Iamlodgedinthelowerpart，buttheirondoorsareopen，andintheirplaceatnightisapaperscreen。Afewthingsarekeptinmyroom。TwohandsomeshrinesfromwhichtheunemotionalfacesoftwoBuddhaslookedoutallnight，afinefigureofthegoddessKwan-non，andavenerableoneofthegodoflongevity，suggestedcuriousdreams。
Prosperity——ConvictLabour——ANewBridge——Yamagata——IntoxicatingForgeries——TheGovernmentBuildings——BadManners——SnowMountains——A
Threedaysoftravellingonthesameexcellentroadhavebroughtmenearly60miles。Yamagatakenimpressesmeasbeingsingularlyprosperous，progressive，andgo-ahead；theplainofYamagata，whichIenteredsoonafterleavingKaminoyama，ispopulousandhighlycultivated，andthebroadroad，withitsenormoustraffic，lookswealthyandcivilised。ItisbeingimprovedbyconvictsindullredkimonosprintedwithChinesecharacters，whocorrespondwithourticket-of-leavemen，astheyareworkingforwagesintheemploymentofcontractorsandfarmers，andareundernootherrestrictionthanthatofalwayswearingtheprisondress。
AttheSakamokiriverIwasdelightedtocomeupontheonlythoroughlysolidpieceofmodernJapaneseworkthatIhavemetwith——aremarkablyhandsomestonebridgenearlyfinished——thefirstIhaveseen。Iintroducedmyselftotheengineer，OkunoChiuzo，averygentlemanly，agreeableJapanese，whoshowedmetheplans，tookagreatdealoftroubletoexplainthem，andcourteouslygavemeteaandsweetmeats。
Yamagata，athrivingtownof21，000peopleandthecapitaloftheken，iswellsituatedonaslighteminence，andthisandthedominantpositionofthekenchoatthetopofthemainstreetgiveitanemphasisunusualinJapanesetowns。Theoutskirtsofallthecitiesareverymean，andtheappearanceoftheloftywhitebuildingsofthenewGovernmentOfficesabovethelowgreyhouseswasmuchofasurprise。ThestreetsofYamagataarebroadandclean，andithasgoodshops，amongwhicharelongrowssellingnothingbutornamentalironkettlesandornamentalbrasswork。SofarintheinteriorIwasannoyedtofindseveralshopsalmostexclusivelyforthesaleofvillainousforgeriesofEuropeaneatablesanddrinkables，speciallythelatter。TheJapanese，fromtheMikadodownwards，haveacquiredaloveofforeignintoxicants，whichwouldbehurtfulenoughtothemiftheintoxicantsweregenuine，butisfarworsewhentheyarecompoundsofvitriol，fuseloil，badvinegar，andIknownotwhat。IsawtwoshopsinYamagatawhichsoldchampagneofthebestbrands，Martel’scognac，Bass’
ale，Medoc，St。Julian，andScotchwhisky，ataboutone-fifthoftheircostprice——allpoisonouscompounds，thesaleofwhichoughttobeinterdicted。
TheGovernmentBuildings，thoughintheusualconfectionerystyle，areimprovedbytheadditionofverandahs；andtheKencho，Saibancho，orCourtHouse，theNormalSchoolwithadvancedschoolsattached，andthepolicebuildings，areallinkeepingwiththegoodroadandobviousprosperity。Alargetwo-storiedhospital，withacupola，whichwillaccommodate150patients，andistobeamedicalschool，isnearlyfinished。Itisverywellarrangedandventilated。Icannotsayasmuchforthepresenthospital，whichI
wentover。AttheCourtHouseIsawtwentyofficialsdoingnothing，andasmanypolicemen，allinEuropeandress，towhichtheyhadaddedanimitationofEuropeanmanners，thetotalresultbeingunmitigatedvulgarity。Theydemandedmypassportbeforetheywouldtellmethepopulationofthekenandcity。OnceortwiceI
havefoundfaultwithIto’smanners，andhehasaskedmetwicesinceifIthinkthemlikethemannersofthepolicemenatYamagata！
