towns on the 
 ** Tokaido'* — shown in the accompanying picture 
 — we saw a long ladder standing upright at the 
 side of the street, upon which a man climbed 
 whenever the fire-alarm sounded. The houses 
 were simply wooden shanties, with paper sliding- 
 doors, and when they caught fire, as they fre- 
 quently did, the man on the ladder would shout 
 to his neighbors, and they would run together and 
 
A JOURNEY ON THE '' TOKAIDOr 19 
 
 pull down the house, instead of attempting to ex- 
 tinguish the flames. 
 
 On the road-side a stream of water is seen, 
 which the natives use in cooking and washing. 
 The open space in front of each house is used for 
 drying fish, sifting grain, and also for sunning the 
 babies and children who swarm by the road-side, 
 and who use this space frequently for a play- 
 ground. 
 
 The mountain Fuji-Yama is seen in the dis- 
 tance. 
 
 We turned aside a few miles to visit ** Dai- 
 Butz,*' the great bronze idol of Japan, which is 
 about fifty feet in height. It stands near the for- 
 mer site of an ancient city of great historic inter- 
 est, but which passed away some centuries ago, 
 leaving scarcely a vestige behind, except this idol 
 and a large temple. 
 
 The colossal image represents Buddha sitting in 
 a large lotus-lily, in the state called '* nir-vana,'* 
 which is a kind of divine sleep or unconsciousness. 
 This is the heavenly state which the devout 
 Buddhist hopes to attain. Not a heaven of holy 
 activity and of joyous worship, but a sleep of eternal 
 unconsciousness, an absorption into Buddha ! Yet 
 there is certainly something very peaceful and 
 even beautiful in the expression of repose on that 
 bronze face, and I do not wonder that multi- 
 
20 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 tudes of the ignorant pilgrims worship it with 
 awe. 
 
 In front of the image are two vases containing 
 large bronze lotus-HHes with expanding leaves, 
 and between the vases is a bronze brazier where 
 incense may be burnt. Dai-Butz is very imposing 
 without, but he is entirely empty within ; for you 
 may go inside of him, by passing through a small 
 door, and find his hollow form lined with shelves, 
 on which small gilt images are ranged. His ears 
 are very large, as all ears are on idols, and his 
 massive head is covered with concentric rows of 
 snail-shells, which gathered there to protect his 
 sacred person from the sun when ^in mythological 
 times) he rose from the sea. 
 
 After studying the image as a work of art, I 
 climbed up into his capacious lap, and sat upon 
 one of his thumbs, which were placed together in 
 a devout attitude. Here I began to sing the long- 
 metre doxology, to the astonishment of the priest 
 standing below, who could not understand the 
 words, and wondered what the matter was ! A 
 year after this I sang the same hymn in Dai- 
 Butz's lap, with half-a-dozen other people ; and 
 we told the priest we were praising the TRUE 
 God, that the time was at hand when idolatry in 
 Japan was going dov/n, never to rise again, and 
 
A JOURNEY ON THE '' TOKAIDOr 21 
 
 that even Dai-Butz would no longer be wor- 
 shipped. 
 
 Not far from this great image is the beautiful 
 island of In-o-shi-ma, close by the shore, where 
 shrines and temples are found embowered among 
 the trees high up on the rocky cliffs, and where 
 you may descend to submarine caverns, to reach 
 which I had to swim around the rocks and allow 
 myself to be swept into a dark and dreary cavern 
 by the waves. Here a naked priest stood by a 
 stone altar. On the ledges of the rock, where 
 the surf rolled and dashed high in the air, little 
 Japanese urchins were diving for pennies in the 
 deep green water, protected by the grottos 
 formed at the foot of the cliff ; they would catch 
 a penny when thrown into the water long before 
 it reached the bottom. 
 
 We spent the first night at a large city on the 
 Tokaido, and the next morning found us gallop- 
 ing along the level road leading towards O-da- 
 wa-ra, a city at the foot of the Ha-ko-ne moun- 
 tain pass. The whole journey to Shidz-u-o-ka 
 required five days, for you must remember there 
 were no steam-cars, coaches, or modern con- 
 veniences of travel. Besides, I very soon found 
 that it was to be a journey of Japanese etiquette 
 the whole way. As we approached the province 
 
2 2 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 where I was to live, whole villages appeared spe- 
 cially prepared for my reception. The native offi- 
 cials would come out to meet us, dressed in flow- 
 ing robes, and salute me in the way they used to 
 receive the dai-mios, or distinguished princes, in 
 olden times. Although they were two-sworded 
 men of rank, they would kneel in front of our 
 horses and bow their heads to the earth, heaving 
 a deep sigh of respect that sounded like a minia- 
 ture typhoon ! 
 
 These Yaconims, or officials, would escort us 
 on foot through the whole length of the dis- 
 trict under their jurisdiction, picking up any stray 
 straw or stone that happened in the way, and mo- 
 tioning all carts and traffic to the side of the road 
 with a wave of authority that made all plebeians 
 drop on their knees at once, and keep there until 
 our august presence was passed. 
 
 It tickled my Yankee glee not a little to touch 
 up the horses now and then, causing these sedate 
 officials to perform feats of pedestrianism such as 
 they had scarcely before attempted. They took 
 it in good part, and I usually favored them with 
 an extra ** smile'' for their pains. If I started on 
 a brisk trot, however, and shouted, ** Sai-o-na- 
 ra!** (Good-by), they would fall at once on their' 
 faces, keeping their heads bowed between their 
 hands until we had disappeared from view. 
 
A JOURNEY ON THE '' TOKAIDOr 23 
 
 At the next village we would have to go 
 through the very same formalities, until, after a 
 dozen or more were passed, it became rather mo- 
 notonous. Whole neighborhoods were thrown into 
 agitation by the arrival in their midst of such a 
 strange-looking creature as the '' foreigner,*' and 
 I was evidently as great a curiosity to the people 
 as they were to me. Long lines of awe-struck 
 faces presented themselves at every window and 
 door and crevice, and crowds of women and chil- 
 dren thronged the narrow lanes as we galloped 
 through the principal street, making the old town 
 echo. with the clatter of our horses* feet. 
 
 On crossing the Hakone range of mountains it 
 became necessary to change our horses for pecu- 
 liar vehicles called **kan-gos,** carried on men's 
 shoulders. The *' kan-go" is like a broad cane 
 chair without legs, slung securely on a thick pole, 
 and in which you must squat, with the happy 
 alternative of breaking your neck above or twist- 
 ing your legs out of joint below. How to get 
 into it was a mystery, so I just gave a pitch and 
 tumble, leaving it to chance whether I came in 
 right side up or not. 
 
 When I was fairly stowed away in the kan- 
 go, two naked coolies raised it from the ground 
 and placed the ends of the pole on their brawny 
 shoulders. Off they trudged, as though I were 
 
24 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 simply a bag of rice or a box of cheese, and, jolt- 
 ing me up and down like a bowlful of jelly, they 
 slowly climbed the steep and stone-paved path of 
 the mountains. Now and then they rested the 
 ends of the pole upon their stout bamboo sticks, 
 and after shifting the heavy burden to the other 
 shoulder away they would go again. Though 
 their naked bodies would fairly shine with the 
 sweat that trickled down their backs, yet they 
 went great distances without apparent fatigue, 
 always shouting to each other in keeping step. 
 There are half-way stations on the mountain, 
 where they stop to rest and eat rice ; it is very 
 amusing to see a dozen of their nude bodies 
 dancing around the fire, each carrying a steaming 
 bowl of rice in one hand and chop-sticks in the 
 other. Their appetites are well earned, and after 
 eating plenty they finish off with a cup of tea. 
 
 In coming down hill the coolies trot very fast, 
 and jolt one almost to pieces ; but on level 
 ground the kango goes easily, and when you 
 get accustomed to keeping your legs tied up in 
 knots for two or three hours at a time, and are 
 reconciled to wearing an artificial stiff neck for the 
 same -period, it becomes quite comfortable, and 
 you can soon imagine yourself being rocked to 
 sleep. 
 
 On the pass we encountered naked runners, or 
 
A JOURNEY ON THE '' TOKAIDOr 25 
 
 post-carriers, with their broad-brimmed hats and 
 their httle post-boxes slung on a stick over their 
 shoulders. These are the swift-footed fellows 
 who afterwards brought me my home mails from 
 Yokohama. 
 
 After ascending several thousand feet, through 
 thickly wooded ravines, we reached the pictu- 
 resque village of Hakone, nestled among the 
 mountains, at the head of a lovely lake of the 
 same name. The whole vicinity of Lake Hakone 
 is perfectly charming, and I used to frequently 
 stop here afterwards, as it was the '' half-way*' 
 point between Shidz-u-o-ka and Yokohama. 
 
 The lake is six miles long, and the water is 
 blue, clear, and cool ; at one end of the lake is a 
 small peninsula (seen in the picture), and near it 
 are the thatched roofs of the houses of Hakone 
 village, close by the shore. They look like white 
 patches in the distance. A clump of trees behind 
 the peninsula marks the spot where the road 
 comes down the hill-slope, through a grand ave- 
 nue of pines and poplars, and enters the village 
 near an ancient guard-house that used to be the 
 military ** key'' of northern and eastern Japan. 
 Only the foundations of this guard-house now 
 remain. The whole village of Hakone, like many 
 of the towns scattered along the ** Tokaido,'* is 
 located entirely on one street. The houses are 
 
 4 
 
26 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 plain wooden huts with paper shding-doors, mat- 
 ted floors on which people eat and sleep, and 
 roofs covered with thatched straw, without chim- 
 neys, and having holes at the top to let out the 
 smoke. Babies were sprawling around on the 
 floors, or strapped upon their mothers' backs like 
 an Indian's pappoose. Sometimes the baby's 
 head was shaved, with tufts of hair left upon the 
 sides and back of the head ; at other times the 
 child wore a little red cap, which I used to think 
 quite pretty until I found it signified small-pox I 
 
 The ** hotel " at Hakone was like most of the 
 others we stopped at on the Tokaido ; the land- 
 lord was very polite, and the women of the house 
 favored us with loud demonstrations of welcome 
 by uttering a chorus of strange sounds we could 
 not understand. 
 
 Our coolies turned us out of the kangos on 
 the porch of the hotel as though we had been in 
 wheel-barrows ; and taking off our shoes, as all 
 Japanese do on entering the house, we walked 
 across the clean straw mats to the inner apart- 
 ments prepared for us. 
 
 Japanese houses are only one or two stories 
 high, but cover a great deal of space, and have 
 many rooms, separated from each other by frame- 
 work and sliding-doors covered simply with rice 
 paper. All these sliding-doors can be thrown 
 
A JOURNEY ON THE " TOKAIDOr 27 
 
 open at once, making one large hall, so that from 
 the street you can look straight through the house 
 to the garden behind. The kitchen is at the very 
 entrance, so that in coming in you pass through 
 an array of pots and kettles, and see the women 
 boiling rice and frying fish over a fire kindled on 
 the floor, or in a stone fireplace where there is no 
 chimney. Unsavory odors greet you of unmen- 
 tionable Japanese dishes, and you are glad to 
 escape the noise and smell by retiring to your 
 room, which faces upon a small garden ; here you 
 sit upon the floor and rest as well as you can, in 
 the absence of beds, chairs, sofas, or common 
 comforts. My cook prepared supper from the 
 preserved provisions brought with us in tin cans, 
 and every thing was served on tiny little tables, 
 scarcely a foot high, in dishes no larger than sau- 
 cers. 
 
 After tea soft quilts were spread upon the floor 
 of the guest-chamber, which is one foot higher 
 than the other rooms, and a wooden pillow-block, 
 with a little round roll on top of it was placed at 
 the head of the pile of quilts for a pillow ! When 
 I placed my neck on the pillow-block I felt as if I 
 were about to be decapitated ; but they covered 
 me with a great stuffed quilt, shaped like a coat, 
 with arms two feet wide that flapped over me. 
 Then they hoisted a great mosquito-net, and 
 
28 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 tucked the edges under me to keep away tlie rats ! 
 I wondered at this, until I rolled from under the 
 net, and found the rats at midnight playing tag 
 over my face ! Nor could I drive the creatures 
 away until I struck a match, when they fled at the 
 light. 
 
 At one of the villages we afterwards passed, 
 the yaconims mourned greatly that in the whole 
 place they could not find silk comforters for me 
 to sleep in, so that for one night I had to conde- 
 scend to cotton ones. Everywhere we met with 
 the most marked attention and respect ; couriers 
 went ahead to ** prepare the way,'* and officials 
 vied with each other in courtesy to the stranger. 
 
 We left Hakone Lake early the next morning, 
 descending a portion of the way on foot. It is 
 customary to start off while yet dark, so as to 
 get well on the journey before the heat of the 
 day. We had the path illuminated by huge 
 torches made of bundles of dried reeds, which 
 burned with a brilliant light, and were carried in 
 advance by tRe coolies. It was a very weird 
 sight : we wended our way through the dark for- 
 est and deep ravines, lighting up the rocks and 
 trees, and causing shadows to flit along our path 
 as the torches flared up or smouldered away in 
 the hands of our guides. Ere long the morning 
 light came creeping quietly over the neighbor- 
 
A JOUJ^NEY ON THE " TOKAIDOr 29 
 
 ing hills, chasing away the gray mist and shoot- 
 ing long bright streaks across the sky, until at 
 last the golden fringe of the eastern sun, which 
 skirted the mountain-top, gave place to one 
 broad dazzling flash of light, and the king of day 
 was ushered in with a perfect sea of glory. 
 There was real romance in this early morning 
 ramble, so far away from the rest of the world, 
 with such strange and beautiful surroundings. We 
 were now passing close along the foot of Fujiya- 
 ma, and could see all the way up his sloping and 
 regular sides, even to the spotless night-cap 
 which he still kept on his crater-like head. The 
 first thing that would strike a Yankee boy on be- 
 ing brought close up to Fujiyama would be the 
 jolly sliding-place it would make from top to bot- 
 tom for his winter sled ; in fact it looks as if it 
 were shaved off for some such purpose, as well as 
 to fit nicely on lacquer boxes and tea-chests. 
 The appearance of the Tokaido throughout this 
 section of the country is splendid ; it is lined all 
 the way by a double row of massive and magnifi- 
 cent pines, whose overhanging branches have 
 shaded the generations that have journeyed over 
 this road for centuries. These old trees are 
 among the most pleasing and interesting features 
 of the whole country, and I like to hear the wind 
 sighing through them, as though it were mourn- 
 
30 LIFE IN JAPAN, . 
 
 ing over some strange and unknown scenes of the 
 past. Passing through the villages so early, it 
 was a peculiar sight to see all the houses shut up 
 in front, their weather-beaten sliding-doors fitting 
 into each other so closely as to make the whole 
 town look like a succession of windowless barns. 
 Now and then we met some old woman taking 
 her morning walk, who was petrified with aston- 
 ishment at the sudden apparition that greeted 
 her. 
 
 Smoke issued from numberless crevices in the 
 roofs, showing that the morning fires were being 
 lighted within. 
 
 We stopped at a large tea-house, where break- 
 fast was served in better style than usual, and 
 then we reclined on the broad veranda overlook- 
 ing a garden where dwarfed trees, miniature 
 mountains, and rippling cascades were all placed 
 in an incredibly small compass. We fed the 
 finny tribe in the gold-fish pond close to the ve- 
 randa, and then sent out for ** Jin-reka-shas,'* or 
 man-power carriages, and resumed our journey 
 southward. The ** Jin-reka-sha'* is a two- 
 wheeled vehicle, more than twice the size of a 
 substantial baby-carriage, and is usually drawn 
 by two men. One man gets into the thills, the 
 other runs ahead with a rope. Both are finely 
 tattooed with pictures pricked into the skin with 
 
A JOURNEY ON THE '' TOKAIDOr 3 1 
 
 ink of various colors. These pictures are similar 
 to those seen on Japanese fans, but are more ele- 
 gantly executed. The naked bodies of these hu- 
 man horses are browned by the sun, and you 
 study the muscular proportions of their power- 
 fully-developed limbs as they dash along the 
 level road at a rate that fairly takes your breath 
 away. By changing your men frequently you 
 may have new pictures on their backs continually 
 dancing before your eyes ; and the varieties in 
 art may thereby keep pace with the ever-chang- 
 ing beauties of nature through which you are pass- 
 ing ! These fellows are very strong, and I have 
 often had a single pair of them carry me forty 
 miles on a stretch ! They would stop every three 
 hours to eat rice and refresh themselves ; in this 
 way they would run a whole day without showing 
 signs of weariness. 
 
 The little carriage has a cushioned seat and 
 short springs, but in going down hill where the 
 road is worn rough from the rains you are liable 
 to be bounced out if not very careful. Should a 
 storm come up, you are protected from the wet 
 by an oiled silk top drawn up over your head, 
 completely covering you ; through a little flap you 
 can look out at the storm and see your coolies 
 with dripping straw coats splashing through the 
 mud. 
 
32 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 We Avere now approaching the sea-shore skirt- 
 ing the head of the deep Gulf of Su-run-ga, which 
 bears the same name as the province where I was 
 destined to Hve. On our right towered the great 
 snowy peak of Fujiyama, nearly 12,000 feet in 
 height. All about us were waving fields of grain 
 white for the harvest ; bright landscapes met the 
 eye in every direction ; fleecy clouds decked the 
 mountain-side ; and sunlight and beauty filled the 
 soul with joy, until some sad evidences of heathen- 
 ism were passed, showing that though in the midst 
 of God's bounties we were still in a pagan coun- 
 try. 
 
 The long journey drew to a close as we ap- 
 proached the suburbs of Shidz-u-o-ka. Several 
 turbulent rivers had been crossed in flat-boats, 
 propelled by bamboo poles, and now the last relay 
 of Jinrekashas had been given up, and we found 
 ourselves entering the city, mounted upon jet 
 black Japanese ponies sent out to us by the local 
 officials. The directors of the Scientific School 
 met us some distance down the road, and bade us 
 welcome. 
 
 The streets of the city were crowded with peo- 
 ple anxious to catch the first glimpse of the 
 strange-looking foreigner. All traffic was cleared 
 to the side-streets, and the crowds were hushed 
 into silence, as we rode slowly and in state toward 
 
A JOURNEY ON THE " TOKAIDOr Z^ 
 
 the ** ken-cho/' or government house, where the 
 official reception was to be given. Multitudes of 
 faces peered at us from behind the sliding-doors, 
 and from rows of people squat on their heels by 
 the way-side, as we marched by. Crossing the 
 drawbridge of the castle moat, we passed under 
 an immense gate, and then turned toward an in- 
 closure filled with spacious buildings. 
 
 We dismounted at the second gate, and walked 
 across a paved court -yard to a broad porch where 
 twenty or thirty officials stood waiting to receive 
 us. I could immediately see by the demeanor of 
 my guards and attendants, and by their profound 
 bows, that I was in some very august presence ; 
 for they had received quite complacently all the 
 salutations on the journey, but now they bobbed 
 and scraped as though they could not get their 
 heads low enough ! 
 
 The ** Gon-dai-san-je,*' governors of the prov- 
 ince of Su-run-ga, welcomed me with all the dig- 
 nity due their station, and after taking off my 
 hat and boots I walked up to them and bowed 
 respectfully. They returned the salutation, and 
 then, without a word being spoken, conducted 
 me into an inner chamber, where a bran new 
 table with two plain wooden chairs had been 
 provided. The chief official sat down with me, 
 while all the rest stood by, and our first *' inter- 
 
 5 
 
34 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 view** proceeded through interpreters ; the French 
 language being used, which was then translated 
 into Japanese. 
 
 The governors welcomed me, they said, to the 
 province and city over which they ruled, and 
 congratulated me upon the auspicious termina- 
 tion of the long and tiresome journey from my 
 distant home. They expressed themselves par- 
 ticularly pleased that I had arrived in Japan so 
 much sooner than they expected. 
 
 I replied that in America we were accustomed 
 to do things very promptly, and that no sooner 
 was their invitation received than I acted upon 
 it. They seemed grateful and satisfied. 
 
 After further conversation they said I must be 
 weary after my long ride, so they ordered my at- 
 tendants to escort me to the great temple, which 
 was hereafter to be my " home !*' 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 LIFE IN A BUDDHIST TEMPLE. 
 
 The Buddhist temples usually occupy the most 
 picturesque sites, enshrined among thickly 
 shaded groves, and secluded from the noise and 
 bustle of the large cities. Approaching them 
 through an avenue of trees, or ascending the hill- 
 slope, you may see their massive roofs, carved 
 pagodas, and huge bell-towers rising abruptly 
 through the green foliage. The very atmosphere 
 of sacred solitude surrounds them. 
 
 In one of these temples I was destined to live 
 during my first year in Japan. With all its 
 heathen rites and pagan darkness, I yet learned 
 to call it my home. Under almost the same roof 
 with me were the priests of Buddha and the idols, 
 before whom incense was continually burning, 
 filling the house with fragrance. The grounds of 
 the temple covered several acres, and contained 
 nearly a dozen buildings. Some of these were 
 temples, others were small shrines, and the cen- 
 tral building was a temple and dwelling com- 
 
36 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 billed. Here most of the worship was performed 
 by day and night, and here I lived. 
 
 Several massive gates led into the grounds. 
 Under the largest stood two grim warriors, carved 
 in wood and painted plaster, measuring fifteen 
 feet in height, and holding giant spears, bows, 
 and arrows, with which to guard the sacred por- 
 tals of the temple. Colossal pines shaded the 
 walks, and bamboo groves skirted the hill-side. 
 To the left stood a Buddhist cemetery on the 
 terraced slope of the hill. A great bronze bell in 
 the tower tolled solemnly and slow, with a deep 
 booming sound, every evening when the sun 
 went down. 
 
 At first I thought it quite romantic ; I liked 
 the retirement and the peaceful stillness, broken 
 only by the prayers of the priests and the meas- 
 ured beat of the drums accompanying the repeti- 
 tion of the musical words, ** Buddha armida'* 
 and *' Na-mi-o-ho-ren-gi-ko.'' The priests were 
 very polite, and sent me fresh tea raised in their 
 own garden, and boxes of eggs and sponge-cake. 
 I thanked them, sent them some preserved 
 peaches, and invited them to attend my Bible- 
 class ! 
 
 In fact I had 2, Bible-class, even in this strong- 
 hold of heathenism, with nothing to interrupt 
 except the noise of the gongs and the pagan wor- 
 
A BUDDHIST TEMPLE, 
 
 1 ^ 
 
 ship of the adjoining temple. On the very first 
 Sabbath, at the request of many of my brightest 
 pupils, I explained the teachings of Christianity 
 to as earnest and intelligent a body of young 
 men as it was ever my privilege to address. 
 They listened for more than two hours to a care- 
 ful presentation of Christian truth, warmly thank- 
 ing me at the close, and gladly accepted a copy 
 oLthe Scriptures, which I gave each one of them, 
 promising to study the chapter assigned for the 
 next Sabbath. 
 
 The happiest memories I have connected with 
 my long exile in the interior of Japan are those 
 of the hours regularly spent with my Sabbath- 
 morning Bible-class. The eagerness with which 
 the truth was received, the affectionate gratitude 
 manifested by all who attended, the solemn 
 assurance which the Divine Spirit gave of his pres- 
 ence, and the consciousness that I was presenting 
 Christ to those who had never known him, but 
 would soon rejoice in his salvation, filled me with 
 awe and yet with enthusiasm, and gave an unction 
 to my words far above the secular teachings of the 
 week-day lecture-room or laboratory. 
 
 Of the difficulties experienced in presenting 
 spiritual truth to minds entirely unaccustomed to 
 it, and through a strange language, I need not 
 speak ; but all obstacles were gradually overcome, 
 
38 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 and the students would write me grateful notes 
 during the week, asking questions on the subject 
 discussed, and usually closing with short exclama- 
 tions like the following : 
 ^ * ' These are golden truths you are giving us, 
 and they satisfy the soul,'* said one student. ** I 
 have got very great important points yesterday, of 
 which you have spoken to us from the faith," 
 wrote another. A third wrote, * ' Alas ! my grand- 
 mother has died without knowing the greatness 
 and glory of our God, and the comfort of the 
 blessed Gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ." 
 
 So engrossing were my duties during the week 
 that it was impossible for me to meet the students 
 more than once for systematic Bible study. But 
 they became so interested in the subject that they 
 voluntarily started a Japanese Bible-class, con- 
 ducted by themselves ; the class was held on every 
 Sunday afternoon, at the house of one of their 
 number, and the Chinese and Japanese transla- 
 tions of the Scriptures were used. 
 
 Shi-mo-jo, my favorite interpreter, lived with 
 me at the temple ; he was the brightest and most 
 interesting young Japanese I ever met, and I 
 learned to love him as a brother. He was inval- 
 uable to me in a thousand ways, and I bestowed 
 great care on his education. In scientific studies 
 he made rapid progress, and at my daily lectures 
 
A BUDDHIST TEMPLE, 39 
 
 in the class-room he rendered the work of instruc- 
 tion delightful by the clearness and enthusiasm 
 with which he would expound to others the most 
 abstruse scientific subjects. 
 
 But his health was delicate, and to my great 
 sorrow he died in his twenty-fourth year, just as 
 he was entering a life full of usefulness and pro- 
 mise. Over his grave, in a Japanese cemetery in 
 Tokio, was raised a large stone, with a touching in- 
 scription written in Chinese by his friend Naka- 
 mura ; and having at the close a complete state- 
 ment of the Christian faith, in the hope and com- 
 fort of which Shimojo died. 
 
 Two little boys also lived with me ; one was the 
 son of Governor Okubo, and the other the son of 
 the captain of a Japanese ship-of-war, which went 
 down in the last naval battle fought in 1868 by 
 the forces of the Tycoon. When the father of this 
 little boy saw that his ship was going to sink, he 
 sent his men away in the boats, and then set the 
 ship on fire, and drew his sword and committed 
 ** ha-ra-ki-ru,'' which the Japanese consider a 
 very brave and honorable way of terminating life. 
 
 I must not forget to mention another humble 
 member of my household, who had quite a re- 
 markable history even before I became acquainted 
 with him. His name was ** Sam Patch 'M and he 
 was my cook. He was nearly twice as old as any 
 
40 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 of the rest of us, and used to amuse us with his 
 droll style and strange stories. 
 
 '' Sam'* was formerly a poor Jap sailor-boy, who 
 drifted to sea in a terrible periodical storm — the 
 ** typhoon/' which drove his frail junk far away 
 from the shore. After many anxious days on the 
 ocean he was picked up by an American sailing 
 vessel and carried to San Francisco. Here he 
 was friendless and alone, so he embarked on an- 
 other ship and went to China, and afterwards 
 to the Philippine Islands. When Commodore 
 Perry went to Japan to make the first treaty, he 
 took Sam on his flag-ship, the Mississippi ; but 
 as Sammy was afraid of losing his head if he 
 landed, he fell on his face before Commodore 
 Perry, and begged him to bring him back to 
 America. In those days the Japanese were so 
 barbarous in their feelings toward foreigners that 
 they would even kill any of their own people who 
 had been among foreigners and then come back 
 again. Sammy Avas therefore permitted to take 
 the long voyage around Cape Horn to New York, 
 and it was on this journey that the sailors nick- 
 named him '' Sam Patch,'* as they could not pro- 
 nounce his real Japanese name, San-ta-ro. 
 
 Sammy was befriended by a missionary, who 
 took him to his home in the central part of New 
 York State. On their way Sam passed through 
 
A BUDDHIST TEMPLE. 4^ 
 
 Albany and Syracuse, which he afterwards de- 
 scribed to me as very queer places. Sam had 
 great opportunities in the world, but he didn't 
 have any brains to start on ; so after a while he 
 was sent back to Japan, where he aspired to the 
 position of *' cook,'' in various missionary families. 
 He liked to have his own way, however, and after 
 many vicissitudes he became the chief of my 
 kitchen department. He baked the bread, roasted 
 the ducks, made pies and puddings, and his rice- 
 cakes were everywhere famous. Finally, at the 
 end of three years, I buried him in a Buddhist 
 cemetery ; but of that I will speak by and by. 
 
 Perhaps you may wonder how I occupied my- 
 self during these long months away from society 
 and civilization, without seeing an American or 
 European face for half a year at a time. 
 
 You may even imagine that I had an easy and 
 dreamy existence, in the midst of shady trees, fra- 
 grant incense, and oriental repose. On the con- 
 trary, I never before worked half so hard as I did 
 during the months of exile in the interior of Japan. 
 With an institution of nearly one thousand stu- 
 dents, under the supervision of a single foreigner ; 
 with fifty Japanese assistants to direct and instruct ; 
 with classes in various scientific departments, both 
 theoretical and practical ; with interpreters to be 
 drilled, regulations to be made and enforced, ex- 
 
 6 
 
42 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 periment^ prepared, and lectures given through 
 the threefold medium of English, French, and 
 Japanese, you may believe I had my hands full. 
 
 My regular duties at the school began on Christ- 
 mas-day, as much time had been spent in getting 
 settled. During Christmas week the heathen fes- 
 tival occurred of offering first-fruits of the earth 
 to the pagan deities, so that three holidays were 
 given. We began again on New-year*s-day, and 
 I made out a programme of studies, which was ac- 
 cepted and printed in Japanese. I said nothing 
 respecting the Sabbath, but left the space blank ; 
 the officials inferred my wishes, however, and in- 
 serted the word **rest.'' It was quietly done, 
 and an order was issued changing the previous 
 arrangements, and closing the school on the Sab- 
 bath. 
 
 I usually rose at six o'clock in the morning, and 
 after breakfast the horses and guards would ap- 
 pear at the gate. Passing across the little garden, 
 with its dwarfed trees and gold-fish pond, I would 
 mount my jet black Japanese pony and gallop 
 down the road, preceded by my ''bet-to," or 
 groom, and followed by the guard. The ''bet- 
 to" was a well-formed young fellow, naked to the 
 waist, and splendidly tattooed with colored figures 
 and dragons ; he ran like a deer, and always kept 
 ahead of the horse, clearing the road by a peculiar 
 
A BUDDHIST TEMPLE 43 
 
 cry, which made everybody get out of the way. 
 The distance from my temple to the school build- 
 ing was more than a mile, and as I frequently 
 went over the ground four times a day, it was 
 sometimes necessary to go very fast. 
 
 When I got tired of riding horseback — for the 
 Jap ponies are very spirited and hard to hold — I 
 borrowed a four-wheeled foreign carriage, which I 
 found the ex-Tycoon had brought to the city. 
 This carriage was the only one in the whole prov- 
 ince, and was a great curiosity to the Japanese. 
 It had been presented by the Dutch to the 
 Tycoon, and now that it was no longer needed, 
 he lent it to me, with the horse that had been 
 trained to the harness. But Shidz-u-o-ka roads 
 were never made for carriages, so the governors 
 caused the way to be widened by building new 
 bridges and small embankments. 
 
 If you could have seen the bewildered amaze- 
 ment of the natives as my chariot wheels dashed 
 by their doors, you would suppose something 
 frightful was coming. Mothers were running for 
 their babies in the middle of the road, peasants 
 flying into the ditches, ducks cackling, dogs bark- 
 ing, and stones rattling — all mingling in the wild 
 vtelee. Yet nobody was hurt. 
 
 The two-sworded men on the road would pros- 
 trate themselves before the carriage, thinking 
 
44 LIFE . IN JAPAN. 
 
 that the ex-Tycoon was coming ; but when they 
 heard the laughter of my guards as we passed, 
 they looked very fierce and straightened up im- 
 mediately. They were as wrathful in the end as 
 they were reverential in the beginning. These 
 were the men who disliked foreigners. 
 
 To reach the school building we had to pass a 
 drawbridge crossing a deep moat which skirted 
 the outer embankment of the old castle grounds. 
 Then riding a quarter of a mile through the in- 
 closure, we passed under a wooden gate, and dis- 
 mounted at the school. Here the directors and 
 petty officials would meet us. 
 
 At the side entrance of the school are shelves 
 upon which are ranged hundreds of wooden clog- 
 shoes, which the scholars have taken off on enter- 
 ing ; instead of a hat-rack (of which there would 
 be no need), you see a sword-rack, with pegs in it, 
 upon which rows of small swords are resting, some 
 of which are sharp and elegantly ornamented. 
 These belong to the Samourai scholars within, 
 who, though small, are proud of their rank, and 
 are entitled to wear swords in their little belts, 
 with the ancient family crest on their clothing. 
 
 On entering the part of the building where Jap- 
 anese instruction is going on in the old-fashioned 
 style, you hear a great buzzing sound, such as 
 might come from a colossal beehive, and as the 
 
A BUDDHIST TEMPLE, 45 
 
 noise gets louder and louder you can distinguish 
 the shrill voices of several hundred youngsters, 
 who seem to vie with one another in studying 
 aloud their Chinese and Japanese lessons. 
 
 Following the dignified steps of the director, 
 you pass through various rooms with low ceilings 
 and matted floors, finding in each room rows of 
 tables a foot high, before which squat the little 
 folks upon straw mats. The noise subsides some- 
 what as you enter the room, and all the scholars 
 bow down in an instant before you, touching 
 either the table or the floor with their foreheads. 
 Each teacher greets you with ** O-hi-o !*' (Good- 
 morning) and kneels beside you while inspecting 
 the class, catching every glance of commendation 
 you deign to give, and as you retire he draws a 
 deep sigh, not of relief but of respect, and the 
 next class goes through the same formality. 
 
 In the school and the family the children are 
 trained to politeness and respect to their superiors 
 as the first and most essential requirement ; and 
 the dignified and gentle manner in which the 
 young folks conduct themselves is really surpris- 
 ing. The Japanese are the most polite people in 
 the world, and though they have bare feet and 
 wear less clothing than we do in America, they 
 certainly are more courteous and kind than many 
 people who call themselves ** civilized.*' The chil- 
 
46 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 dren especially are never quarrelsome or trouble- 
 some ; they are obedient and dutiful to parents and 
 teachers, and are all the happier for it. In the school 
 you would not see any thing that even approach- 
 ed disorder, and there was an air of refinement 
 about the commonest-clad child. The scholars 
 wore loose dresses with long sleeves, which served 
 as pockets, and in which they carried tops, strings, 
 oranges, and rolls of brown paper, or any thing 
 they needed. They tied up their books in pieces 
 of cotton or silk, and carried them home to study 
 at night in the same noisy way. All this loud 
 study of former days simply filled their heads 
 with long passages from classical Chinese and Jap- 
 anese books, which they memorized by rote, with- 
 out understanding half they studied. They had to 
 learn a great many ''moral precepts" also, such 
 as obedience to parents and the elder brother, 
 respect for the aged, worship at the graves of their 
 ancestors, offerings at the shrines of pagan gods, 
 and stories of romance and robbers, which were 
 calculated to teach bravery and give them con- 
 tempt of death. 
 
 The scholars in the Japanese and Chinese de- 
 partment came to school at six o'clock in the 
 morning and were dismissed at nine. They also 
 came again at five in the afternoon. My own 
 classes of the more advanced students commenced 
 
A BUDDHIST TEMPLE. 47 
 
 at nine o* clock and continued until noon ; then I 
 arranged the apparatus and experiments in the 
 new laboratory built for me, preparatory to the 
 afternoon lectures, which began at two o'clock 
 and continued until five. 
 
