APartingGift——ADelicacy——Generosity——ASeasideVillage——
Pipichari’sAdvice——ADrunkenRevel——Ito’sProphecies——TheKocho’sIllness——PatentMedicines。
IlefttheAinosyesterdaywithrealregret，thoughImustconfessthatsleepinginone’sclothesandthelackofablutionsareveryfatiguing。Benri’stwowivesspenttheearlymorninginthelaboriousoperationofgrindingmilletintocoarseflour，andbeforeIdeparted，astheircustomis，theymadeapasteofit，rolleditwiththeiruncleanfingersintowell-shapedcakes，boiledthemintheunwashedpotinwhichtheymaketheirstewof“abominablethings，“andpresentedthemtomeonalacquertray。
TheyweredistressedthatIdidnoteattheirfood，andawomanwenttoavillageatsomedistanceandbroughtmesomevenisonfatasadelicacy。AllthoseofwhomIhadseenmuchcametowishmegood-bye，andtheybroughtsomanypresentsincludingafinebearskinthatIshouldhaveneededanadditionalhorsetocarrythemhadIacceptedbutone-half。
IrodetwelvemilesthroughtheforesttoMombets，whereIintendedtospendSunday，butIhadtheworsthorseIeverrode，andwetookfivehours。Thedaywasdullandsad，threateningastorm，andwhenwegotoutoftheforest，uponasand-hillcoveredwithoakscrub，weencounteredamostfuriouswind。AmongthemanyviewswhichIhaveseen，thatisonetoberemembered。Belowlayableachedandbaresand-hill，withafewgreyhouseshuddledinitsmiserableshelter，andaheaped-upshoreofgreysand，onwhichabrown-greyseawasbreakingwithclashandboominlong，white，raggedlines，withallbeyondaconfusionofsurf，surge，andmist，withdrivingbrowncloudsminglingseaandsky，andallbetweenshowingonlyinglimpsesamidstscudsofsand。
Atahouseinthescrubanumberofmenweredrinkingsakewithmuchuproar，andasuperb-lookingAinocameout，staggeredafewyards，andthenfellbackwardsamongtheweeds，apictureofdebasement。IforgottotellyouthatbeforeIleftBiratori，I
inveighedtotheassembledAinosagainstthepracticeandconsequencesofsake-drinking，andwasmetwiththereply，“Wemustdrinktothegods，orweshalldie；“butPipicharisaid，“Yousaythatwhichisgood；letusgivesaketothegods，butnotdrinkit，“forwhichboldspeechhewasseverelyrebukedbyBenri。
Mombetsisastormily-situatedandmostwretchedclusteroftwenty-
sevendecayedhouses，someofthemAino，andsomeJapanese。Thefish-oilandseaweedfishingtradesareinbriskoperationtherenowforashorttime，andanumberofAinoandJapanesestrangersareemployed。Theboatscouldnotgetoutbecauseofthesurf，andtherewasadrunkendebauch。Thewholeplacesmeltofsake。Tipsymenwerestaggeringaboutandfallingflatontheirbacks，tolietherelikedogstilltheyweresober，——Ainowomenwerevainlyendeavouringtodragtheirdrunkenlordshome，andmenofbothraceswerereducedtoabeastlyequality。IwenttotheyadoyawhereIintendedtospendSunday，but，besidesbeingverydirtyandforlorn，itwastheverycentreofthesaketraffic，andinitsopenspacethereweremeninallstagesofriotousandstupidintoxication。Itwasasadscene，yetonetobematchedinahundredplacesinScotlandeverySaturdayafternoon。IamtoldbytheKochoherethatanAinocandrinkfourorfivetimesasmuchasaJapanesewithoutbeingtipsy，soforeachtipsyAinotherehadbeenanoutlayof6s。or7s。，forsakeis8d。acuphere！
Ihadsometeaandeggsinthedaidokoro，andalteredmyplansaltogetheronfindingthatifIproceededfartherroundtheeastcoast，asIintended，Ishouldruntheriskofseveraldays’
