fourhousestherewere307people!Insometherewerefourfamilies——thegrand-parents,theparents,theeldestsonwithhiswifeandfamily,andadaughterortwowiththeirhusbandsandchildren。Theeldestson,whoinheritsthehouseandland,almostinvariablybringshiswifetohisfather’shouse,wheresheoftenbecomeslittlebetterthanaslavetohermother-in-law。Byrigidcustomsheliterallyforsakesherownkindred,andher“filialduty“istransferredtoherhusband’smother,whooftentakesadisliketoher,andinstigateshersontodivorceherifshehasnochildren。Myhostesshadinducedhersontodivorcehiswife,andshecouldgivenobetterreasonforitthanthatshewaslazy。
TheNumapeople,shesaid,hadneverseenaforeigner,so,thoughtherainstillfellheavily,theywereastirintheearlymorning。
Theywantedtohearmespeak,soIgavemyorderstoItoinpublic。
Yesterdaywasamosttoilsomeday,mainlyspentinstumblingupandslidingdownthegreatpassesofFutai,Takanasu,andYenoiki,allamongforest-coveredmountains,deeplycleftbyforest-chokedravines,withnowandthenoneofthesnowypeaksofAidzubreakingthemonotonyoftheoceanofgreen。Thehorses’shoesweretiedanduntiedeveryfewminutes,andwemadejustamileanhour!AtlastweweredepositedinamostunpromisingplaceinthehamletofTamagawa,andweretoldthataricemerchant,afterwaitingforthreedays,hadgoteveryhorseinthecountry。Attheendoftwohours’chafferingonebaggagecooliewasproduced,someofthethingswereputonthericehorses,andasteedwithapack-saddlewasproducedformeintheshapeofaplumpandprettylittlecow,whichcarriedmesafelyoverthemagnificentpassofOrianddowntothetownofOkimi,amongrice-fields,where,inadrowningrain,Iwasgladtogetshelterwithanumberofcooliesbyawood-firetillanotherpack-cowwasproduced,andwewalkedonthroughtherice-fieldsandupintothehillsagaintoKurosawa,whereIhadintendedtoremain;buttherewasnoinn,andthefarm-housewheretheytakeintravellers,besidesbeingontheedgeofamalariouspond,andbeingdarkandfullofstingingsmoke,wassoawfullydirtyandfulloflivingcreatures,that,exhaustedasIwas,Iwasobligedtogoon。Butitwasgrowingdark,therewasnoTransportOffice,andforthefirsttimethepeoplewereveryslightlyextortionate,anddroveItonearlytohiswits’end。Thepeasantsdonotliketobeoutafterdark,fortheyareafraidofghostsandallsortsofdevilments,anditwasdifficulttoinducethemtostartsolateintheevening。
Therewasnotahousecleanenoughtorestin,soIsatonastoneandthoughtaboutthepeopleforoveranhour。Childrenwithscald-head,scabies,andsoreeyesswarmed。Everywomancarriedababyonherback,andeverychildwhocouldstaggerunderonecarriedonetoo。Notonewomanworeanythingbutcottontrousers。
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