 I wrote chemical formulas, and drew diagrams 
 on the large black-board, which were copied by 
 the students while I went home to dinner. On 
 returning I would find fifty or sixty young men 
 seated in the large lecture-room, ready for the ex- 
 periments and the lecture in chemistry or physics. 
 These young men were nearly all about my own 
 age, enthusiastic in their pursuit of science, and 
 diligent in their studies to a degree that aston- 
 ished me. They mastered with facility text- 
 books that had taxed all the energies of American 
 college students, and were so thorough and devot- 
 ed to their work that it was a pleasure to teach 
 them. 
 
 The government had been very liberal in pro- 
 viding suitable scientific and philosophical appa- 
 ratus, so that all the principles and problems in 
 chemistry and physics could be proved and illus- 
 trated before their eyes. The experiments were 
 at times a Httle dangerous, but the Japanese de- 
 light in excitement, and would face without fear 
 the most hazardous ** demonstrations." 
 
 One may easily imagine with what astonishment 
 
48 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 and delight these people (who had hitherto known 
 nothing of science and the marvellous inventions 
 of our age) viewed for the first time the wonders 
 of electricity, the steam-engine, the air-pump, the 
 startling results of chemical combinations, and all 
 the powders and appliances of modern physics. No 
 wonder that rumors floated about among the com- 
 mon people outside the school that either I had 
 *'the gods** or ** the devil** in my laboratory, 
 they didn't know which ! While I was perform- 
 ing my experiments, Shimojo, my interpreter, 
 would explain the principles to those students who 
 only understood Japanese ; other students were 
 taught in French or English. Between the three 
 languages we usually got along very well : they 
 always asked a great many questions. 
 
 When the duties of the day were over, the 
 horses and bettos would appear at the door, 
 and I would ride home to tea. I always found 
 ** Sam Patch** awaiting me at the temple with 
 hot rice-cakes and honey, and plenty of nice 
 things. The guards put up at the little house at 
 the gate, and as night came on the servants 
 closed the long line of sliding-doors, which ran in 
 grooves on three sides of the building, so that the 
 whole temple was shut up like a box ! No one 
 could enter the grounds after dark. 
 
 At night I could hear the rats racing through 
 
A BUDDHIST TEMPLE. 49 
 
 the great empty lofts of the temple ; hundreds of 
 them would come scampering over the thin 
 wooden ceiling at midnight, directly over my 
 head, and I would wake up with a start, thinking 
 that a small army was coming ! 
 
 Earthquakes are very frequent in Japan, and 
 often occur at night. Sometimes I would be 
 aroused from my sleep by a strange motion of the 
 bed, as though its four legs were about to walk 
 off with me ! On listening, I would hear the 
 heavy timbers in the roof creaking, and the whole 
 building groaning and shivering like a ship at sea. 
 Still, as there was no storm raging outside, I 
 could not sometimes imagine what the commo- 
 tion meant, until, on lying perfectly quiet, I could 
 feel the earthquake waves passing under the tem- 
 ple at intervals of two or three minutes each. 
 Usually there are three waves, and the second is 
 the most severe ; so, if the first shock was heavy 
 enough to shake things up badly, I would scam- 
 per out of bed, and try and get from under the 
 massive roof of the temple before the second 
 wave would have a chance to bring it down on 
 my head. These roofs, being made of stone tiles, 
 are exceedingly heavy, and are supported simply 
 by uprights standing on the ground, without any 
 foundation ; in fact the whole building stands on 
 wooden legs. As the earthquake wave passes 
 
 7 
 
50 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 under, these timbers slip and creak and make a 
 great fuss, but do not fall. When they do fall, 
 however, woe to the unfortunate people who hap- 
 pen to be underneath ! In the destructive earth- 
 quake in Tokio, some years ago, more than sixty 
 thousand persons perished by the falling of these 
 tiled roofs and the opening of deep crevices in 
 the earth. 
 
 One Saturday, after I had returned from the 
 school, the gate-keeper, knowing that some money 
 had been left in the building, undertook to be- 
 come robber instead of guard. He slipped 
 quietly into the room where the money was, and 
 finding one of the guards sleeping with his head 
 resting on a pillow-block, he attempted to decap- 
 itate him. The poor fellow seized the sword 
 blade in trying to save himself ; but these Japan- 
 ese weapons are as sharp as razors, and he only 
 cut his fingers off. In another instant the rob- 
 ber had killed him and fled with the money, leav- 
 ing a Buddhist book behind, which fell from his 
 clothing. By this book he was afterwards de- 
 tected in the next province, and brought back to 
 Shidz-u-o-ka and beheaded. If it were not too 
 terrible, I could describe the way they sometimes 
 ** try'' such criminals by torture. 
 
 Earthquakes, robbers, and the romantic expe- 
 riences of a strange country kept life in the old 
 
BUDDHIST TEMPLE AND PAGODA. 
 
A BUDDHIST TEMPLE. 5 1 
 
 Buddhist temple free from monotony for some 
 time ; but at last it became very lonely, as the 
 romance and novelty faded out, and the clatter 
 of drums and gongs in the temple, instead of be- 
 ing musical, became intolerable. I used to wan- 
 der up through the woods, passing the Buddhist 
 burying-ground, and sit down on top of the hill 
 (on every Sabbath afternoon), and look off across 
 the Pacific towards home. 
 
 The sullen roar of the ocean could be heard as 
 the waves broke heavily upon the beach five miles 
 away ; that same sea washed the shores of my 
 own country, nearly five thousand miles further 
 east. The sun set over the western hills of 
 Japan, and reappeared rising from the ocean, 
 fresh from its journey across the continent of 
 America. It came to me bright and cheery every 
 morning from *' home/* though all my distant 
 friends were in bed and asleep in America at the 
 time it reached me in Japan. 
 
 Still the days and months rolled by, and though 
 I worked hard and kept busy there were hours 
 when the sense of loneliness seemed too oppressive 
 to be borne. On the Sabbath especially I would 
 pace to and fro on my temple porch, or climb 
 alone to the hill-top, and think of the long months 
 yet to come before I could hope to see a familiar 
 face or hear a familiar American voice. 
 
52 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 If I could only see a single foreigner like myself 
 for ''just a few minutes/* I would often say, 
 then I thought I would be happy and willing to 
 stand another siege of seclusion from society. 
 But when this did happen eventually, and two 
 friends came all the way from Yokohama to visit 
 me a few days, I felt all the more lonely after 
 they left ; for the solitude seemed more complete, 
 in contrast to the merry social times which they 
 said everybody was having in Yokohama and 
 Tokio. Nevertheless I believe in solitude, and I 
 like it, provided it comes in doses that can be en- 
 dured. I believe that true development comes 
 through some forms of solitude faster than through 
 most forms of society. One can be happy alone, if 
 he has the proper resources within himself ; and I 
 look back upon that old Buddhist temple as the 
 brightest and happiest spot that I have yet seen in 
 the world. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 LIFE IN A FEUDAL CASTLE. 
 
 Nearly three hundred years ago the founder 
 of the Tycoon dynasty dwelt in a great castle. 
 This castle was at Shidzuoka, and was surround- 
 ed with high walls and broad moats with water 
 flowing through them. There was a double line 
 of moats, stretching in a continuous circuit of 
 half a mile or more, and faced with sold stone 
 masonry. Within the inner inclosure there rose 
 a massive tower and other lesser battlements. 
 Upon the long line of embankments pine trees 
 were planted, from which the archers might shoot 
 their arrows at the foe. The trees were young 
 then, but now are grand and stately in their old 
 age. From these castle grounds a most impres- 
 sive view was presented on either hand. To the 
 north stood the ** Matchless Mountain,** ever 
 fresh and glorious in its snowy robes, and capped 
 with more silvery clouds than ever shadowed an 
 Alpine peak. On the west stood a long range of 
 
54 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 bleak heights, which opened up into a valley rich 
 in fertility and every tint of green. 
 
 All around the castle was spread out a broad 
 expanse of rice fields and waving grain, while a 
 few miles to the east lay the ocean, whose distant 
 roar could easily be heard, and whose waves had 
 so long broken upon the shores of a land locked 
 in mystery. The thatched-roof houses and huts 
 of Shidzuoka (then called Futsitc, or Chief Cap- 
 ital,) were scattered in great numbers about the 
 castle ; and all the inhabitants rendered complete 
 submission and homage to their feudal lord, the 
 First Tycoon. This castle is now in ruins, and 
 fire and earthquake have left little there save the 
 walls and moats and crumbled towers shaded by 
 patriarchal pines. The mail-clad warriors are 
 gone who once walked these now deserted para- 
 pets ; the archers no longer shoot their arrows 
 from the fir branches of the trees ; the spearmen 
 and swordsmen who guarded the gates have gone 
 to their graves long ago, leaving the copper-cov- 
 ered gates unbarred, the drawbridges tottering 
 and decayed, and the wild foxes to roam among 
 the ruins and vine-covered rocks of the once 
 mighty fortress. For a century or more these 
 castle grounds remained unoccupied, and the 
 birds and wild animals had learned to make it 
 their home ; while the city still thrived without 
 
A FEUDAL CASTLE, 55 
 
 the walls, and grew in crescent form around the 
 broad outer moat of the castle. 
 
 After I had lived a year at the Buddhist temple 
 described in the last chapter, the government de- 
 cided to build me a house in foreign style, and I 
 was requested to select the most suitable site for 
 its location. My two friends Katz and Okubo, 
 who had been councillors in the court of the last 
 Tycoon (and who were more recently instrumental 
 in calling me to Japan), were the persons who 
 built me the house, as a gift from San-mie-san, 
 a little prince of the province, whom they had in 
 charge. This little prince was greatly respected in 
 the region, as he was descended from those who 
 had ruled the country for three hundred years, 
 and would have been the present Tycoon had not 
 that power been overthrown. 
 
 Katz and Okubo thought my temple home too 
 far away from the school and too unprotected, 
 besides being inconvenient in many ways. They 
 wisely proposed the new house, and I chose the 
 deserted castle grounds as the best place upon 
 which to build. 
 
 The Japanese carpenters had never seen a for- 
 eign house, nor were they familiar with modern 
 methods of construction ; neither did I consider 
 myself an architect, or ■ capable of very explicit 
 directions. But I wanted a house well built, com- 
 
56 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 fortable, and secure. So we determined to over- 
 come all obstacles. I drew up the plans with care, 
 and for nearly six months hundreds of stone-cut- 
 ters and carpenters were engaged in executing 
 them. A portion of the embankment on the cor- 
 ner of the castle moat was cut away and faced 
 with solid masonry, constructed from stones drawn 
 from the ruins of the old castle tower. The stones 
 for the walls of the house were brought from a 
 neighboring province. 
 
 I experienced much pleasure in watching the pro- 
 gress of my crude architectural ideas, as they 
 slowly assumed solid reality. But the work was 
 no child's play ; for not only did the ground plan 
 and apartments have to be mapped out, but every 
 thing inside and outside the house had to be ex- 
 plained, for the Japs had no more idea of their 
 meaning than the man in the moon. Doors, win- 
 dows, stairs, closets, chimneys, and other minor 
 details had to be drawn and presented to the 
 head-carpenter by pictures and measurements. 
 Sometimes the most amusing mistakes would 
 occur, owing to his never having seen the objects 
 in question. The carpenters were skilful in imita- 
 tion beyond any thing you could believe. They 
 brought back the most perfect little models of the 
 things described, and it was seldom necessary to 
 correct them. 
 
A FEUDAL CASTLE. 57 
 
 After the work of building was fairly com- 
 menced, the roof was completed in a month, and 
 the heaviest part of the foundation in two months 
 more ; for you must know that it would be de- 
 cidedly contrary to Japanese character to do any 
 thing except in a manner directly opposite to all 
 our preconceived notions on the subject. In a 
 Japanese house the roof is always built first, and 
 the other parts afterwards ! With a kind of celes- 
 tial instinct, they always commence at the high- 
 est point and work downwards. In all the lesser 
 occupations of daily labor, such as digging, saw- 
 ing, planing, cutting lumber, boring holes, or 
 turning screws, the Japanese do just exactly the 
 reverse of what people do on the other hemi- 
 sphere ; and it is consistent with the idea which 
 children have at home respecting our antipodes, 
 the queer folks that walk with their heads down 
 and their feet sticking up, like flies on a ceiling. 
 
 After watching the manner in which they built 
 the house, I felt as if they would be inclined to 
 stand the whole thing on its chimneys, with 
 kitchen and cellar skyward ; but this was hardly . 
 convenient to do. 
 
 The chimneys, by the way, were the most mys- 
 terious part of the house to the carpenters. For 
 a long time they could not be prevailed upon to 
 build them ; but at last they broke holes through 
 
58 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 the floors and roof, and, with the aid of the 
 stone-cutters, put them in. 
 
 They regarded the building of the house as a 
 wonderful achievement, and hundreds of people 
 from all over the country came to see it, suppos- 
 ing that all houses in America were built in the 
 same style. 
 
 The picture given of the house is taken from in- 
 side the castle grounds. On the right of the pic- 
 ture is a small Japanese house occupied by ** Sam 
 Patch,** who is seen standing in front. The well 
 is also seen, with the stone furnace where Sam 
 heated the water for baths. In the foreground is 
 a Japanese well, with a long bamboo stick, having 
 a stone tied at the end, like the old Egyptian 
 method of drawing water. 
 
 Four large pine trees stand near the house, be- 
 tween which I used to suspend a beautiful Ameri- 
 can flag, which the Japanese called the *' flower 
 flag,** and which could be seen from the surround- 
 ing country. With it waved a small Japanese 
 flag, having the *' rising sun** upon it ; the Ameri- 
 can '' stars** and the Japanese '* sun** floated very 
 peacefully together, and in raising the flags I 
 usually caused salutes to be fired. 
 
 The situation of the house was very pictu- 
 resque. It stood upon the outer embankment of 
 the castle moat, facing northward upon the 
 
A FEUDAL CASTLE, 59 
 
 *' Matchless Mountain" of Japan ; to the left, 
 towards the sun-setting, were fertile valleys and 
 verdant hills ; and to the south — the side on 
 which the picture is taken — its open outlook was 
 towards the ruins and interior moats of the castle. 
 On the south side of the house a court-yard is 
 seen, where I gave a '' stereopticon exhibition*' 
 on Christmas eve to several hundred delighted 
 Japanese, the parents and friends of my students. 
 The evening was beautiful, and the people came 
 early with printed tickets that invited them to ** a 
 trip in imagination through foreign countries and 
 the starry heavens" ! 
 
 Not the least interesting part of the entertain- 
 ment to them was the opportunity given of view- 
 ing the interior of my house. Ushers were ap- 
 pointed to guide them around, and for an hour 
 the people poured in and out of the house, utter- 
 ing all manner of exclamations of wonder at what 
 they saw. And well they might, for the poor crea- 
 tures had never been accustomed in their own 
 homes to any thing we would call comfort. Liv- 
 ing and sleeping, as they do, on straw mats, in 
 simple wooden houses with paper windows and 
 shutters, and without any thing that we could call 
 furniture, except little lacquer tables a foot high, of 
 course a foreign house, furnished in American style, 
 appeared to them luxurious beyond description. 
 
6o LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 They examined every object with the minutest 
 care ; carpets, rocking-chairs, table-covers, writ- 
 ing-desk, mirrors, lace curtains, chandelier, beds, 
 and bureaus — all were of great novelty to them. 
 The brilliant-colored oil-cloth in the hall created 
 astonishment as they walked upon it, for they 
 could not imagine what it was or how it could be 
 made. The walls and ceilings were covered with 
 bright-tinted paper of various patterns — for we do 
 not use plaster ceilings in this land of earth- 
 quakes — and the Japanese understood the wall 
 paper very well, for it is from Japan that Euro- 
 peans first got the idea of covering their walls with 
 paper. 
 
 But when the Japs, especially the ladies, came 
 to explore the kitchen, their admiration for the 
 cooking - range and chimney was unbounded. 
 They had never seen ovens, or appliances for bak- 
 ing, roasting, etc., and every thing in the culinary 
 department was a revelation to them exceeding 
 the novelties of the parlor, bedrooms, or well- 
 stocked pantry. 
 
 When it was dark I seated the people on straw 
 mats in the court -yard, and delighted them with 
 the stereopticon entertainment. They had never 
 seen such a sight before, and the beautiful pic- 
 tures of scenes in America and Europe were like 
 glimpses into another world. The revolving 
 
A FEUDAL CASTLE. 6 1 
 
 astronomical diagrams excited great astonishment. 
 I tried to prove by the shadow of the earth on the 
 moon, and by the ship saihng around the globe, 
 that our world was round. But the old folks 
 shook their heads, and were sceptical on that 
 point ; for they had been in the world longer than 
 I had, and knew it was flat ! 
 
 After most of the people had gone home I gave 
 a Christmas dinner — or supper rather — to forty of 
 my friends and the officers of the province. The 
 long tables, bountifully spread, proved a climax 
 upon their astonishment and their appetites, and 
 they pronounced the bill of fare as good as it was 
 novel. There were roast ducks and chickens, 
 corn, peas, beans, tomatoes, succotash, and pota- 
 toes, besides plenty of pies, cakes, jellies, and 
 sweetmeats. All of these foreign provisions were 
 imported from London and San Francisco. The 
 Japanese market is limited to rice, fish, and a few 
 unpalatable vegetables. Piles of oranges, apples, 
 and other fruit loomed up among the casters and 
 dishes, and the long white tables, lit up by lamps 
 and countless candles, presented a cheery appear- 
 ance, rendered doubly gay by the reflection of the 
 large mirror hanging on the wall. 
 
 After half an hour the provisions began to grow 
 beautifully less, and the clatter of unskilful knives 
 and forks became less apparent. At this stage of 
 
62 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 the proceedings a large turkey appeared upon the 
 scene, and was of course the rarest sight of all. 
 Said turkey had been presented to me some time 
 previous by one of the Daisanje, and had been 
 purchased by him at a fabulous price from some 
 enterprising Japanese, who had brought it from 
 Yokohama, but had found it *' a white elephant " 
 upon his hands. I had kept and fattened my 
 feathered friend especially for this Christmas oc- 
 casion ; and when he came in well stuffed and 
 plump, with oyster-sauce accompaniment, I in- 
 dulged the hope that I might strategically remove 
 a nice slice or a ** drumstick'' to my own plate 
 for private purposes. I had, moreover, ordained 
 that two or three ** courses'' should intervene be- 
 fore the bringing on of the turkey, trusting there- 
 by to stay the tide of demolition, so that when it 
 came to turkey it would have to say, ** Thus far, 
 and no farther." But alas ! vain was the hope 
 for me and my drumsticks ! The sight of the tur- 
 key only renewed their courage, and they set to 
 work again with greater vigor. I was kept so 
 busy carving that I had no time to realize that 
 friend turkey was fast disappearing from my view, 
 until when I at last came to my senses not a ves- 
 tige remained save a few stuffing crumbs and that 
 unmentionable appendage which goes over the 
 fence last. 
 
A FEUDAL CASTLE, 63 
 
 The only amusement I had as the long months 
 passed away was in entertaining the Japanese 
 and seeing them enjoy themselves. On various 
 holidays I would give them dinners, scientific ex- 
 periments, fireworks, or exhibitions with the mi- 
 croscope and the stereopticon. In return they 
 would deluge me with presents and with expres- 
 sions of gratitude, and take me to see any Japan- 
 ese display that they supposed worth showing. 
 
 One of the students came to me one day and 
 said there was a great Japanese '' tournament '' 
 going on on the other side of the castle, and that 
 it was like the '* War of the Roses'' which he had 
 read of in English history, and like one which 
 Japanese feudal history also tells about. So I 
 went off with him, thinking it was a good chance 
 to see the style of warfare which once prevailed 
 about the very castle in which I was then living. 
 We found a spacious inclosure, fitted up like a 
 great circus ring, with a frail bamboo balcony run- 
 ning around it, upon which the spectators were 
 seated. The first part of the fray consisted of 
 single combats, in which the knights were arrayed 
 in old-fashioned armor, the same as that worn in 
 past feudal days. Instead of steel swords, how- 
 ever, they used a clumsy bamboo weapon shaped 
 like a sword ; for they did not intend killing each 
 other, though they struck very heavy blows. Be- 
 
H LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 fore each pair of combatants engaged each other, 
 a personage in flowing robes, and with a large 
 black fan, would step forward and announce their 
 names in a most ridiculous tone of voice, and then 
 holding his open fan out towards them he bade 
 them approach each other. Whereupon they ad- 
 vanced to the centre of the ring and saluted, and 
 then, wetting the handles of their swords with 
 water, went to work. 
 
 First they began fencing, until one attempted 
 either a thrust or a blow, and then there came 
 such a clatter and quick succession of foils and 
 strokes that you could scarcely see who was get- 
 ting the worst of it. Usually a fair and square 
 blow on the head would settle the question, and 
 one of the ** braves" would jump backward with 
 a triumphant yell. The person who got fairly 
 struck twice out of three times was declared de- 
 feated, and a ** judge" always stood by to decide 
 any point in dispute. 
 
 The main feature of the show came about the 
 middle of the afternoon, and it was this which my 
 interpreter had called a Httle *' War of the Roses." 
 After a general clearing up of every thing for the 
 coming strife, forty '' knights" appeared upon the 
 field, each with his armor, sword, and a hideous- 
 looking mask. They were heralded by a trum- 
 peter, who came with stately step into the middle 
 
A FEUDAL CASTLE, 65 
 
 of the ring, dressed in a rich white robe of silk, 
 and carrying his horn in a silken net. This horn 
 was a superb instrument, made from a natural sea- 
 shell, and the notes it yielded were mournfully 
 beautiful. My interpreter said this was the horn 
 used in olden times to call the people to battle. 
 So, as the notes of the horn died away, the forty 
 knights began to file into the field for action. 
 
 First came the '* Whites,'' all clad in armor, 
 each having a white sash or ribbon tied over his 
 head, and streaming down behind. In the centre 
 stood their color-bearer, not with a flag, as you 
 would suppose, but with three great plume-shaped 
 things dancing over his helmet. Next came the 
 '' Reds,'' their chief walking in front with stately 
 tread, and their red ribbons shaking in anticipation 
 of the bloody fray. They too had a color-bearer 
 of the same tripod style, and when he shook his 
 head the scarlet banner waved like a tree in the 
 wind. But the two parties did not stand long on 
 ceremony ; the line of battle was formed, and 
 though it was of limited extent it made the con- 
 flict all the closer. Each party kept a reserve in 
 the rear, and each color-bearer was also kept be- 
 hind. Each knight had upon the top of his hel- 
 met a small piece of soft wood, tied loosely with a 
 string. 
 
 Inasmuch as it was inexpedient for them to 
 9 
 
66 
 
 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 break each other's heads in the fight, the next 
 best thing they could do was to break this Httle 
 piece of wood on top of the head. Whoever had 
 his Httle piece of wood broken was considered as 
 getting the equivalent of having his head smashed, 
 and was therefore placed hors du combat^ and must 
 leave the ring ! 
 
 The Japs are very polite, even in fighting, so 
 the first thing the two lines of warriors did was to 
 salute each other, and then, at a signal from their 
 chiefs, they sprang upon each other like tigers. 
 Such a melee as ensued I never before saw. 
 There were shouts and yells, and rushing to and 
 fro, and crashing of swords and sticks, and torn 
 ribbons fluttering in the wind, till it became one 
 bewildered scene of tumult and confusion. 
 
 For some time we could not tell which party 
 would come out ahead, though one individual after 
 another was seen leaving the ring with his helmet 
 off and his piece of wood broken. But at last 
 the *' Reds*' rushed into the reserve of the 
 ** Whites,'* and it looked as though things were 
 getting rather hot for the latter. Nevertheless 
 the '* Whites'' rallied and drove the '* Reds" into 
 their own camp, and then the scene was most ex- 
 citing. 
 
 The crash of arms had reached its height, and 
 scarcely a thing was to be seen save the dozens of 
 
A FEUDAL CASTLE. 67 
 
 uplifted swords which rose and fell repeatedly, 
 making one think the Japs must have pretty thick 
 skulls to withstand such a continuous thumping. 
 But at last the color-bearer of the '' Reds" got his 
 tripod standard broken, and nearly half his com- 
 rades had already been driven from the field. So 
 the fray ceased, and the '' Whites" gave a shout 
 of victory ! 
 
 The open area of the castle was very much ex- 
 posed to storms, and the elevated position of my 
 new house gave me the full benefit of thunder 
 and lightning, and sometimes of a typhoon. One 
 Friday night we had a most terrific thunder- 
 storm. It awoke the whole city from sleep, and 
 at midnight raged with such fury as to threaten 
 the frail Japanese houses with destruction. The 
 rain poured in torrents, and was driven in every 
 direction by the wind. The flashes of lightning 
 followed each other with such rapidity and daz- 
 zling brightness that the whole neighborhood 
 was one blaze of light, and the thunder shook the 
 earth v/ith its repeated reverberations. Such a 
 succession of flashes I never saw — first here, then 
 there, then everywhere, lighting up the sky with 
 a ghastly and insupportable glow. The clouds 
 were black and heavy, hanging very near the 
 earth, while thunder and lightning came so close 
 that sound and flash blended into each other with 
 
68 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 a rattle and roar that shook the house and bed on 
 which I lay, causing me to quake in sympathy 
 with them. The lightning struck a tall '* fire- 
 proof " storehouse near by, setting it in a blaze 
 notwithstanding the pouring rain. This building 
 belonged to a covetous and rich old man, who 
 kept all his goods locked up here, secure from fire 
 or robbers from without ; but the Japanese after- 
 wards said that the fire of heaven ** fell into'* the 
 storehouse for his withholding from the poor the 
 food they so much needed. 
 
 I often thought of placing a lightning-rod on 
 one of the tall trees near my house, as the posi- 
 tion was very much exposed ; but the Jap carpen- 
 ter had never heard of such a contrivance for 
 "'catching fire from heaven, '* and I could not 
 prevail upon him to put one up. 
 
 The storm finally passed off to the north-east, 
 marking its course with the same vivid forks of 
 light ; while behind it left the blazing building, 
 whose flames leaped higher and higher as the rain 
 ceased, lighting up the scene with a different kind 
 of glare. 
 
 The deep-toned gongs of the various temples 
 chimed in one after the other, giving their musical 
 but mournful signals of the fire-alarm. At' one 
 time it looked as though the conflagration would 
 become general, like another fire we had a short 
 
A FEUDAL CASTLE. 69 
 
 time before, which laid waste quite a section of 
 the city. But the '* fire-proof '' walls were thick 
 and massive, and served to keep the flames in- 
 closed, though they towered to a great height. 
 As I looked about the outskirts of the castle walls 
 everybody was turning out to the fire, and for a 
 time there was a perfect procession of men and 
 lanterns passing the house. But, true to their 
 Jap instinct, there was no haste or hurry. They 
 were as slow about this as about every thing else, 
 and they all walked as though it would have been 
 a sin for them to run even to a fire. 
 
 Soon the fire flickered away, darkness came 
 again, and was only broken when the sun rose 
 and gave us the morning as bright and clear as the 
 night had been dark and terrible. 
 
 I close this chapter with a letter written by my 
 good missionary friend, Rev. James Ballagh, of 
 Yokohama, who came to see me in the summer of 
 1873, and who sent home an interesting descrip- 
 tion of the surroundings and historical associa- 
 tions of my house within the old Tycoon's castle. 
 
 " Shidzuqka, Japan, September 2, 1873. 
 
 " Yes, here I am, after a week's journey through baffling 
 storms and floods. 
 
 * ' We were storm-stayed two days at Fujiyama, spent a day 
 and a night in a hut on the mountains, and were detained a day 
 and a half by flooded rivers, yet we had a very enjoyable time. 
 
70 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 What with the company we fell in with, and the abundance and 
 variety of good cheer provided in the shape of preserved meats 
 and fruits, we have not lacked what was requisite to stay up the 
 outer or inner man. 
 
 ** I set out with brother Clark, partly to make experience of 
 his trials in living in the interior, partly for a change, and partly 
 to visit the homes and families of some of my Christian pupils, 
 whose fathers reside at this place ; and my highest anticipations 
 have been more than realized. 
 
 *' I feel grateful to my Heavenly Father for what his hand has 
 here wrought. Let materialists try to legislate God out of his 
 own universe, they cannot put him out of his wonder-working 
 providence, nor out of the joyous confidence of the humblest 
 believer. I feel this conviction very strongly here in this Chris- 
 tian home and its surroundings. It is located in the province 
 of Surunga, which boasts not only of its ' peerless' Fujiyama, but 
 of being the birth-place and home of leasu^ the founder of the 
 last dynasty of Tycoons. He was not only a great general, the 
 friend and ally of the Great Taiko Sama — the George Washing- 
 ton of Japan — but was his successor in the government. This 
 was his ancient capital. Here was his castle. Later he built 
 Yedo, and made that the great northern capital of Japan. To 
 it he brought together all the princes of the empire ; there he 
 compelled them to build palaces, and reside half of their time, 
 alternating between the provinces and the capital. There he in- 
 stituted a system of court etiquette, of counter-checks in gov- 
 ernment, etc., that truly entitled him to the appellation of the 
 Jefferson of Japan. After his death he was buried at Kuno, 
 near Shidzuoka, and here, at the splendid temples erected in his 
 memory, he was worshipped as Great Go Ngen Sama. 
 
 ** What makes his memory most important to us is that he 
 formed the laws against Christianity that have existed without 
 change for nearly three centuries. His predecessor, Taiko, per- 
 secuted the converts, and by the third Tycoon they were ex- 
 terminated. 
 
A FEUDAL CASTLE. 7 1 
 
 *' His last successor, the seventeenth from leasu, now lives 
 here in exile. 
 
 ' * Now the evidence that this is of God is shown by the re- 
 markable change of government that took place when the last Ty- 
 coon was in the height of his power, and the results that have fol- 
 lowed strike the most incredulous as the wonderful work of God. 
 
 " Here is my friend's home — the house a perfect gem of beauty 
 and durability in itself, occupied by a young, joyous, decided 
 Christian, with every room in it emblazoned with mottoes — 
 located within leasu' s old castle grounds, as a tower of Chris- 
 tianity and civilization, on the very corner of the moat ! And 
 there, if you lack further proof of what God has wrought, raise 
 your eye to that well-filled bookcase standing in the room in 
 which I write, with one shelf entirely filled with Bibles, and the 
 others with works of * science and religion ;' while above the 
 bookcase stands one of the board tablets on which is written the 
 old edict against Christianity, and which by the late order of 
 government has been removed from the public crossways, and 
 now hangs up, as a memento of God's wonderful doings, in this 
 Christian parlor. Yes, * God reigns ! ' * Let the earth re- 
 joice ! ' * None that ever put their trust in him shall be asham- 
 ed,' ' In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.' Am I not 
 right in feeling as in the presence of the wonder-working God 
 in view of these things ? 
 
 * * Then I wish to note the decided Christian character of the 
 house. Here are illuminated texts beautifying the walls, and 
 speaking of ' Faith, Hope, and Charity,' of * God is my salva- 
 tion,' and giving * Glory to God in the highest,' and on earth pro- 
 claiming * Peace and good-will to men.' Here in every room 
 hang hymns, texts, and daily promises ; Christian works of prac- 
 tical piety lie side by side with those of science. This is as it 
 ought to be, but alas ! is seldom found elsewhere. 
 
 " September 3. 
 ** I should close my letter before leaving this delightful home, 
 
72 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 but as it is now late, and I must start at dawn, it will be impos- 
 sible to say all I could wish. Yesterday and to-day we spent in 
 visiting scenes of interest in the locality, including the famous 
 temples and the tomb of leasu, situated seven miles from here, 
 on the sea-shore facing the Pacific, and located high up on a moun- 
 tain — a flight of stone steps twelve feet wide winding up across 
 the face of the lofty bluff, with hand railings of massive ma- 
 sonry. The temple where he is worshipped and the tomb it- 
 self are of wonderful workmanship. 
 
 * ' A lofty five-story tower has just been sold by order of gov- 
 ernment, and removed, although it was the crowning glory of 
 this sublime mausoleum. This is owing to the tower being an 
 emblem of Buddhism, and the government is trying to do away 
 with it in favor of Shintoism. leasu had been a great patron of 
 Buddhism. Its priests had given him aid in war, and he re- 
 warded them in peace by making Buddhism the state religion. 
 
 * ' The removal of his dynasty, together with the system he es- 
 tablished, is again the wonderful work of God. Mr. Clark tried 
 hard to purchase material enough of the tower to make the pulpit 
 of the first native Christian church in Japan. They were eager 
 to sell, but finding we wanted it much they went up propor- 
 tionately on the price. 
 
 ** This afternoon I spent a couple of hours in the laboratory 
 connected with the school. Here, too, were the walls illuminated 
 with Scriptural and other appropriate texts. Over the clock and 
 over the door was ' God bless our school, ' supported by * Prove 
 all things, hold fast that which is good,* * Let not your heart be 
 troubled,' 'Peace I leave with you,' 'Speak the truth,' etc. 
 Maps of the United States, presented by Commodore Perry 
 twenty years ago, grace the v/alls. Rare works fill the library. 
 Two immense Holland atlases of over one hundred years old 
 show all parts of the then known world with a remarkable fidelity. 
 All the maps had names written in Chinese characters on gilt 
 paper, and pasted over the countries, showing that they had 
 been carefully preserved for the Tycoon's use. 
 
A FEUDAL CASTLE. 7Z 
 
 *' The opening hours of school exercises were spent in sing- 
 ing ' Just as I am,' * I was a wandering sheep,' * Joyfully, joy- 
 fully,' * From all that dwell,' and numerous other Sunday-school 
 hymns. The boys first repeated the verses from memory with 
 great ease and propriety. They sang well, brother Clark play- 
 ing the organ and leading them. The long-metre doxology was 
 on the black-board. It was their last exercise in closing. I 
 gave them a Japanese translation of it, which I had made for 
 our own use in Yokohama, and they sang it at once, and 
 seemed pleased with it, the first time I presume they have ever 
 heard God's praise attempted in the Japanese language," 
 
 10 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 EXCURSIONS AND COMICAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 The sights and scenery of a country can best 
 be studied by roaming around on foot, and going 
 to out-of-the-way places where primitive customs 
 prevail, and where nature has had full play. Oc- 
 casionally I would take a holiday and tramp off 
 among the mountains, or go on hunting expedi- 
 tions through districts never before visited by a 
 foreigner. At other times I would be sent for to 
 make some scientific researches in a neighboring 
 province, where black stones suggested the prox- 
 imity of coal, or shining fragments of iron or cop- 
 per pyrites were kindled, by the Japanese imagi- 
 nation, into hidden mines of gold. ** All is not 
 gold that glitters,'* would be my usual response 
 to the yellow missiles sent to me for analysis. 
 Sometimes I was sent for to vaccinate a baby. 
 Small-pox is very prevalent in Japan, and I was 
 supposed to be equal to every emergency, whether 
 to vaccinate a baby, find a coal mine, teach a 
 school, build a house, or measure a mountain. 
 
