Ifitwerenotforthefleas，whicharehereinlegions，Ishouldstaylonger，fortheviewoftheAidzusnowisdelicious，and，asthereareonlytwootherhouses，onecanramblewithoutbeingmobbed。
Inoneachildtwoandahalfyearsoldswallowedafish-bonelastnight，andhasbeensufferingandcryingallday，andthegriefofthemothersowonIto’ssympathythathetookmetoseeher。Shehadwalkedupanddownwithitforeighteenhours，butneverthoughtoflookingintoitsthroat，andwasveryunwillingthatI
shoulddoso。Thebonewasvisible，andeasilyremovedwithacrochetneedle。Anhourlaterthemothersentatraywithaquantityofcakesandcoarseconfectioneryuponitasapresent，withthepieceofdriedseaweedwhichalwaysaccompaniesagift。
Beforenightsevenpeoplewithsorelegsappliedfor“advice。“Thesoreswereallsuperficialandallalike，andtheirownerssaidthattheyhadbeenproducedbytheincessantrubbingofthebitesofants。
Onthissummerdaythecountrylooksasprosperousasitisbeautiful，andonewouldnotthinkthatacutepovertycouldexistinthesteep-roofedvillageofNojiri，whichnestlesatthefootofthehill；buttwohempenropesdanglingfromacryptomeriajustbelowtellthesadtaleofanelderlymanwhohangedhimselftwodaysago，becausehewastoopoortoprovideforalargefamily；
andthehouse-mistressandItotellmethatwhenamanwhohasayoungfamilygetstoooldorfeebleforworkheoftendestroyshimself。
Myhostessisawidowwithafamily，agood-natured，bustlingwoman，withagreatloveoftalk。Alldayherhouseisopenallround，havingliterallynowalls。Theroofandsolitaryupperroomaresupportedonposts，andmyladderalmosttouchesthekitchenfire。Duringtheday-timethelargemattedareaundertheroofhasnodivisions，andgroupsoftravellersandmagoslieabout，foreveryonewhohastoiledupeithersideofKurumatogetakesacupof“teawitheating，“andthehouse-mistressisbusythewholeday。
Abigwellisnearthefire。Ofcoursethereisnofurniture；butashelfrunsundertheroof，onwhichthereisaBuddhistgod-
house，withtwoblackidolsinit，oneofthembeingthatmuch-
worshippeddivinity，Daikoku，thegodofwealth。Besidesarackforkitchenutensils，thereisonlyastandonwhicharesixlargebrowndisheswithfoodforsale——saltshell-fish，inablackliquid，driedtroutimpaledonsticks，seaslugsinsoy，apastemadeofpoundedroots，andgreencakesmadeoftheslimyriverconfervae，pressedanddried——allill-favouredandunsavouryviands。Thisafternoonamanwithoutclotheswastreadingflourpasteonamat，atravellerinabluesilkrobewaslyingonthefloorsmoking，andfivewomeninlooseattire，withelaboratechignonsandblackenedteeth，weresquattingroundthefire。Atthehouse-mistress’srequestIwroteaeulogisticdescriptionoftheviewfromherhouse，andreaditinEnglish，Itotranslatingit，totheverygreatsatisfactionoftheassemblage。ThenIwasaskedtowriteonfourfans。ThewomanhasneverheardofEngland。
Itisnot“anametoconjurewith“inthesewilds。NeitherhassheheardofAmerica。SheknowsofRussiaasagreatpower，and，ofcourse，ofChina，butthereherknowledgeends，thoughshehasbeenatTokiyoandKiyoto。
July1——Iwasjustfallingasleeplastnight，inspiteofmosquitoesandfleas，whenIwasrousedbymuchtalkingandloudoutcriesofpoultry；andIto，carryingascreaming，refractoryhen，andamanandwomanwhomhehadwithdifficultybribedtopartwithit，appearedbymybed。IfeeblysaidIwouldhaveitboiledforbreakfast，butwhenItocalledmethismorninghetoldmewithamostruefulfacethatjustashewasgoingtokillitithadescapedtothewoods！Inordertounderstandmyfeelingsyoumusthaveexperiencedwhatitisnottohavetastedfish，flesh，orfowl，fortendays！Thealternativewaseggsandsomeofthepastewhichthemanwastreadingyesterdayonthematcutintostripsandboiled！Itwascoarseflourandbuckwheat，so，yousee，Ihavelearnednottobeparticular！
