AsinglelookatHakodateitselfmakesonefeelthatitisJapanallover。Thestreetsareverywideandclean,butthehousesaremeanandlow。Thecitylooksasifithadjustrecoveredfromaconflagration。Thehousesarenothingbuttinder。Thegrandtileroofsofsomeothercitiesarenottobeseen。Thereisnotanelementofpermanenceinthewide,andwindystreets。Itisanincreasingandbusyplace;itliesfortwomilesalongtheshore,andhasclimbedthehilltillitcangonohigher;butstillhousesandpeoplelookpoor。Ithasaskeletonaspecttoo,whichispartiallyduetothenumberofpermanent“clothes-horses“ontheroofs。Stones,however,areitsprominentfeature。Lookingdownuponitfromaboveyouseemilesofgreyboulders,andrealisethateveryroofinthewindycapitalis“hoddendoun“byaweightofpavingstones。Noristhisall。Someoftheflatterroofsarepebbledalloverlikeacourtyard,andothers,suchastheroofofthishouse,forinstance,arecoveredwithsodandcropsofgrass,thetwolatterarrangementsbeingprecautionsagainstrisksfromsparksduringfires。Thesepavingstonesarecertainlythecheapestpossiblemodeofkeepingtheroofsonthehousesinsuchawindyregion,buttheylookodd。
Noneofthestreets,exceptonehighupthehill,witharowoffinetemplesandtemplegrounds,callforanynotice。Nearlyeveryhouseisashop;mostoftheshopssupplyonlytheordinaryarticlesconsumedbyalargeandpoorpopulation;eitherrealorimitatedforeigngoodsaboundinMainStreet,andtheonlynoveltiesarethefurs,skins,andhorns,whichaboundinshopsdevotedtotheirsale。Icovetthegreatbearfursandthedeepcream-colouredfursofAinodogs,whicharecheapaswellashandsome。Therearemanysecond-hand,or,astheyarecalled,“curio“shops,andthecheaplacquerfromAomoriisalsotemptingtoastranger。
IamenjoyingHakodatesomuchthat,thoughmytourisallplannedandmyarrangementsaremade,Ilingeronfromdaytoday。TherehasbeenanunpleasanteclaircissementaboutIto。YouwillrememberthatIengagedhimwithoutacharacter,andthathetoldbothLadyParkesandmethatafterIhaddonesohisformermaster,Mr。Maries,askedhimtogobacktohim,towhichhehadrepliedthathehad“acontractwithalady。“Mr。Mariesishere,andI
nowfindthathehadacontractwithIto,bywhichItoboundhimselftoservehimaslongasherequiredhim,for$7amonth,butthat,hearingthatIoffered$12,heranawayfromhimandenteredmyservicewithalie!Mr。Marieshasbeenputtothegreatestinconveniencebyhisdefection,andhasbeenhinderedgreatlyincompletinghisbotanicalcollection,forItoisveryclever,andhehadnotonlytrainedhimtodryplantssuccessfully,buthecouldtrusthimtogoawayfortwoorthreedaysandcollectseeds。Iamverysorryaboutit。HesaysthatItowasabadboywhenhecametohim,buthethinksthathecuredhimofsomeofhisfaults,andthathehasservedmefaithfully。IhaveseenMr。
MariesattheConsul’s,andhavearrangedthat,aftermyYezotourisover,Itoshallbereturnedtohisrightfulmaster,whowilltakehimtoChinaandFormosaforayearandahalf,andwho,I
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