COMICAL EXPERIENCES. 75 
 
 One day in July I started off on an excursion 
 with a party of my students to visit a famous 
 Water-fall thirty miles distant, located in the 
 region south-west of Fujiyama. I knew the 
 young men needed exercise, for they studied too 
 hard and walked too little ; so I planned that we 
 should make the tour on foot after leaving the 
 high-road, and I knew that no kind of conveyances 
 could be obtained there for such as were inclined 
 to be lazy. 
 
 We got along very well until the latter part of 
 the afternoon, when, after traversing a great tea 
 district, and resting at the ruins of an ancient 
 Buddhist temple, one of the most beautiful I ever 
 saw, we entered the rolling and hilly region lead- 
 ing towards the magnificent slope of the *' Match- 
 less Mountain.'* 
 
 Here we were overtaken by a storm, and the 
 wind and rain nearly drenched the romance out of 
 us. We entered the woods and made our way as 
 fast as the steep and slippery nature of the ground 
 would admit, hoping to arrive at some habitation 
 where we might rest and spend a comfortable 
 night. The water-fall was only three miles away, 
 but as the rain was too much for us we decided 
 to put off visiting it until next morning. The 
 whole region abounded in rapid streams and mini- 
 ature cataracts, and as we trudged along we could 
 
76 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 hear the thumping of a Japanese water-wheel 
 turning on its rude axle and driving a heavy 
 wooden hammer by means of projecting spokes, 
 which pounded the rice into powder. Usually 
 the rice is pounded into flour in the w^ay shown 
 in the accompanying illustration, where a man 
 stands all day in the sun and pounds the rice in a 
 wooden mortar with a large wooden hammer. It 
 is very hard work, but he gets used to it, and 
 simply stops now and then to wipe the perspira- 
 tion from his naked body. The man in the pic- 
 ture has as much clothing upon him as most of 
 the country people wear in the summer. 
 
 We passed Japanese farmers ** ploughing'' in 
 the field. One man guided the plough, while 
 another led the horse. But the men, the horse, 
 and the plough were all in two feet of water and 
 mud, and presented a ridiculous appearance as they 
 rushed back and forth in the miry field, with the 
 rain pouring upon them, and with only straw hats 
 and straw coverings over their bodies. When the 
 rice field is stirred up into a perfect mush of mud 
 they consider it fit for planting. 
 
 At last we arrived at a thatched-roof farm- 
 house, which our guide said was the best place in 
 that neighborhood for us to spend the night. But 
 the two old women of the house did not welcome 
 us very warmly, and said they had nothing for us 
 
COMICAL EXPERIENCES. 77 
 
 to eat, and no good place for us to sleep. We 
 were not going to be driven out again into the 
 rain and cold, however, so we said we would man- 
 age to get along, and told the old folks to get a 
 hot bath ready and then give us some supper. I 
 was wet to the skin when I arrived at these un- 
 comfortable quarters, and as there was not a thing 
 for me to put on, I knew I must catch a severe cold 
 unless I could manage to get my clothes dry. So 
 I told them to build a good fire, and then said I 
 would get into the hot bath and wait patiently 
 till one of the students dried my clothes. Their 
 bathing arrangements were of a decidedly primi- 
 tive order ; nevertheless I had to make the best 
 of the circumstances. The bath-tub was a round 
 wooden concern, with a little copper oven placed 
 in its side, and in this oven a little fire was built, 
 so that the person bathing and the fire itself are 
 literally in the bath together ! This big tub stood 
 — not in some private corner, as you would im- 
 agine, but directly in the centre of the house, and 
 in the most conspicuous place, close to the en- 
 trance door. Grouped about it were the women 
 and children, all waiting for the fun of seeing the 
 Tojin get into his bath ! But modesty is at a dis- 
 count in this part of the world, and I could not 
 stand shivering in the cold while my wet clothes 
 were drying ; so after one or two futile attempts to 
 
78 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 drive the spectators away, I made a bold dash 
 and succeeded in submerging myself in the scald- 
 ing contents of the tub ! 
 
 Here I thought I would be at ease for awhile ; 
 but I found as I reached the bottom of the tub 
 that the mud of the region was by no means con- 
 fined to their rice-fields, for such a slimy tub I 
 never had the misfortune to be in before, and I 
 wanted to get out immediately. Besides, the 
 water smelled as though they had been boiling old 
 fish in it, and if I turned about now and then to 
 get a fresh sniff of air, I was sure to strike my 
 legs against that hot copper oven with the fire .n 
 it ! Then I would give a jump, but as I appeared 
 above the rim of the tub a dozen eyes would be 
 fixed upon me to see what was the matter. Now 
 and then a farmer or neighbor would come in at 
 the door, and be transfixed with astonishment at 
 the strange apparition which greeted him in the 
 tub. Not that the sight of cuticle was by any 
 means new to him, but such a chalky creature as 
 the one before him had never appeared in his zo- 
 ological experience ; and many of the farmers 
 rubbed their eyes, as they came in and out, to see 
 whether it were a ghost or not. 
 
 At last the clothes were dry, and I arose from 
 the tub a little wiser, if not cleaner, from the 
 operation. But hardly had I stepped out of the 
 
COMICAL EXPERIENCES, 79 
 
 water before another person stepped in, and 
 when he was through still another followed, till I 
 counted during the evening at least a dozen 
 different individuals who bathed in that same tub, . 
 and in the same water, one right after another ! 
 
 The next thing on the programme was supper ; 
 but supper they had none to give us, and this was 
 not the most agreeable information, inasmuch as 
 we were cold and hungry, and had walked fifteen 
 miles without any thing to eat. We also knew 
 that we must walk the same distance next day, 
 and it was necessary for us to get something sub- 
 stantial with which to build up our energies. One 
 of the students proposed therefore to the old 
 farmer, when he came in, that he should kill a 
 chicken and make soup for us. But the old fellow 
 shook his head in horror at the very idea of it, and 
 whispered that it was well known to all the people 
 of the region thereabouts that whosoever killed a 
 fowl would have his house destroyed by the gods, 
 and he besought us not to ever speak of such a 
 thing lest destruction should be brought upon 
 him. Neither could he be prevailed upon at first 
 even to cook some eggs for us ; but we tried to 
 prove to hirfi that eggs were not chickens, so at 
 last he yielded, but said we must not eat them ! 
 
 After a scanty supper of eggs and rice, and the 
 poorest tea that ever was put over a fire, we pre- 
 
8o LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 pared ourselves for bed. But going to bed in 
 Japan is rather an indefinite expression for any- 
 one accustomed to sleep between sheets and com- 
 forters and upon snowy pillows. In fact you do 
 not ** go'* to the bed at all, but the bed, such as 
 it is, simply comes to you ; and the style of prepar- 
 ing for the night is about the same wherever you 
 are. First, a cotton-stuffed mat is laid anywhere 
 upon the floor, and a block or roll is placed at one 
 end to rest (?) your head upon. Then you lie 
 down, and a cotton-stuffed quilt is thrown over 
 you. 
 
 This quilt is like a Jap dress on a big scale, with 
 large and heavily stuffed sleeves which flap over 
 you like wings. But the difficulty is that these 
 capacious sleeves, with all the rest of the bedding, 
 contain unnumbered legions of voracious fleas 
 hid away in recesses known only to themselves, 
 but which only wait till you get fairly nestled in 
 sleep when they begin their onslaught on their 
 defenceless and helpless victims. Awakened by 
 the merciless havoc they are making upon you, 
 it is in vain that you roll and toss and shake your 
 clothes till you are wearied out ; that only in- 
 creases the vigor with which they renew the bat- 
 tle, and though you may spend hours in the faint 
 glare of the primitive oil-lantern, which is set in 
 one corner of the room, and strive to rid yourself 
 
COMICAL EXPERIENCES. 8 1 
 
 of the tiny tigers that are devouring you, it is all 
 to no purpose, and you sink down at last asleep. 
 But you are soon awakened again, only to under- 
 go the same tribulation, and the long hours of 
 night pass away as you pace up and down the 
 narrow limits of the room listening to the snoring 
 of the dozen or more tough-hided sleepers who 
 surround you, and peep through the sliding shut- 
 ters of the house to see if day is breaking or not. 
 You cannot lie down again, for the floor is crawl- 
 ing with the creatures you dread, and you cannot 
 sit down, for there is nothing to sit upon, and 
 such a thing as a chair was never heard of in that 
 region ; neither can you take even a sniff of fresh 
 air on the balcony, for the house is boxed up en- 
 tirely with the windowless and doorless sliding- 
 shutters, which you strive in vain to force open. 
 Besides, the rain pours in torrents outside, and 
 you would only be drenched in any attempt to 
 change the situation. Such was the miserable and 
 tiresome night I passed after the day's fatigue 
 which preceded it. The morning found me sleep- 
 less, tired, and hungry, and with scarcely a square 
 inch of my body which was not covered with bites 
 innumerable. The rain was still pouring outside, 
 and our prospects for the day were not very cheer- 
 ful. Nevertheless we laughed at our misfortunes, 
 and began tramping off again over the hills, though 
 
 11 
 
82 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 it was with difficulty we could keep our feet, for 
 the paths were steep and slippery, and the wind 
 blew the rain in our faces till we were half blind. 
 We were bound to get to the water-fall which we 
 had set out to see, though we had hardly reckoned 
 upon such an abundant ** water- fall ' * as that 
 through which we were now passing. 
 
 As we drew near, the roar of many waters 
 greeted us, and the sound grew louder and deeper 
 as we passed under the dripping foliage and de- 
 scended the precipitous and rocky path which led 
 us to the bottom of a wild, romantic-looking 
 canon, completely shut in by steep rocky walls 
 nearly a hundred feet high. 
 
 The main water-fall was situated at the inner- 
 most end of the circular-shaped gorge in which we 
 stood, and though its height was not more than 
 sixty or seventy feet it was very beautiful. The 
 amount of water was considerable, and it fell in 
 one solid column, which struck with great force in 
 the oval basin below. The noise was almost deaf- 
 ening, because the sounds reverberated from the 
 walls of the gorge which encircled us with a cir- 
 cumference of not more than five hundred feet. 
 The Japs call this fall the great *' White Rope,*' 
 and the little fall close to it they call '* Silver 
 Threads,'' because there are so many of them 
 spinning down over the rocks. The main fall re- 
 
COMICAL EXPERIENCES. 83 
 
 minded me somewhat of the Staubbach in Switzer- 
 land, for there are surely a thousand miniature 
 fountains which leap from the rocky precipice to 
 the right of the main fall, and these add greatly 
 to the beauty and romance of the scene. Just to 
 the left, also, there is a *' Bridal Veil '' fall— thin, 
 smooth, and transparent in its airy descent. 
 There is a rich border of foliage inclosing the 
 whole gorge, and setting off the falls, the foam, 
 and the cataracts to great advantage. It is, on 
 the whole, the prettiest spot I have seen in Japan. 
 
 The ex-Tycoon lived not far from my house, 
 near a temple founded by his illustrious ancestors. 
 He was very fond of hunting and hawking, and as 
 I wanted to make his acquaintance and see his 
 trained hawks, I sent him a pretty chromo of a 
 hunting scene and invited him to take tea with 
 me. 
 
 He replied very politely in an elegant per- 
 fumed note, written with his own hand, saying 
 that he wanted to come and see me in my new 
 house, but that political difficulties were in the 
 way, for he was an exile. He thanked me for the 
 invitation, and for kindness in teaching his people ; 
 and as a slight token of his regard sent me an im- 
 mense aquarium bowl made of the finest China- 
 ware, and carried by four men. The bowl was 
 beautifully ornamented with blue waves, fishes, 
 
84 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 and turtles, and was so large that I sat in it and 
 had my photograph taken ! *' Sam Patch '* at- 
 tempted to extemporize a bath-tub out of this 
 bowl one day by putting several gallons of hot 
 v/ater in it, when it exploded with a terrific noise, 
 frightening the wits out of poor Sam, and leav- 
 ing me only fragments of my present from the 
 Tycoon ! 
 
 Not succeeding in securing a hawk hunt with 
 the Tycoon, I started off on a grand boar hunt in 
 a wild mountainous section of the country, where 
 no foreigner had ever penetrated before. I left 
 the students behind this time, as they could not 
 stand the fatigue, and took my most reliable guard 
 with me. The governors of the province gave me 
 guides, and ordered nearly two hundred armed 
 men of that section to go with me and beat up 
 the game. 
 
 When I reached the neighborhood of the hunt-, 
 ing ground, I found myself at the head of a small 
 army of wild-looking Japanese farmers, who car- 
 ried old-fashioned guns which they fired with a 
 slow match. They had never seen a foreigner, 
 and gazed at me with as much curiosity as I did 
 at them and their queer guns. 
 
 On arriving at the hunting ground we discov- 
 ered several deer standing under a tree on top of 
 the hill. The men divided into three parties and 
 
COMICAL EXPERIENCES, 85 
 
 soon surrounded the three ravines in which the 
 hunt was to take place, and through which they 
 were to beat along in the underbrush, driving the 
 game before them. I stood on a low cliff, at the 
 base of which the ravines converged, and shot at 
 the game started from the bush when I could do 
 so without endangering the men below. The 
 hunters were all hidden in the underbrush and tall 
 grass, but the noise they made was frightful ; they 
 yelled like demons, and fired their guns incessant- 
 ly, while the dogs kept barking furiously as the 
 unseen but noisy circle closed slowly upon the 
 game within the three ravines. 
 
 Now and then a wild boar would dash out and 
 attempt to break through the line of fire by rush- 
 ing headlong up the hill. Fifty balls would fol- 
 low him before he reached ten paces, and, if he 
 were not killed outright, the dogs would dash 
 after him ; but the dogs sometimes had the worst 
 of it if they happened near his sharp tusks while 
 he was yet alive. The frightened deer were 
 driven down the glade and died without a strug- 
 gle. 
 
 At noon all of the men came together on the 
 side of the hill and ate balls of boiled rice which 
 they carried in small boxes. This they considered 
 a satisfactory dinner ; each ball weighed half a 
 pound and had a plum or raisin inside of it. They 
 
86 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 looked at my cake, crackers, and bread and buttef 
 with great wonder. After dinner I made them 
 fire a salute of two hundred guns, to hear the 
 marvellous echo of the valley and to end the day's 
 sport. 
 
 They brought up three wild boars and two fine 
 deer, which they laid at my feet, and I said this 
 v/as sufficient to supply me with fresh meat for 
 some time. The largest boar weighed nearly two 
 hundred pounds, and was a fierce-looking fellow ; 
 it required eight men to carry him to the city. 
 
 Subsequently I sent my friends and the gov- 
 ernors steaks of venison and slices of fresh pork ; 
 vv^hile at home I had the first roast meats that I 
 had enjoyed for many months. 
 
 In a duck hunt shortly after this, which I had 
 in another section of the country, I was not quite 
 so fortunate in finding the people friendly. I did 
 not know that the feeling against foreigners was 
 so bitter there until I had rather dangerous 
 proof of it. A small lake nestling among the 
 hills had been a resort for thousands of wild ducks 
 for a long time. The sound of a gun had never 
 been heard there, for it was prohibited, and the 
 people of the village near by caught the ducks 
 now and then in nets. The day that I went there 
 the governors gave the people permission to use 
 
COMICAL EXPERIENCES. 87 
 
 their guns and hunt with me. They cast very 
 savage looks at me, for they hated foreigners. 
 
 When I reached the lake small ambuscades had 
 been constructed of bushes and boughs of trees 
 along the shore, and the surface of the water was 
 literally covered with ducks '* so wild that they 
 were tame." As the first volley of shot echoed 
 among the hills a myriad of quacking creatures 
 rose in a great cloud from the surface of the lake 
 and wheeled over our heads in frightened confu- 
 sion. The sky was darkened with the feathered 
 fugitives, and the noise made by their wings was 
 like a mighty rushing wind. Flock after flock 
 swept in graceful curves through the air just above 
 us, their white breasts flashing for a moment in 
 the sun, and their wings in such rapid motion that 
 they fanned our faces as they flew past and settled 
 again slowly upon the surface of the water. 
 
 The lake had always been their quiet home, 
 and they knew not whither to flee ; besides, their 
 enemies were completely hidden by the thick am- 
 buscades. Another volley soon started them again, 
 and they rose in the air leaving many of their 
 dead and wounded companions upon the surface 
 of the lake. Now their flight became swift and 
 broken, and as they passed close above our heads 
 we fired indiscriminately into their midst, caus- 
 
88 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 ing the flocks to scatter in frightened confusion. 
 Down they came at last upon the death-laden sur- 
 face of the water, and so tired were they that they 
 simply ducked their heads as shot after shot 
 skipped along beside them. The firing continued 
 the whole morning, until some of the flocks had 
 retreated to a neighboring lake and the sportsmen 
 were contented with the fruits of the slaughter. 
 
 At this juncture I was standing on the further 
 margin of the lake leaning on my gun, my guard 
 having left me for a few minutes, when I heard a 
 peculiar whirr close to my head. Thinking it was 
 a duck, I turned suddenly and saw the bullet had 
 struck the bank beside me, spattering me with 
 mud. On looking in the direction from which 
 the shot came, I discovered a Japanese in full 
 flight with his weapon trailing behind him. I 
 knew that he had fired at me, for there were no 
 ducks near at the time, and as the fellow was not 
 yet out of range I raised my gun to reciprocate 
 the compliment. 
 
 Shimojo, my interpreter, was near by, and I 
 said to him, '' Shall I shoot ?" '' Yes,'^ he said, 
 ** for he fired at you ; but we must not hope to 
 escape, for they will kill us." 
 
 ** Then discretion is the better part of valor,*' I 
 replied ; ** for as he missed me, I think we had 
 better not punish him.'* 
 
COMICAL EXPERIENCES. 89 
 
 I lowered my gun and went to the other part 
 of the lake, where a dense grove skirted the shore. 
 Here I stationed myself near a tree, when whirr ! 
 came another shot, skipping across the narrow 
 arm of the lake and striking the ground near me ; 
 again another came, and I saw my guard lay 
 down his gun and run to the water's edge. A 
 boy who was standing near by had been shot in 
 the calf of the leg, and though we washed the 
 wound and sent him to the hospital at Shidzuo- 
 ka, he died a day or two after. 
 
 In returning from the lake we happened into a 
 perfect nest of small-pox, which I feared more 
 than the Japanese swords or bullets ; but fortu- 
 nately none of us caught the contagion. 
 
 The people of Todo-mi, a province thirty miles 
 south of my own, found a large hill with oil trick- 
 ling down its side, and sent some of it to me for 
 examination. I found it very good petroleum oil, 
 and sent them several of its products obtained by 
 distillation ; they were very much pleased, and 
 wanted to dig deep wells. The governors of the 
 province requested me to come to the oil district 
 and tell the people where to dig. Accordingly I 
 started off at half-past four one morning, and 
 tried to get on the journey before the heat of the 
 day came on. Most of the distance we went 
 in kangos, so that our progress was slow. It 
 
 12 
 
90 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 makes one feel like a monkey in a cage to be car- 
 ried all over the country in one of these bamboo 
 baskets slung upon a stick, and having people 
 stare at you as if you belonged to a travelling 
 menagerie. However, I soon became used to it. 
 
 We were delayed in crossing the rocky channel 
 of a very wide river where the current was swift, 
 and our flat-boat, propelled by bamboo poles, 
 nearly upset us in the stream. The country 
 through which we passed abounded in large 
 snakes ; they crossed our path repeatedly, and 
 one black fellow, six feet long, coiled up on a foot- 
 bridge and would not let the coolies pass. One 
 of my bearers poked him gently with a stick, 
 whereupon his snakeship moved slowly away into 
 the marsh. 
 
 On arriving at the village I inspected the oil 
 district carefully, and then selected the spot where 
 I thought they ought to dig. Subsequently they 
 sunk an artesian well, and struck oil in great 
 abundance. 
 
 Before daybreak the next morning I was on 
 my way back to Shidzuoka. Early as it was, the 
 yaconims, or officials of the village, escorted us 
 with gayly-painted lanterns to the end of their dis- 
 trict, and then squatted on the ground, bowing 
 their heads and heaving such deep sighs of re- 
 spect that we almost regretted leaving them. 
 
COMICAL EXPERIENCES. 91 
 
 We were now passing along the sea-shore, and 
 the early morning scene was perfectly enchanting. 
 The gray mist still hung upon the face of the 
 water, and the air was so peaceful that scarcely a 
 wave rippled the surface of the ocean. Soon the 
 sun rose. At first only a rim of light was to be 
 seen slowly rising from the Pacific, then it began 
 to glow into a great dome of fire, and finally the 
 whole round orb v/as seen floating in the mist 
 like a fairy world. 
 
 A few months afterwards a delegation of old 
 men came to see me from the oil province, to 
 thank me for going there, and to report that they 
 were getting several hundred gallons of oil daily. 
 These old men were dressed in the old-fashioned 
 style, never having seen any foreign innovations, 
 and I thought I would impress them with the 
 wonders of the outer world by taking them into 
 my laboratory. They looked in great astonish- 
 ment at the performances of the electric machines, 
 air-pump, steam-engine, and the model of a small 
 saw-mill which I had just constructed ; but what 
 excited their interest more than any thing else was 
 a small toy wagon wound up by clock-work, which 
 had recently been sent to me from America as 
 a present to a young Japanese. This wagon I 
 wound up without their knowing it, and placed it 
 under an inverted tub in the middle of the room ; 
 
92 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 then I asked one of the old men to lift up the tub. 
 Away went the tin horses and wagon, pranc- 
 ing around the room before the astonished eyes of 
 the old men, until, after making several complete 
 circuits, and doing, apparently, whatever I told 
 them, the tin horses stopped at my feet. The 
 old men looked at each other in wondering silence 
 a few minutes, and then said they didn't know 
 ** whether those painted horses were pulling the 
 wagon, or the wagon was pushing the horses !'* 
 
 They went home to dine with me, when their 
 surprise was still more augmented at the strange 
 things to eat ; and they returned to their prov- 
 ince saying that it would take the rest of their 
 lives to tell the wonders they had seen. 
 
 My scientific experiments were a constant source 
 of delight to the Japanese, for they are fond of 
 any thing practical ; and although my students un- 
 derstood the laws and principles concerned, the 
 common people were bewildered and amazed. 
 
 I gave a series of experiments one day in my 
 lecture-room before the governors of the province 
 and a large number of people who came in from 
 mere curiosity. I wanted to show the officials my 
 model saw-mill, having a small circular saw run by 
 a diminutive steam-engine. I told them it was a 
 pity to see dozens of men and boys with long 
 hand-saws sweltering and working the whole day 
 
COMICAL EXPERIENCES. 93 
 
 in sawing boards from a single log, as I had seen 
 them do in building my house, when a modern 
 saw-mill could perform ten times the amount of 
 work in half the time. They watched my little 
 machine as it cut rapidly through small sticks of 
 wood, and then said it was very wonderful ; but, 
 if they were to establish such a saw-mill in 
 Shidzuoka, it would be mobbed or raise a riot 
 among the workmen. 
 
 I never witnessed a more ludicrous sight than 
 the effects produced upon the Japanese by some of 
 my experiments. The innocent manner in which 
 they stepped up to the various electric machines, 
 and did whatever they were told, was only ex- 
 celled by the dumb astonishment or the frantic yell 
 with which they received the electric shock. No 
 visible effect, however great, upon the first who 
 wanted to take hold was sufficient to restrain the 
 intense curiosity of those who wished to follow. 
 They wanted to feel for themselves, and their 
 ambition was usually satisfied after one trial. 
 
 Two of the governors took a ** spark'' from one 
 of the machines, but the third was very dignified 
 and would not deign to come up to the table, as 
 it was contrary to strict etiquette. So I politely 
 offered to bring him some electricity in a bottle. 
 He doubted whether that could be done. In 
 order to dispel his doubts, and also to bring him 
 
94 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 down to the level of ordinary mortals, I took a 
 large Leyden jar, which I charged full of electri- 
 city, and brought it to him with good grace. He 
 looked at the jar, and seeing nothing in it con- 
 cluded to touch the brass knob at the top. The 
 effect may be better imagined than described, 
 only he didn^t show any more dignity or touch 
 any more jars that day ! 
 
 There were a number of Samourai gentry on 
 the back seats, who do not like foreigners very 
 well, but who looked on very wisely, as though 
 they understood every thing that was going on. 
 
 As they declined to come up to the table like 
 the other people, or to touch any of the instru- 
 ments, I thought I would close the entertainment 
 by sending them a few electrical compliments. 
 
 At my request they all joined hands with great 
 glee, thinking they were too far away to get 
 hurt. I then connected my large Ruhmkorff* s coil, 
 which is a very powerful machine, with a battery 
 hidden in the closet, and took the long wires to 
 the Samourai gentlemen at either end of the line. 
 They innocently took the wires, and the next 
 moment I touched the key of the coil, and sent 
 them an electric shock which tumbled the whole 
 of them over among the benches ! 
 
 The Japanese musicians of Shidzuoka favored 
 me with several '* concerts,'' which were as mar- 
 
COMICAL EXPERIENCES. 95 
 
 vellous to me as some of my performances were 
 to them. Their instruments were well made, but 
 very curious. They were mostly stringed instru- 
 ments, fifes, and drums. 
 
 Seating themselves upon the floor, the musi- 
 cians would play together, making a chaos of 
 sound beyond description. 
 
 It seemed like a chorus of wild animals sud- 
 denly let loose, I could not keep from laughing, 
 although I wanted to appear polite. There was 
 no *' tune" to the music, and when they atteiiiplcd 
 to sing the effect was rather monotonous. 
 
 After the ''concert'' I gave the musicians a 
 supper, which they enjoyed, showing their appre- 
 ciation of the good things by filling their sleeves 
 with them to take home to their families. 
 
 This is the Japanese custom, and they think it 
 very proper. 
 
 The musicians were pleased with my melodeon ; 
 they wanted to know where the music came from, 
 for they could not see any strings. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE ASCENT OF FUJI-YAMA. 
 
 The Japanese have an old legend, that their 
 magnificent mountain Fuji-Yama rose from the 
 ^3rcii lii a single night, and at the same time a 
 great depression formed in a distant province, 
 which filled with water and became the beautiful 
 Lake Biwa. The mountain has always been held 
 in superstitious reverence, and the people perform 
 pilgrimages of hundreds of miles that they may 
 stand and worship upon the sacred summit. 
 
 Early in the spring, when the snow has melted 
 on the mountain, the ascent is comparatively 
 safe, and several days are usually allowed for 
 the undertaking. Later in the year, as winter 
 approaches, the mountain becomes well-nigh in- 
 accessible. Its cone-shaped peak is shrouded in 
 snow during ten months of the year, and fleecy 
 clouds are continually chasing each other around 
 the icy slope, or piling themselves in a peculiar 
 pyramidal form on the mountain-top. Some- 
 times, when the sky is perfectly cloudless else- 
 
THE ASCENT OE EUJTYAAIA. 97 
 
 where, a cap, curved like a dome, and formed 
 from a single white cloud, will rest for hours upon 
 the head of Fuji, crowning the sacred mountain 
 with additional glory, and presenting a picture of 
 surpassing beauty, as the snowy peak and the 
 white cloud appear against the deep-blue back- 
 ground of the sky. 
 
 Fuji-Yama rises from the midst of an immense 
 plain, and though smaller mountain ranges are 
 seen on all sides, it stands absolutely alone in the 
 grandeur of its proportions. Its summit is visible 
 a hundred miles away, and the Japanese have con- 
 structed a large map of thirteen provinces, from 
 each of which the top may be seen. The view 
 presented in the accompanying picture is taken 
 twenty miles from the mountain ; in the fore- 
 ground are a few farm hovels, and a small stream 
 used in irrigating the rice-fields, which are always 
 kept under water. 
 
 Since arriving in Japan it had been my constant 
 ambition to make the ascent of the '* Matchless 
 Mountain \' but circumstances did not favor the 
 attempt until the second year of my sojourn in 
 Shidz-u-o-ka. Even then I was unable, owing to 
 my duties, to select the proper season when pil- 
 grimages are made, but was obliged to assail the 
 mountain in the midst of storms, and under every 
 possible disadvantage. 
 
9^ LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 The first attempt was a failure, and I was forced 
 to retreat after spending two days and nights in a 
 terrible storm on the side of the mountain. The 
 second attempt was successful, and I reached the 
 summit and measured the height ; but again I was 
 caught in storms and again obliged to retreat. 
 Both of these experiences, severe as they were, 
 gave me a very satisfactory idea of the mountain 
 and its surroundings. The first attempt was made 
 on the north side, in company with my friend 
 Rev. Mr. Ballagh, previous to his visit to my home 
 in Shidz-u-o-ka ; the second attempt was made 
 on the south side. 
 
 Mr. Ballagh and I left Yokohama together, and 
 travelled two days through an open region of 
 country, leaving the usual route of the Tokaido, 
 and crossing three mountain ranges ; we then 
 passed a broad lava plain which brought us to the 
 base of Fuji-Yama. 
 
 The second day we rose by starlight, and 
 started off, mounted upon a pair of Japanese pack- 
 horses. These pack-horses have huge contriv- 
 ances fixed on their backs, which are grotesquely 
 called saddles ; upon these the baggage and 
 sacks of food for the horse are placed, and firmly 
 attached by ropes. You are then made to scram- 
 ble to the top of it all as best you may be able ; 
 and it is much like being perched on the hump of 
 
THE ASCENT OF FUJI-YAMA. 99 
 
 a dromedary thus to ride on the back of a frisky 
 Japanese horse, who only awaits his chance of up- 
 setting you from your exalted position. A Japa- 
 nese leads the horse by a loose rope halter ; as 
 your straw-shod animal picks his uneven way 
 down some steep road or over some rocky moun- 
 tain pass, you take your uncertain chance of either 
 spinning over his head or sliding over his tail. If 
 you happen to meet a few other quadrupeds of 
 like persuasion, there immediately ensues a com- 
 plimentary interchange of heels and hoofs and 
 neighs, that in no wise improves the situation. 
 
 The Hakone range of mountains was on our left, 
 and before us stood the dark and clouded Oyama 
 range, where a dread deity is said to reside ; the 
 highest peak of this range is visited by throngs of 
 pilgrims, who worship at the shrine, and seek ex- 
 emption from dreaded evils, which this frowning 
 deity is wont to send upon mankind. Early in the 
 morning, before daylight had dawned, we heard 
 the tinkling bells and deep-toned gongs preced- 
 ing the mournful worship on this mountain. 
 
 We crossed a river in the afternoon, where fine 
 fish are caught by means of a live fish, which the 
 Japanese put on the end of a line, and thereby 
 entice other fish of the same kind and of gregari- 
 ous disposition into nets prepared for their recep- 
 tion. 
 
lOO LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 We took dinner at a wayside hotel, where we 
 had good accommodations and an hour's rest, and 
 on taking leave our host presented his bill to the 
 fabulous extent of two cents and a half ! ' 
 
 The districts through which we passed were 
 given over to the cultivation of the tobacco plant, 
 which thrives here well, and its broad leaves were 
 spreading out in every direction. The sugar-cane 
 fields were also very numerous, and looked like 
 fields of corn twelve feet high. 
 
 Towards evening all vegetation was left behind, 
 and we entered one of the most barren and deso- 
 late tracts of country I ever saw anywhere. It 
 was nothing more nor less than one great series 
 of lava-beds, and the soil was like packed coal- 
 dust, without any object to direct us. 
 
 Before long we lost our way, and where to go 
 or what to do we did not know. The night was 
 as dark as pitch, and not a star could be seen, 
 while dark and heavy clouds covered the sky. 
 The earth on which we trod was blacker than the 
 sky above us, and at every step the crispy lava 
 crumbled under our feet. The only way in which 
 we could pick our path through this trackless 
 waste was by watcJmtg for old straw shoes, which 
 had been left upon the wayside by pilgrims gone 
 before. 
 
 Although the country was level, yet there was 
 
THE ASCENT OE FUJI- YAM A TO I 
 
 absolutely nothing to be seen in any direction. 
 Neither light nor lantern glimmered from afar, to 
 guide us even to some lone hut or hovel, where a 
 human being could be found to tell us where we 
 were. Every thing was as still as death, and not 
 a sound nor sight was there to show that we were 
 in even remote proximity to a living thing. Not 
 a cultivated spot did we meet for miles, and nei- 
 ther tree nor shrub was to be seen. 
 
 At last we came to a dead stop, for we had 
 arrived on more elevated ground, and a small 
 river was heard tumbling through a gully near us. 
 The two Japs who were leading our horses knew 
 as little about this part of the country as we 
 did ; however, they searched over the black fields 
 with a little paper lantern, and ere long one of 
 them struck upon a path. Following this, we 
 passed through some low brushwood, and, turning 
 the point of a dark knoll, suddenly found our- 
 selves at the entrance of a village. This proved 
 to be the place we were seeking, and, tired and 
 hungry, we rode down through the long street, 
 where the people must have taken us for ghosts : 
 we had found it so cold on the lava plains that I 
 had wrapped myself in two large sheets, they be- 
 ing the only available things I had with me, and 
 consequently I looked like a mounted spectre 
 come in from the wilderness. 
 
I02 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 When it was known that we were not ghosts, 
 but foreigners, we were asked if we would Hke to 
 put up at a temple ; and the offer was eagerly ac- 
 cepted, for both of us had once lived in temples, 
 and we knew we should feel quite at home. So 
 our horses were led into a secluded place among 
 tall. trees, where we dismounted, and tumbled in 
 haste through the front door of the temple. We 
 found things looking quite hospitable inside, and 
 were delighted at the prospect of getting good rest 
 and sleep. 
 
 The old idol was sitting in the middle of the 
 place, in rather gloomy silence, as though he 
 didn^t like the idea of his sacred abode being 
 made a wayside tavern for TojinSy or foreigners ; 
 but we didn't mind what he thought about it, 
 but passed along to the table and chairs which 
 had been provided for us. Here we had steaming 
 pea-soup soon placed before us, the savor of 
 which must have been enough to rouse our bronze 
 idol friend from his lethargy, had he been suscep- 
 tible to any thing better than the incense usually 
 burnt before him. The priests were very polite 
 and accommodating, and supplied our wants as 
 well as they could. After a good supper we 
 stretched ourselves upon the clean straw mats, 
 and were soon sound asleep. 
 
 Our sleep didn't last long, for at midnight I 
 
THE ASCENT OF FUJI-YAM A. 103 
 
 was awakened by a general commotion at the 
 door of the temple, and amid the glimmer of lan- 
 terns I saw a pair of foreign boots stride into the 
 room, and heard a whistle of ** Johnny comes 
 marching home,*' and then a few loud orders 
 given in plain Saxon that there was no mistaking. 
 Half asleep as I was, I wondered if Mr. Ballagh 
 had got up in a nightmare ; but feeling around on 
 the floor I soon found he was still asleep. My 
 touch, however, awakened him, and we found 
 that two other foreigners had arrived, and that 
 they (with about a dozen coolies) were about to 
 make themselves as comfortable as circumstances 
 would permit. 
 
