lookinganimalsinbraveryofscarletclothandlacquerandfringednetsofleather，andmanystrawwispsandropes，withGothicroofsforsaddles，anddependentpanniersoneachside，carryingtwograveandstately-lookingchildrenineach，andsometimesafatherorafifthchildonthetopofthepack-saddle。
IwassofarfromwellthatIwasobligedtosleepatthewretchedvillageofAbukawa，inaloftalivewithfleas，wherethericewastoodirtytobeeaten，andwherethehouse-master’swife，whosatforanhouronmyfloor，wassorelyafflictedwithskindisease。
Theclayhouseshavedisappearedandthevillagesarenowbuiltofwood，butAbukawaisanantiquated，ramshackleplace，proppedupwithpostsandslantingbeamsprojectingintotheroadwayfortheentanglementofunwarypassengers。
Thevillagesmithwasopposite，buthewasnotamanofponderousstrength，norweretherethosewondrousflightsandscintillationsofsparkswhichwerethejoyofourchildhoodintheTattenhallforge。Afireofpowderedcharcoalonthefloor，alwaysbeingtrimmedandreplenishedbyaleanandgrimysatellite，amanstillleanerandgrimier，clothedingogglesandagirdle，alwayssittinginfrontofit，heatingandhammeringironbarswithhishands，withaclinkwhichwentonlateintothenight，andblowinghisbellowswithhistoes；barsandpiecesofrustyironpinnedonthesmokywalls，andagroupofidlemenwatchinghisskilfulmanipulation，werethesightsoftheAbukawasmithy，andkeptmethralledinthebalcony，thoughthewholeclotheslesspopulationstoodforthewholeeveninginfrontofthehousewithasilent，open-mouthedstare。
Earlyinthemorningthesamemelancholycrowdappearedinthedismaldrizzle，whichturnedintoatremendoustorrent，whichhaslastedforsixteenhours。Lowhills，broadricevalleysinwhichpeoplearepuddlingthericeasecondtimetokilltheweeds，badroads，prettyvillages，muchindigo，fewpassengers，werethefeaturesoftheday’sjourney。AtMoriokaandseveralothervillagesinthisregionInoticedthatifyouseeonelarge，high，well-builthouse，standinginenclosedgrounds，withalookofwealthaboutit，itisalwaysthatofthesakebrewer。Abushdenotesthemanufactureaswellasthesaleofsake，andtheseareofallsorts，fromthemangybitoffirwhichhasseenlongservicetothevigoroustrussofpineconstantlyrenewed。ItiscuriousthatthisshouldformerlyhavebeenthesignofthesaleofwineinEngland。
Thewindandrainweresomethingfearfulallthatafternoon。I
couldnotride，soItrampedonfootforsomemilesunderanavenueofpines，throughwaterafootdeep，and，withmypaperwaterproofsoakedthrough，reachedToyokahalfdrownedandverycold，toshiveroverahibachiinacleanloft，hungwithmydrippingclothes，whichhadtobeputonwetthenextday。By5a。m。allToyokaassembled，andwhileItookmybreakfastIwasnotonlythe“cynosure“oftheeyesofallthepeopleoutside，butofthoseofaboutfortymorewhowerestandinginthedoma，lookinguptheladder。Whenaskedtodepartbythehouse-master，theysaid，“It’sneitherfairnorneighbourlyinyoutokeepthisgreatsighttoyourself，seeingthatourlivesmaypasswithoutagainlookingonaforeignwoman；“sotheywereallowedtoremain！I。
TheFatiguesofTravelling——TorrentsandMud——Ito’sSurliness——TheBlindShampooers——ASupposedMonkeyTheatre——ASuspendedFerry——A
DifficultTransit——PerilsontheYonetsurugawa——ABoatmanDrowned——
NocturnalDisturbances——ANoisyYadoya——Storm-boundTravellers——
Hai！Hai！——MoreNocturnalDisturbancesODATE，July29。
