butthebathersweretoopolitetotakeanynoticeofmymostunwillingintrusion，andthekuruma-runnertookmeinwithouttheslightestsenseofimproprietyinsodoing。Inoticedthatformalpolitenessprevailedinthebath-houseaselsewhere，andthatdippersandtowelswerehandedfromonetoanotherwithprofoundbows。Thepublicbath-houseissaidtobetheplaceinwhichpublicopinionisformed，asitiswithusinclubsandpublic-
houses，andthatthepresenceofwomenpreventsanydangerousorseditiousconsequences；buttheGovernmentisdoingitsbesttopreventpromiscuousbathing；and，thoughthereformmaytravelslowlyintotheseremoteregions，itwilldoubtlessarrivesoonerorlater。Thepublicbath-houseisoneofthefeaturesofJapan。
AHardDay’sJourney——AnOverturn——NearingtheOcean——JoyfulExcitement——UniversalGreyness——InopportunePolicemen——AStormyVoyage——AWildWelcome——AWindyLanding——TheJourney’sEnd。
ThejourneyfromKuroishitoAomori，thoughonly22。5miles，wasatremendousone，owingtothestateoftheroads；formorerainhadfallen，andthepassageofhundredsofpack-horsesheavilyloadedwithsalt-fishhadturnedthetracksintoquagmires。AttheendofthefirststagetheTransportOfficedeclinedtofurnishakuruma，owingtothestateoftheroads；but，asIwasnotwellenoughtoridefarther，Ibribedtwomenforaverymoderatesumtotakemetothecoast；andbyaccommodatingeachotherwegotontolerably，thoughIhadtowalkupallthehillsanddownmany，togetoutateveryplacewherealittlebridgehadbeencarriedaway，thatthekurumamightbeliftedoverthegap，andoftentowalkfor200
yardsatatime，becauseitsankuptoitsaxlesinthequagmire。
InspiteofallprecautionsIwasupsetintoamuddyditch，withthekurumaonthetopofme；but，asmyair-pillowfortunatelyfellbetweenthewheelandme，Iescapedwithnothingworsethanhavingmyclothessoakedwithwaterandmud，which，asIhadtokeepthemonallnight，mighthavegivenmecold，butdidnot。Wemetstringsofpack-horsesthewholeway，carryingsalt-fish，whichistakenthroughouttheinterior。
Themountain-ridge，whichrunsthroughouttheMainIsland，becomesdepressedintheprovinceofNambu，butrisesagainintogrand，abrupthillsatAomoriBay。BetweenKuroishiandAomori，however，itisbrokenupintolowranges，scantilywooded，mainlywithpine，scruboak，andthedwarfbamboo。TheSesamumignosco，ofwhichtheincense-sticksaremade，coverssomehillstotheexclusionofallelse。Ricegrowsinthevalleys，butthereisnotmuchcultivation，andthecountrylooksrough，cold，andhyperborean。
Thefarminghamletsgrewworseandworse，withhousesmaderoughlyofmud，withholesscratchedinthesideforlighttogetin，orforsmoketogetout，andthewallsofsomewereonlygreatpiecesofbarkandbundlesofstrawtiedtothepostswithstrawropes。
Theroofswereuntidy，butthiswasoftenconcealedbytheprofusegrowthofthewater-melonswhichtrailedoverthem。Thepeoplewereverydirty，buttherewasnoappearanceofspecialpoverty，andagooddealofmoneymustbemadeonthehorsesandmagorequiredforthetransitoffishfromYezo，andforricetoit。
AtNamiokaoccurredthelastoftheverynumerousridgeswehavecrossedsinceleavingNikkoatapointcalledTsugarusaka，andfromitlookedoveraruggedcountryuponadark-greysea，nearlylandlockedbypine-clothedhills，ofarichpurpleindigocolour。
Thecloudsweredrifting，thecolourwasintensifying，theairwasfreshandcold，thesurroundingsoilwaspeaty，theodoursofpineswerebalsamic，itlooked，felt，andsmeltlikehome；thegreyseawasAomoriBay，beyondwastheTsugaruStrait，——mylongland-
journeywasdone。AtravellersaidasteamerwassailingforYezoatnight，so，inastateofjoyfulexcitement，Iengagedfourmen，andbydragging，pushing，andlifting，theygotmeintoAomori，atownofgreyhouses，greyroofs，andgreystonesonroofs，builtonabeachofgreysand，roundagreybay——amiserable-lookingplace，thoughthecapitaloftheken。
IthasagreatexporttradeincattleandricetoYezo，besidesbeingtheoutletofanimmenseannualemigrationfromnorthernJapantotheYezofishery，andimportsfromHakodatelargequantitiesoffish，skins，andforeignmerchandise。Ithassometradeinaprettybutnotvaluable“seaweed，“orvariegatedlacquer，calledAomorilacquer，butnotactuallymadethere，itsownspecialitybeingasweetmeatmadeofbeansandsugar。Ithasadeepandwell-protectedharbour，butnopiersorconveniencesfortrade。IthasbarracksandtheusualGovernmentbuildings，buttherewasnotimetolearnanythingaboutit，——onlyashorthalf-
hourforgettingmyticketattheMitsuBishioffice，wheretheydemandedandcopiedmypassport；forsnatchingamorseloffishatarestaurantwhere“foreignfood“wasrepresentedbyaverydirtytable-cloth；andforrunningdowntothegreybeach，whereIwascarriedintoalargesampancrowdedwithJapanesesteeragepassengers。