 We were in no very amiable mood at thus being 
 roused from our sleep ; and finding that we were 
 not able to secure as quiet a night as we hoped, 
 we arose and prepared ham and eggs for breakfast 
 at three o'clock, with pineapple for dessert, and 
 having ordered the horses we started off again in 
 the dark. 
 
 The real ascent of Fuji-Yania now began, and 
 passing a temple to the right — dedicated to the 
 god of the mountain — we entered a broad avenue 
 leading up the slope, and shut in on either side 
 by a low and spare growth of sickly-looking pines. 
 For nearly six miles there was little of interest 
 to notice. The ground was easy to walk upon, 
 
I04 LIFE IN JAPAN-. 
 
 being composed of the same black ashy deposit of 
 lava which we met in the dismal plains below, and 
 which reminded me of soft coal granulated to the 
 size of large peas. 
 
 As the daylight came slowly on, we could see 
 that the clouds were thickening about us, instead 
 of diminishing, and that the mist and drizzle 
 were changing to a regular storm of rain. How- 
 ever, we pushed on to the station, which we knew 
 to be a little ahead, and just as the w^eather was 
 getting the better of us we arrived at two old 
 dilapidated straw shanties, where we set to work 
 to make ourselves as much at home as possible. 
 
 As this was the station beyond which horses 
 were not able to go, we had our goods unpacked 
 and sent the horses away, retaining two coolies 
 with us to carry things and make themselves 
 generally useful. A small fire was burning on 
 the floor of the shanty, and a forlorn-looking Jap 
 had a scanty kettle of rice simmering over the 
 embers. We piled on plenty of wood, and got 
 ourselves well dried, and then spreading a straw 
 mat and plenty of newspapers on the ground, we 
 lay down and went to sleep. After a few hours 
 we got up, and attempted to take observations 
 on the situation ; but as we were still in the 
 midst of clouds and mist, we could see nothing, 
 and the rain continued to pour worse than ever. 
 
THE ASCENT OF FU/I-YAMA, 105 
 
 At this juncture the two foreigners suddenly 
 made their appearance, whom we had left snooz- 
 ing some hours before at the base of the moun- 
 tain. ** Misery loves company ;" so we greeted 
 them in their wet garments, and put more sticks 
 on the fire to give them a warm welcome. They 
 were glad enough to avail themselves of the primi- 
 tive hospitality offered, and after seating them- 
 selves on two empty wash-tubs, formally intro- 
 duced themselves as ** Mr. T , of San Fran- 
 cisco,'' and '' Doctor X , of New Zealand." 
 
 Before long we all held a council of war as to 
 whether we were to attempt storming the heights 
 of Fuji-Yama on that day or not. Some of us 
 were in favor of pushing on, in hopes of rising 
 above the clouds and out of reach of the storm. 
 But one or two rain-soaked pilgrims, who came 
 trotting down the mountain just then, reported 
 heavy squalls of wind and rain near the summit, 
 and we were forced to the unanimous conclusion 
 that there was no mountain-climbing in store for 
 us on that day at least. 
 
 We spent the day in reading, talking, and sleep- 
 ing ; and our English friend from New Zealand 
 gave us no little information concerning the con- 
 dition of affairs down there — where we usually 
 consider things rather topsy-turvy, but where, 
 judging from his account, they are decidedly right 
 
 14 
 
io6 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 side up, progressive and hopeful. We were not 
 lacking in canned provisions, so that we managed 
 to get along quite comfortably, notwithstanding 
 the limited accommodations for cooking. 
 
 Towards evening I explored the other shanty- 
 situated just below us, and though apparently 
 intended for horses, I concluded it would serve 
 a better purpose for our camping out over-night 
 than the more fragile structure in which we were 
 then stowed away. Its roof did not leak so 
 badly, and it had a large fireplace on the ground, 
 where we could keep up a rousing fire all night, 
 and defy both wind, cold, and rain. 
 
 So we made the coolies collect large logs and 
 piles of wood, and after making substantial seats 
 to sleep upon, we took our traps and occupied our 
 new quarters, leaving the coolies to get along as 
 best they could in the other shanty. We also 
 boarded up our new establishment on three sides, 
 for it never had any walls, as it was merely a straw 
 roof supported on wooden posts. Here we felt 
 quite in luxury ; and as darkness came on and 
 the storm increased we had a fire roaring and 
 crackling away, which threatened at times to burn 
 up our shanty and all that it contained. 
 
 But even in this elevated region our merciless 
 foes, the fleas, did not cease from persecuting us ; 
 and in order to be rid of them I climbed up on 
 
THE ASCENT OF FUJI-YAM A, 107 
 
 top of some long poles which were stretched 
 across the garret part of the roof, and finding a 
 bundle of straw reeds there, I unrolled it, got in- 
 side, and went to sleep. It was rather an uncer- 
 tain roost to slumber upon, for the poles were a 
 foot or so apart, and if I should unconsciously 
 roll over or turn around lengthwise, I would 
 surely go through. 
 
 Waking up now and then during the night, it 
 was a curious scene to look down from my shaky 
 perch to the spot where the camp-fire was burn- 
 ing brightly. There lay two or three sleepers 
 stretched upon boards, and covered with all sorts 
 of things imaginable ; and once in a while a 
 ghostly form would be seen moving stealthily 
 around the fire poking the embers. The rain was 
 driving in sheets against our frail habitation, and 
 the wind howled mournfully about us. It was 
 too cold to roost up on my pole berth for any 
 length of time, even though the wind occasionally 
 sent me a blast of hot air and smoke from the 
 fire ; so every half hour I took to the ladder and 
 went down to warm myself, and to put on more 
 wood. 
 
 We had a Robinson Crusoe experience of it 
 that night, and in the morning the storm had not 
 abated in the least, but the rain came down in 
 torrents, as though the supply above was inex- 
 
Io8 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 haustible. We saw it was no use hoping any- 
 longer, and now whether to march down the 
 mountain again, was the question. Two pil- 
 grims, passing by in a sorry plight, reported a still 
 more doleful condition of things above, so v/e 
 gloomily wrapped ourselves up in large sheets of 
 Jap oil-paper, and prepared to descend. I had 
 half a dozen copies of Harper s Weekly bound 
 tightly about my legs, which gave me quite a 
 pictorial appearance ; and when fairly fixed, we 
 started on a trot down the slope, leaving the 
 coolies to follow with the baggage. The wind 
 came in gusts that nearly took us off our feet, and 
 the rain was blinding, so that we could scarcely see 
 our way. But we made good time, and after an 
 hour of thorough drenching we arrived at our 
 temple hotel, wiser if not better men. 
 
 Not succeeding in getting over the mountain, 
 we had to manage to get around it. So we soon 
 started off again through the rain, some in kangos 
 and some on horseback, and after six hours* 
 travelling we arrived at a village on the Tokaido, 
 from which the ascent of the southern side of the 
 Hakone Pass is made. When we came to the 
 river Fusi-kawa, it was so swollen by the recent 
 heavy rains as to be utterly impassable for boats. 
 We therefore saw that we must experience 
 another check, and settled down to our fate as 
 
THE ASCENT OF FUJI-YAMA. 109 
 
 best we could. However, it turned out better 
 than we anticipated. 
 
 Just as we were starting out to look at the im- 
 petuous river, whom should we meet but my 
 interpreter, whom I had previously sent ahead 
 with provisions and supplies from Yokohama. 
 He, too, had been stopped by the freshet, so 
 that here we found all our boxes and baggage, and 
 could afford to laugh at our empty lunch-basket 
 and travel-soiled clothes ; now we had provisions 
 enough to stand a siege, and clean clothing 
 enough to dress like daimios, or princes. So we 
 made merry over our misfortune, and secured 
 airy rooms in a quiet place, and fixed ourselves 
 up for a sojourn over Sunday, expecting on the 
 first of the week to start on our way again. Here 
 at Yoshiwara, where we had to pass the Sabbath, 
 Mr. Ballagh had two or three preachings during 
 the day ; and indeed everywhere we went, with 
 inimitable tact and zeal, he scattered gospel 
 truth. It was delightful to see how much good 
 could be done on a simple jaunt of needed recrea- 
 tion, by one intent upon improving, or making, 
 opportunities of speaking for the Master. 
 
 Although baffled in this first attempt to ascend 
 Fuji-Yama, I by no means gave up, but kept 
 watching from a distance, waiting to renew the 
 effort whenever the clouds were fairly lifted. 
 
no LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 But it was late in the season, and the rainy- 
 weather had set in, so that it was not till the mid- 
 dle of September that a real bright day made its 
 appearance. However, on the sixteenth it was 
 a glorious day, and a holiday at that, being the 
 festival of the Mikadoes divine descent, and also 
 the day of my leaving Albany for Japan just two 
 years before ; so off I started for Fuji-Yama, with 
 the wild hope of finding myself at its summit 
 within twenty-four hours of leaving Shidz-u-o-ka. 
 This feat was really accomplished, but I never 
 want to try it again ! 
 
 I left home in the afternoon, reaching the 
 river-crossing at Fusi-kawa about dusk. Passing 
 over in a boat, I left the Tokaido, and struck 
 across the country to Omiya, six miles distant. 
 I had with me a guide and a Japanese student, 
 whose pedestrian powers were not very promis- 
 ing. Arriving at the village, we put up at the 
 house of the principal person of the place, who 
 was a friend of ours and entertained us very kind- 
 ly. I could not sleep though ; and having ordered 
 three horses early, we started off again at precisely 
 two o'clock, hoping to get well up the lower 
 slope, or base, of the mountain before daylight. 
 This early morning ride was one of the most 
 charming I ever enjoyed ; and even the severe 
 fatigue which succeeded it could not detract from 
 
THE ASCENT OE EUJI-YAMA. i i I 
 
 its romance and beauty. The night was perfectly 
 clear, and cool enough to make one's overcoat 
 comfortable ; scarcely a cloud bigger than one's 
 hand could be seen, and the new moon with its 
 pale crescent was just rising as we set out. The 
 dark outline of the mountain was before us, 
 apparently so near that one might touch it ; yet 
 we had to go just twelve miles before fairly reach- 
 ing its base, and then ten miles more (as the Jap- 
 anese call it) ere reaching the top. 
 
 After riding two hours we came to Mori-yama, 
 the last habitable place to be met with. Here 
 our road became a mere bridle-path, and en- 
 tered a region entirely destitute of cultivation. 
 Though this slope of country was not cultivated, 
 owing to its elevation, yet it was far from pre- 
 senting the dreary aspect of the section similarly 
 situated on the northern side of the mountain, 
 which I had traversed a few weeks before. In- 
 stead of black lava fields covering the earth like a 
 pall, there was a broad stretch of land covered 
 with long rank grass, presenting an appearance 
 not unlike some of our Western prairies at home. 
 As we came up higher, the surface became more 
 undulating, and ridges had to be crossed. It felt 
 home-like up in this region ; for the landscape at 
 times had quite a New-England look, and was 
 suggestive of many pleasant associations. As the 
 
1 1 2 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 sun rose, and threw its fresh morning glow over 
 it all, the birds began to twitter and sing among 
 the branches, while now and then a lark rose on 
 the wing, and I could also hear the peculiar 
 notes of the robin, which bird I have never be- 
 fore seen in Japan. 
 
 With the exception of the twittering of the 
 birds, the silence of the place was unbroken ; but 
 once we were startled by a chorus of yells, which 
 came from a lot of ragged grass-cutters, who live 
 a wild kind of life up here, dwelling in huts, and 
 carrying hay down to the neighboring villages. 
 Soon after we heard the loud report of a gun, as 
 these fellows sometimes shoot as well as mow ; 
 and the Japanese tell great stories about the deer, 
 foxes, wolves, bears, and other animals to be 
 met with in the woods. 
 
 At last we arrived at the place where the regu- 
 lar ascent of the mountain begins, and beyond 
 which the horses could not go. So we sent the 
 horses and coolies away, and prepared for the 
 hard climb before us. We had anticipated finding 
 a place suitable for taking a substantial break- 
 fast to start upon. But in this we were disap- 
 pointed ; for though there was a dilapidated 
 shanty, not a person was to be found, and there 
 was nothing to be seen save desolation and dis- 
 order. After considerable difficulty we managed 
 
THE ASCENT OE EUJI-YAMA, 1 13 
 
 to light a fire, and into it I threw a can of mutton 
 and peas, for lack of any thing to cook them in. 
 The two Japanese ate balls of rice, which they 
 happened to have in their pockets, or rather 
 sleeves, while I waited for the mutton and peas 
 to get heated. But our cooking arrangements 
 did not succeed, so we ate things half raw ; and 
 after this scanty breakfast started on our way, 
 light in stomach, if not in heart. 
 
 The route now lay through dense woods, and 
 the path was very narrow, being a mere gully, 
 with an abundance of rocks and roots to hinder 
 the way. In every respect it was far inferior to 
 the smooth path to be found on the other side 
 of the mountain ; here and there huge trees 
 lay across the way, completely blocking it, and 
 broken branches and uptorn roots were scattered 
 about, as the results of previous storms. 
 
 The woods became less inviting as we pro- 
 ceeded, and many of the trees were old and rot- 
 ten, looking as though they could easily topple 
 over on us. There was a great variety to be 
 met with, and the Jap student was greatly sur- 
 prised at seeing trees he had never heard of be- 
 fore. The birch-trees looked very curious to 
 him; they were unusually large, and their white 
 trunks rose up like mighty pillars on all sides. 
 
 The maple was abundant, and the oak and vari- 
 
 15 
 
114 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 ous species of pine skirted the mountain for a 
 long distance. 
 
 All the way up the mountain there are little 
 huts or shanties, placed at intervals of half a 
 mile or more, and during the pilgrim season 
 these shanties are open and occupied by moun- 
 tain-keepers, who make a considerable number 
 of pennies by furnishing pilgrims with water and 
 rice during the day, and a hard floor or mat to 
 sleep upon at night. Glad would we have been 
 to have had even such humble accommodations 
 available to us ; but as we passed one station 
 after another we found the occupants gone, and 
 every trace of them cleared out for the winter, 
 so that not even a cup of water could we get for 
 our thirsty lips. It seems the season usually 
 closes about the i6th of September, and that 
 the mountain-keepers had come down only the 
 day before we went up. Consequently we found 
 ourselves alone on the mountain, and we scarcely 
 knew whether there was a single person within 
 ten miles of us. 
 
 This was not very assuring, especially as we 
 had nothing left to eat, except a small piece of 
 bread and a little sugar. We kept on though, 
 and as we reached the fifth shanty we crossed a 
 ridge, which gave us an excellent view over the 
 tree-tops ; with the aid of the glass we could see 
 
THE ASCENT OF FUJI-YAMA. 1 15 
 
 an immense distance, the line of sea-coast stretch- 
 ing out before us hke a chart. We also took 
 a somewhat disheartened look towards the top of 
 old Fuji, which now appeared almost in a perpen- 
 dicular line over our heads. Something lively 
 was evidently going on up there, for the clouds 
 were sweeping wildly over the summit, as if to 
 shroud it from all intrusion. 
 
 On leaving this station the real climbing fairly 
 commenced, and for five hours we worked our 
 way up that terrible steep. The pine-trees be- 
 came very small and thinly scattered as we 
 -ascended, until at last there was nothing left but 
 a low, shrub-like growth of fir. These stunted 
 little trees, or bushes, were very curious, being 
 scarcely a foot high, and showing in every tough, 
 outspreading branch the effects of trying to grow 
 in the region of hurricanes. Beyond the line of 
 vegetation there is absolutely nothing but black, 
 coke-like masses of lava and reddish scoriae and 
 loose fragments of stone, which roll and slip un- 
 der your feet as you proceed, making it ex- 
 tremely difficult to walk. 
 
 Before emerging from the woods we were sur- 
 prised at meeting a man coming down the moun- 
 tain, for we supposed nobody to be nearer us than 
 the people of the village we had passed early in 
 the morning. But this man reported that a party 
 
Ii6 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 of half a dozen pilgrims were in a hut a mile or 
 so from the summit, waiting their chance to ven- 
 ture to the top. They had been there for two or' 
 three days, and were entirely out of food, and 
 this man was on his way to the village to bring 
 them rice. There were also two or three other 
 persons at a place not so far up, w^here a shrine 
 was situated dedicated to the god of the moun- 
 tain. In front of the idols here was an im- 
 mense pile of old straw shoes, thrown there by 
 hundreds of pilgrims who had been there years 
 before. One old man was purposely fasting up 
 here, and had a vow not to speak for a certain 
 time, thinking thereby to gain the favor of the 
 gods. As we kept on up the ascent we heard 
 the mournful sound of a deep-toned horn echoing 
 through the woods ; the guide said it was blown 
 in supplication to the deities to remove the storm 
 from the mountain-top, so that the pilgrims 
 might go up and worship. 
 
 Finally we came to a low stone hut, where 
 the half-dozen pilgrims were huddled together, 
 waiting an opportunity to go to the summit. We 
 managed to secure a little rice here, which we de- 
 voured eagerly ; then I told my two companions 
 to come along up the mountain. But the men 
 had thoroughly frightened them out of the idea > 
 of venturing to the top, and they tried hard to 
 
THE ASCENT OE EUJI-YAMA. lij 
 
 back out. The roaring of the wind could be dis- 
 tinctly heard in the hut as it swept over the sum- 
 mit, and they said it was certain destruction to 
 go up there ; and that the stones were flying 
 through the air by the force of the storm. The 
 two Japs said they were already half dead, and 
 for some time it was hard for me to overcome 
 either their fatigue or fright, and induce them 
 to resume the rocky ascent, which now became 
 steeper at every step. At last we got a mile far- 
 ther up, and had only three more stone huts to 
 pass ere reaching the top. It was necessary to 
 rest repeatedly, for one's strength failed every 
 few rods. 
 
 The path could no longer be traced, and we had 
 to clamber on hands and knees over the shapeless 
 masses of black lava, and were well bruised if we 
 happened to slip. It was hard to keep up suffi- 
 cient courage to advance at all, but having fairly 
 set out, not only was I determined to reach the 
 top, but I was also anxious to obtain accurate 
 measurement of the height of the mountain. For 
 this purpose I had brought the proper instru- 
 ments, which were in my Swiss knapsack, carried 
 by the guide. I thought, if possible, I would gain 
 the edge of the crater, then make the observations 
 with the instruments, and hurry down again. So, 
 pushing on in advance of the others, I waited now 
 
Il8 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 and then till they came in sight (for the gathering 
 clouds hid us continually from each other), and 
 then I would hurry on again. 
 
 Finally, I passed the last stone hut, and waited 
 a few hundred feet above it, on a ridge of black 
 boulders, till my companions reached the hut. I 
 placed a small American flag (which had once 
 waved in Sunday-school processions at home) 
 upon the end of my long staff, and signalled my 
 companions to come up where I stood. But they 
 made great s-houts, and beckoned me to come 
 down ; I could not hear what they said, but sup- 
 posed they would soon follow, so I passed out of 
 sight over the ridge, and with great difficulty 
 clambered towards the edge of the crater. The 
 wind was now so furious, and I was so utterly ex- 
 hausted, that I could not keep my feet, and was 
 again and again blown over by the severe gusts. 
 I had to nestle behind the big boulders, or in the 
 crevices of the lava, to keep from being tumbled 
 over the steep places. I managed to gain a com- 
 paratively sheltered place, in a gully near the 
 crater, and here I sat down by a snow-bank, and 
 ate snow, waiting for the guide to come up with 
 the knapsack containing my instruments. The 
 wind was still furious, and fragments of stone, 
 with showers of scorise, whistled by my head, 
 causing me to dodge behind a boulder at every 
 
THE ASCENT OF FUJI-YAMA. 1 19 
 
 fresh gust and fusillade. After waiting half an 
 hour, I crawled over to the crumbled and broken 
 edge of the crater, where the lava evidently had 
 once poured itself out in a vast torrent down the 
 steep declivity. A broad, deep gully marked its 
 course, and the broken and jagged lips of the 
 crater bore many traces of the severe convulsions 
 which formerly had taken place there. 
 
 Not wishing to be blown over the edge, I made 
 a careful retreat, and reached the snow-bank in 
 safety. The temptation to eat saow was very 
 great, as I could not stop my thirst ; putting 
 some in a handkerchief, I carried it down towards 
 my companions. On approaching the stone hut 
 where they were last seen I was unable to attract 
 their attention ; but supposing they were asleep 
 I searched all about the hut. They were nowhere 
 to be found, and the suspicion came over my 
 mind that they had deserted me, and retreated 
 down the mountain. I hardly knew what to do, 
 for a storm was gathering below me, and the 
 clouds were drifting up the slope into my face ; 
 there was no place of shelter, for even the little 
 huts were blocked up securely with stones at their 
 entrance, not to be opened till after the winter. 
 
 Cold and exhausted as I was, with the guide 
 running away, and no visible path to follow, and 
 darkness not far off, the prospect was not very 
 
I 20 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 cheerful ; but what discomfited me more than all 
 was the idea of having my instruments carried 
 down the mountain, thus rendering all my plans of 
 measuring the height futile, just at the moment 
 when I had really gained the top ! 
 
 After a great deal of severe tumbling I came in 
 sight of the runaways, and made them halt ; I re- 
 strained the lively inclination to roll them over 
 the nearest precipice, and contented myself with 
 scolding one in English and the other in Japa- 
 nese. They made a multitude of excuses, but 
 confessed they would have gone all the way down 
 if they could. One said he spit so much blood 
 that he was afraid to go higher, and the other said 
 he could not give his life for my instruments. He 
 was so faint for want of food, and so exhausted 
 from the hardships he had endured, that he had 
 fallen many times from weakness, and showed 
 his blue and swollen limbs in proof of what he 
 said. A friend of one of them had been lost the 
 year before on the mountain, by being swept off 
 by the wind. This, combined with the stories of 
 other victims told them by the pilgrims below, 
 frightened them from the attempt at getting any 
 nearer the top. 
 
 It was now too late to reach the summit again, 
 even if we had strength to do so ; I therefore took 
 the instruments and tried to content myself with 
 
THE ASCENT OE EUJI-YAMA. 1 21 
 
 measuring the height where I was. But we were 
 now far down the mountain, and the barometer 
 stood a little above 20.50 inches, which would 
 give about 11,000 feet; the thermometer was 
 fifty-five degrees in the shade (but it was very 
 much colder than this at the top). I estimated 
 the distance I had descended from the crater, and 
 came to the conclusion that Fuji-Yama measured 
 a little more than 11,560 feet in height. Subse- 
 quent observations, made with greater care, have 
 proved that I was nearly right. 
 
 We hurried down the mountain, through the 
 storm of rain which now poured up against us, 
 until we arrived at Station No. 5. Here we tried 
 to obtain something to eat, but did not succeed ; 
 so we broke the only piece of bread we had into 
 three pieces, and after eating it continued down 
 the mountain. Darkness was now coming on 
 rapidly, and it was hastened by the heavy clouds 
 which shut in upon us, and by the endless waste 
 of woods through which we had to pas's. The 
 path was broken and rocky, and entangled with 
 so many roots that it was very hard to traverse 
 after all we had been through. But night was 
 already upon us, and our lantern the guide had 
 left at the station where we had sent away the 
 horses in the morning ; so we must push on, and 
 that quickly, otherwise we would soon be hope- 
 
 16 
 
122 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 lessly shut in for the night in that miserable 
 forest, without shelter or covering. How we 
 managed to get through I hardly know, for it was 
 in total darkness and a drenching rain that we 
 emerged at last from the woods and found our 
 lantern, which was only a paper one. It was still 
 six miles to the nearest village, and not a solitary 
 house would we meet on the way ; so as I 
 stretched myself on the floor of the hut I felt in- 
 clined to stay there for the night. But one of the 
 Japs was so afraid of the wolves (!) which fre- 
 quented the neighborhood, that he would not lis- 
 ten to the proposal ; besides, we could have no 
 fire, no light, no food, and no covering, and 
 even if we got through the night, we would find 
 ourselves too stiff and faint in the morning to 
 walk. There was no alternative, therefore, but 
 to resume the journey ; so we staggered along 
 through the mud and clay, slipping and falling, 
 and losing our light every few minutes by the 
 wind and rain beating into our paper lantern. A 
 weary time we had of it, but at last we arrived at 
 the village, and were hospitably received at the 
 temple. After a hot bath and a scanty supper I 
 found myself stretched on the floor in a spacious 
 room, with nothing to disturb me but the rats, 
 and soon I was fast asleep. 
 
 We arrived here about eleven o*clock P.M. ; and 
 
THE ASCENT OF FUJI-YAMA. 123 
 
 as we had started out on the day's undertaking at 
 precisely two o'clock in the morning, we had en- 
 dured twenty-one hours of almost uninterrupted 
 fatigue. 
 
 ' In returning from Fuji - Yama we passed 
 through the rolling section of country described 
 in my visit to the White-Rope Waterfall, where 
 comical experiences and primitive bath-tubs 
 awaited us at the old-fashioned farm-house. 
 
 In the lower levels of the country, and on the 
 sunny hill-slopes facing to the south, we found 
 the large tea districts for which this province is 
 noted. A very large proportion of the tea ex- 
 ported from Japan to the United States comes 
 from this Province of Suruga, in which I lived. 
 I was therefore much interested in watching the 
 cultivation of the tea-plant, and visited the fields 
 frequently to see the leaf prepared. 
 
 The tea-bushes are not more than breast-high 
 at full growth, and the young plants are quite 
 small. When first set out they are allowed to 
 grow three years before any of the leaves are 
 taken ; after that the leaves are freshly picked 
 each season, yet the plant thrives, and lives about 
 a man's lifetime. 
 
 The plant is never stripped entirely, but only 
 the bright green leaves are plucked which appear 
 on top of the bush in the spring and summer. If 
 
124 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 the older leaves are ever picked, it is simply to 
 make a coarser and cheaper quality of tea. The 
 very finest quality, and that which costs several 
 dollars a pound, even in the province where it is 
 produced, is made entirely of the delicate shoots 
 found at the tip end of the stem, in early spring, 
 just as the tiny leaf is in process of forming. 
 These minute shoots are carefully picked first, and 
 the leaves below them are gathered afterwards. 
 
 Upon approaching the tea-fields we find num- 
 bers of young girls and women scattered among 
 the bushes, and busily engaged in filling their 
 baskets with the fresh leaves. They are chatting 
 merrily together, and to our Yankee eyes it seems 
 like a good-sized huckleberrying party in New 
 England ; for the style of picking is the same, 
 and the bushes are similar, only instead of yield- 
 ing berries they bear nothing but leaves. The 
 women, young and old, keep their tongues going 
 as briskly during the tea-picking as their sisters of 
 other climes are accustomed to do at their tea- 
 drinking socials ; so that the little leaf begins and 
 ends in gossip. 
 
 When the baskets are full, they are taken to a 
 long low house where several men are silently at 
 work. Here they are boiled about three minutes 
 to render them soft and tender, and after being 
 pressed between mats and dried a little they are 
 
THE ASCENT OE EUJI-YAMA, 1 25 
 
 placed in small quantities upon a series of stout 
 pasteboard trays or pans, set upon brick ovens 
 containing smouldering embers of charcoal and 
 straw. 
 
 These queer-looking pans are ranged in rows, 
 and are maintained at various temperatures, some 
 being so hot that you can barely put your hand 
 on them. In front of each pan stands a Japanese, 
 working and rolling the leaves between his hands 
 and spreading them back and forth, to keep them 
 equally heated throughout. The men are fine- 
 looking fellows, but are naked as they were born, 
 except the little sash around their loins, to which 
 their pipe-cases and tobacco-boxes are attached. 
 
 It is here that the hard work of the tea-making 
 process is seen. These men stand from morn- 
 ing until night over these slow fires, rubbing and 
 rolling the leaves between their hands continu- 
 ally. The leaves are placed on the hottest pans 
 first, when they are moist and green ; but after 
 being rolled and partially dried they are allowed 
 to cool on straw mats, and then they are placed 
 on a second pan, and rubbed and rolled again. 
 This process is repeated twenty times or more, 
 and is far more laborious than any one would sup- 
 pose. 
 
 Gradually the leaves become drier and darker 
 in color, and after the last rolling they are spread 
 
1 26 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 on moderately warm pans, and then placed in 
 large baskets. On an average one man will roll 
 and dry, in a whole day, as many leaves as would 
 fill an ordinary tea-chest. 
 
 The next process consists in sifting and sorting 
 the leaves ; this is done in another house, where 
 young girls are seated around low tables with piles 
 of tea in front of them. Before sorting the tea, it 
 is well shaken in sieves of various sizes, to rid it 
 of dust and fine particles ; then it is heaped upon 
 the tables. Each girl takes her left hand full of 
 the leaves, and throws them before her on the 
 table, while with her right hand she picks out any 
 stray stick, straw, or imperfect leaf, and then 
 sweeps the rest to one side. This is done with 
 great rapidity, and their fingers move iii the same 
 way as a hen uses her beak in pecking at corn. 
 
 The tea is sometimes still further sorted, when 
 it is desirable to separate the fine, small leaves 
 from the larger ones; the former always consti- 
 tute the best qualities of tea, while the latter form 
 the chief bulk of that exported to foreign coun- 
 tries. Of course the best tea remains in Japan 
 and the poorest goes abroad ; but as foreigners 
 usually spoil the true flavor with milk and sugar, 
 it does not make so much difference after all. 
 
 The exported tea has to be ** re-fired '' at Yo- 
 kohama. This is done on an immense scale in 
 
THE ASCENT OE EU/I-YAAfA. 127 
 
 large stone houses, where hundreds of men and 
 women are employed in heating and stirring the 
 leaves again, and putting a finishing touch on the 
 whole process ; this is absolutely essential to pre- 
 serve the tea and render it fit for transportation. 
 The fresh tea odors which greet one in passing 
 the open windows of these tea-firing establish- 
 ments would make some of our old lady friends 
 smack their lips with delight. These were the 
 pleasant odors that I noticed on first landing at 
 Yokohama, and which were mentioned in the first 
 chapter. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 REMOVAL TO TOKIO. 
 
 The long exile in Shidz-u-o-ka was drawing to 
 a close. The Government had determined to 
 centralize the educational interests at the capital, 
 and the provincial schools were suffered tempo- 
 rarily to decline. The old feudal system was 
 abolished, the Mikado had transferred his court 
 to Tokio, which heretofore had been the capital 
 of the military chief, or Tycoon. The latter had 
 retired with his retainers to Shidz-u-o-ka, which 
 became the St. Helena of Tycoonism. The men 
 who formerly ruled Japan were therefore my asso- 
 ciates and advisers in Shidz-u-o-ka. But their 
 successors at the Mikadoes capital found them- 
 selves unable to manage the affairs of govern- 
 ment, hitherto left in the hands of the Tycoon. 
 They had not the practical skill to guide the ship 
 of state with steadiness through the troubled 
 waters of political change. 
 
 Therefore they sent to Shidz-u-o-ka and called 
 away my friends and my brightest students, as- 
 
REMOVAL TO TOKIO. 1 29 
 
 signing them important positions at the capital. 
 Against this course I protested in a memorial to 
 the *' Mom-bu-sho/' or Department of Education. 
 The officials replied that Shidz-u-o-ka should feel 
 complimented in being called upon to furnish 
 young men for important positions in the capital. 
 This was cold comfort, and I urged that the best 
 students should be allowed to remain until the 
 completion of their course. I also argued that 
 no education was truly national which disregarded 
 the interests of the interior. 
 
 The Educational Department admitted the 
 truthfulness of the argument, of which they have 
 since experienced the demonstration ; yet my pro- 
 tests were unavailing, and the Government con- 
 tinued to call away my most valued friends and 
 helpers. Katz and Okubo, who had been instru- 
 mental in bringing me to Japan, and had always 
 been my best advisers, were called to the capi- 
 tal ; the former resumed his old position as Ad- 
 miral of the Navy, and the latter became Gov- 
 ernor of Tokio. Nakamura, Shimojo, and all of 
 my foremost students removed to the capital, say 
 ing that every thing was now changing in Japan, 
 and that I should soon be called away also. 
 
 New governors were appointed over the prov- 
 ince, who *'knew not Joseph,'' and my old 
 friends faded out, leaving me alone. My enthu- 
 
 n 
 
I30 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 siasm was dampened in seeing my cherished plans 
 thwarted, and the labor of building up any perma- 
 nent work appeared in vain. 
 
 I lived alone in the new house during the sec- 
 ond year, and the sense of solitude became very 
 oppressive. No one lived near me except the 
 servants, who occupied the little Japanese build- 
 ing near the gate. At night, I sat in my room 
 listening to the wind sighing through the pines 
 that skirted the embankment of the moat. The 
 screech of the night-owl could be heard, and the 
 timid bark of the foxes who frequented the ruins 
 of the castle. Now and then an earthquake would 
 startle my reveries, sending me at a rapid pace out 
 upon the balcony, where I had an out-door view 
 of the phenomena. The ground shook and 
 heaved, the moat trembled, the tree-tops swayed, 
 the heavy house creaked and groaned, and the 
 windows rattled as though they would break. 
 The birds, frightened from their perches on the 
 tree-tops, flew wildly around, uttering piteous 
 cries ; the mountains looked as though they were 
 ready to ** skip like rams, and the little hills like 
 lambs.'* But the stars twinkled silently, as 
 though they never could shake, and soon all be- 
 came quiet again. 
 
 During the long winter evenings the stars were 
 my best companions ; I never wearied of studying 
 
REMOVAL TO TOKIO. 131 
 
 them through my little telescope, and they we^-e 
 always found bright and cheerful. 
 
 The country people on the mountains near 
 Shidz-u-o-ka sometimes set fire to the long dry 
 grass of that desolate region at night. The whole 
 mountain chain appeared at times in flames, and 
 a fiery circle swept around the *' peaceful hills,*' 
 as the name Shidz-u-o-ka signifies. One could 
 easily imagine that half a dozen volcanoes had 
 broken out, and the first time I witnessed the 
 startling scene I thought Fuji-Yama*s volcanic 
 fires were starting afresh, and that perhaps Shidz- 
 u-o-ka would become another Pompeii. In the 
 daytime the mountains looked blackened and 
 bare, as though they had gone into deep mourn- 
 ing. 
 
 At the close of the second year at Shidz-u-o-ka 
 an official order came, calling me to the Imperial 
 College in Tokio. 
 
 I did not accept the new appointment very 
 promptly, even though my loneliness and exile 
 would be at an end, for I should have American 
 and English society there. Finally, I submitted 
 certain conditions to the Department of Educa- 
 tion, which were accepted ; whereupon I prepared 
 to remove to the capital. 
 
 The three conditions were afterwards fulfilled 
 satisfactorily. The first condition was, that I 
 
132 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 should have the chair of chemistry only assigned 
 to me at the Tokio College ; secondly, that my 
 philosophical apparatus should go with me ; and 
 thirdly, that a good house should be assigned me 
 in place of the one I left at Shidz-u-o-ka. 
 