IhavebeensufferingsomuchfrommyspinethatIhavebeenunabletotravelmorethansevenoreightmilesdailyforseveraldays，andeventhatwithgreatdifficulty。Itrymyownsaddle，thenapack-saddle，thenwalkthroughthemud；butIonlygetonbecausegettingonisanecessity，andassoonasIreachthenight’shalting-placeIamobligedtoliedownatonce。OnlystrongpeopleshouldtravelinnorthernJapan。Theinevitablefatigueismuchincreasedbythestateoftheweather，anddoubtlessmyimpressionsofthecountryareaffectedbyitalso，asahamletinaquagmireinagraymistorasoakingrainisafarlessdelectableobjectthanthesamehamletunderbrightsunshine。Therehasnotbeensuchaseasonforthirtyyears。Therainshavebeentremendous。I
havelivedinsoakedclothes，inspiteofmyrain-cloak，andhavesleptonasoakedstretcherinspiteofallwaterproofwrappingsforseveraldays，andstilltheweathershowsnosignsofimprovement，andtheriversaresohighonthenorthernroadthatI
amstorm-boundaswellaspain-boundhere。Itoshowshissympathyformebyintensesurliness，thoughhedidsayverysensibly，“I’mverysorryforyou，butit’snousesayingsooverandoveragain；
asIcandonothingforyou，you’dbettersendfortheblindman！“
InJapanesetownsandvillagesyouheareveryeveningamanormenmakingalowpeculiarwhistleashewalksalong，andinlargetownsthenoiseisquiteanuisance。Itismadebyblindmen；butablindbeggarisneverseenthroughoutJapan，andtheblindareanindependent，respected，andwell-to-doclass，carryingontheoccupationsofshampooing，money-lending，andmusic。
WehavehadaveryseverejourneyfromToyoka。Thatdaytherainwasceaseless，andinthedrivingmistsonecouldseelittlebutlowhillsloomingonthehorizon，pinebarrens，scrub，andfloodedrice-fields；variedbyvillagesstandingalongroadswhichwerequagmiresafootdeep，andwheretheclothingwasspeciallyraggedanddirty。Hinokiyama，avillageofsamurai，onabeautifulslope，wasanexception，withitsfinedetachedhouses，prettygardens，deep-roofedgateways，grassandstone-facedterraces，andlookofrefined，quietcomfort。Everywheretherewasaquantityofindigo，asisnecessary，fornearlyalltheclothingofthelowerclassesisblue。Nearalargevillagewewereridingonacausewaythroughtherice-fields，Itoonthepack-horseinfront，whenwemetanumberofchildrenreturningfromschool，who，ongettingnearus，turned，ranaway，andevenjumpedintotheditches，screamingastheyran。Themagoranafterthem，caughtthehindmostboy，anddraggedhimback——theboyscaredandstruggling，themanlaughing。
TheboysaidthattheythoughtthatItowasamonkey-player，i。e。
thekeeperofamonkeytheatre，Iabigape，andthepolesofmybedthescaffoldingofthestage！
SplashingthroughmireandwaterwefoundthatthepeopleofTubinewishedtodetainus，sayingthatalltheferrieswerestoppedinconsequenceoftheriseintherivers；butIhadbeensooftenmisledbyfalsereportsthatItookfreshhorsesandwentonbyatrackalongaveryprettyhillside，overlookingtheYonetsurugawa，alargeandswollenriver，whichnearertheseahadspreaditselfoverthewholecountry。Torrentsofrainwerestillfalling，andallout-of-doorsindustriesweresuspended。Strawrain-cloakshangingtodrydrippedunderalltheeaves，ourpapercloaksweresodden，ourdrippinghorsessteamed，andthuswesliddownasteepdescentintothehamletofKiriishi，thirty-onehousesclusteredunderpersimmontreesunderawoodedhillside，allstandinginaquagmire，andsoabjectandfilthythatonecouldnotaskforfiveminutes’shelterinanyoneofthem。Sureenough，onthebankoftheriver，whichwasfully400yardswide，andswirlinglikeamill-streamwithasuppressedroar，therewasanofficialorderprohibitingthecrossingofmanorbeast，andbeforeIhadtimetothinkthemagohaddepositedthebaggageonanisletinthemireandwasoverthecrestofthehill。IwishedthattheGovernmentwasalittlelesspaternal。