NorthofYamagatatheplainwidens，andfinelongitudinalrangescappedwithsnowmountainsontheoneside，andbrokenrangeswithlateralspursontheother，encloseascheerfulandpleasantaregionasonewouldwishtosee，withmanypleasantvillagesonthelowerslopesofthehills。Themercurywasonly70degrees，andthewindnorth，soitwasanespeciallypleasantjourney，thoughI
hadtogothreeandahalfribeyondTendo，atownof5000people，whereIhadintendedtohalt，becausetheonlyinnsatTendowhichwerenotkashitsukeyaweresooccupiedwithsilk-wormsthattheycouldnotreceiveme。
Thenextday’sjourneywasstillalongthesamefineroad，throughasuccessionoffarmingvillagesandtownsof1500and2000people，suchasTochiidaandObanasawa，werefrequent。FromboththesetherewasagloriousviewofChokaizan，agrand，snow-covereddome，saidtobe8000feethigh，whichrisesinanaltogetherunexpectedmannerfromcomparativelylevelcountry，and，asthegreatsnow-
fieldsofUdonosanareinsightatthesametime，withmostpicturesquecurtainrangesbelow，itmaybeconsideredoneofthegrandestviewsofJapan。AfterleavingObanasawatheroadpassesalongavalleywateredbyoneoftheaffluentsoftheMogami，and，aftercrossingitbyafinewoodenbridge，ascendsapassfromwhichtheviewismostmagnificent。Afteralongascentthrougharegionoflight，peatysoil，woodedwithpine，cryptomeria，andscruboak，alongdescentandafineavenueterminateinShinjo，awretchedtownofover5000people，situatedinaplainofrice-
fields。
Theday’sjourney，ofovertwenty-threemiles，wasthroughvillagesoffarmswithoutyadoyas，andinmanycaseswithouteventea-
houses。Thestyleofbuildinghasquitechanged。Woodhasdisappeared，andallthehousesarenowbuiltwithheavybeamsandwallsoflathsandbrownmudmixedwithchoppedstraw，andveryneat。Nearlyallaregreatoblongbarns，turnedendwisetotheroad，50，60，andeven100feetlong，withtheendnearesttheroadthedwelling-house。Thesefarm-houseshavenopaperwindows，onlyamado，withafewpanesofpaperatthetop。Thesearedrawnbackinthedaytime，and，inthebetterclassofhouses，blinds，formedofreedsorsplitbamboo，areletdownovertheopening。Therearenoceilings，andinmanycasesanunmolestedratsnakelivesintherafters，who，whenheismuchgorged，occasionallyfallsdownuponamosquitonet。
AgainIwritethatShinjoisawretchedplace。Itisadaimiyo’stown，andeverydaimiyo’stownthatIhaveseenhasanairofdecay，partlyowingtothefactthatthecastleiseitherpulleddown，orhasbeenallowedtofallintodecay。Shinjohasalargetradeinrice，silk，andhemp，andoughtnottobeaspoorasitlooks。Themosquitoeswereinthousands，andIhadtogotobed，soastobeoutoftheirreach，beforeIhadfinishedmywretchedmealofsagoandcondensedmilk。Therewasahotrainallnight，mywretchedroomwasdirtyandstifling，andratsgnawedmybootsandranawaywithmycucumbers。
To-daythetemperatureishighandtheskymurky。Thegoodroadhascometoanend，andtheoldhardshipshavebegunagain。AfterleavingShinjothismorningwecrossedoverasteepridgeintoasingularbasinofgreatbeauty，withasemicircleofpyramidalhills，renderedmorestrikingbybeingcoveredtotheirsummitswithpyramidalcryptomeria，andapparentlyblockingallnorthwardprogress。AttheirfeetliesKanayamainaromanticsituation，and，thoughIarrivedasearlyasnoon，Iamstayingforadayortwo，formyroomattheTransportOfficeischeerfulandpleasant，theagentismostpolite，averyroughregionliesbeforeme，andItohassecuredachickenforthefirsttimesinceleavingNikko！