 Moving in Japan is not very easy work ; but at 
 last all my furniture was packed, and sent off to a 
 seaport six miles distant, to be shipped on a Jap- 
 anese junk. Every thing was done up in straw, 
 making huge bundles and bales of every possible 
 description. A long train of carts left the house 
 one morning, loaded with my household effects. 
 Each cart had a naked Jap pulling like a horse in 
 front, while a woman pushed the cart behind, and 
 children tugged at the wooden wheels, or pulled 
 ahead with short ropes. The procession of carts 
 made the most ridiculous freight-train I ever be- 
 held ; yet these poor people drew the cumber- 
 some loads all the way to the seaport, for human 
 labor is cheaper than that of horses, and each cart 
 only cost half a dollar. 
 
 Six huge boxes containing philosophical appa- 
 ratus, which could not be sent by sea, were sub- 
 sequently carried on men's shoulders all the way 
 to Tokio, over the Hakone Mountains, a distance 
 of one hundred miles ! 
 
 The junk was obliged to pass around Cape Idzu, 
 a bold promontory, w^hich may be seen in the 
 
REMOVAL TO TOKIO. 133 
 
 map. This cape is the dread of all the sailors of 
 the region, and many a junk each year finds its 
 tragic end among the rocky boulders and surging 
 waves which encompass the cape. The French 
 steamer Nil was lost here ; and one of Commo- 
 dore Perry's steamers once grounded on the 
 treacherous coast. 
 
 If even foreign ships were thus endangered, I 
 had little hope for the safety of my dilapidated 
 junk during a stormy winter voyage. The junk 
 was only fifty feet long, and the goods were 
 stowed away under a bamboo roof, in the middle 
 of the boat ; the salt spray dashed over the junk, 
 freezing the straw mats into icy coverings, while 
 the boatmen shivered around a small fire kept 
 burning in the hold. 
 
 Months passed without my hearing any thing of 
 the junk, and I finally gave it up for lost, and 
 bade farewell to my earthly possessions ; but at 
 last it appeared, one frosty morning, among the 
 crowded and forlorn-looking craft of Tokio, cov- 
 ered with ice and saturated with salt. I was de- 
 lighted to see it, however, in any shape ; for it not 
 only had my furniture and library on board, but 
 hundreds of beautiful presents given in years past 
 by the Japanese, which I should have been very 
 sorry to lose. 
 
 My journey to Tgkio was rapidly made, com- 
 
134 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 pared with the time first required in going over 
 the same ground, when the yaconims met me at 
 every town and village. The Tokaido had be- 
 come an old story to me, for I had made the dis- 
 tance to Yokohama many times since my first 
 journey, and every place on the long road was 
 now familiar. 
 
 Once I took a flying trip to Yokohama in com- 
 pany with a jumping toothache, which quickened 
 my progress considerably, so that the journey was 
 made in a day and a half. But then I had the 
 ex-Tycoon's horse and carriage, and rode to the 
 foot of the Hakone Pass. However, the poor 
 horse gave up the ghost the next day, for Japa- 
 nese horses cannot endure as much as the jinri- 
 kisha men, especially when the driver has a tooth- 
 ache ! 
 
 After painful chloroform experiences in Yoko- 
 hama, I returned to Shidz-u-o-ka on a steam- 
 yacht, formally presented by Queen Victoria to 
 the Tycoon ; the United States consul was on 
 board the yacht, together with a party of naval 
 ofificers from the United States flag-ship Colo- 
 rado. They paid me a very pleasant visit at my 
 temple-home, where I entertained them as well as 
 I could, though half of them had to sleep on the 
 floor ; afterwards they went off on a trip through 
 the tea district. During their stay at Shidz-u-o- 
 
REMOVAL TO TOKIO, 135 
 
 ka their bright uniforms greatly astonished the 
 country people. They returned by the steam- 
 yacht to Yokohama. 
 
 I made many trips on the Tokaido, and excur- 
 sions into the neighboring provinces, of which 
 there is not space for me to speak. But I cannot 
 forbear mentioning the romantic feelings with 
 which I finally returned to Yokohama, after being 
 shut up so long in the interior of Japan. When 
 I first landed in the country, and journeyed into 
 the lonely isolation that awaited me so far away 
 from friends, it appeared a strange dream, con- 
 ducting my senses outside the world and all its 
 familiar associations. But when I turned back 
 again, leaving the pagan surroundings in which I 
 had at last become so much at home, and re- 
 entered the business life and social atmosphere of 
 a civilized and Christian community, it seemed a 
 greater dream than the other ! Yokohama is to 
 all intents a foreign city set down upon Japanese 
 soil, and although it may look queer and quaint 
 enough to all new-comers, from whatever land 
 they hail, yet a Jap fresh from the provinces of 
 the interior sees more to astonish his awestruck 
 eyes than a verdant Vermont youth would expe- 
 rience in his first visit to New York City. The 
 regular and paved streets, the substantial stone 
 houses, the elegant shop windows, the fine equi- 
 
135 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 pages, the foreign style of dress, and the busy life 
 of the people, all combine to produce an effect 
 upon the bewildered senses of the country Jap, 
 the like of which he never knew before. 
 
 And when he strolls along the water-quay and 
 looks out towards those leviathan steamers which 
 lie at anchor in the bay, or when, perhaps, he 
 goes to the railroad depot and timidly asks for 
 his ticket for the next train to Tokio, it begins 
 to dawn on his mind that the nineteenth century 
 is finding its way into his long-secluded country, 
 and that the outside barbarians are not such offen- 
 sive creatures after all. 
 
 On entering Yokohama after my long residence 
 apart from foreign society, I looked upon the city 
 with something of the wonder and curiosity of a 
 veritable Japanese ; and the first thing I proposed 
 to my companions from Shidz-u-o-ka was a ride 
 on the railroad just completed between Yokohama 
 and Tokio. 
 
 We saw the locomotive and train coming as we 
 turned down the hill towards the city, and the 
 naked Japs who pulled our jinrikishas looked in 
 astonishment at the smoking locomotive, wonder- 
 ing what kind of an animal it could be ! 
 
 In journeying along the Tokaido, the newly 
 constructed telegraph followed us the whole way 
 from Shidz-u-o-ka, and the little wire seemed like 
 
REMOVAL TO TOKIO. I37 
 
 a thread that bound me to civilization. The 
 country people have a great deal of superstition 
 about it, and dislike to have the wire cross their 
 rice-fields ; for they say the evil spirits prevent 
 the crops from growing. At first the ignorant 
 farmers used to cut the wire, and throw stones at 
 the glass insulators on the poles ; they would also 
 watch the wire for hours to see the messages go 
 by ! What the crazy foreigners had stretched 
 the wire across the country for, they could not 
 imagine ; but at last they ceased to trouble their 
 heads about it, and left the telegraph alone. 
 
 But the railroad was far more wonderful ; of 
 that they could see the meaning, though the loco- 
 motive was entirely beyond their comprehension. 
 
 The road is only eighteen miles long, and there 
 is a substantial stone depot at each terminus. 
 The Yokohama station is very handsome, and all 
 the arrangements are complete. 
 
 When I took my first ride on the railroad I was 
 accompanied by a little boy who formerly lived 
 with me, and who was now going to his father, 
 the new Governor of Tokio. The little fellow 
 had never heard of a railroad train, and when we 
 were fairly seated in the car he looked around, 
 wondering what kind of a little house we were 
 in, with its curious doors and sliding windows. 
 When the train began moving slowly out of the 
 
 18 
 
138 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 depot he grasped the seat with a look of terror, 
 and glanced anxiously into my face to see if I 
 was frightened also. But finding that I only 
 laughed at his fears, he regained courage enough 
 to look out of the window at the trees and houses 
 which began to fly by us faster and faster. The 
 first time the car stopped he ran out on the plat- 
 form and peered under the wheels to see what 
 was pushing it along ; but when we passed one 
 of the down trains he looked at the locomotive, 
 and seemed at last to realize that this was the big 
 black horse that was doing it all. In half an hour 
 we arrived at Shin-a-ga-wa, a distance which it 
 used to take more than half a day to journey 
 over, and which brought us to the suburbs of 
 Tokio. Here we took jinrikishas, with naked 
 Japs, to draw us two miles more into the heart of 
 the city. 
 
 On arriving at the capital, I reported myself 
 at the Mombusho Department, where I had an 
 interview with the Minister of Education. He 
 received me very kindly, and stated that Mr. 
 Hatakeyama, the newly appointed Director of the 
 Imperial College, would confer with me there re- 
 specting my new duties in the institution. 
 
 Now it so happened that Hatakeyama was my 
 warmest Japanese friend, whom I had known for 
 several years in America, but who had changed 
 
REMOVAL TO TOKIO. 1 39 
 
 his name on returning to his country, so that I 
 did not at first recognize him. In the United 
 States his name was Soo-gi-woo-ra ; but this was 
 an assumed title, and now he had resumed his 
 family name. 
 
 He was one of the first students who left Japan 
 to study in foreign countries, shortly after the 
 bombardment of his native city, Kag-o-shi-ma, 
 by the English war-ships. After remaining a year 
 in England, he came to the United States, and 
 eventually settled down to his studies at New 
 Brunswick, N. J., where I first met him at 
 Rutgers College. He was quite a lad when he 
 left his native land, and his mother was very 
 anxious about him, for she had heard strange 
 stories about the barbarians who were reported 
 as living in England and America. With a 
 mother's solicitude she urged him to take a few 
 bags of good wholesome rice with him, for she 
 had been told that people in America lived on 
 snakes, frogs, and lizards ! 
 
 He became a Christian at New Brunswick, and 
 joined the Second Reformed Church. When 
 called to an account for this act by the govern- 
 ment, he replied that he had come abroad to 
 study into the true source of western civilization, 
 and he found Christianity to be that source, there- 
 fore he had embraced it. The power of Christian 
 
HO LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 countries did not consist in cannon-balls and gun- 
 powder, as he had been led to believe when his 
 native city was bombarded by the English ; but 
 there was a better principle underlying civiliza- 
 tion, which had peace and love and religious life 
 as its basis. His reason indorsed Christianity, 
 and his whole heart accepted it. 
 
 Instead of the government calling him back to 
 his own country and punishing him, as he had 
 cause to fear — for Christianity was forbidden in 
 Japan, and at one time was punishable with death 
 — they placed more confidence in him than ever, 
 and gave him the superintendence of the other 
 students who were subsequently sent to pursue 
 their studies in America. 
 
 At New Brunswick he was very earnest in his 
 desire that I should go and help the cause of civ- 
 ilization in Japan, and before I started for that 
 country he came up to see me in Albany. After 
 spending a pleasant evening with some friends, 
 we went to the depot near the Hudson River 
 Bridge, and bade each other Saionara — good-by ; 
 and as the train moved off, Hatakeyama said, 
 ** You go westward while I go eastward, and we 
 will meet around the world in Japan !*' 
 
 I started from the same depot across the con- 
 tinent, and passed over the broad Pacific, while 
 he sailed over the Atlantic ; but owing to his 
 
REMOVAL TO TOKIO. 14 1 
 
 joining the Japanese Embassy, with which he 
 travelled through all the countries and courts of 
 Europe, he did not reach Japan until two years 
 later, at the time I was called from Shidz-u-o-ka 
 to Tokio. My surprise and pleasure may there- 
 fore be imagined when the Minister of Educa- 
 tion informed me that Hatakeyama was now the 
 new director of the college, and that he would 
 consult with me concerning the duties and details 
 which heretofore were contested with yaconims 
 and petty officials. 
 
 Accordingly I went gladly to the reception- 
 room of the Kai-sei Gak-ko, or college building, 
 and awaited the coming of him who was at once 
 my old friend and my new yaconim ! The 
 officials sat around in dignified silence, when the 
 door opened and the new Director stepped in. 
 He was greeted by my attendants and others 
 with profound bows ; and as I approached unob- 
 served behind, and spoke his familiar name, he 
 turned about with the same joyous bound as of 
 yore, grasping my hands with the grip of bygone 
 days, and burst forth with such a gleeful warmth 
 of welcome as made the solemn officials look at 
 one another with mingled awe and wonder, that 
 such a boisterous breach of etiquette should come 
 from one who usually was so dignified and calm. 
 We cared little what they thought, however, and 
 
142 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 enjoyed ourselves for some time as hilariously as 
 we pleased. 
 
 Hatakeyama said he had *' piles of things '' to 
 tell me about his strange experiences in the vari- 
 ous courts of Europe, and he afterwards gave me 
 the most vivid descriptions of all that he had seen 
 and heard. His official connection with the em- 
 bassy afforded him rare opportunities of meeting 
 many of the greatest men and princes in Europe. 
 He did not forget to bring me some pictures he 
 had promised from my old home in Geneva, Swit- 
 zerland ; and I also gave him some large photo- 
 graphs of Niagara, which he requested me to 
 bring from the falls for his mother. 
 
 The new Director assigned me my duties and 
 residence at the college, and I was soon settled 
 amid the novel experiences of life at the capital. 
 I took new courage, and began my labors afresh. 
 
 Shortly after, the Saga rebellion broke out in 
 the southern provinces of Japan, and Hatakeyama 
 was sent down there in company with the former 
 prince of his province to try and conciliate the 
 insurgents. The attempt was unsuccessful, and 
 a short but bloody strife ensued, in which many 
 noble lives were lost ; among others, my former 
 student and friend Katski, who studied with me 
 in Albany, was beheaded with eleven of the lead- 
 ers of the rebellion. Katski was a fine young 
 
REMOVAL TO TOKIO. 143 
 
 fellow, and his cruel death was a great shock to 
 me ; I had endeavored to persuade him not to 
 go back to his province, when the rebellion first 
 broke out, but he would not heed the advice. 
 
 When Hatakeyama started for Saga I expressed 
 some apprehensions respecting his safety. He 
 only smiled, and said quietly, '* My trust is in 
 the Lord, and my true faith will sustain me.'' 
 
 I had a long interview with him at his house 
 before he left for the south, concerning the re- 
 establishment of my Bible-classes in Tokio, es- 
 pecially at the Imperial College. He expressed 
 surprise that no Bible-classes had been establish- 
 ed there before, but said that as the law against 
 Christianity had not been revoked, he was not 
 ofificially able to give the permission desired. 
 Personally, however, he said that he wished the 
 plan God-speed, and as Director he would appear 
 blind to any attempt that I might see fit to make. 
 He wished most heartily, he said, that the young 
 men of Japan might study the Gospel and abide 
 by it. 
 
 Accordingly I started three Bible-classes in 
 Tokio. Two were held in my house near the 
 college, and one at the house of my friend Naka- 
 mura, where my old friends and students from 
 Shidz - u - o - ka were gathered together. The 
 students of the college were only permitted to 
 
144 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 leave the grounds on Sunday, which had hitherto 
 been simply their holiday ; although I needed 
 the Sabbath for rest, after the week's hard work, 
 I appointed the Bible-class for students from the 
 scientific department at eight o*clock in the 
 morning, and the class for students from the 
 legal department at seven in the evening. 
 
 The other Bible-class was held at Nakamura's, 
 two miles from the college, at three o'clock in 
 the afternoon. Here I was warmly welcomed 
 by my Shidz-u-o-ka friends who had removed 
 to Tokio, and I continued the class for many 
 months, finally giving it over to a missionary 
 from Canada, for whom Nakamura built a house. 
 
 Nakamura had a piece of ground at the top of 
 a hill called ** Christian Slope,'* where he said he 
 wished to have a church built before very long. 
 It will be remembered that he once petitioned 
 the government to build a Christian church, so 
 as to give the new religion a fair trial ! This 
 ** Christian Slope," near his house, was so called 
 from a Jesuit missionary who was confined there 
 in prison more than two centuries ago, for at- 
 tempting to teach Christianity. The government 
 would not permit the people to go near him, but 
 still he succeeded in converting his jailer. 
 
 Soon after arriving in Tokio I attended a New 
 Year's reception held at the educational depart- 
 
REMOVAL TO TOKIO, 145 
 
 ment, at which all the foreign professors of the 
 Imperial College were present. The body of in- 
 structors assembled were the most cultured and 
 gentlemanly company I had met in Japan, and it 
 was a pleasure to see the progressive interests 
 of the country intrusted to such competent 
 hands. 
 
 The new building of the Kaisei Gakko, or Im- 
 perial College, was opened with imposing cere- 
 monies by the Mikado shortly before I came to 
 Tokio. It was decorated with flags of every 
 nationality, and presented a beautiful appearance. 
 The building covers several acres, and has three 
 long wings extending 192 feet to the rear. Be- 
 hind these are the gymnasium, dining-hall, and 
 storehouses. The first floor of the main build- 
 ing contains the library, laboratories, and lecture- 
 rooms. The English department occupied the 
 central wing, and the French and German de- 
 partments the right and left wings. The second 
 story throughout the building was used as a dor- 
 mitory, for most of the students lived here. 
 
 In front of the main entrance was a grassy 
 mound and high gateway ; the latter is shown 
 wide open in the picture. In passing this gate 
 every student was obliged to leave a wooden 
 ticket m.arked with his name. This was returned 
 to him when he came back to the college. The 
 
 19 
 
T46 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 rules and. regulations governing the students 
 were very strict. 
 
 In the picture of the gateway the name 
 ** Kaisei Gakko*' is seen on the right pillar, in 
 Chinese characters ; my friend Dr. Veeder, the 
 professor of physics, is standing in the centre of 
 the picture with a few of his students around 
 him ; some of them are in regulation dress, and 
 others in native costume. 
 
 The other viev/ which is given of the Kaisei 
 Gakko presents the front of the building as it 
 appeared the day that the Mikado visited and 
 opened the institution. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 RAMBLES ABOUT THE CAPITAL. 
 
 Life in Tokio was more varied than that at 
 Shidz-u-o-ka. Something was always going on, 
 and pleasant society was not wanting, whenever 
 one felt the need of it. Evening parties and en- 
 tertainments were frequent among the foreign 
 residents, and the elegance and style seen on 
 such occasions reminded one more of fashionable 
 life at home than of residence in a pagan city. 
 
 The capital itself is not beautiful. There are 
 no elegant boulevards or splendid buildings, such 
 as those seen in European countries. Tokio is 
 simply a vast wilderness of houses, containing 
 nearly a million souls, but lacking all the evi- 
 dences of comfort and luxury to be found in the 
 capitals of western lands. The houses are built 
 of wood, and a general view of the city presents 
 an endless succession of tiled and shingled roofs, 
 with here and there a fire-proof storehouse, hav- 
 ing walls of white cement. 
 
 Yet there are places of great interest to visit, 
 
148 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 notwithstanding the sameness and shabbiness of 
 the city. Let us stand for a mon:ent on the high- 
 est wall of the Tokio castle, built by the same great 
 chieftain who constructed the castle at Shidz-u- 
 o-ka. Close beside us is a large cannon, which is 
 fired every day precisely at noon. All about us 
 are the deep moats, massive walls, and colossal 
 gateways of the castle, encircling a space of 
 nearly a mile in extent, and forming a wilderness 
 of walls, embankments, public buildings, and 
 shady promenades, right in the heart of the city. 
 At each angle of the castle wall there used to be 
 a square tower, built of stone and covered with 
 white cement ; the tower had narrow windows, 
 from which arrows could be discharged, and the 
 roof was made of heavy stone tiles, stamped with 
 the crest of the Tycoon. Only a few of these 
 towers now remain, the rest having been removed 
 by order of the Mikado's government. 
 
 The picture represents a portion of the castle 
 moat and wall, where the three-storied towers are 
 still standing. The moat is filled with water. 
 
 There are also numerous canals which intersect 
 the city in every direction, so that merchandise 
 can be transported from one point to another. 
 Boats of every description are poled or sculled 
 through the canals. 
 
 I had a little canoe carrying but one person, 
 
liiiiiiiiiid' :,||ii"''»"'"»:''' 
 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT THE CAPITAL, H9 
 
 and propelled swiftly by a single paddle. In this 
 canoe I cruised around the canals and moats of the 
 capital, studying many phases of life among the 
 boatmen and fishermen, which could not other- 
 wise be observed. Frequently I would venture 
 out upon the bay, but the canoe (which I called 
 *' The Rob Roy of Tokio,'* and which only drew 
 two inches of water) would dance on the waves 
 like a duck, while the salt spray washed over 
 the thin deck, threatening to upset 'me. But it 
 never did. 
 
 Sometimes I drew in my spoon-like paddle and 
 raised an umbrella to the wind. The canoe w^ould 
 scud across the bay, greatly to the astonishment 
 of the Japanese fishermen, who had never seen 
 such a tiny craft before. 
 
 A large river emptied into the Bay of Yedo 
 on the eastern side of the city, which may be 
 seen in the small map of Tokio and vicinity. 
 Near the mouth of the river was the small '* con- 
 cession,** where foreign merchants and mission- 
 aries resided. Here were the foreign consulates, 
 stores, schools, and chapels. Foreigners in the 
 service of the Japanese Government alone were 
 allowed to reside outside the limits of the ** con- 
 cession** at the capital ; for Japan was not yet 
 free to foreign trade, excepting five open ports. 
 
 The most beautiful and interesting places in 
 
I50 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 Tokio, and those which I most frequently visited, 
 were the large temples of Shiba,Uyeno, and Asa- 
 kusa. The two former were the burial-places of 
 the Tycoons for several centuries, and their sacred 
 groves, richly ornamented shrines, and spacious 
 halls for worship were the most beautiful works 
 of art of ancient Japan. Both temples are situ- 
 ated in the suburbs of Tokio, on opposite sides 
 of the city, and their broad avenues and over- 
 arching trees afford splendid promenades /or the 
 people. The temple grounds serve the purpose 
 of parks. At Uyeno, the large buildings were 
 burned during a battle fought there in 1868, be- 
 tween the forces of the Mikado and the retainers 
 of the Tycoon. The gateway leading to the 
 grounds is still riddled with musket balls, and the 
 trees are scarred by bullets. Only the tombs and 
 a few smaller temples remain. 
 
 But at Shiba the temples are well preserved, 
 and the carvings and gildings are very elegant. 
 The eaves, pillars, and portals of the temples dis- 
 play figures of every possible variety, from the 
 hideous scales and claws of the frightful dragon 
 to the soft white plumage of the sacred crane. 
 Massive bronze lanterns, six feet high, are ranged 
 in rows in the court -yard, and covered corridors 
 lead up the hillside to the tombs of the Tycoons. 
 
 There are six of these tombs, similar to the one 
 
RAMBLES ABO UT THE CAPITAL, 1 5 1 
 
 built for the first Tycoon at the Temple of Kuno, 
 near Shidz-u-o-ka. The picture gives an excel- 
 lent idea of this tomb, with the Tycoon's crest 
 upon it. 
 
 The tomb consists of a hollow cylinder of stone, 
 placed upon a granite pedestal, and surmounted 
 by an immense capstone weighing several tons. 
 The dead body of the Tycoon is deposited in the 
 tomb in a square casket, or sometimes in a large 
 earthen jar ; for the Japanese are buried in a sit- 
 ting posture, and occupy but little space. The 
 tomb is closed by a bronze door, upon which a 
 large crest of the Tycoon is seen. This crest 
 resembles three outspread clover leaves, turned 
 inward upon each other. It is found stamped 
 upon every thing throughout the temple grounds, 
 even upon the stone tiles of the massive temple 
 roofs. 
 
 Although the first Tycoon was buried nearly 
 three hundred years ago at the Temple of Kuno, 
 which he built for himself on a high cliff overlook- 
 ing the sea, near Shidz-u-o-ka, yet all of his suc- 
 cessors were buried at Tokio. The most beauti- 
 ful building at Kuno was a five-storied pagoda 
 (like the one seen in Chapter III.), which towered 
 above the tall cypress-trees. This pagoda was 
 taken down by order of the government, because 
 it was characteristic of Buddhism, and they 
 
152 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 wished to make Kuno a Shinto shrine, in accord- 
 ance with the ancient Japanese religion. From 
 the ruins of the beautiful pagoda I obtained a 
 large golden crest of the Tycoon, which had long 
 glistened in the sunlight across the Pacific. 
 
 When the government attempted to change the 
 largest temple at Shiba into a Shinto shrine also, 
 the devout Buddhists were so enraged that they 
 set fire to the beautiful temple, and burned it to 
 the ground. It made a magnificent bonfire ; and 
 the copper sheets on the roof, and the metal 
 ornaments, gave a green and crimson tinge to the 
 flames. 
 
 The Japanese in Tokio are accustomed to large 
 fires, however ; sometimes I have seen half a mile 
 of the city in flames at once. The people cannot 
 put out the fire, but they tear down the wooden 
 buildings around it, and thus stay its terrible 
 course. 
 
 The most populous part of the city is on the 
 eastern side of the castle area, near a bridge from 
 which all distances in Japan are said to be reck- 
 oned. A fearful conflagration swept through this 
 district before I arrived in the city, and destroyed 
 five thousand houses and hundreds of provincial 
 Yashikis, The streets were afterwards widened 
 and straightened, and the district rebuilt in 
 foreign style — ^>., with sidewalks, gas-lamps, and 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT THE CAPITAL. 153 
 
 two-story houses, half foreign and half Japanese. 
 The main street was called the To-ri. This is 
 the Broadway of Tokio ; it runs from the new 
 railroad station to the old bridge of Nihon-Bashi. 
 After crossing the bridge, houses of the Japanese 
 style are seen again. 
 
 The street life in Tokio may be studied by 
 strolling up and down the Tori ; and I frequently 
 rambled through this street, to indulge my curi- 
 osity in observing the strange characteristics of 
 the Japanese people. The native shops were 
 ranged on both sides of the street, their fronts 
 being thrown open so that the passer-by could 
 see all the display of Avares at once. The shop- 
 keeper squatted upon the straw-matted floor, in 
 the midst of his goods, toasting his fingers over a 
 brazier of live coals, and smoking his tiny pipe, 
 which was refilled at every third puff. If you 
 stopped to purchase any small article, he would 
 bow politely, and figure up the price on a little 
 frame with rows of beads running on parallel 
 wires, like the abacus used in schools. Unless 
 you were expert in mental arithmetic, he would 
 calculate faster with his fingers than you could 
 with your brains. His result was always right. 
 
 Many of the streets crossing the Tori were 
 devoted exclusively to the sale of special articles. 
 ** Bamboo Street '* looked as though a forest of 
 20 
 
154 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 long bamboo poles had sprung up through its 
 entire length ; and the '' Dyers' Street/' where 
 deep vats and colored fabrics are exposed to the 
 air, is filled with odors strong enough to knock a 
 person over, even in passing. Some streets con- 
 tain willow and basket ware ; others exhibit long 
 shelves of lacquer-ware and cabinets, ornamented 
 with every conceivable design. Another street 
 contains folding screens, inscribed with pictures 
 and poetry ; still others have paper lanterns, 
 wooden-shoe shops, silk establishments, book- 
 stores with European maps suspended in front ; 
 and some streets are devoted to the sale of 
 foreign goods, such as lamps, candles, kerosene, 
 soap, toilet articles, and bottles of beer. The 
 Japanese seem to think that beer and champagne 
 are the characteristic marks of modern civiliza- 
 tion. Unfortunately, too many sad examples 
 have been set them in this direction by foreigners 
 from Christian countries. 
 
 The most interesting sights in the streets are 
 the games and sports of the children. The Jap- 
 anese believe in enjoying themselves, and the 
 young folks are as bright and merry as the chil- 
 dren of other climes. The girls play battledore 
 and shuttlecock, and the boys fly kites and 
 spin tops. The girls enjoy their game very 
 much, and are usually dressed in their prettiest 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT THE CAPITAL. 155 
 
 robes and bright-colored girdles ; their faces are 
 powdered with a little rice flour, their lips are 
 tinted crimson, and their hair is done up in a 
 most extraordinary fashion. 
 
 They play in the open street, sometimes form- 
 ing a circle of half a dozen or more, and sending 
 the flying shuttlecock from one to the other. 
 They are very skilful, and rarely miss a stroke." 
 The boys like a strong wind that their kites may 
 soar high ; but the girls sing a song that it may 
 be calm, so that their shuttlecocks may go right. 
 
 The boys have wonderful kites, made of tough 
 paper pasted on light bamboo frames, and deco- 
 rated with dragons, warriors, and storm hobgob- 
 lins. Across the top of the kite is stretched a 
 thin ribbon of whalebone, which vibrates in the 
 wind, making a peculiar humming sound. When 
 I first walked the streets of Tokio I could not 
 imagine what the strange noises meant that 
 seemed to proceed from the sky above me ; the 
 sound at times was shrill and sharp, and then low 
 and musical. At last I discovered several kites 
 in the air, and when the breeze freshened the 
 sounds were greatly increased. 
 
 Sometimes the boys put glue on their kite- 
 strings, near the top, and dip the strings into 
 pounded glass. Then they fight with their kites, 
 which they place in proper positions, and attempt 
 
156 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 to saw each other's strings with the pounded 
 glass. When a string is severed, a kite falls, and 
 is claimed by the victor. The boys also have 
 play-fights with their tops. 
 
 Sometimes I met boys running a race on long 
 stilts ; at other times they would have wrestling 
 matches, in which little six-year-old youngsters 
 would toss and tumble one another to the ground. 
 Their bodies were stout and chubby, and their 
 rosy cheeks showed signs of health and happiness. 
 They were always good-natured, and never al- 
 lowed themselves to get angry. 
 
 On the fifth day of the fifth month the boys 
 have their Fourth of July, which they call the 
 ** Feast of Flags.'' They celebrate the day very 
 peaceably, with games and toys. They have sets 
 of figures, representing soldiers, heroes, and cele- 
 brated warriors ; with flags, daimio processions, 
 and tournaments. Outside of the house a bam- 
 boo pole is erected by the gate, from the top of 
 which a large paper fish is suspended. This fish 
 is son etimes six feet long, and is hollow. When 
 there 13 a breeze it fills with wind, and its tail 
 and fins flap in the air as though it were trying 
 to swim away. The fish is intended to show that 
 there are boys in the family. It is the carp, 
 which is found in Japanese waters, and swims 
 against the stream, and leaps over water-falls. 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT THE CAPITAL. 157 
 
 The boys must therefore learn from the fish to 
 persevere against all difficulties, and surmount 
 every obstacle in life. When hundreds of these 
 huge fishes are seen swimming in the breeze, it 
 presents a very curious appearance. 
 
 The girls have their ** Feast of Dolls'' on the 
 third day of the third month. During the week 
 preceding this holiday, the shops of Tokio are 
 filled with dolls and richly dressed figures. This 
 *' Feast of Dolls'* is a great gala-day for the girls. 
 They bring out all their dolls and gorgeously 
 dressed images, which are quite numerous in re- 
 spectable families, having been kept from one 
 generation to another ; the images range from a 
 few inches to a foot in height, and represent court 
 nobles and ladies, with the Mikado and his house- 
 hold in full costume. They are all arranged on 
 shelves, together with many other beautiful toys, 
 and the girls present offerings of rice, fruit, and 
 *' saki " wine, and mimic all the routine of court 
 life. The shops display large numbers of these 
 images at this special season ; after the holidays 
 they suddenly disappear. 
 
 I once bought a large doll baby at one of the 
 shops, to send home to my little sister ; the doll 
 was dressed in the ordinary way, having its head 
 shaved in the style of most Japanese babies. 
 It was so life-like that when propped up on a 
 
158 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 chair a person would easily suppose it to be a live 
 baby. 
 
 In going along the Tori I would often see a 
 group of children gathered around a street story- 
 teller, listening with widening eyes and breathless 
 attention to the ghost story or startling romance 
 which he was narrating. Many old folks also 
 gathered around, and the story-teller shouted and 
 stamped on his elevated platform, attracting great 
 attention, until, just as the most thrilling part of 
 the story was reached, he suddenly stopped and 
 took up a collection ! He refused to go on un- 
 less the number of pennies received was sufficient 
 to encourage the continuation of the story. 
 
 Street theatricals can also be seen, and travel- 
 ling shows with monkeys, bears, and tumbling 
 gymnasts, who greatly amuse the children. 
 Sugar-candy and various kinds of sweetmeats are 
 sold by pedlers, who are eagerly sought after by 
 the little folks. Sometimes a man carries small 
 kitchen utensils on the ends of a pole, and serves 
 out tiny griddle-cakes to the children, who watch 
 him cook the cakes, and smack their lips in antici- 
 pation of the feast. 
 
 A showman will put a piece of camphor on the 
 tiny model of a duck which he floats on a shal- 
 low dish of water, and as the children look on in 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT THE CAFITAE 159 
 
 wonder the dissolving camphor gum sends the 
 duck from side to side, as though it were aHve. 
 
 The boys deHght in fishing, and will sit for 
 hours holding the line by the moats and canals, 
 waiting for a bite. I have seen a dozen people 
 watching a single person fish, when there would 
 not be a bite once in the half hour. 
 
 There are few vehicles in Tokio, excepting the 
 jinrikishas ; and most of the people walk in the 
 middle of the street. When riding on horseback 
 it is impossible to go at a rapid rate without en- 
 dangering the youngsters who sprawl around in 
 the street. Chickens, dogs, and cats are also in 
 the way ; the latter animal has no tail in Japan. 
 
 The greatest play-ground in Tokio appears to 
 be the garden and cluster of buildings known as 
 the Temple of Asakusa. The temple stands 
 near the river, at the further end of the city. 
 Here the people congregate in large numbers for 
 pleasure and worship ; the Japanese combine re- 
 ligion and amusement, and their temple grounds 
 are the places of resort on all festival occasions. 
 There is a perpetual holiday at Asakusa. The 
 main temple is approached by a long avenue, lined 
 on both sides with booths, stalls, and shops, in 
 which toys and all manner of things are sold. 
 The last table is devoted to the sale of small 
 
l6o LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 beans, with which to feed the sacred doves that 
 throng the eaves of the temple by hundreds. 
 When I purchased a penny's worth of beans and 
 threw them on the ground, the whole feathery 
 tribe of doves descended in a fluttering cloud, 
 and picked the beans up in an instant. At 
 another table larger beans are purchased to feed 
 the sacred white horse. The horse is very gen- 
 tle, and stands with due dignity in his stall, re- 
 ceiving with meekness all favors conferred upon 
 him; he seems to *'know beans*' very well. 
 The gods are said to ride upon this horse, there- 
 fore it is a religious act to feed him ; he is plump 
 and fat, like the lazy priest who attends him. 
 
 Inside the temple, the altars and images are 
 protected from the birds by wire screens. There 
 is a small wooden image which has been rubbed 
 by the people so that its face, hands, and feet 
 have been literally worn off. Whosoever touches 
 the image is said to have his diseases cured by 
 touching the corresponding portion of his own 
 body. It was very pitiable to see the blind, lame, 
 and sickly coming up to this hideous wooden 
 image, hoping to be cured thereby. 
 
 To the left of the temple is a beautiful garden, 
 with flowers, dwarfed trees, and miniature lakes. 
 Here also is a grand display of wax figures, illus- 
 trating Japanese legends and romance ; these 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT THE CAPITAL, l6l 
 
 figures are similar to those once seen at Barnum's 
 Museum, but are more finely executed. To see 
 these figures you pass through corridors of some 
 length, winding through a labyrinth of passages, 
 and coming at each turn upon new sets of groups, 
 representing every phase of Japanese life and cos- 
 tume, poetical and tragical, from the farmer plod- 
 ding the field to the goddess descending from the 
 skies. At one point a fairy nymph is charming 
 the lonely passer-by with music from a stringed 
 instrument, as she sits in a shady bower ; at 
 another place a freshly-severed head lies hideously 
 on the floor, with eyes half closed and death pal- 
 lor on the cheek, while a furious monster holds 
 his sword aloft, as though ready to come at you 
 as the next victim. 
 