Justinthenickoftimewediscernedapuntdriftingdowntheriverontheoppositeside，whereitbroughtup，andlandedaman，andItoandtwoothersyelled，howled，andwavedsolustilyastoattractitsnotice，andtomyjoyanansweringyellcameacrosstheroarandrushoftheriver。Thetorrentwassostrongthattheboatmenhadtopoleuponthatsideforhalfamile，andinaboutthree-quartersofanhourtheyreachedourside。TheywerereturningtoKotsunagi——theveryplaceIwishedtoreach——but，thoughonly2。5milesoff，thedistancetooknearlyfourhoursofthehardestworkIeversawdonebymen。EverymomentIexpectedtoseethemruptureblood-vesselsortendons。Alltheirmusclesquivered。Itisamightyriver，andwasfromeighttotwelvefeetdeep，andwhirlingdowninmuddyeddies；andoftenwiththeirutmosteffortsinpoling，whenitseemedasifpolesorbacksmustbreak，theboathungtremblingandstationaryforthreeorfourminutesatatime。Aftertheslowandeventlesstrampofthelastfewdaysthiswasanexcitingtransit。Higheruptherewasafloodedwood，and，gettingintothis，themenaidedthemselvesconsiderablybyhaulingbythetrees；butwhenwegotoutofthis，anotherriverjoinedtheYonetsurugawa，whichwithaddedstrengthrushedandroaredmorewildly。
Ihadlongbeenwatchingalargehouse-boatfaraboveusontheotherside，whichwasbeingpoledbydesperateeffortsbytenmen。
Atthatpointshemusthavebeenhalfamileoff，whenthestreamoverpoweredthecrewandinnotimesheswungroundandcamedriftingwildlydownandacrosstheriver，broadsideontous。Wecouldnotstiragainstthecurrent，andhadlargetreesonourimmediateleft，andforamomentitwasaquestionwhethershewouldnotsmashustoatoms。Itowaslividwithfear；hiswhite，appalledfacestruckmeasludicrous，forIhadnootherthoughtthantheimminentperilofthelargeboatwithherfreightofhelplessfamilies，when，justasshewaswithintwofeetofus，shestruckastemandglancedoff。Thenhercrewgrappledaheadlesstrunkandgottheirhawserroundit，andeightofthem，onebehindtheother，hungontoit，whenitsuddenlysnapped，sevenfellbackwards，andtheforwardonewentoverboardtobenomoreseen。
Somehousethatnightwasdesolate。Reelingdownwards，thebigmastandsparoftheungainlycraftcaughtinatree，givinghersuchacheckthattheywereabletomakeherfast。Itwasasaddeningincident。IaskedItowhathefeltwhenweseemedinperil，andhereplied，“IthoughtI’dbeengoodtomymother，andhonest，andIhopedIshouldgotoagoodplace。“
Thefashionofboatsvariesmuchondifferentrivers。Onthisonetherearetwosizes。Ourswasasmallone，flat-bottomed，25feetlongby2。5broad，drawing6inches，verylowinthewater，andwithsidesslightlycurvedinwards。Theprowformsagraduallongcurvefromthebodyoftheboat，andisveryhigh。
Themistsrolledawayasduskcameon，andrevealedalovelycountrywithmuchpicturesquenessofform，andnearKotsunagitheriverdisappearsintoanarrowgorgewithsteep，sentinelhills，darkwithpineandcryptomeria。Tocrosstheriverwehadtogofullyamileabovethepointaimedat，andthenafewminutesofexpressspeedbroughtustoalandinginadeep，toughquagmireinadarkwood，throughwhichwegropedourlamentablewaytotheyadoya。Aheavymistcameon，andtherainreturnedintorrents；
thedomawasankledeepinblackslush。Thedaidokorowasopentotheroof，roofandrafterswereblackwithsmoke，andagreatfireofdampwoodwassmokinglustily。Roundsomeliveembersintheirorififteenmen，women，andchildrenwerelying，doingnothing，bythedimlightofanandon。Itwaspicturesquedecidedly，andI