Ifinditimpossibleinthisdampclimate，andinmypresentpoorhealth，totravelwithanycomfortformorethantwoorthreedaysatatime，anditisdifficulttofindpretty，quiet，andwholesomeplacesforahaltoftwonights。Freedomfromfleasandmosquitoesonecanneverhopefor，thoughthelastvaryinnumber，andIhavefoundawayof“dodging“thefirstbylayingdownapieceofoiledpapersixfeetsquareuponthemat，dustingalongitsedgesabandofPersianinsectpowder，andsettingmychairinthemiddle。Iamtheninsulated，and，thoughmyriadsoffleasjumponthepaper，thepowderstupefiesthem，andtheyareeasilykilled。Ihavebeenobligedtoresthereatanyrate，becauseIhavebeenstungonmylefthandbothbyahornetandagadfly，anditisbadlyinflamed。
Insomeplacesthehornetsareinhundreds，andmakethehorseswild。Iamalsosufferingfrominflammationproducedbythebitesof“horseants，“whichattackoneinwalking。TheJapanesesufferverymuchfromthese，andaneglectedbiteoftenproducesanintractableulcer。Besidesthese，thereisafly，asharmlessinappearanceasourhouse-fly，whichbitesasbadlyasamosquito。
ThesearesomeofthedrawbacksofJapanesetravellinginsummer，butworsethantheseisthelackofsuchfoodasonecaneatwhenonefinishesahardday’sjourneywithoutappetite，inanexhaustingatmosphere。
July18——IhavehadsomuchpainandfeverfromstingsandbitesthatlastnightIwasgladtoconsultaJapanesedoctorfromShinjo。Ito，wholookstwiceasbigasusualwhenhehastodoany“grand“interpreting，andalwaysputsonsilkhakamainhonourofit，cameinwithamiddle-agedmandressedentirelyinsilk，whoprostratedhimselfthreetimesontheground，andthensatdownonhisheels。Itoinmanywordsexplainedmycalamities，andDr。
Nosokithenaskedtoseemy“honourablehand，“whichheexaminedcarefully，andthenmy“honourablefoot。“Hefeltmypulseandlookedatmyeyeswithamagnifyingglass，andwithmuchsuckinginofhisbreath——asignofgoodbreedingandpoliteness——informedmethatIhadmuchfever，whichIknewbefore；thenthatImustrest，whichIalsoknew；thenhelightedhispipeandcontemplatedme。
Thenhefeltmypulseandlookedatmyeyesagain，thenfelttheswellingfromthehornetbite，andsaiditwasmuchinflamed，ofwhichIwaspainfullyaware，andthenclappedhishandsthreetimes。Atthissignalacoolieappeared，carryingahandsomeblacklacquerchestwiththesamecrestingolduponitasDr。Nosokiworeinwhiteonhishaori。Thiscontainedamedicinechestoffinegoldlacquer，fittedupwithshelves，drawers，bottles，etc。
Hecompoundedalotionfirst，withwhichhebandagedmyhandandarmratherskilfully，tellingmetopourthelotionoverthebandageatintervalstillthepainabated。Thewholewascoveredwithoiledpaper，whichanswersthepurposeofoiledsilk。Hethencompoundedafebrifuge，which，asitispurelyvegetable，Ihavenothesitatedtotake，andtoldmetodrinkitinhotwater，andtoavoidsakeforadayortwo！
Iaskedhimwhathisfeewas，and，aftermanybowsandmuchsplutteringandsuckinginofhisbreath，heaskedifIshouldthinkhalfayentoomuch，andwhenIpresentedhimwithayen，andtoldhimwithagooddealofprofoundbowingonmypartthatIwasexceedinglygladtoobtainhisservices，hisgratitudequiteabashedmebyitsimmensity。
Dr。Nosokiisoneoftheold-fashionedpractitioners，whosemedicalknowledgehasbeenhandeddownfromfathertoson，andwhoholdsout，asprobablymostofhispatientsdo，againstEuropeanmethodsanddrugs。Astrongprejudiceagainstsurgicaloperations，speciallyamputations，existsthroughoutJapan。Withregardtothelatter，peoplethinkthat，astheycameintotheworldcomplete，sotheyareboundtogooutofit，andinmanyplacesasurgeonwouldhardlybeabletobuyatanypricetheprivilegeofcuttingoffanarm。
Exceptfrombookstheseoldermenknownothingofthemechanismofthehumanbody，asdissectionisunknowntonativescience。Dr。