 In the neighborhood of Asakusa is a place 
 called Mekojima, celebrated for its cherry-blos- 
 soms. The cherry-trees line the roadside on the 
 river bank for a distance of two miles. They 
 overarch the road so as to form a continuous 
 bower, and the blossoms are so thick and flaky 
 that the trees appear as if covered with light 
 snow. People throng the place by thousands, 
 and take more pleasure in their admiration of 
 these cherry-blossoms than in any other form of 
 amusement. Tea-houses and gardens abound 
 along the bank of the river, and mirth and music 
 
 21 
 
1 62 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 are heard on all sides. Though the trees have 
 such beautiful blossoms, yet they bear no fruit. 
 
 My home in Tokio was near the second moat 
 of the great castle, in the centre of the city ; the 
 house stood within a compound, or inclosure, ad- 
 joining the college buildings. Within this in- 
 closure most of the foreign professors resided ; 
 their houses were nearly all of the same style as 
 the one shown in the picture. The view of my 
 house was taken in winter during a snow-storm, 
 to show that we had at least a little snow in 
 Tokio. In the foreground are two jinrikishas, or 
 little carriages such as I used in riding around To- 
 kio. The two little girls in one of the jinrikishas 
 were great pets of mine ; they were the daughters 
 of a lady friend, who had charge of the Govern- 
 ment Girls* School. Two servants are standing 
 in the doorway, and considerable snow covers the 
 roof. The smoke-pipe on the left of the entrance 
 shows that the Japanese carpenter could not be 
 prevailed upon to build a chimney. None of the 
 houses in the compound had chimneys, and many 
 fires have originated from the careless way in 
 which these pipes were put up. 
 
 The photographic camera seen on the table at 
 the left was the one employed in taking some of 
 the pictures of this book. Near the doorstep is 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT THE CAPITAL. 163 
 
 another table, with a sword-rack and sword pre- 
 sented by the Governor of Tokio. 
 
 When I first came to Tokio I met with great 
 pleasure my friend and former classmate, Mr. 
 Grififis, who had once tramped with me through 
 Switzerland, and who was now settled at the 
 Tokio College, after living a year at Fukwi, on 
 the western coast of Japan. In his journey to 
 Tokio he passed through Shidz-u-o-ka^ when I 
 went out to meet him with amounted escort, and 
 entertained him at my old temple home. At 
 Tokio we lived together in the same house for 
 several months ; but after his return to America 
 I was left alone, as I had been at Shidz-u-o-ka. 
 Mr. Grififis wrote a large and interesting work on 
 Japan while living in this house, which has since 
 been published ; and if my young reader wishes 
 a more complete history of Japan than I have 
 space to give, I would refer him to Mr. Grififis's 
 book, *'The Mikadoes Empire.'' 
 
 A few months after Mr. Grififis left for America 
 I invited Hatakeyama, the Director of the Kaisei 
 Gakko, to come and live with me. He wished 
 to do so very much, as his own house was small 
 and two miles away, whereas mine was large and 
 close to the college, and very convenient. I 
 petitioned the Minister of Education to allow 
 
i64 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 Hatakeyama to change his residence, but for 
 some unaccountable reason the request was 
 politely declined. 
 
 The scourge of small-pox visited Tokio while I 
 was there ; two of the professors died with it, and 
 great alarm prevailed. 
 
 The natives died by hundreds ; but the Japa- 
 nese seemed used to it. One of my friends at 
 this time was suffocated from charcoal fumes in 
 bathing in a Japanese bath-tub ; I helped em- 
 balm the poor fellow, so that his body might be 
 sent home. 
 
 Quite a tragic affair occurred at the Kaisei 
 Gakko one morning, which nearly resulted in the 
 destruction of the whole building by fire. I was 
 giving a lecture to my chemistry class, when sud- 
 denly great confusion was heard in the second 
 story, and the court-yard was seen filled with 
 smoke. Dismissing the class, and advising them 
 to keep cool, I seized the Babcock fire-extin- 
 guisher which always stood on the table in my 
 laboratory, and asked my two assistants to bring 
 a pair of the same instruments which stood in the 
 hall, and which I had newly charged the day 
 before. 
 
 With the three Babcocks we went upstairs, but 
 so great was the confusion that we could not at 
 first find the whereabouts of the fire. Beds, 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT THE CAPITAL, 1 65 
 
 books, and furniture were being tumbled out of 
 the windows, and students were rushing around 
 like maniacs. At last I discovered the fire in the 
 roof of the French department. It had caught 
 from the red-hot smoke-pipe seen projecting from 
 the corner of the wing of the college building in 
 the picture a little further on. The fire had 
 smouldered for hours, and then broken out with 
 terrible fury, sweeping along the rafters under the 
 roof, and would soon have wrapped the whole 
 wing in flames. A Japanese hand-pump had been 
 brought into the room at the corner of the build- 
 ing ; the firemen had broken a hole through the 
 ceiling, and were waiting for water to be brought 
 upstairs in buckets ! I laughed at their clumsy- 
 machine, and mounted the ladder leading into the 
 burning loft above. The sight that met my gaze 
 was appalling, and startled me so that I burned 
 and blackened my arms in trying to get through 
 the hole with the heavy Babcock on my back. 
 Broad sheets of flame leaped along the rafters, 
 and the smoke was so suffocating I could scarcely 
 breathe. 
 
 I attempted to head off the flames, knowing 
 that if they gained much greater progress they 
 would be beyond control, and the whole building 
 would be sacrificed. Swinging from one rafter 
 to another, I turned on the magic stream of the 
 
1 66 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 carbonic-acid' gas extinguisher, and the effect was 
 instantaneous. Wherever the stream touched the 
 fire it swept it out like a broom, and by the time 
 I had emptied the first Babcock forty feet of the 
 flames had been subdued. Meanwhile I was 
 nearly extinguished myself by the thick smoke, 
 and crept cautiously towards the hole, where I 
 allowed the Jap pump to play on my face and 
 head. 
 
 Thus revived, I took the second extinguisher, 
 and nearly subdued the rest of the flames. As 
 the third and last instrument was passed up to 
 me, I heard a great noise on the roof over my 
 head, and soon shingles and stone tiles began to 
 fall, showing that the firemen were breaking in 
 the roof in true Japanese fashion. In vain I 
 called to them to desist, and not to let in the air ; 
 and I sent a stream of acidulated water into their 
 faces to drive them away. Still they persisted in 
 breaking in the roof, and at the same time men 
 with stout poles began breaking up the thin floor 
 beneath me. With the ingress of fresh air the 
 fire started up again in several places. The 
 treacherous cross - beams were some distance 
 apart, and it was difficult to step from one to the 
 other with the heavy instrument on my back. 
 One young fellow, who ventured up to help me, 
 fell through the ceiling like a shot, and disap- 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT THE CAPTIAL. 167 
 
 peared from the scene. I crouched in the corner 
 and played on the burning rafters as best I could ; 
 reflecting on the pleasant alternative of being 
 roasted alive, or struck on the head by a tile from 
 above, or poked by a pole from below. A burn- 
 ing stick fell on my back, and warmed the situa- 
 tion somewhat. The extinguishers were true to 
 their name, however, and after the third one had 
 been emptied the flames were so far subdued that 
 a few buckets of water finished them. 
 
 As a touching sequel to the affair, I stayed in 
 bed for two days afterward. This is the nearest 
 I ever came to being cremated. 
 
 The picture presents a portion of the Kaisei 
 Gakko grounds. This view was taken in winter 
 after a slight fall of snow ; but the snow melted 
 so fast that I could not catch much of it with the 
 camera. 
 
 The small tower and building on the left be- 
 long to the Suruga Yashiki, or official head- 
 quarters of the province where I lived. In this 
 yashiki I was received by Katz and Okubo, and 
 other oflficials of Suruga, when I first came to 
 Japan. 
 
 Here a grand dinner was prepared for me in 
 foreign style, and a reception given fit for a 
 daimio. But, alas ! I had dined heartily with my 
 friend Dr. Vecder just before going to the Yas- 
 
I6S LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 hiki, not knowing of the culinary preparations 
 made for me. Nevertheless the banquet must be 
 served, and my post of honor had to be at the 
 head of the table. Etiquette made it essential 
 that I should begin eating before any body else 
 could commence. In vain I excused myself in 
 broken Japanese, saying that I had just risen from 
 dinner. This was supposed to be polite affec- 
 tation, showing that I had a delicate appetite. 
 The more excuses I made the more I was pressed 
 to eat. To decline was a lack of respect to my 
 hosts, and a reflection upon the excellent cook- 
 ing ; besides, whenever I stopped every body else 
 laid down their knives and forks, though I knew 
 they had been waiting a long time and were very 
 hungry. To go forward I could not, and to stop 
 entirely I did not dare ! Course after course 
 came and went. The dinner was excellent, and 
 served in splendid style, in dishes belonging to 
 the Tycoon, which I afterwards used on similar 
 occasions at Shidz-u-o-ka. Soup, fish, meats, and 
 savory viands came in endless succession. I tasted 
 each course and then stopped. Every body else 
 did the same. I wished for an artificial stomach, 
 such as Jack the Giant-Killer possessed when he 
 ate more hasty-pudding than the giant, and made 
 the monster perform hara-kiri. Finally the last 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT THE CAPITAL. 1 69 
 
 dish aisappeared from the table. My companions 
 still felt hungry, and I felt like exploding ! 
 
 Beautiful presents were then produced. The 
 Tycoon sent me a superb gold lacquer lunch-box, 
 with solid silver saki bottles. It was the most 
 elegant box of the kind I ever saw, and was 
 worth five or six hundred dollars. I presented 
 a large picture of the Yosemite Valley to Katz, 
 and a diagram of the new capitol at Albany to 
 Okubo. 
 
 So ended the first banquet and reception at the 
 Yashiki. 
 
 22 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 A PEEP INTO THE MIKADO *S PALACE. 
 
 For long ages the Mikado of Japan has had 
 religious reverence paid him by his subjects as 
 the ** Son of Heaven.'' He sat behind a screen 
 at his ancient capital Kio-to, and no one might 
 dare approach him except a few court nobles. 
 His very existence was shrouded in sacred mys- 
 tery, and neither his face nor his form could be 
 seen, but only the voluminous folds of his impe- 
 rial skirts. The military chieftain, the Tycoon, 
 managed all the affairs of state during this time at 
 Yedo. 
 
 At last, after the revolution of 1868, the Mi- 
 kado came forth from his seclusion and estab- 
 lished his court at Yedo, which thereupon became 
 Tokio, or Eastern Capital. The Tycoon retired 
 with his retainers to Shidz-u-o-ka. 
 
 Since my arrival at the capital I had been in- 
 tensely curious to see the Mikado, of whom I had 
 so long heard. I even planned to gain access to 
 the emperor's palace, and see the v/hole of the 
 
THE MIKADO'S PALACE, I 71 
 
 imperial court and household, and in this, before 
 many months, I succeeded. The lever that I 
 used to pry open the doors of stiff etiquette and 
 princely exclusion was the stereopticon ! 
 ^ I first gave some brilliant exhibitions of pic- 
 tures at the Naval College for Mr. Katz, the 
 Minister of the Navy ; and afterwards at the 
 Kaisei Gakko for Mr. Hatakeyama. These en- 
 tertainments were attended by hundreds of ofifi- 
 cials and students, who of course were wonder- 
 fully pleased with the splendid stereopticon pic- 
 tures of Europe and America. 
 
 Soon the fame of the stereopticon reached the 
 palace, just as I intended it should ! The em- 
 press and ladies of the imperial court were ex- 
 ceedingly desirous of seeing the beautiful pictures 
 of western countries. But of course the ladies 
 could not leave the palace ; so I sent word politely 
 to the lord chamberlain, through Hatakeyama, 
 saying that I would come to the 'palace and give 
 the empress an entertainment, and that the Mi- 
 kado might come to the exhibition if he saw fit. 
 
 The offer was a novel one, as no foreigner had 
 ever been admitted to the palace in such a way 
 before ; but my proposition was gladly accepted. 
 My gallant offer to the empress and her ladies 
 was amended, however, by the lord chamberlain, 
 who said that the exhibition should be given for 
 
172 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 the Mikado, and that the empress and ladies 
 might come in if they wished. 
 
 At an appointed day I went to the palace with 
 Hatakeyama, and selected the largest of the 
 state apartments, as the most suitable in which 
 to give the exhibition. I then asked the lord 
 chamberlain to fix the most convenient date. 
 He stepped out in the garden and consulted the 
 Mikado, who was just about to take a walk. His 
 majesty said that Tuesday of the next week 
 would suit him ; but if any important state du- 
 ties interfered he would let me know. 
 
 Accordingly, about eight o'clock on Tuesday 
 evening I had my instruments set up in the pal- 
 ace, and the large curtain suspended from the top 
 of the partition of the apartment. Two large 
 screens were arranged around the instruments ; 
 where the officers at first fixed them so as to shut 
 off the seats intended for the emperor and his 
 household from all the rest of us in the room. But 
 as soon as they had retired to give notice that all 
 was ready, I made a slight and quick change, and 
 pulled the screens backward, so as to make the 
 way clear for a larger picture on the curtain. I 
 placed the Mikado's elegant chair in the little 
 alcove, formed at the end of the zigzag screen, 
 just to the left of my stereopticon, where he 
 would have the finest possible view in the room. 
 
THE " MIKADO" IN MODERN DRESS. 
 
THE MIKADO'S PALACE. 173 
 
 In front of his chair was a small table, covered 
 with a rich gold-embroidered silk cloth ; on his 
 left was another table, and a seat for the em- 
 press ; while in the rear were several lines of up- 
 holstered chairs, for the maids of honor and other 
 members of the household. 
 
 A few days previous to the exhibition, I had 
 requested Mr. Katz, of the Naval Department, to 
 lend me one of the marine bands to give music 
 for the occasion. On riding up to the gate of the 
 palace that evenirig I met two bands instead of 
 one marching up the hill ; they formed in line in 
 two companies, inside the gate, numbering sixty 
 men in all, and began tuning their instruments for 
 the exhibition. 
 
 After waiting some time for the foreign leader 
 of the band (who was unfortunately detained by 
 some misunderstanding respecting the passport of 
 entrance to the imperial grounds), I placed the 
 musicians in a side room near the large parlors, 
 gave them directions to play the pieces appropri- 
 ate to the foreign countries, the pictures of which 
 would be shown in geographical order. 
 
 As soon as every thing was ready for the exhibi- 
 tion, notice was sent to the Mikado's apartments 
 that all things were awaiting his majesty's pleas- 
 ure. The emperor and empress were ushered 
 into the room, followed by an impressive retinue, 
 
1 74 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 consisting chiefly of young ladies dressed in white, 
 with their long, dark hair streaming behind, and 
 broad red sashes encircling their waists ; the ef- 
 fect was very pretty, and quite unique, as this 
 charming procession of fair ones entered, and 
 quietly seated themselves behind his majesty, 
 while the band struck up the '' Mikado's Hymn,'* 
 and the word *' Welcome,'' with the wreath of 
 flowers, was thrown by the brilliant light upon 
 the curtain. 
 
 The chief officers of the Kunaisho, or House- 
 hold Department, sat on the opposite side of the 
 room from his majesty. Tokudaigi, the lord 
 chamberlain, and several other high officers were 
 in attendance on his majesty ; and every thing 
 passed off in a very pleasant and social manner, 
 there being nothing stiff or formal, though there 
 was a subdued stillness in the room. 
 
 At the outset dissolving views were exhibited 
 of Windsor Castle, Sandringham Hall, the Parlia- 
 ment Houses, and other English and Scottish 
 places of interest, during which the band played 
 ** God save the Queen." 
 
 Then followed many American views of Niag- 
 ara, the Yosemite, and the principal scenes in 
 Washington, New York, and Boston. After this 
 the magnesium stereopticon was started, and the 
 magnificent views of Paris, Berlin, Switzerland, 
 
THE MIKADO'S PALACE. i 75 
 
 and Northern Italy were presented in brilliant 
 succession. 
 
 Hatak^yama (who had accompanied the embas- 
 sy in all their European experiences) sat near his 
 majesty, and explained all the views as they were 
 announced ; designating, at the same time, the 
 particular places visited by the embassy, and en- 
 livening the occasion by little incidents of their ex- 
 perience. 
 
 The Mikado seemed exceedingly interested, 
 and although every body else was quiet in his 
 presence, he conversed freely and naturally, ask- 
 ing many questions upon places of particular im- 
 portance. 
 
 After a hundred of the various well-known 
 scenes in Europe and America had been shown, 
 interspersed with curious revolving chromatropes^ 
 and an ocean scene which was particulariy impres- 
 sive, a few comic figures were introduced, which 
 created considerable merriment among the fair 
 ones of the white-robed retinue sitting to the 
 left, though they were very subdued and dignified 
 m their expressions of delight and amusement. 
 
 The two bands of music played splendidly at 
 first, but later in the evening, when the lights 
 were down low, they lost their discipline a little 
 m the absence of the band-master. Some of them 
 had seen the pictures previously shown at the 
 
I 76 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 Naval College, and told their companions how 
 wonderful they were. The musicians were so 
 curious to see the pictures that they could not 
 stay in the room assigned them, but stole slyly 
 behind the stereopticon to see the show. When 
 I discovered them they pretended they had merely 
 come to ask what piece to play next! There 
 were so many drums, trumpets, and fifes that half 
 the band could make all the noise needed, while 
 the other half came in to see the fun ; and they 
 performed very finely. 
 
 The exhibition lasted an hour and a half, yet 
 the court wished it to continue longer. 
 
 At the conclusion I thought that my turn had 
 come to secure the long-desired peep at the Mi- 
 kado and the fair members of the imperial house- 
 hold. The room had hitherto been dark, so that 
 I could not readily see the distinguished people 
 about me. Only a broad cone of light fell upon 
 the screen from the stereopticon. But when the 
 signal was given for the Japanese servants to ap- 
 proach with their little paper lanterns, I knew the 
 Tokudaigi had planned to remove the Mikado 
 and his court from the room, without giving the 
 foreigner time to have a satisfactory look at them. 
 
 Science came to my assistance, however. The 
 punctilious lord chamberlain knew not the mar- 
 vellous potency of the magnesium light. No 
 
EMPRESS IN COURT COSTUME. 
 
THE MIKADO'S PALACE. IJJ 
 
 sooner had the fair retinue risen from their seats 
 than I raised the magic clock-lamp from one of 
 the instruments, and shot a broad beam of white 
 light, dazzling as the sun, down the long corridor 
 through which the procession n\ust pass. In an 
 instant the Japanese lanterns glimmered like fire- 
 flies, and the darkness of the corridor changed to 
 daylight. The Mikado and empress passed out 
 first, followed by the ladies of the court, who 
 walked quietly, two by two, and hand in hand. 
 Their dresses were similar to some of those I had 
 seen in pictures of the ancient Kioto court. The 
 fair young faces turned one by one towards the 
 brilliant light, which their curiosity led them to 
 look at, and I noticed the little dots placed upon 
 their foreheads, which designated the highest rank 
 of nobility. Some of the ladies were very pretty ; 
 they wore their hair in thick tresses down the 
 back, which style is only allowable for ladies of 
 the court. Their eyes were slightly oblique. 
 
 The Mikado is a little taller than the average 
 Japanese, with an open, fair countenance, having 
 no decided expression except that of serenity. 
 His profile is not very pleasing, but his forehead 
 is high, and his eyes are manly and expressive. His 
 dark hair curls a little at the temples. He steps 
 with ease and carries his figure erect. On 
 the whole, the Mikado is a sensible man and a 
 
 23 
 
178 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 good emperor, but as ** a god '* he is fast becom- 
 ing a failure. His subjects cannot continue to 
 worship one whom they see to be a man like 
 unto themselves. In the picture (which does 
 not do him justice) he is dressed in foreign cos- 
 tume, with gold-lace coat, broad epaulets, white 
 pantaloons, military cap, and European sword. 
 This dress designates him as commander-in-chief 
 of the army, as well as emperor. 
 
 The Mikado issued an order that all the na- 
 tive officials and military men should henceforth 
 present themselves at reviews and receptions 
 uniformed in foreign style. Some of the Japa- 
 nese ladies thought they would adopt European 
 dresses also ; but the emperor issued another 
 order, saying that Japanese ladies looked well 
 enough as they were, and did not need to change 
 their native costume. Wherein the emperor was 
 right. The ladies still wear the ancient style of 
 dress, as seen in the picture of the empress. 
 Elegant fans are carried on full-dress occasions 
 by both sexes. 
 
 After the stereopticon entertainment the offi- 
 cers of the Kunaisho Department expressed much 
 pleasure at the result, and said I must be 
 fatigued and in need of refreshment. Accord- 
 ingly I was led, with Hatakeyama and my two 
 Japanese assistants, into the room where the 
 
THE MIKADO'S PALACE, 1 79 
 
 Mikado's ministers are usually received. Here 
 a table of refreshments awaited us. Cakes and 
 confectionery, stamped with stars, leaves, flow- 
 ers, and chrysanthemums, were piled upon the 
 table, colored with all the tints of the rain- 
 bow. The confectionery was too artistic to eat, 
 and I told the lord chamberlain that I would 
 take it home to show my friends ; he said cer- 
 tainly, that I might take it all, for this is the Jap- 
 anese custom. I had frequently given dinners at 
 which the invited guests carried away in their 
 sleeves all the good things that were left ! So 
 there was no impropriety in my carrying away 
 the sweetmeats from the Mikado's table. 
 
 The Tokudaigi said he had ordered one of the 
 emperor's carriages to convey me back to the 
 college, and that it would soon be in waiting. 
 The carriage drove up to the gate of the palace 
 in grand style, with two horses, two bettos well 
 tattooed, and a coachman in full livery. It was 
 evidently the barouche of the empress, and was 
 luxurious within ; my Japanese assistants enjoyed 
 the ride exceedingly, for they had never seen 
 such a carriage before. 
 
 We drove out of the Imperial Guard Gate, 
 across a narrow causeway over a very deep moat, 
 where Iwakura, the Mikado's minister, had been 
 attacked by a dozen of the two-sworded Samourai, 
 
l8o LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 and nearly assassinated. He was badly cut, but 
 saved himself by rolling down the steep embank- 
 ment into the moat. The imperial guards were 
 alarmed, and the would-be assassins were after- 
 wards captured and beheaded. I subsequently 
 dined at Iwakura*s house, and found him able to 
 walk with the aid of a crutch. 
 
 When our carriage arrived at the college com- 
 pound it was nearly midnight, and the sleepy 
 gatekeeper was inclined to grumble at being dis- 
 turbed so late. But when his half-opened eyes 
 caught sight of the Mikadoes crest on the car- 
 riage, he fell on his face, and then flew to the 
 bars and opened the gate quicker than he had 
 ever done before ! 
 
 The next morning all my instruments were sent 
 to the college in the emperor's express wagon. 
 A month after, a magnificent gold lacquer-box 
 came to me with the compliments of the Mikado 
 and the thanks of the ladies of the court. The 
 latter said they felt as though the stereopticon 
 had taken them on a journey through foreign 
 countries, and that nothing in their seclusion at 
 the palace had ever afforded them half so much 
 pleasure. They would remember the occasion, 
 they said, all their lives. 
 
 The present sent from the Mikado was quite as 
 elegant as the one formerly received from the ex- 
 

THE MIKADO'S PALACE, l8l 
 
 Tycoon, and was doubly valuable from its associ- 
 ations. The first gift — from the ex-Tycoon — rep- 
 resented the declining feudal power of the past ; 
 and the second — from the Mikado — represented 
 a new era in the progress and enlightenment of 
 Japan. 
 
 It is appropriate just here to say a few words 
 respecting the various classes of society which 
 prevailed in Japan before the advent of foreign- 
 ers, and of the distinctions which are now slowly 
 passing away. 
 
 In ancient times society was divided into four 
 classes. The first constituted the literary and 
 military class, called the Samourai. The second, 
 strange as it may seem, was the agricultural class, 
 or common* farmer. The third was the laboring 
 class, or carpenter and artisan. The fourth was 
 the trading or money-making class, the merchant. 
 These were the chief classes that existed from 
 1604 until 1868. 
 
 The Samourai stood at the head of the social 
 scale. He was the gentleman — the soldier in war 
 and the scholar in peace. He could wield either 
 the sword or the pen. Of the two, he rather pre- 
 ferred the sword. The sharp steel blades thrust 
 in his belt were to him the symbol of rank 
 and chivalry. He might walk the streets with- 
 
1 82 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 out a hat, but never without wearing his two 
 swords. 
 
 In the picture representing the classes of society 
 in Japan, the Samourai is seen standing on the 
 left, with his long and short swords thrust in his 
 belt. 
 
 In the middle of the picture, sitting upon the 
 ground, is the carpenter, who carries a square 
 rule. 
 
 The man with a book is a street story-teller ; 
 and the girl on the right, with a sickle, is a farm- 
 er's daughter, who cuts grass, and carries it in the 
 basket on her back. 
 
 The girl sitting on the left, with a musical in- 
 strument, is playing on the Samisen, or three- 
 stringed banjo, which is more popular than any 
 other kind of music. The strings are struck with 
 a piece of ivory. 
 
 The man with a brick-shaped hat on the right of 
 the group is a Ku-Ge, or court noble. Sanjo, the 
 Prime Minister of Japan, wore such a hat when 
 I first met him in Tokio. 
 
 The central and highest figure is dressed in the 
 style which once prevailed at the court of the 
 Tycoon. But these ridiculous fashions are now 
 nearly abolished. 
 
 The two ladies on either side of the highest 
 figure are members of the Mikado's court ; their 
 
THE MIKADO'S PALACE. 183 
 
 hair is brushed back in the way I have already 
 described in this chapter. Two dots upon their 
 foreheads denote their high rank. All the other 
 ladies have their hair dressed in the style of the 
 middle classes of society. 
 
 The men have their heads shaved at the top, in 
 the old-fashioned way. The Samourai have the 
 family crests upon their clothing. 
 
 Class distinctions are slowly breaking down in 
 Japan with the incoming of western civilization. 
 The Samourai no longer monopolizes the military 
 power, for the government have called the com- 
 mon people to be soldiers, and the proud 
 Samourai have been forced to labor honestly with 
 their own hands. 
 
 It was my good fortune to witness a mock bat- 
 tle m the presence of the Mikado, showing the 
 skill and discipline of the sturdy soldiers who 
 now compose the new army. The battle took 
 place m the suburbs of Tokio, between fourteen 
 thousand Japanese troops. It commemorated a 
 peaceful victory in diplomacy, which Japan had 
 recently gained over China, in the adjustment of 
 the Formosa question, which had long threatened 
 
 ■war 
 
 war. 
 
 On the day appointed for the battle the troops 
 were drawn up in double columns at an early 
 hour, and the two divisions were placed a mile 
 
1 84 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 or more apart. When the Mikado arrived upon 
 the field, skirmishers were being thrown out b^ 
 both parties ; these gradually fell back as the 
 two armies approached each other. The soldiers 
 were all dressed in foreign uniforms, and armed 
 with foreign Chassepot rifles. 
 
 The fighting soon became general. Double 
 and triple lines of troops were ranged across the 
 plain, and were completely enveloped in the 
 clouds of smoke which rose from their ranks. 
 After two hours and a half of heavy firing and 
 cannonading, the climax of the battle was reached 
 by the troops of both sides becoming closely 
 massed in face of each other, in front of a wooded 
 hill-slope, beyond which the retreat could not be 
 carried. Nothing could be more warlike than 
 the scene now presented. For a distance of two 
 miles, the cultivated land was trodden down by 
 thousands of feet, giving an appearance of sad 
 desolation. Far away, a column of smoke was 
 rising like a cloudy pillar, and the roar of cannon 
 greeted the ear, like the sound of distant thun- 
 der. White wreaths of smoke overhung the 
 woods, and the sharp rattle of musketry was deaf- 
 ening. 
 
 The last charge was like the grand tableau of a 
 drama ; and being in the midst of the smoke. 
 
THE MIKADO'S PALACE, 185 
 
 and close upon the heels of the advancing line, I 
 was favored with the beauty and excitement of a 
 battle without the danger and sickening sights 
 thereof. 
 
 Covered by the heavy fire of a friendly battery 
 on a neighboring hill, regiment after regiment 
 responded to the bugle-note, and lowered their 
 weapons to the charge. On they went, sweep- 
 ing across the plain, their long lines circling up 
 from the right, and throwing volley after volley 
 of bulletless smoke into the stubborn ranks of 
 the enemy. The latter were massed at the foot 
 of the hill, and unseen regiments were in the 
 woods above ; these opened fire by companies, 
 and light lines of smoke drifted from the woods 
 and scattered among the trees, like snow whiffs 
 on a windy day. The wooded slope threw back 
 ten thousand echoes, as the two combating 
 forces closed upon each other. There was a rat- 
 tle and roar loud and prolonged, and never did I 
 imagine that mere rifles could produce such a 
 continuous roll of sound. The shouts of the men 
 and the blasts of the bugles mingled with the din 
 and confusion, and clouds of smoke enveloped 
 all parties. So thick was the smoke at times, 
 that naught could be seen save the glitter of 
 steel, and the bright intermittent flashes of the 
 guns. 
 
 24 
 
1 86 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 At last the enemy succumbed. The clouds 
 slowly lifted, and the cracking and roaring 
 ceased. The line of battle on both sides broke 
 up into various detachments, and wearily the 
 troops trudged homeward. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 A TRIP TO KIOTO. 
 
 Kioto is the '* sacred city'' of Japan. Until 
 a few years ago it was considered the spiritual 
 capital, where his Mysteriousness the Mikado re- 
 sided, whose august person was solemnly veiled 
 from even the gaze of his own subjects. The 
 idea of a foreigner from the outside world ever 
 gaining admittance to the sacred city would have 
 horrified the good Japanese of the olden time ; 
 nevertheless, wonderful things are happening in 
 our day, and changes have come to pass which 
 would have paralyzed the ancient court ; so that 
 I really went to Kioto and sojourned among its 
 most sacred temples as comfortably as though I 
 were rusticating on the beautiful banks of the 
 Hudson. 
 
 The trip was a long one, requiring several 
 weeks. I went to the port of Ko-be by sea— a 
 distance of 430 miles, and returned to Tokio by 
 the whole length of the Tokaido, on the overland 
 
1 88 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 route. The most interesting and historical por- 
 tions of Japan were visited on the way, though I 
 cannot do more than mention them here. 
 
 After some delay in receiving my passport from 
 the Gaimusho, or Foreign Office, I left Yokohama 
 on July 23d, in company with an American friend 
 and a young Japanese who had recently returned 
 from the United States. We sailed in the Pacific 
 Mail steamer Oregonian, which we nicknamed 
 the ** RoU-igonian'' before we had been out many 
 hours. The voyage only occupied a day and a 
 half, but it was the roughest piece of sailing we 
 ever wish to experience. The rolling and pitch- 
 ing qualities of the steamer were of the most un- 
 pleasant character, and as we were running through 
 a very heavy sea, and there was no wind to steady 
 the ship, our condition was really deplorable. I 
 spent most of the time sprawling on the cabin 
 floor ; for no sooner would I crawl into my berth 
 than I was unceremoniously pitched out of it 
 again. My companions tried to sit on chairs ; 
 but in an instant the chair-legs would go from 
 under them, spilling them on deck and rolling 
 them helplessly against the gunwale of the 
 steamer. 
 
 The captain told me as we were coming into 
 port that there must have been a typhoon to the 
 south-east of us, which died away, leaving the sea 
 
A TRIP TO KIOTO, 1 89 
 
 in the dangerous condition In which we found it, 
 with high waves and no wind. 
 
 The British steamer Bengal arrived at Kobe 
 the day before us, and reported that she had 
 never met such heavy seas, which were weathered 
 with the greatest difficulty. A former Japanese 
 friend named Nagai, who used to study at New 
 Brunswick, and was now going to Ozaka on busi- 
 ness for the Treasury Department, told me that 
 he had crossed the Atlantic seven times, but had 
 never suffered from sea-sickness so much as on 
 this short trip. 
 
 But even bad things have an end, and towards 
 evening we came in sight of land, and steamed 
 around a broad cape into the calm and sheltered 
 waters of Ozaka Bay. All night we sailed quietly 
 along the shore, watching the lights of the fisher- 
 men's boats glimmering across the bay. 
 
 The sun was just rising as we rode at our iron 
 buoy in front of Kobe, and fired the signal gun, 
 which echoed and re-echoed through the neighbor- 
 ing hills, telling the inhabitants that their mail 
 had arrived. 
 
 We were anxious to reach the shore as speedily 
 as possible after our misery on the *' Roll- 
 igonian \' terra firma never felt so good as when 
 we placed our feet once more on land. It was 
 early yet, and few people were stirring. So we 
 
IQO LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 started off and visited a renowned water-fall in a 
 cleft of the hills behind the town. After a steep 
 climb we reached the fall, which tumbled from a 
 height of sixty feet, making the rocky gorge rever- 
 berate with the noise and shock of its descent. 
 
 Kobe is very picturesquely situated between 
 the mountains and the sea, and some of the 
 foreign houses are very handsome. The town is 
 merely the port and commercial outlet of Ozaka, 
 and is connected with the latter city by a new 
 
 railroad. 
 
 We took the 11.30 train for Ozaka, reaching 
 the spacious depot on the suburbs of the city in 
 just one hour. The cars are more elegant and 
 comfortable than those on the Yokohama Rail- 
 road, and the locomotives are larger ; both roads 
 were built by English engineers, and the cars are 
 small, in the English style. The Japanese con- 
 ductors evince pardonable pride in the novel dig- 
 nity placed upon them in collecting tickets and 
 conveying passengers. They are very polite and 
 competent however. 
 
 Ozaka is the second city in size in the Japanese 
 Empire. It contains a population of over 500,- 
 000, and is more compactly built than Tokio. 
 The streets ' are narrow and very crowded, but 
 comparatively clean. So many large canals in- 
 tersect the city that it might be called the Venice 
 
A TRIP TO KIOTO. I91 
 
 of Japan. Our hotel was conveniently located on 
 one of these canals, and we made excursions from 
 this point in every direction, exploring the sights 
 of the great city. The shops were the finest I had 
 seen, and were stocked with a great variety of 
 goods ; for Ozaka is the commercial centre of the 
 country. 
 
 The three points of interest which we first vis- 
 ited were the imperial mint, the great castle, and 
 the pagoda ; from the latter a fine general view of 
 the city may be obtained. The imperial mint was 
 more extensive than the United States mint at 
 Philadelphia, and quite as well conducted in every 
 respect. We were politely shown throughout the 
 whole establishment, and witnessed the money, 
 making process on a scale we had never seen be- 
 fore. The mint is a granite building, and stands 
 on the margin of the river ; close beside it is a 
 sulphuric acid manufactory, with a solitary brick 
 chimney 150 feet in height. 
 