Thewindwasrising，aconsiderablesurfwasrunning，thespraywasflyingovertheboat，thesteamerhadhersteamup，andwasringingandwhistlingimpatiently，therewasascudofrain，andIwasstandingtryingtokeepmypaperwaterprooffrombeingblownoff，whenthreeinopportunepolicemenjumpedintotheboatanddemandedmypassport。ForamomentIwishedthemandthepassportunderthewaves！Thesteamerisalittleoldpaddle-boatofabout70tons，withnoaccommodationbutasinglecabinondeck。Shewasascleanandtrimasayacht，and，likeayacht，totallyunfitforbadweather。Hercaptain，engineers，andcrewwereallJapanese，andnotawordofEnglishwasspoken。Myclotheswereverywet，andthenightwascolderthanthedayhadbeen，butthecaptainkindlycoveredmeupwithseveralblanketsonthefloor，soIdidnotsuffer。Wesailedearlyintheevening，withabrisknortherlybreeze，whichchoppedroundtothesouth-east，andbyelevenblewagale；thesearanhigh，thesteamerlabouredandshippedseveralheavyseas，muchwaterenteredthecabin，thecaptaincamebeloweveryhalf-hour，tappedthebarometer，sippedsometea，offeredmealumpofsugar，andmadeafaceandgestureindicativeofbadweather，andwewerebuffetedaboutmercilesslytill4a。m。，whenheavyraincameon，andthegalefelltemporarilywithit。Theboatisnotfitforanightpassage，andalwaysliesinportwhenbadweatherisexpected；andasthiswassaidtobetheseverestgalewhichhasswepttheTsugaruStraitsinceJanuary，thecaptainwasuneasyabouther，butbeingso，showedasmuchcalmnessasifhehadbeenaBriton！
Thegaleroseagainaftersunrise，andwhen，afterdoingsixtymilesinfourteenhours，wereachedtheheadsofHakodateHarbour，itwasblowingandpouringlikeabaddayinArgyllshire，thespin-
driftwasdrivingoverthebay，theYezomountainsloomeddarklyandloftilythroughrainandmist，andwindandthunder，and“noisesofthenorthernsea，“gavemeawildwelcometothesenorthernshores。ArockyheadlikeGibraltar，acold-blooded-
lookinggreytown，stragglingupasteephillside，afewconiferae，agreatmanygreyjunks，afewsteamersandvesselsofforeignrigatanchor，anumberofsampansridingtheroughwatereasily，seeninflashesbetweengustsofrainandspin-drift，wereallIsaw，butsomehowitallpleasedmefromitsbreezy，northernlook。
Thesteamerwasnotexpectedinthegale，sonoonemetme，andI
wentashorewithfiftyJapaneseclusteredonthetopofadeckedsampaninsuchastormofwindandrainthatittookus1。5hourstogohalfamile；thenIwaitedshelterlessonthewindybeachtilltheCustoms’Officerswererousedfromtheirlateslumbers，andthenbattledwiththestormforamileupasteephill。IwasexpectedatthehospitableConsulate，butdidnotknowit，andcameheretotheChurchMissionHouse，towhichMr。andMrs。DeningkindlyinvitedmewhenImettheminTokiyo。Iwasunfittoenteraciviliseddwelling；myclothes，besidesbeingsoaked，werecoatedandsplashedwithmuduptothetopofmyhat；myglovesandbootswerefinished，mymud-splashedbaggagewassoakedwithsaltwater；
butIfeelasomewhatlegitimatetriumphathavingconqueredallobstacles，andhavingaccomplishedmorethanIintendedtoaccomplishwhenIleftYedo。
Howmusicaltheclamourofthenorthernoceanis！Howinspiritingtheshriekingandhowlingoftheboisterouswind！Eventhefiercepeltingoftherainishome-like，andthecoldinwhichoneshiversisstimulating！Youcannotimaginethedelightofbeinginaroomwithadoorthatwilllock，tobeinabedinsteadofonastretcher，offindingtwenty-threeletterscontaininggoodnews，andofbeingabletoreadtheminwarmthandquietnessundertheroofofanEnglishhome！
Thisisconsiderablyundertheactualdistance，asonseveralofthemountainroutestheriis56cho，butinthelackofaccurateinformationtherihasbeentakenatitsordinarystandardof36
chothroughout。
Afteratremendousblusterfortwodaystheweatherhasbecomebeautifullyfine，andIfindtheclimateheremoreinvigoratingthanthatofthemainisland。ItisJapan，butyetthereisadifferencesomehow。Whenthemistslifttheyrevealnotmountainssmotheredingreenery，butnakedpeaks，volcanoesonlyrecentlyburntout，withtheredashflamingunderthenoondaysun，andpassingthroughshadesofpinkintovioletatsundown。Stripsofsandborderthebay，rangesofhills，withhereandthereapatchofpineorscrub，fadeintothefar-offblue，andthegreatcloudshadowslieupontheirscoredsidesinindigoandpurple。BlueastheAdriaticarethewatersoftheland-lockedbay，andthesnowysailsofpalejunkslookwhiterthansnowagainstitsintenseazure。Theabruptnessofthedoublepeaksbehindthetownissoftenedbyabeltofcryptomeria，thesandystripwhichconnectstheheadlandwiththemainlandheightensthegeneralresemblanceofthecontourofthegroundtoGibraltar；butwhileonedreamsofthewesternworldakurumapassesoneatatrot，templedrumsarebeateninamannerwhichdoesnotrecall“therolloftheBritishdrum，“aBuddhistfuneralpassesdownthestreet，oraman-cartpulledandpushedbyfouryellow-skinned，little-clothedmannikins，creaksby，withthemonotonousgruntofHahuida。