AnInfamousRoad——MonotonousGreenery——AbysmalDirt——LowLives——TheTsugawaYadoya——Politeness——AShippingPort——ABarbarianDevil。
Yesterday’sjourneywasoneofthemostsevereIhaveyethad，forintenhoursofhardtravellingIonlyaccomplishedfifteenmiles。
TheroadfromKurumatogewestwardsissoinfamousthatthestagesaresometimeslittlemorethanamile。Yetitisbyit，sofaratleastastheTsugawariver，thattheproduceandmanufacturesoftherichplainofAidzu，withitsnumeroustowns，andofaverylargeinteriordistrict，mustfindanoutletatNiigata。Indefianceofallmodernideas，itgoesstraightupandstraightdownhill，atagradientthatIshouldbeafraidtohazardaguessat，andatpresentitisaperfectquagmire，intowhichgreatstoneshavebeenthrown，someofwhichhavesubsidededgewise，andothershavedisappearedaltogether。ItistheveryworstroadIeverrodeover，andthatissayingagooddeal！Kurumatogewasthelastofseventeenmountain-passes，over2000feethigh，whichIhavecrossedsinceleavingNikko。BetweenitandTsugawathescenery，thoughonasmallerscale，isofmuchthesamecharacterashitherto——hillswoodedtotheirtops，cleftbyravineswhichopenoutoccasionallytodivulgemoredistantranges，allsmotheredingreenery，which，whenIamill-pleased，Iaminclinedtocall“rankvegetation。“Ohthatanabruptscaur，orastripofflamingdesert，orsomethingsalientandbrilliant，wouldbreakin，howeverdiscordantly，uponthismonotonyofgreen！
Thevillagesofthatdistrictmust，Ithink，havereachedthelowestabyssoffilthinessinHozawaandSaikaiyama。Fowls，dogs，horses，andpeopleherdedtogetherinshedsblackwithwoodsmoke，andmanureheapsdrainedintothewells。Noyoungboyworeanyclothing。Fewofthemenworeanythingbutthemaro，thewomenwereunclothedtotheirwaistsandsuchclothingastheyhadwasverydirty，andheldtogetherbymereforceofhabit。Theadultswerecoveredwithinflamedbitesofinsects，andthechildrenwithskin-disease。Theirhousesweredirty，and，astheysquattedontheirheels，orlayfacedownwards，theylookedlittlebetterthansavages。Theirappearanceandthewantofdelicacyoftheirhabitsaresimplyabominable，andinthelatterrespecttheycontrasttogreatdisadvantagewithseveralsavagepeoplesthatIhavebeenamong。IfIhadkepttoNikko，Hakone，Miyanoshita，andsimilarplacesvisitedbyforeignerswithlesstime，Ishouldhaveformedaverydifferentimpression。Istheirspiritualcondition，Ioftenwonder，muchhigherthantheirphysicalone？Theyarecourteous，kindly，industrious，andfreefromgrosscrimes；but，fromtheconversationsthatIhavehadwithJapanese，andfrommuchthatI
see，Ijudgethattheirstandardoffoundationalmoralityisverylow，andthatlifeisneithertruthfulnorpure。
Iputuphereatacrowdedyadoya，wheretheyhavegivenmetwocheerfulroomsinthegarden，awayfromthecrowd。Ito’sgreatdesireonarrivingatanyplaceistoshutmeupinmyroomandkeepmeacloseprisonertillthestartthenextmorning；buthereIemancipatedmyself，andenjoyedmyselfverymuchsittinginthedaidokoro。Thehouse-masterisofthesamurai，ortwo-swordedclass，now，assuch，extinct。Hisfaceislonger，hislipsthinner，andhisnosestraighterandmoreprominentthanthoseofthelowerclass，andthereisadifferenceinhismannerandbearing。Ihavehadagreatdealofinterestingconversationwithhim。