 We first passed through the rooms for melting 
 gold and silver ; here were small furnaces, contain- 
 ing red-hot crucibles. The melted metal is poured 
 into moulds, and cools in the form of long .bars 
 several inches thick. These bars are rolled in 
 another room between heavy cylinders moved by 
 machinery. It appeared strange to see the work- 
 men forcing these bars between the rollers, as if 
 
192 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 they were only sticks of wood. They come out 
 flat and bow-shaped, and are dark and discolored ; 
 the friction of the heavy rolling also makes them 
 quite hot. Without thinking of this, and not 
 noticing that the workmen had their hands pro- 
 tected by thick gloves, I attempted to pick up one 
 of the bars from a freshly rolled cartful as we 
 passed by, I dropped it quicker than I picked it 
 up, somewhat to the amusement of those standing 
 near, and concluded that money was sometimes a 
 hot thing to handle ! 
 
 The machines in the various rooms were very 
 complicated and delicate : some were for punching 
 the gold, silver, and copper coins, from the flat 
 strips of these metals. Others were for rounding 
 them off nicely, and turning up the edges ; and 
 finally the coins were placed in piles, and run 
 through grooves to the stamping machines, which 
 closed upon each one of them with a *' bite,'' im- 
 pressing the ** dragon'* and the value upon one 
 side, and the ** rising sun'* and imperial crest 
 upon the other. 
 
 We watched for some time the continuous 
 streams of gold and silver pieces which rattled 
 from the mouths of the various machines : at 
 one point it would be a silver shower of dol- 
 lars or fifty sen pieces : at another it would be 
 a golden rain of five, ten, or twenty yen coins, 
 
A TRIP TO KIOTO, 1 93 
 
 bright and shining as the sun stamped upon 
 them. 
 
 The new pennies, which had recently been put 
 in circulation to replace the old tempo cash, 
 were being produced at a rate that would have 
 made the little boys* eyes dance ; they flew out 
 of the hopper like chaff from a winnowing 
 machine, and looked so bright that one would 
 think them something more than copper. 
 
 The most beautiful instruments were those in 
 the weighing-room, and the finest machine here 
 was constructed by the Japanese. Each gold 
 coin must be weighed to see that it is of the 
 exact weight required by the standard. In the 
 weighing-room there are six tables of apparatus, 
 brass levers, armatures, and scale-pans, all en- 
 closed in glass cases, and all moved by delicate 
 band adjustments, connecting them with the 
 same power that moves the ponderous machines 
 in the other rooms. The gold coins are pushed 
 forward one by one, by feeders, to the deli- 
 cate scale-pan, which acts automatically and al- 
 most with intelligence. If the coin is too heavy, 
 it drops to one side ; if it is a little too light, it 
 turns off to another box ; but if it is just right, 
 it goes straight ahead to a kind of contribution- 
 box, which is usually better supplied than those 
 for missionary purposes. 
 
 25 
 
194 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 After visiting the mint, I was very much inter- 
 ested in inspecting the acid works. My compan- 
 ions could see nothing very poetical in leaden 
 chambers and suffocating sulphur furnaces, even 
 though they admired the big chimney, which is 
 said to be the highest in Asia ; and, in this chim- 
 neyless country it is at least a consolation to 
 know that the Japs have oTie chimney that even 
 beats the average ! I told them the consump- 
 tion of sulphuric acid was the true standard of a 
 nation's commercial prosperity, for it is used in all 
 the processes of manufacture ; and the acid works, 
 with all their sulphurous fumes and furnaces, 
 were a more reliable index of Japan's commercial 
 condition than the glittering showers of gold 
 through which we had just passed in the mint. 
 
 We did not forget to visit the great castle, 
 which also stood near the river, and is remarka- 
 ble for its high walls and deep moats, that once 
 rendered it well-nigh impregnable. But the tow- 
 ers and buildings were totally destroyed by fire 
 during the fighting which took place here some 
 years ago between the forces of the Mikado and 
 the Tycoon. The walls and foundations are still 
 standing, and here may be seen the largest blocks 
 of stone ever quarried in Japan. They are quite 
 as wonderful as those I afterwards saw at the 
 Pyramids ; but how the Japanese, with almost a 
 
A TRIP TO KIOTO, 195 
 
 total lack of mechanical appliances, could ever 
 have transported these blocks and placed them 
 in their present position, I cannot tell. 
 
 While waiting at the guard gate for permission 
 to enter, I measured one or two of the stones in 
 the side of the wall. The first one contained 
 over 500 cubic feet, and the others varied from 
 twenty-five to thirty feet in length, with a 
 breadth of fifteen or eighteen feet. There are 
 no quarries near Ozaka from which these massive 
 blocks could have been taken, and it is supposed 
 they were floated up the inland sea, on great 
 rafts, from the province of Hizen. Near the top 
 of the castle we found stone blocks still larger, 
 and a well 120 feet deep, from which we drew 
 the purest and coolest water, with an interminably 
 long rope. The view from this point is very fine ; 
 and near the castle was a cannon foundry, and 
 the government barracks, where 10,000 infantry 
 and 3,000 artillery were quartered. 
 
 On our return to the hotel we visited the new 
 State House, built in foreign style, with Corin- 
 thian columns, spacious halls, and the whole 
 surmounted with a dome ! This imposing build- 
 ing was in strange contrast to the squalor and 
 architectural poverty which surrounded it. The 
 interior is also a ludicrous mingling of the old 
 and the new. In passing along the corridors 
 
196 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 I peeped into the compartments set aside for 
 the various branches of government. Here were 
 dozens of yaconims seated around tables, with 
 piles of paper and bulky documents in front 
 of them, while they smoked their tiny pipes and 
 jabbered as lively as ever ; they looked intensely 
 Japanese, and yet all this was in a modern re- 
 publican-looking State-house ! 
 
 The last evening in Ozaka we took tea with 
 Rev. Mr. Gulick and his family. Here we met 
 Mr. Gulick 's aged father, who had spent many 
 years as a missionary in the Sandwich Islands, 
 and had now come to spend his declining years 
 with his devoted missionary son in Japan. The 
 old gentleman welcomed me with special warmth, 
 saying that he had read a great many of my let- 
 ters from Shidz-u-o-ka, which were published in 
 the New York Evangelist. 
 
 We attended the quiet Sabbath service which 
 Mr. Gulick and one or two other missionaries 
 held, in a private house, our last Sunday in Oza- 
 ka, and were very much touched by the interest 
 manifested by the few natives who came together 
 to study Christian truth. 
 
 There is a river flowing irom the vicinity of 
 Kioto and Lake Biwa which empties into the bay 
 at Ozaka. It is customary to go up the river by 
 night, rather than jolt all the way to Kioto in a 
 
A TRIP TO KIOTO. 197 
 
 jinrikisha. The canals of the city connect with 
 the river, and as our hotel was located near the 
 main canal we determined to take a moonlight 
 trip to Kioto. 
 
 Accordingly we chartered a Japanese gon- 
 dola, such as the natives used at Ozaka, and 
 transferred our baggage to it, adding a supply of 
 provisions for the long journey which we had in 
 prospect after we should leave Kioto. The sun 
 had just set as our boat pushed off and quickly 
 made its way up the canal ; a soft haze slowly 
 settled over the city, and as the full moon came 
 out it gave almost an enchantment to the scene, 
 and to the weird dwellings on the banks, which in 
 sober daylight are none of the prettiest. 
 
 Continuing on a mile, we passed numerous 
 bow-shaped bridges, the extravagantly high 
 arches of which were more convenient for the 
 mast of our boat than for the muscular ease of 
 the jinrikisha coolies, who are obliged to draw 
 their passengers over them. The bridges are 
 quite a feature in this city of canals, and add not 
 a little to the quaintness of the views. 
 
 The night had fairly set in as we reached the low 
 but picturesque craft, which I have styled a gon- 
 dola ; it was waiting in the stream for us, and 
 having transferred ourselves and baggage to the 
 cabin-like place which had been prepared for us, 
 
198 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 the boat moved up the river. There was plenty 
 of space inside, though the cabin roof was 
 scarcely four feet high ; and stretching ourselves 
 on the floor, to make up in length what we lacked 
 in height, we looked out of the windows at the 
 curious sights by the way. The evening was 
 warm and pleasant, and thousands of people had 
 gathered on the river in boats, to enjoy the cool 
 breeze, in preference to promenading the narrow 
 and sultry streets of the city. The surface of the 
 water for a mile or more was covered with small 
 crafts of every description. Some had old folks, 
 smoking their pipes and taking their ease ; others 
 had family groups sipping their tea together ; 
 others again had numbers of merry young people 
 who were evidently out for a frolic, and enliv- 
 ened the air with laughter, music, and talk. Each 
 boat carried two or three lanterns, and some were 
 decked with whole strings of light, with various 
 colors. So numerous were the gay crafts that it 
 looked like a moving constellation as they passed 
 backwards and forwards. Now and then the 
 small skiff of a fruit-seller would be seen darting 
 in and out between the large boats, and the tempt- 
 ing array of melons and peaches, illuminated by 
 a paper lantern, would be offered to the various 
 occupants, who were already enjoying their tea 
 and other refreshments. A few fireworks were 
 
A TRIP TO KIOTO. 199 
 
 let off on the river-bank by the juveniles, and 
 these combined with the reflection of the hun- 
 dreds of lights on the water gave a brilliant effect 
 to the scene. 
 
 But the sight on our own craft was by no means 
 the least interesting part of the entertainment, 
 for scarcely were we comfortably settled, than 
 the boat began moving up stream at a wonderfully 
 rapid rate ; and the mode of its propulsion was 
 among the most novel and characteristic things 
 we had seen in Japan. Eight men armed with 
 stout poles, twelve or sixteen feet long, would 
 start together at the bow of the boat, each with 
 his pole braced against his shoulder ; and then, 
 with a yell, they would plunge their poles against 
 the shallow river-bed, and rush together towards 
 the stern, making the boat fairly jump on its 
 course. On both sides of the boat the raised 
 gunwale of stout timber was cut with broad 
 notches to fit the feet of the men, and, as they 
 kept step with each other their nimble motions 
 from one end of the boat to the other had all the 
 effect of a machine. It was ludicrous to us who 
 satwithm.to see this continuous procession of 
 naked legs passing to and fro, for our windows 
 bemg low, we could see the biped extremities of 
 the human propellers with the least possible 
 clothmg. 
 
200 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 However, they had a right to keep as cool as 
 possible, for never did mortals work harder ; and 
 notwithstanding the difificulties of the current, 
 and the shallowness of the stream, they tugged 
 at their poles with a vigor and perseverance we 
 have never seen equalled. 
 
 We continued up stream until nothing was in 
 view but low meadows of long rank grass skirting 
 the river bank. Our men toiled on, pushing 
 their poles with as much vigor as at the outset, 
 until coming to a place where the bank was low 
 and level they suddenly ran the boat close to the 
 shore and jumped off ; and while we were won- 
 dering what it meant to see all the nimble legs 
 disappear at once, we felt ourselves impelled by 
 a new form of motion. 
 
 We went on top of the little cabin to take a 
 view of the situation, and found the men about 
 forty yards ahead of us, tugging away at a long 
 rope attached to a short mast near the centre 
 of the boat. This rope could be lengthened or 
 shortened by a crank turned by the steersman, 
 who with one hand guided the boat well out into 
 the stream, and with the other accommodated the 
 rope to the distance from the shore. It was a 
 novel sight, from our perch on top of the cabin, 
 to watch the men appear and disappear as they 
 rushed along the path behind the tall grass and 
 
A TRIP TO KIOTO. 20T 
 
 cane-brakes ; sometimes we would sight an- 
 other gondola, and then there would be a 
 scramble and race to get ahead of it. There 
 were some queer fouls in these races, but our 
 boat always came out ahead. Boats from the 
 opposite direction kept in the middle of the 
 river, and were carried down by the current. 
 
 The night was still and clear, and the moon 
 shone full and bright ; the cool of the evening was 
 in pleasant contrast to the heat of the preceding 
 day, and as we sailed quietly along, the scene was 
 like a picturesque panorama. At midnight we 
 went below and crawled in the cabin window, 
 where I stretched myself on the floor and was 
 soon fast asleep. 
 
 I awoke at sun-rising, and saw the poor don- 
 key-men still shouting and tugging far ahead. The 
 river was now quite shallow, and sand-bars were 
 on all sides. Though the boat was flat, it was diffi- 
 cult to make the few miles that remained. But 
 the men worked well, either pushing at the poles, 
 pulling at the ropes, scrambling through the grass 
 and bushes, or jumping into the water, as emerg- 
 ency might require. I have never seen human 
 beings labor more persistently than did these 
 eight men through this long night's toil, stopping 
 neither to rest nor to eat. 
 
 At last we arrived at Fushimi, the suburb of 
 26 
 
202 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 Kioto, where we disembarked, and took jinrik- 
 ishas ; it was still early as we rode within the 
 limits of the Mikado's old and mysterious cap- 
 ital. 
 
 We spent a week in Kioto, at a beautiful sum- 
 mer resort on the hillside overlooking the city ; 
 we visited all the points of interest, and enjoyed 
 our stay exceedingly. 
 
 Kioto, above all other places in Japan, is the 
 city of temples, and to mention half of them 
 would be out of the question. Most of them are 
 large, and their grounds are laid out on a magni- 
 ficent scale ; many have noted historical associa- 
 tions. 
 
 The ancient palace of the Mikado, which has 
 always given the chief sacredness to the city, is 
 located within a large enclosure near the upper 
 end of Kioto ; the grounds are in the form of a 
 parallelogram, and contain a number of buildings 
 with peculiarly-shaped roofs. No other build- 
 ings in the empire are allowed to have this style 
 of roof, except the shrines and temples of the 
 Shinto sect. The Mikado was worshipped as 
 the Tenno, or Son of Heaven ; his head must 
 therefore be protected by a Shinto roof, and his 
 very residence became sacred. No paint was 
 ever used about the royal dwellings, but the 
 wood-work was of fine grain, and kept clean and 
 
A TRIP TO KIOTO. 20 
 
 o 
 
 polished. Sometimes the ends of the rafters 
 were tipped with white, but this was the only- 
 color permitted, and gave a pretty checkered 
 effect when used on the dark beams of the gate- 
 way and roofs. 
 
 Behind the palace proper is a large square gar- 
 den or park also enclosed by walls, containing 
 spacious dwellings ; here his Mysteriousness 
 might retire if he chose, and live a peaceful pris- 
 oner, after giving up his duties of state to his 
 successor. 
 
 All the interest connected with Kioto, as be- 
 ing the royal residence of the Tenno, has of 
 course departed since the removal of the Mi- 
 kado's person and his capital to Tokio. 
 
 Kioto contains nearly 300,000 inhabitants ; its 
 streets are laid out at right angles, and are as re- 
 gular as those of Philadelphia. 
 
 Of the hundreds of temples visited, I will only 
 mention that of ** Kiyo-Midzu,*' or clear-water. 
 This temple is splendidly situated ; it was built 
 about A.D. 798, and is considered among the most 
 sacred spots in this neighborhood. It is ap- 
 proached by long slopes of stone steps. At the 
 entrance of the temple is a pagoda, and along the 
 edge of the buildings are high balconies or stages 
 which overlook the slope. The priests and peo- 
 ple were at worship while we were there, and the 
 
204 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 beating of drums made a continuous din. The 
 high stages are partially protected by projecting 
 rails, as they overlook a depth varying from loo 
 to 200 feet. 
 
 Within recent times it was customary for eccen- 
 tric individuals, who did not want to go to war, 
 to come and throw themselves off this precipice, 
 preferring to die before the temple of their deity, 
 rather than be killed in battle. 
 
 Descending by a winding path from the stages, 
 we came to the waterfall of the ** Clear- water, * ' 
 which is divided into three streams by stone 
 troughs projecting from the edge. Underneath 
 is a small shrine in the rock, and hither pilgrims 
 come to worship, and bathe in the sacred waters. 
 
 We took a bath there ourselves, but it was with 
 difficulty that either of us could stand more than 
 a few seconds under one of those solid streams 
 of very cold water, which fell upon one like a 
 liquid hammer. And yet, soon after coming out, 
 we saw three men stand for eight or ten minutes, 
 each with his head bowed forward towards the 
 shrine, and the stream of v/ater falling upon his 
 neck and back, while he devoutly counted his 
 beads, a string of which he held between his hands, 
 and repeated prayers either for his own purifica- 
 tion or for the healing of some sick friend. Some- 
 times persons will stand underneath this fall for 
 
A TRIP TO KIOTO, 205 
 
 a longtime, as a kind of penance for sin; and even 
 in winter persons will kneel there, praying for sick 
 relatives, till they are almost benumbed. The 
 priests pretend that cures have been wrought 
 through the efificacy of these waters. 
 
 The largest bell we have ever seen in Japan 
 was suspended near one of the temples adjoining 
 our quiet hotel. The bell was made of fine 
 bronze, and was more than ten feet high and 
 nearly five feet in diameter ; it was immovable, 
 as all Japanese bells are, but was struck on the 
 side by a suspended beam of wood, pulled "back 
 and forth by a dozen men. No sound can be 
 more pleasant to the ear than the deep booming 
 tones of one of these bells ; I do not wonder 
 that the people love to listen to the solemn note, 
 that may be heard on a still night for a circum- 
 ference of many miles. 
 
 Our last evening in Kioto was passed in watch- 
 ing the merry scenes along the shallow river-flats, 
 where the people congregate in large numbers to 
 spend the warm summer evenings. The river-bed 
 is mostly a dry gravelly waste, with streamlets 
 flowing here and there through narrow channels. 
 A fresh breeze may always be found here during 
 the sultry evenings, and numbers of small plat- 
 forms or stout tables are placed in the shallow 
 portions of the river, upon which the people sit 
 
2o6 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 and enjoy themselves. The tables are connected 
 with innumerable restaurants which line the river 
 bank, and busy waiters bring fish,, soups, tea, and 
 saki down the sloping walks to the guests. 
 
 The delicacy always in the greatest demand 
 consists of fried eels, which are consumed by the 
 dozen. I walked into some of the noisy kitchens 
 where business appeared rather brisk ; fires were 
 blazing and kettles were steaming, while baskets 
 of live eels were brought in and skinned, cooked, 
 and served piping hot in an incredibly short 
 time. The jolly multitude appeared to enjoy 
 their eel-feast exceedingly ; and saki bottles 
 were also emptied and replenished with marvel- 
 lous rapidity, the boisterousness and merriment 
 increasing in due proportion. It was the first 
 noisy crowd I had yet come across in Japan. 
 
 But the scene was really brilliant, as we stood 
 on the substantial brick-paved bridge which is 
 the Nihon-Bashi of Kioto, and which marks the 
 beginning of the Tokaido. As far as the eye can 
 reach, thousands of lights flicker and sparkle 
 along the shallow river flats, and thousands of 
 well-dressed people are trying to enjoy them- 
 selves. Each light or lantern is the centre of a 
 little group, and each group occupies its own little 
 table, so that the great concourse is but a mul- 
 tiplication of social circles of every description. 
 
A TRIP TO KIOTO. 207 
 
 Here sit half a dozen old men smoking their 
 wee pipes around a brazier, and discussing the 
 business items of the day. Here a cheerful fam- 
 ily group are seated, the father chatting with his 
 neighbors of the nearest table, and the mother 
 (busy as usual) mending some small fabric ; the 
 boys toss tempos, and the baby sprawls on the 
 floor after an orange. Near at hand may be seen 
 young fellows having a merry time with their 
 *' musume '' companions. 
 
 The fashionable young Japanese is quite a 
 feature in his way. He sits with loose flowing 
 dress, and sleeves tucked up at the shoulders, 
 with long-hilted sword in the background, gos- 
 siping merrily with the pretty lasses who look on 
 him admiringly. The young ** musume'' who 
 sits gracefully on the table beside him is sweet 
 and pretty, but not loth to flirt a little by wav- 
 ing her long silken sleeve. She is one of the 
 belles of Kioto ; is considered very handsome, 
 and knows it. Her hands are quite small and 
 white, and never did any thing more arduous than 
 play the '*koto'' or *' samisen/' Her feet are 
 clad in bewitching little socks cloven at the toe, 
 and ready to slip into the bright lacquer shoes 
 which stand on the stepping-stone. Her *' obi,'' 
 or sash, is of broad blue silk, fringed with golden 
 lace, and streaming down behind in true court 
 
2o8 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 style. Her little wallet is embroidered in rich 
 fantastic figures, and her paper parasol is light 
 and fragile as a reed. Her hair is done up in the 
 most approved Kioto fashion, which differs from 
 that of the rest of Japan in being brushed up 
 straight over the forehead, and after being held 
 in place by sundry gold and tortoise-shell pins, 
 projects several inches behind, over the freshly 
 powdered neck. The face is fair and smooth, 
 the lips brightly tinted, the eyes dark and 
 slightly sad, and the teeth so beautifully white 
 as to make the idea of blackening them seem 
 horrible — as the married women often do. 
 
 Leaving this constellation of lights which twin- 
 kle like myriads of stars all the way up the river- 
 bed until far into the night, we wend our way 
 homeward across the bridge, and through streets 
 which are decorated with flags and lanterns. 
 
 The neighborhood of our hotel abounded in 
 tea-houses, mineral baths, and places of amuse- 
 ment. Music and laughter could be heard on all 
 sides, and as we retired to sleep the merry prat- 
 tle still went on about us. We were wafted off 
 to dream-land, lulled by the plaintive melodies of 
 old Japan. 
 
 We left Kioto in the morning amid the bows 
 and regrets of our kindly Japanese host and his 
 
A TRIP TO KIOTO, 209 
 
 pleasant family, and walked seven miles over the 
 hills to the beautiful Lake Biwa. 
 
 I placed the young Japanese who was with me 
 in a **kango/' as he was a little fellow, and 
 might have been fatigued by the long walk. His 
 name was Isami Kawamura, and he was but four- 
 teen years of age ; he had studied at Ann Arbor, 
 Michigan, and only returned from America two 
 months before. He had evidently been a great 
 pet with his schoolmates at Ann Arbor ; and I 
 do not wonder they fell in love with him, for he 
 was the brightest and prettiest Japanese boy I 
 ever met. He was full of fun, and it was quite 
 an amusement to me and my American friend to 
 get Sammy, as we called him, to entertain us 
 in talking about the nice things he had left at 
 Ann Arbor, for which he evidently felt homesick. 
 He was full of the schoolboy spirit of frolic. He 
 spoke English perfectly, and used so many droll 
 expressions and American idioms, which I had 
 not heard since leaving home, that his tongue 
 kept us in continual good-humor. 
 
 As we journeyed over the hills he made us 
 merry telling of his experiences with the boys and 
 girls in America, and he said it was very hard for 
 him to come back to Japanese customs, food, and 
 mode of living, after being used to such a comfor- 
 table American home as he had at Ann Arbor. 
 
 27 
 
2IO LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 The stout coolies who carried him in the 
 kango Hstened to his lively conversation, and 
 wondered what it all meant. He would joke them 
 in Japanese occasionally, which only increased 
 their curiosity. 
 
 On top of the kango in the picture is the .flat 
 straw hat sometimes worn by the coolies. These 
 men are very muscular, and will carry the kango 
 for hours without fatigue. 
 
 On arriving at the town of Otsu, at the southern 
 extremity of Lake Biwa, wx put up at a pleasant 
 house overlooking the lake, and spent a quiet 
 Sabbath here. 
 
 Monday morning we started up the lake in a 
 tiny steamer built and managed by the Japanese ; 
 the boilers of these little boats sometimes ex- 
 plode, but fortunately did not do so on this oc- 
 casion. 
 
 Lake Biwa is nearly fifty miles in length, and 
 is by far the largest lake in Japan. It is also 
 the most beautiful. After sailing forty miles, we 
 landed at Hikoni, a picturesque village at the 
 upper end of the lake. Here we spent several 
 days, making excursions around the lake and 
 among the mountains ; the view from the high 
 castle of Hikoni is one of the finest in Japan. 
 
 The journey from Lake Biwa to the base of 
 Fuji-Yama and the Hakone mountain pass occu- 
 
A TRIP TO KIOTO. 211 
 
 pied one week, during which we travelled 350 
 miles in jinrikishas. It was a most interesting 
 trip, but we encountered three days of severe 
 rain-storms on the way, and crossed many small 
 rivers. The longest journey was that which we 
 attempted on the first day : we left Hikoni by 
 moonlight, at two o'clock in the morning, and con- 
 tinued travelling until ten o'clock at night, arriving 
 at the city of Nagoya, at the head of a large bay, 
 which may be seen in the outline map. The dis- 
 tance traversed on this day was seventy-five 
 miles ; and that too on muddy roads, in jinrik- 
 ishas pulled by men ! Of course we sometimes 
 changed the men. 
 
 Nagoya is a flourishing city containing 120,000 
 inhabitants, and noted for its manfacture of 
 china-ware, and elegant cloisonne enamel-ware, so 
 much admired in America. Beautiful silk em- 
 broideries are also produced here, and artistic 
 fans. The Nagoya castle is very large. On two 
 of the towers there used to be immense fishes 
 made of copper, and covered with plates of gold. 
 One stormy night a robber attempted in a gale of 
 wind to mount into the air by means of an im- 
 mense kite, and steal the gold scales from one of 
 the fishes ! He was caught, condemned, and 
 boiled to death in oil ; the raising of large kites 
 was afterwards prohibited. One of the fishes was 
 
212 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 subsequently taken down and sent to the Vienna 
 Exhibition ; the other I saw at the Japanese Ex- 
 hibition in Tokio. It was more than six feet 
 high, with its golden tail upright. 
 
 Nagoya may be seen on the map, nearly ninety 
 miles west of Shidz-u-o-ka, on the line marking 
 35 degrees of latitude. Kioto and Lake Biwa 
 may also be found near the same line some dis- 
 tance further west. (In reading and travelling, 
 it is always well to consult the map of the coun- 
 try studied.) 
 
 We passed through Shidz-u-o-ka, wet and 
 wearied, after four days of drenching rains and 
 muddy roads, and a great many experiences I 
 have not time to narrate. 
 
 Beyond Shidz-u-o-ka, the rivers which I had 
 crossed many times before were now swollen with 
 the flood, and utterly impassable. So we char- 
 tered a Japanese junk and sailed across Suruga 
 Bay. The junk had two masts and four sailors. 
 A strong breeze was blowing, and we were soon 
 scudding along at a rapid rate, under full sail. 
 At first it was glorious ; but ere long the big 
 waves came rolling in from beyond the stormy 
 Cape Idzu, and we rocked helplessly in the bottom 
 of the boat ! Wind and tide had no respect for 
 our feelings, and the farther we receded from land 
 the more the breeze freshened. 
 
A TRIP TO KIOTO. 213 
 
 We ploughed through the water, scattering the 
 spray in all directions, while at regular intervals 
 a huge wave larger than usual would strike us 
 fairly on the beam, and for the moment we 
 thought we were going to the bottom. Jap boats 
 are not very strong, and ours would shake and 
 shiver as though ready to come to pieces ; while 
 ever and anon a shower of salt water would dash 
 over the side to cool the situation. 
 
 More hideous than the noise of the waves were 
 the shouts of the Jap sailors ; the more the wind 
 blew the louder they yelled, until they seemed 
 like demons in the storm. 
 
 Finally we came into smooth water, having 
 made thirty miles in three hours. The scene was 
 really romantic as our boat struck the beach on 
 the upper end of the bay, and we jumped ashore. 
 High and gloomy peaks surrounded us on three 
 sides, and on the south was the sea, breaking 
 along the rocky beach in low, dull swells. Dark 
 and threatening clouds hung on the adjacent 
 mountains, and night was slowly creeping on us ; 
 here and there lights could be seen in the fisher- 
 men's huts. 
 
 An hour's climbing along the rocky cliffs, with 
 the waves murmuring below us, and our narrow 
 path lit by a single lantern, brought us to the 
 open road leading to the city of Numadz. I was 
 
214 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 known and welcomed here ; but it was eleven 
 o'clock before we reached our hotel, and were 
 fairly asleep. The next day we reached the fam- 
 iliar Hakone mountain pass, where we found many 
 friends from Yokohama. 
 
 Hakone village had become quite a summer 
 resort for the foreigners, and we remained here 
 some time, enjoying the pleasant society and de- 
 lightful excursions on the lake. 
 
 When we entered the village after our long 
 trip we were surprised to see American ladies 
 coming up the shaded avenue of pines, dressed in 
 summer costume and wearing bewitching sun- 
 bonnets ; they were the first foreign ladies we 
 had seen for some time, and we looked at them 
 with delight. 
 
 The streets of the village were swarming with 
 children as usual, and mothers carrying their 
 babies on their backs stared at us with the 
 vacant expression peculiar to the common peo- 
 ple. Sometimes the babies had little red caps 
 on their heads (as I have before mentioned), 
 which I once mistook for ** liberty caps," but 
 which I found to mean small-pox ! 
 
 The accompanying picture shows the mode of 
 carrying the baby. 
 
MODE OF CARRYING THE BABY. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 THE MISSIONARY OUTLOOK. 
 
 A FEW years ago, in journeying along the high- 
 ways of Japan, the traveller would see at the 
 entrance of every village and near the cross-roads 
 a wooden edict-board hanging where every passer- 
 by might read it, upon which was written in large 
 characters, '* The evil sect called Christian is 
 strictly prohibited/' This law No. 3 was suspend- 
 ed by the side of other laws against stealing, mur- 
 der, and insurrection, and, like them, was formerly 
 punishable with imprisonment and even death. 
 
 Why should the Japanese consider Christianity 
 a criminal offence, worthy of punishment, when 
 we believe it to be a blessing, and see in it the 
 highest joy, love, and salvation ? The answer is 
 simply this : 
 
 In the sixteenth century, when Europeans first 
 came to Japan, the Jesuit missionaries accom- 
 panied the traders, and succeeded in converting 
 the southern provinces to the Roman Catholic 
 faith. So successful were they, that a little later 
 
2l6 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 they entered into a conspiracy with some of the 
 disaffected daimios, and attempted to overthrow 
 the government of the Tycoon, and make Chris- 
 tianity the state rehgion. The conspiracy was 
 discovered, and hundreds of Jesuits and Roman 
 Cathohc priests were banished from the country ; 
 a terrible persecution of the native converts also 
 followed, in which tens of thousands perished by 
 fire, sword, and crucifixion. 
 
 Christianity, so called, was swept from the land; 
 its very name was written in blood, and children 
 were taught to trample upon the cross. The 
 edict-board which I have mentioned was written 
 at that time, and placarded throughout the empire. 
 Foreigners were expelled, and ** the foreign reli- 
 gion*' prohibited. The Japanese of later days 
 looked back upon that bloody chapter in his 
 country's history, and learned to associate the 
 ** Yesu followers*' with ideas of intrigue, rebellion, 
 and things worthy of contempt. He held Christi- 
 anity accountable for the evil actions of the men 
 who professed it ; and he regarded the edict-board 
 which daily met his eye as a righteous barrier 
 against the dangerous sect. 
 
 Three centuries rolled away, when at last Com- 
 modore Perry's ships appeared and again opened 
 Japan to foreign intercourse. As in former years, 
 the missionary accompanied the merchant and 
 
THE MISSIONARY OUTLOOK, 217 
 
 trader ; but this time the light of the pure Gospel 
 of peace began to break upon the darkened pagan 
 empire. American missionaries settled at Nagasa- 
 ki, and afterwards at Yokohama and other ports ; 
 they did not bring the altars, candles, and cruci- 
 fixes of the Jesuits, but proclaimed the simple 
 story of the Scriptures. 
 
 Great prejudices had to be overcome, however ; 
 the name of Jesus had long been misunderstood, 
 and the ominous edict-board still prohibited the 
 ** evil sect.'* Little progress was made at first, 
 for the people were afraid, or openly opposed to 
 the new doctrines. Even as late as the year 1872, 
 Japanese who attended my Bible-class in Shidz-u- 
 o-ka said they were astonished to find Christianity 
 such a good thing, and so pure and exalted in its 
 teachings, for they had been taught from child- 
 hood that it was evil and corrupt. They were so 
 glad, they said, to learn that it was the true reli- 
 gion, of peace and charity, rather than evil. 
 
 Long and patient labor was required before 
 this popular prejudice could be even partially re- 
 moved. In the progress of events, however, the 
 odious law against Christianity was taken down 
 from the public highways, by order of the govern- 
 ment, never again to be replaced. 
 
 So great was the feeling of thankfulness and 
 Christian exultation at this result, among foreign 
 
 28 
 
2i8 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 missionaries and others, that I obtained posses- 
 sion of the original edict-board which had so long 
 hung up in my own Province of Suruga, and sent 
 it home as a trophy and relic, to show friends in 
 America the last vestige of religious persecution. 
 
 This weather-beaten board travelled eight 
 thousand miles, by itself, and is perhaps the only 
 one which ever left the country. After it had 
 gone the local governor who had given it to me 
 tried to get it back again ; but I replied that 
 Japan had no further use for the law, and that I 
 had sent it to America for safe preservation ! 
 
 The missionary work, which was slow and diffi- 
 cult at the outset, has received a new impulse 
 within the past few years, and much good has 
 been accomplished at the five open ports, and in 
 some districts of the interior which Christian men 
 have been able to reach. As the provinces have 
 not yet been freely opened to foreign intercourse, 
 however, most of the missionary interests still 
 centre about Yokohama, and here many of the 
 missionaries reside. 
 
 In March, 1872, Rev. Mr. Ballagh organized 
 the first Protestant Christian church in Japan. 
 The church edifice, now completed, stands in 
 Yokohama, on a portion of the ground where Com- 
 modore Perry made his treaty in 1854; and the 
 first thousand dollars given towards the erection 
 
THE MISSIONARY OUTLOOK, 219 
 
 of the church was sent by the Christian converts 
 of the Sandwich Islands ! 
 
 The following year, in 1873, a Christian church 
 was organized in Tokio, on the sanie basis as the 
 Yokohama church. 
 
 Converts gathered by the missionaries of vari- 
 ous denominations made up the membership of 
 these ** union " churches ; and the Japanese 
 wisely adopted their own method of church gov- 
 ernment, adapting their Christian polity to the 
 necessities and circumstances of their own coun- 
 try. This independent course, which is the rea- 
 sonable one, will be followed by other churches 
 yet to be established. 
 
 Native pastors and evangelists are at present 
 being trained in a Union Theological School just 
 started in Tokio. The only hope of completely 
 evangelizing a country is by means of a native 
 ministry who can preach the Word of God to their 
 own people and in their native tongue. Foreign 
 missionaries must lay the foundations, however, 
 and may implant spiritual influences which will 
 widen and strengthen in coming years. 
 
 The most interesting and successful mission- 
 ary work I found at Yokohama is that of the 
 '* American Mission Home,'* situated on *' the 
 bluff overlooking the beautiful bay and harbor. 
 The * * Home' ' was established by three ladies sent 
 
2 20 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 out by the Woman*s Union Missionary Society, 
 and aims to educate and train Japanese girls in 
 Christian truth, teaching them the religion of 
 Jesus, which "elevates woman to a position she has 
 never been permitted to attain in the pagan coun- 
 tries of the East. 
 