Inthesameopenspacehisclerkwaswritingatalacquerdeskofthestereotypedform——alowbenchwiththeendsrolledover——awomanwastailoring，coolieswerewashingtheirfeetontheitama，andseveralmoreweresquattingroundtheirorismokinganddrinkingtea。Acoolieservantwashedsomericeformydinner，butbeforedoingsotookoffhisclothes，andthewomanwhocookeditletherkimonofalltoherwaistbeforeshebegantowork，asiscustomaryamongrespectablewomen。Thehouse-master’swifeandItotalkedaboutmeunguardedly。Iaskedwhattheyweresaying。“Shesays，“saidhe，“thatyouareverypolite——foraforeigner，“headded。Iaskedwhatshemeant，andfoundthatitwasbecauseI
tookoffmybootsbeforeIsteppedonthematting，andbowedwhentheyhandedmethetabako-bon。
Wewalkedthroughthetowntofindsomethingeatableforto-
morrow’sriverjourney，butonlysucceededingettingwafersmadeofwhiteofeggandsugar，ballsmadeofsugarandbarleyflour，andbeanscoatedwithsugar。Thatch，withitspicturesqueness，hasdisappeared，andtheTsugawaroofsareofstripsofbarkweightedwithlargestones；but，asthehousesturntheirgableendstothestreet，andthereisapromenadethewholewayundertheeaves，andthestreetturnstwiceatrightanglesandterminatesintemplegroundsonabankabovetheriver，itislessmonotonousthanmostJapanesetowns。Itisaplaceof3000people，andagooddealofproduceisshippedfromhencetoNiigatabytheriver。To-dayitisthrongedwithpack-horses。Iwasmuchmobbed，andonechildformedthesolitaryexceptiontothegeneralruleofpolitenessbycallingmeanameequivalenttotheChineseFanKwai，“foreign；“
buthewasseverelychidden，andapolicemanhasjustcalledwithanapology。Asliceoffreshsalmonhasbeenproduced，andIthinkInevertastedanythingsodelicious。Ihavefinishedthefirstpartofmylandjourney，andleaveforNiigatabyboatto-morrowmorning。
AHurry——TheTsugawaPacket-boat——RunningtheRapids——FantasticScenery——TheRiver-life——Vineyards——DryingBarley——SummerSilence——
TheOutskirtsofNiigata——TheChurchMissionHouse。
TheboatforNiigatawastoleaveateight，butatfiveItorousedmebysayingtheyweregoingatonce，asitwasfull，andweleftinhaste，thehouse-masterrunningtotheriverwithoneofmylargebasketsonhisbackto“speedthepartingguest。“TworiversunitetoformastreamoverwhosebeautyIwouldgladlyhavelingered，andthemorning，singularlyrichandtenderinitscolouring，ripenedintoagloriousdayoflightwithoutglare，andheatwithoutoppressiveness。The“packet“wasastoutly-builtboat，45feetlongby6broad，propelledbyonemanscullingatthestern，andanotherpullingashortbroad-bladedoar，whichworkedinawistarialoopatthebow。Ithadacroquetmallethandleabout18incheslong，towhichthemangaveawrigglingturnateachstroke。Bothrowerandscullerstoodthewholetime，cladinumbrellahats。Theforepartandcentrecarriedbagsofriceandcratesofpottery，andthehinderparthadathatchedroofwhich，whenwestarted，shelteredtwenty-fiveJapanese，butwedroppedthemathamletsontheriver，andreachedNiigatawithonlythree。
Ihadmychaironthetopofthecargo，andfoundthevoyageadelightfulchangefromthefatiguingcrawlthroughquagmiresattherateoffrom15to18milesaday。Thistripiscalled“runningtherapidsoftheTsugawa，“becauseforabouttwelvemilestheriver，hemmedinbyloftycliffs，studdedwithvisibleandsunkenrocks，makingseveralabruptturnsandshallowinginmanyplaces，hurriesaboatswiftlydownwards；anditissaidthatitrequireslongpractice，skill，andcoolnessonthepartoftheboatmentopreventgraveandfrequentaccidents。Butiftheyarerapids，theyareonasmallscale，andlookanythingbutformidable。Withtheriveratitspresentheighttheboatsrundownforty-fivemilesineighthours，chargingonly30sen，or1s。3d。，butittakesfromfivetosevendaystogetup，andmuchhardworkinpolingandtowing。