 I often visited the Mission Home and enjoyed 
 its kind hospitality ; bright faces and a warm 
 welcome were sure to greet the stranger at the 
 door. It was a pleasure to see all the comforts 
 and refinement of a truly Christian home placed 
 on Japanese soil, and to meet groups of little 
 Japanese girls, bright and happy, enjoying all the 
 privileges and instruction which love and Chris- 
 tian care could afford. 
 
 In the accompanying picture the grounds and 
 main building of the Mission Home are given. 
 The three ladies above mentioned are seen in the 
 garden. Mrs. Pruyn, of Albany, is seated on the 
 left of the grass plot ; Miss. Crosby, from Pough- 
 keepsie, is in the carriage ; and Mrs. Pierson, of 
 Chicago, is seated at the side of the house. 
 
 Opposite this building is a new school-house, 
 not seen in the picture, in which the first Sunday- 
 school in Japan was established. The week-day 
 school was also held here, which always opened in 
 the morning with religious exercises. It was a 
 very pretty sight to see the children gathering 
 
THE MISSIONARY OUTLOOK, 221 
 
 with their books and slates for school, and hear 
 them sing the opening hymn in English, and 
 then in Japanese. Mrs. Pierson accompanied 
 them on the cabinet organ. The scholars were 
 very smart at their studies, and compared favor- 
 ably with Japanese youth of the sterner sex. 
 Sometimes I brought down my chemical appara- 
 tus from Tokio and showed them experiments, 
 greatly to their delight. On questioning them 
 afterwards, I found they always remembered the 
 principles explained. 
 
 Adjoining the school-house is another building 
 of two stories, recently completed ; here the 
 smaller children and orphans are cared for by 
 Miss Guthrie, formerly of the Calcutta Mission. 
 
 At the extreme left of the picture Rev. Dr. 
 Brown's house is seen, with a broad, sloping roof. 
 Dr. Brown has been over eighteen years in Japan 
 as a faithful missionary, and is at present associ- 
 ated with Dr. Hepburn and others in the transla- 
 tion of the Scriptures. 
 
 The noblest life-work of Dr. Hepburn has been 
 the preparation of the Japanese-English diction- 
 ary, which is an invaluable aid to students and 
 missionaries in acquiring a knowledge of the two 
 languages. 
 
 The missionary field in Japan is in many 
 respects pleasanter that in other countries of the 
 
22 2 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 far East, such as China and India. The Japanese 
 are more sympathetic and cordial than the major- 
 ity of Asiatic people, and the climate of the 
 country is one of the finest in the world. The 
 mission cause is in its infancy, however, and 
 many laborers must yet be sent to sow the seed 
 of future spiritual harvests. Noble men have 
 labored here in the past, in the midst of danger 
 and discouragement ; and the record of modern 
 missions in Japan, though brief, is filled with 
 honest Christian endeavor and unselfish zeal. 
 
 A stranger might say, '* What is the use of con- 
 verting the Japanese people to Christianity ?*' It 
 is often argued that they are well enough off in 
 their present condition. As a people, they certain- 
 ly excel us in politeness, gentleness, obedience to 
 parents and superiors, and in social manners are 
 our peers. They have also a culture and native 
 refinement that surprises the foreigner ; and their 
 sense of honor is at least equal to that of the aver- 
 age American. Some of our customs, to them, 
 are far from being desirable traits of civilization. 
 The common people of Japan, with their simple 
 wants and frugal ways of living, are at least as 
 happy and contented as the corresponding class 
 of society among us. Buddhism teaches them 
 various virtues, restrains them from excesses, 
 costs them little trouble or expense, and seems 
 
THE MISSIONARY OUTLOOK, 223 
 
 to meet their present religious necessities. Why, 
 therefore, press Christianity upon their accept- 
 ance, causing them to relinquish all the sacred 
 legends of the past ? 
 
 Our reply is, that whatever culture may be 
 possessed by the higher classes of the Japanese 
 people, even their lives on earth would be bet- 
 ter, their hopes brighter, and their passive exist- 
 ence elevated and quickened, by the incoming 
 of Christianity. The religion we present to them 
 is not a mere myth like Shinto, or a bewildering 
 form of worship like Buddhism, nor yet a callous 
 moral code like Confucianism. It is the very life 
 of the soul ; it breathes into men a new being, 
 and warms the heart with a new glow of love to 
 God the Father of all. In the face of Jesus 
 Christ, it solves the baffling mystery of life, 
 points to hope and happiness beyond the grave, 
 comforts the sorrow-stricken and discouraged soul, 
 and gives peace and even joy, in the midst of suf- 
 ferings that all mankind are called upon to bear. 
 
 Above all, Christianity brings salvation. 
 Leaving out of view the benefits and blessings 
 derived from it in this world, it means deliverance 
 from eternal death. This life is a very small 
 thing, when compared with the life beyond ; and 
 the possibilities and privileges of that life for us, 
 all centre in the person and work of Christ. 
 
2 24 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 The Japanese belong to the same sinful, tempt- 
 ed, sorrowing race, as ourselves, and they stand 
 in need of the same Redeemer. ** And how shall 
 they believe in him of whom they have not 
 heard ?' ' Or how shall they hear, unless the 
 missionary be sent to proclaim the glad tidings ? 
 Christ's own command is, to carry the Gospel to 
 every creature ; and he well knew that every peo- 
 ple on the earth had 7ieed of it. 
 
 We know not God's mysterious plan concerning 
 the pagan millions who yearly pass into eternity, 
 nor how far divine mercy and infinite compassion 
 may be exercised in their behalf ; but we do 
 know that God's word commands us to carry the 
 Gospel to every member of our guilty race, and 
 that the divine presence is promised in so doing. 
 
 In glancing over a letter written when about 
 commencing my bible-classes in Tokio, and when 
 unusual difficulties appeared in the way, I find 
 this statement concerning my students : ** I con- 
 fess that when the feeling floods upon me, that 
 these are souls for whom Christ died, and mine is 
 the privilege to make the fact known unto them, 
 it breaks through all bounds of mere expediency, 
 and forces me to speak the truth at all risks. ... 
 There is a solemnity beyond expression, in the 
 attempt to bring before these young men the 
 words of eternal life." 
 
THE MISSIONARY OUTIOOK. 225 
 
 The very avidity with which the story of the 
 cross was received by some, and the self-righteous 
 air with which it was rejected by others, both 
 served to show that at least grace and the Gospel 
 were needed. 
 
 In Japan, as in every other country, some hear 
 the word gladly, and believe ; others listen with 
 utter indifference, or openly refuse the way of 
 salvation. At one moment the heart of the in- 
 structor would be gladdened by the words, '* Sir, 
 please teach us to pray by ourselves ;'* or, ** Sir, 
 these are golden truths, and we thank you for 
 them." At the next moment, a curling lip, and 
 a skeptical remark from another source, would 
 show that seed was being sown on stony 
 ground. 
 
 Light and shadow blend together in the mis- 
 sionary's experience, but still his duty is to 
 ** preach the word.*' I once saw this illustrated 
 on a long trip with Rev. Mr. Ballagh, in our first 
 attempt to ascend Fuji-yama. We were passing 
 through a village near Oyana mountain, where 
 a dread deity is said to reside. Here we encoun- 
 tered a procession of people dragging a huge 
 cart with long ropes. Upon the cart was a 
 pagoda-shaped tower, decorated with flags and 
 streamers, in which were dancing men wearing 
 
 hideous masks of foxes, demons, and ghosts. 
 
 29 
 
2 26 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 Drums were loudly beaten, and the people shout- 
 ed to drive away the evil spirits. 
 
 As the people caught sight of the two foreigners 
 the procession halted and the drums ceased, for 
 we were great curiosities in this out of the way 
 region, and even the dancing foxes looked slyly 
 at us. 
 
 Mr. Ballagh was always ready to seize an op-- 
 portunity for sounding the gospel trumpet ; so, 
 jumping upon a low balcony, he asked the people 
 in a pleasant way what this all meant. They said , 
 it was the day set apart to propitiate the evil 
 deity of the mountain, who sent all the woes and 
 suffering upon the people, and little foxes to des- 
 troy their rice crops. This deity sometimes 
 assumed the form of a great serpent, and naught 
 could be expected from it but evil, 
 
 The missionary listened to their explanations, 
 and then raising his voice said : ** There is a ser- 
 pent that brought evil into the world, and suffer- 
 ing upon the human race ; but he does not live 
 in yonder mountain, nor can his cruel power be 
 broken by noisy processions or the beating of 
 drums/' Then with great skill Mr. Ballagh told 
 the story of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, 
 and the temptation and fall of man, closing with 
 the solemn question, ** Is there no deliverance or 
 salvation from the power of this evil one ?" 
 
THE MISSIONARY OUTLOOK. 227 
 
 The people could not answer. Then he 
 explained to them with great tenderness the 
 wonderful plan of redemption ; saying, that God 
 had given a promise in Eden, which was fulfilled 
 'in Jesus Christ, and that now, all who believed 
 on Him might be saved. 
 
 Immediately there was a division in the multi- 
 tude ; some were deeply moved, and wished to 
 hear more, but the others beat their drums and 
 called upon the people to take hold of their ropes 
 and drag the cart and dancing foxes. The priests 
 pulled the people away from the preacher, and 
 the noisy but diminished procession went on its 
 way, dragging with difficulty the heavy cart. A 
 few remained and listened to the word with in- 
 creasing interest, until I reminded Mr. Ballagh of 
 the lateness of the hour, and we continued the 
 journey. 
 
 A few days subsequent to this, I saw the same 
 missionary go up to the open door of a temple, 
 and by his winning eloquence, and fluency in Ja- 
 panese, turn the assembly of Buddhist worshippers 
 away from their idols. The next Sabbath the 
 priests of this temple came to our hotel, and list- 
 ened for two hours to an earnest presentation of 
 Christian truth ! 
 
 It would be a pleasure to give a lengthened 
 sketch of missions in Japan, but I have not space 
 
2 28 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 to do so in this little work. I will, therefore, close 
 this chapter with a few explanations of the accom- 
 panying plate, of the Lord's prayer in Japanese. 
 
 It is a fac-simile of Matt, vi : 9-13, in the gos- 
 pel recently issued by the Translation Committee 
 at Yokohama. The orginal of this plate was 
 prepared in New York, by the American Bible 
 Society ; and it is the fairest specimen of printing 
 in Japanese that I have seen produced outside of 
 Dai-Nippon. 
 
 In reading the prayer, a person should com- 
 mence at the right-hand column and read down- 
 wards. Some of the characters are seen to be 
 square and more compact than the rest. These 
 are Chinese words, which are introduced into the 
 writings of Japan in the same way that Latin 
 terms are frequently used in English. In this 
 case, each Chinese word is explained by a few 
 simple Japanese characters, written in small type 
 on the right margin. This is necessary to enable 
 the common reader to properly understand the 
 meaning. 
 
 The Chinese literature has been studied as a 
 classic for many centuries in Japan ; but only the 
 Samourai, or two-sworded men, were permitted to 
 become scholars, also the priests. The common 
 people could only read the simpler forms of pure 
 Japanese, which language remained quite unde- 
 

 
 ;5 
 
 ^ 
 
 L^ 
 
 n. 
 
 
 ( e) 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ n % l> 
 
 r^4 ^ 
 ^« it 
 
 ^ ^ v^l 
 
 THE LORD'S PRAYER, JN JAPANESE* 
 
THE MISSIONARY OUTIOOK, 229 
 
 veloped. In publishing the Scriptures, therefore, 
 to the people, a difficulty arises from the lack of 
 a suitable language, which may be equally well 
 understood by all. If the missionaries translate 
 the Bible with the frequent use of Chinese char- 
 acters, it places it entirely beyond the use of the 
 masses ; though its literary merit is elevated in 
 the eye of the Samourai, so that it claims scholarly 
 respect. If it is translated in the purely Japanese 
 dialect, it becomes simple and apparently childish, 
 and has little merit with the higher class ; in fact, 
 it is impossible to properly express spirtual truth 
 in a language so immature, and so filled with 
 crude mythological terms as the pure Japanese. 
 
 The translators are forced, therefore to strike a 
 balance between the literary or classic language, 
 and this simple but insufficient Japanese vernac- 
 ular. This is accomplished by using as few Chi- 
 nese terms as possible, and then explaining them 
 in the margin so that common people may under- 
 stand. Hence the use of the small letters to 
 which I have referred. 
 
 I wish this Lord's prayer could be circulated in 
 the country by thousands of copies, for it is a 
 gospel in itself, and no tract more appropriate 
 could be issued. Nothing appears less under- 
 stood to a Japanese mind than the nature and 
 meaning of prayer. This '* talking to God '' is a 
 
230 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 great mystery, and I was frequently called upon 
 in my Bible-classes to explain, or attempt to ex- 
 plain, how we could reasonably and hopefully 
 look to the Invisible One and say, " Our Father 
 which art in heaven/' 
 
 Some of my students once asked me to please 
 write a prayer for them ; and what could better 
 meet their wants in this respect, than that which 
 came in response to the humble request of the 
 early disciples, ** Lord, teach us to pray/' 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 FAREWELL TO JAPAN. 
 
 Shortly after returning from the trip to Kioto, 
 I was called upon to bury my faithful servant 
 Sam Patch. 
 
 It was somewhat remarkable that he died ex- 
 actly three years from the day I first engaged him, 
 and that my contract with the Japanese Govern- 
 ment expired about the same date. 
 
 Though an associate of humble capacity, Sam 
 was faithful in his own little sphere, and he was 
 the only individual who remained uninterruptedly 
 with me during my sojourn in the country. He 
 had been unwell before I started on the Kioto 
 trip, and I sent him to the Tokio hospital, where 
 he had good care. But he was imprudent in 
 leaving the hospital too soon, so as to have my 
 house in good order on my return. 
 
 I sent him back to the hospital, and visited 
 him one evening, and took to him the sad news 
 that he must shortly die ; for his diease — the 
 
 kaki, ' * a kind of dropsy peculiar to the Japanese, 
 
2 32 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 was approaching his heart. The poor fellow was 
 never very brave, and he cried a little ; for he 
 thought he was getting better. I tried to comfort 
 him with his Christian hope, and then bade him 
 good night. The next day he was dead, and 
 when I came to the house where he had been re- 
 moved, he was already placed in the Japanese 
 coflfin ! 
 
 To give some idea of the Japanese mode of 
 treating the dead, I will briefly state how Sam's 
 remains were disposed of ; but his case differs 
 from others, in that I gave him a Christian form 
 of burial, becoming his former Christian profes- 
 sion and the simple trust in Christ which he 
 seemed to have to the last. 
 
 Immediately after death, and before the body 
 became rigid, he was placed in the ordinary 
 square coffin, with head bowed and knees doub- 
 led up and crossed in front, causing him to occupy 
 a space so small as would appear incredible. 
 When I first went into the room it was nearly 
 midnight, and I had a flickering candle in my 
 hand. Seeing a box scarcely three feet square in 
 the corner of the room, I was told that it con- 
 tained all that remained of poor Sam. Raising the 
 lid, I glanced in and saw what appeared a shape- 
 less bundle, with hand or foot projecting here 
 
FAREWELL TO JAPAN. 2 2^:^ 
 
 and there ; and this was the comfortless manner 
 in which the Japanese usually bury their dead. 
 
 Sam's face, when raised, was calm and natural, 
 and in his hand was a Testament which I had 
 given him the year before, and which his wife 
 had placed there to be buried with him, though 
 whether at his request or not I do not know. 
 
 The little funeral occurred the following day, 
 and I telegraphed Rev. Mr. Ballagh to attend ; 
 but as he was out of town, Rev. Mr. Thompson 
 officiated, using the Japanese language. At the 
 conclusion of the service, the hearse, which is a 
 temple-shaped cart, five feet high, backed up to 
 the door, and the sides and roof being taken off, 
 the square box was pushed inside. The hearse 
 was then put together again by piecemeal, and 
 two old men drew it off, amid the sobs of some 
 and the smiles of others. 
 
 Then came the queerest funeral procession in 
 which I ever participated. Sam's wife and another 
 woman were placed in a jinrikisha behind the bier ; 
 and then came my friends, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur, 
 who had been very kind to Sam during his sick- 
 ness, and finally Nakamura and myself brought 
 up the rear in a third jinrikisha. Slowly this droll 
 procession moved up the main street or Tori of 
 Tokio, attracting great attention, from the fact 
 that no foreigners had ever been seen with such a 
 
 30 
 
234 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 curious structure as that on the cart, and the 
 people were at a loss to know what such a funeral- 
 train meant. 
 
 The place of burial was two miles and a half 
 distant, and I tried to hurry the old men who 
 drew the temple-cart. But they were either too 
 lazy or too dignified to run, and the big cart 
 was very heavy, owing to its large roof. At last 
 we moved on at a jolting rate, that nearly shook 
 the hearse and its contents to pieces. The road 
 seemed interminably long, and it was dark when 
 we reached the ground of the large temple in the 
 suburbs of the city, where I had secured a plot, 
 and caused a grave to be dug that morning. 
 
 I had intended burying Sam beside my inter- 
 preter Shimojo, who had died the year previous, 
 and whose tomb was not far from this spot. But 
 strict regulations had recently been issued re- 
 specting the burial of persons within the city 
 limits. Therefore I accepted Nakamura's offer to 
 bury Sam beside the tomb of Nakamura's ances- 
 tors at the temple just mentioned, situated beyond 
 Khristien zaka, or '* Christian slope.'* 
 
 Arriving at the temple, I stopped the hearse at 
 the main gate, and hurried forward to see if the 
 grave had been dug as I directed. Fumbling my 
 way through the compact rows of ancient monu- 
 ments and head-stones, in the gathering dark- 
 
FAREWELL TO JAPAN, 235 
 
 ness, I stumbled on the freshly turned earth, and 
 found the deep square hole prepared as had been 
 promised. 
 
 Coming back I met Mr. Arthur who found that 
 the grave-yard was so cold and damp that it would 
 be imprudent in his state of health to remain 
 longer. So I thanked him and his good and ami- 
 able wife, and advised them to return, saying that 
 it was too chilly for them, and I would bury poor 
 Sam alone. (My good friend Mr. Arthur died of 
 consumption only a year or two after this.) 
 
 Bidding them good night, I turned towards the 
 temple, and was surprised to find it illuminated, 
 and to hear a Buddhist service going on within. 
 Stepping up to the porch and entering, I found a 
 tastefully decorated apartment with mats and pol- 
 ished floors, and solemn-looking labyrinths be- 
 yond the dark line of pillars. Two finely robed 
 priests sat upon a raised dais before the altar, in- 
 toning their prayers in a rapid and measured '^ay, 
 which struck me as being a funeral d*'ge ; they 
 took no notice of me as I stood in tb .. shadow of 
 the hall, looking on. The altar was a beautiful 
 object, ablaze with tapers and shining with the 
 gilt idols and golden leaves of the lotus lilies. 
 Incense was burning before it in a bronze brazier, 
 and the pleasant fragrance slowly filled the temple. 
 But what attracted my attention was the white 
 
236 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 covered square box, placed directly in front of 
 the altar, with a tall stick or tablet standing 
 against it, having a name written upon it in Chi- 
 nese, which I could not understand. Of course I 
 knew that this box contained a dead person, but 
 who it was I did not at the moment imagine. 
 
 I was simply awaiting the removal of my own 
 box from the hearse, and certainly intended no 
 heathen rites to supplement the Christian service 
 already held. But getting suspicious finally that 
 ** something was up,'* I stole by the priests and 
 went silently up to the altar. 
 
 There, sure enough, was 7ny box, with Sam's 
 body in it, for it had the same bunch of flowers 
 and bamboo reed upon it, which had been placed 
 on the lid. My first impulse was to stop the ser- 
 vice ; for, without my knowing it, they had 
 brought the body in, while I was in the grave- 
 yard, and had commenced their heathen rites as 
 usual. As I afterwards learned, the sinjo^ or pres- 
 ent of money, which I had previously given the 
 priests, made them polite and particularly anxious 
 to do the thing up well. 
 
 As I looked at the priests, and then at Sam's 
 wife and the other woman kneeling on the floor, 
 who seemed to be taking great comfort in the 
 ceremony, I thought I would let it continue, es- 
 pecially as we were the only persons in the tem- 
 
FAREWELL TO JAPAN. 237 
 
 pie. I sat upon a mat under the shadow of a 
 pillar, and for once the Buddhist service seemed 
 solemn to me. The priests intoned finely and 
 earnestly, the little bells chimed in harmoniously, 
 and now and then a deep-toned drum broke the 
 strain of the continual repetition of *' Na-mi-ho 
 Ho-ren-gi-ko." 
 
 I knew that Sam would not have highly indorsed 
 this service himself, neither was it exactly com- 
 patible with the doctrines of the Testament with- 
 in the coffin which stood before the heathen altar. 
 Nevertheless, there was a novel interest in the 
 scene, and as the service was soon completed, the 
 chief priest bowed, and led the way to the ceme- 
 tery, still repeating strange sounds, and wearing 
 his silken robes. The bearers followed with the 
 square box, which was safely lowered into the 
 grave. The cemetery was lit up by the glare of 
 the torches and lanterns ; and as the priest retir- 
 ed I leaned upon a gravestone, and waited to see 
 the grave properly filled. 
 
 A man was still in the hole, and I saw him 
 striking the box with his shovel. On being asked 
 what he was doing, he replied that it was some- 
 times the custom to break in the head of the 
 coffin and fill it with earth ! I told him he might 
 dispense with that operation this time, and fill up 
 the grave immediately, which he did. 
 
238 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 Thus ended poor Sam^s earthly career. His 
 widow sent me a request for money to buy in- 
 cense to burn before the tomb. 
 
 Over Sam*s remains I caused a stone cross to 
 be raised, upon which were inscribed the simple 
 words, SAM PATCH. 
 
 My engagement with the Japanese Government 
 was twice renewed at shorter intervals of several 
 months, but as I did not feel that my life-work 
 was to be in Japan, I made preparations toward 
 the spring of the year to start homeward. 
 
 I arranged to leave in March, as I supposed I 
 could then accomplish my long-desired tour 
 through India before the hot season fairly com- 
 menced in that country. In this latter respect I 
 was mistaken, however, for I fell into the very 
 hottest season of the tropics. 
 
 On March 7th I met many of the students of 
 the Kaisei Gakko, at a farewell gathering held in 
 Dr. Veeder's house, as my own house was now in 
 disorder with packing-boxes and trunks, and we 
 all spent a pleasant evening together. 
 
 At the close I made the students a little speech, 
 expressing my sorrow at parting, and giving them 
 encouragement and hope for the future. I urged 
 them to continue diligent both in their scientific 
 and their religious studies, and to attend the 
 Bible-class which Dr. Veeder had now opened for 
 
FAREWELL TO JAPAN, 239 
 
 them, and which would continue the work of Sab- 
 bath-evening instruction. 
 
 They all seemed to feel deeply in reference to 
 my departure, and also manifested no little awe 
 at the formidable journey before me. One stu- 
 dent, who was a most regular attendant upon my 
 Bible-classes, but who formerly opposed Christi- 
 anity, said to me, ** Sir, we shall never meet 
 again in this world, but J trust we shall meet in 
 heaven." He then asked me to write my name 
 and his own in a Bible and hymn-book which I 
 had given him. Another student said, ** Sir, you 
 have taught us great and beautiful things, both in 
 science and in religion ; and we are very thankful, 
 and will never forget your kindness.** Others 
 said, ** We wish you a happy time in your long 
 voyage, and we know not where we may ever see 
 you, but we hope somewhere.'' 
 
 Such expressions as these were heart-warming, 
 and showed that the Japanese students were still 
 as kindly affectionate and grateful as I had ever 
 found them during nearly four years* intercourse 
 and instruction. 
 
 At the close of the evening a short prayer was 
 offered, and the students sung a hymn. 
 
 The next day, my American friends General 
 and Mrs. Williams gave me a farewell dinner, at 
 their elegant residence near the Treasury Depart- 
 
240 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 ment. I then paid my parting respects at the 
 American Legation, and started for the railroad 
 station. 
 
 At the Tokio depot quite a little ovation was 
 given to me, which was at once a surprise and a 
 delight. Over one hundred students walked two 
 miles to the station to bid me good-by ; they 
 were accompanied by the second officer of the 
 Kaisei Gakko, who made me a pleasant little 
 speech. I told some of the students of the first 
 scientific class that I should expect to meet a few 
 of them in New York when I arrived there from 
 Europe. The prophecy seemed like a dream to 
 them, but it was fulfilled a year later, and they 
 were really studying in the Columbia School of 
 Mines when I arrived in New York. 
 
 It was a moment not to be forgotten when the 
 space was cleared between myself and the cars, 
 and I passed through the line of students and 
 jumped upon the train. After bidding them a 
 final " saionara,'' the whistle sounded, and half an 
 hour later I found myself in Yokohama. 
 
 The day following, Hatakeyama, the director of 
 the college, came down from Tokio, and gave me 
 another farewell dinner at the Grand Hotel. He 
 was very kind, and as affectionate as ever. I 
 spent the last hour on shore in talking over ** old 
 times'* with him, and in making plans for the fu- 
 
FAREWELL TO JAPAN. 241 
 
 ture. He said that he would meet me the second 
 time around the world at the Centennial Exhibi- 
 tion in Philadelphia, and that he would come 
 via San Francisco. 
 
 He subsequently fulfilled his promise in coming 
 to America, but I missed him by just one day in 
 New York, and afterwards failed in seeing him at 
 the Centennial. He was very sick at the time, of 
 consumption, and started homeward shortly after- 
 wards, via Panama. But he died on the Pacific, 
 a few days before the steamer reached his native 
 land ; and though he was a member of the 
 Christian church, he was buried in a Shinto ceme- 
 tery in Tokio, with the most imposing pagan 
 honors ! 
 
 Thus one after another of my Japanese friends 
 have been taken away by death. 
 
 The steamer Behar sailed from Yokohama at 
 four o'clock. I was accompanied on my journey 
 by Mr. and Mrs. Ballagh, and Mrs. Pruyn, of the 
 Mission Home, who were going as far as Nagasaki 
 to see me off. I also gave my chemistry assistant 
 a trip to Kobe, and then sent him to Kioto. 
 
 The voyage to Kobe was not so rough as the 
 one previously described, and the sail through 
 the inland sea of Japan was delightful. The pas- 
 sage of the inland sea occupied a little more than 
 twenty-six hours, and was fully as varied and 
 
 31 
 
242 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 beautiful as we anticipated. It contained all the 
 panoramic effect of river scenery with the vastness 
 and solemnity of the sea. At one point it broad- 
 ens into bays and gulfs, stretching away as far as 
 the eye can reach ; and at another it tapers down 
 to such narrow limits that there scarcely seems 
 room enough to pass. As one island after another 
 was left behind it still revealed an open stretch 
 of sea beyond, ^nd each bay and inlet had so 
 many branches, that it appeared an unlimited 
 archipelago, combining the beauties of the country 
 with the wildness and majesty of the ocean. 
 
 The provinces bordering the inland sea have 
 always been populous, and in old feudal times 
 many strong castles towered in defiance along 
 these shores. Some of their white walls and de- 
 serted parapets could still be seen, glistening 
 through the dark-green foliage. Usually a large 
 town or village would be seen nestled on the 
 shore near the castle. 
 
 The eastern entrance of the inland sea is oppo- 
 site the Ozaka Bay, and is simply a narrow strait 
 not a mile in width. The western or lower en- 
 trance is situated at the Straits of Shimonoseki, 
 which may be seen on the outline map, opposite 
 Corea. Our steamer stopped at the town of 
 Shimonoseki some hours, and we all went ashore 
 and rambled over the hills. But the place is of 
 
FAREWELL TO JAPAN^ 243 
 
 / 
 no particular importance, except that it was here 
 that the old Japanese forts were located which 
 fired upon certain foreign shii5s a few years ago, 
 and thus gave rise to the '' Japanese indemnity/' 
 No great harm was done, however, and our 
 government had no right to force Japan to pay 
 $700,000 into the U. S. Treasury. 
 
 In olden times a very important naval battle 
 was fought near this point by Japanese junks 
 filled with armed men. 
 
 South of Shimonoseki, the city of Saga will be 
 seen on the map, where the insurrection quelled 
 by Okubo occurred, and where he beheaded my 
 young friend Katski. This minister Okubo has 
 himself since been assassinated in Tokio, and 
 buried at the same Shinto cemetery as Hatake - 
 yama. 
 
 At the south-western extremity of Japan is the 
 city of Nagasaki, which has been open to foreign 
 intercourse longer than any other point. To 
 reach this place from Shimonoseki we passed 
 through the straits into the open sea, rounding a 
 bleak and rocky coast, until we came in sight of 
 the coal islands of Taka-Shima, which stand near 
 the entrance of Nagasaki Harbor. On sailing up 
 the narrow and cliff-girt harbor we passed close 
 beside the rocky islet of Papenburgh, from whose 
 steep heights the persecuted Christians were once 
 
244 LIFE IN JAPAN, 
 
 thrown into the sea. The harbor is a narrow arm 
 of the sea, stretching eight miles inland, and not 
 more than a mile in breadth. It is completely 
 enclosed by broken ranges of hills, diversified at 
 the upper portion of the harbor by cultivated 
 fields, shrubbery and trees, native houses and huts, 
 foreign residences, myriads of junks, and all that 
 characterizes a native and foreign settlement. 
 Long lines of shipping usually lie at anchor here, 
 including steamers and men-of-war. The city 
 contains about 33,000 inhabitants. 
 
 I only had a few hours to spare at Nagasaki, 
 for here I was to bid farewell to my companions. 
 The afternoon was rainy, and I spent it in tramp- 
 ing around with my friend Rev. Mr. Stout, a mis- 
 sionary of the Reformed Church. We both wore 
 rubber coats and boots, and with such an excel- 
 lent guide I soon visited the chief points of in- 
 terest. We explored ** Dezima, '* or made-land, 
 a square enclosure of three acres at the water's 
 edge, where the Dutch traders lived during the two 
 hundred years in which they alone were allowed 
 commercial intercourse with Japan. It was de- 
 cidedly suggestive of the olden times to walk 
 around these Dutch-looking buildings, and the 
 stone warehouses which line the water front, and 
 think of the sober, old-fashioned Hollanders who 
 used to pace back and forth here at eventide. 
 

 ^fl 
 
 1 
 
 H^HEI 
 
 
 1 
 
 j 
 
 1^ 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 .1 '"^^^ ^^^^^M 
 
 ^^W 
 
 1 
 
 Vn^H^^^I 
 
 ^fcF'''il|lfIii|| 
 
 (b , ^ 
 
 
 ^S 
 
 
 ii^3lr^ 1' 1 ^^v 
 
 1 ■ -■ 
 
 ■^; 
 
 ^g 
 
 
 Hot!' "1. ^B 
 
 i ill iii^ii ,'' 
 !i| ir, 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 ;h||i |ii::'| 
 lli'filiiljli 
 
 i 1 '*'' 
 
 1 
 1 
 
 
 .4^' 
 
 1 
 
 l^pKi^^^M 1 . ' ; III llT 
 
 \ 
 
 BSsEiTtilft^ 
 
 
 1 
 
 OiiHI'' 'ill ' 
 
 
 1 '•■ ^ 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 I :^.:aBnHM 
 
 
 m 
 
 
 ■,['!' !! 
 
 
 
 
 %^^ 
 
 m 
 
 
 I'll ri 
 
 
 
 :>vV>^^ 
 
 m 
 
 KHii^HHlillillil iiii 
 
 ii ii 
 
 iiJ. 
 
FAREWELL TO JAPAN. 245 
 
 smoking their pipes, and watching for their ships 
 from Holland. 
 
 In the suburbs of Nagasaki we visited some 
 very pretty gardens and summer residences, where 
 I purchased a few pictures, while Mr. Stout talked 
 pleasantly with the people. The grounds were 
 laid out in the ordinary Japanese style, with gold- 
 fish ponds, foot-bridges, dwarfed trees, and airy 
 pavilions, like that seen in the accompanying 
 illustration. 
 
 Behind the native quarter of the city there is a 
 temple with groves and immense camphor-trees. 
 The trunk of one of these trees measured thirty- 
 five feet in circumference. Here are buried five 
 hundred and eighty soldiers, or nearly all of those 
 who perished in the recent Formosa expedition. 
 Most of them died in sickness, and only a few in 
 battle. Their graves are ranged in rows of 
 twenties and forties, and the regular lines of tomb- 
 stones, divided off into sections or companies, 
 present a sad and impressive appearance. 
 
 The last place visited was the Roman Catholic 
 chapel, located half-way up the hill-slope, and 
 facing the valley of Ura-Kami, where so many 
 Christian converts were persecuted. The interior 
 of the chapel is dim and solemn, and well calcu- 
 lated to impress the Japanese converts with awe. 
 Near the altar were two colossal paintings, repre- 
 
246 LIFE IN JAPAN. 
 
 senting scenes of martyrdom at the time of the 
 severe persecutions at Nagasaki. One of these 
 pictures in vivid colors the crucifixion of some 
 two hundred converts at once, upon the moun- 
 tain of Campeera, ^' God of the sea/' a bold bluff 
 overlooking Nagasaki Harbor. Beyond this 
 mountain there are boiling sulphur springs, called 
 by the natives ** Little Hell/' Into a large open 
 pool, boiling and steaming like a natural caul- 
 dron, it is said that Christians used to be cast 
 who refused to give up their faith. With these 
 horrible vats, and the rugged precipice of Papen- 
 burgh at command, the persecutors did not lack 
 in natural facilities for torture. 
 
 But the hour for my departure drew near as 
 evening came on. I took tea at Mr. Stout's, and 
 spent the early part of the evening with my 
 friends. Mr. Ballagh and other missionaries kind- 
 ly gave me a *' general epistle," commending me 
 to the various missionary brethren I might meet 
 on the long journey before me. Then I was 
 committed to the watchful care of Providence, 
 and amid mingled feelings of regret and hopeful 
 anticipation I bade my friends farewell. 
 
 As I reached the steamer, all was quiet on 
 board, and the rain-drops were pattering on the 
 slippery deck. The night was dark, and the wind 
 whistled mournfully through the rigging as I went 
 
 MAY 2 4 1948 
 
FAREWELL TO JAPAN. 247 
 
 below. At early dawn the steamer was sailing 
 down the harbor, bound for Shanghai, China. 
 The Japanese sun-flag floated at the stern, for the 
 vessel belonged to the new Japanese line of the 
 '' Mitsu-Bishi '' Company. 
 
 I looked out of the cabin window at the murky 
 waters of the Yellow Sea, and realized at last that 
 I was face to face with all the dread uncertainties 
 of a long and lonely journey around the world. 
 
K^ 
 
 ^'yifyt''O^D 
 
*■ . JU" .T,.V'^'~iUw V1*-T|'«*»-— »4-j'"««^^^^B 
 
 it'*.!*. ."v,r: 
 
 ['■i)}^:,.^. 
 
 S?Ci^':i^SSKrt 
 
 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ^ 
 
 020 107 866 
 
 wm