detentiononthebanksofnumerous“badrivers“ifraincameon，bywhichIshouldruntheriskofbreakingmypromisetodeliverItotoMr。Mariesbyagivenday。Idonotsurrenderthisproject，however，withoutanequivalent，forIintendtoadd100milestomyjourney，bytakinganalmostdisusedtrackroundVolcanoBay，andvisitingthecoastAinosofaveryprimitiveregion。Itoisverymuchopposedtothis，thinkingthathehasmadeasufficientsacrificeofpersonalcomfortatBiratori，andpliesmewithstories，suchasthatthereare“manybadriverstocross，“thatthetrackissowornastobeimpassable，thattherearenoyadoyas，andthatattheGovernmentofficesweshallneithergetricenoreggs！Anoldmanwhohasturnedbackunabletogethorsesismaderesponsibleforthesestories。Themachinationsareveryamusing。Itowasmuchsmittenwiththedaughterofthehouse-
masteratMororan，andleftsomethingsinherkeeping，andthedesiretoseeheragainisatthebottomofhisoppositiontotheotherroute。
Monday——ThehorsecouldnotorwouldnotcarrymefartherthanMombets，so，sendingthebaggageon，Iwalkedthroughtheoakwood，andenjoyeditssilentsolitude，inspiteofthesadreflectionsupontheenslavementoftheAinostosake。Ispentyesterdayquietlyinmyoldquarters，withafearfulstormofwindandrainoutside。Pipichariappearedatnoon，nominallytobringnewsofthesickwoman，whoisrecovering，andtohavehisnearlyhealedfootbandagedagain，butreallytobringmeaknifesheathwhichhehascarvedforme。Helayonthematinthecornerofmyroommostoftheafternoon，andIgotagreatmanymorewordsfromhim。Thehouse-master，whoistheKochoofSarufuto，paidmeacourteousvisit，andintheeveningsenttosaythathewouldbeverygladofsomemedicine，forhewas“veryillandgoingtohavefever。“Hehadcaughtabadcoldandsorethroat，hadbadpainsinhislimbs，andwasbemoaninghimselfruefully。Topacifyhiswife，whowasverysorryforhim，Igavehimsome“Cockle’sPills“andthetrapper’sremedyof“apintofhotwaterwithapinchofcayennepepper，“andlefthimmoaningandbundledupunderapileoffutons，inanearlyhermeticallysealedroom，withahibachiofcharcoalvitiatingtheair。ThismorningwhenIwentandinquiredafterhiminaproperlyconcernedtone，hiswifetoldmeverygleefullythathewasquitewellandhadgoneout，andhadleft25
senforsomemoreofthemedicinesthatIhadgivenhim，sowithgreatgravityIputupsomeofDuncanandFlockhart’smostpungentcayennepepper，andshowedherhowmuchtouse。Shewasnotcontent，however，withoutsomeofthe“Cockles，“asingleboxofwhichhasperformedsixofthose“miraculouscures“whichrejoicetheheartsandfillthepocketsofpatentmedicinemakers！
AWelcomeGift——RecentChanges——VolcanicPhenomena——InterestingTufaCones——Semi-strangulation——AFallintoaBear-trap——TheShiraoiAinos——HorsebreakingandCruelty。
AfterthestormofSunday，Mondaywasagrey，still，tenderday，andtherangesofwoodedhillswerebathedintherichestindigocolouring。AcanterofseventeenmilesamongthedamaskrosesonaveryroughhorseonlytookmetoYubets，whoseindescribablelonelinessfascinatedmeintospendinganightthereagain，andencounteringawildclatterofwindandrain；andanothercanterofsevenmilesthenextmorningtookmetoTomakomai，whereIrejoinedmykuruma，andafteralongdelay，threetrottingAinostookmetoShiraoi，wherethe“clearshiningafterrain，“andthemountainsagainstalemon-colouredsky，wereextremelybeautiful；butthePacificwasasunrestfulasaguiltything，anditscrashandclamourandtheseverecoldfatiguedmesomuchthatIdidnotpursuemyjourneythenextday，andhadthepleasureofaflyingvisitfromMr。VonSieboldandCountDiesbach，whobestowedachickenuponme。
IlikeShiraoiverymuch，andifIwerestrongerwouldcertainlymakeitabasisforexploringapartoftheinterior，inwhichthereismuchtorewardtheexplorer。ObviouslythechangesinthispartofYezohavebeencomparativelyrecent，andtheenergyoftheforcewhichhasproducedthemisnotyetextinct。Thelandhasgainedfromtheseaalongthewholeofthispartofthecoasttotheextentoftwoorthreemiles，theoldbeachwithitsbaysandheadlandsbeingamarkedfeatureofthelandscape。Thisnewformationappearstobeavastbedofpumice，coveredbyathinlayerofvegetablemould，whichcannotbemorethanfiftyyearsold。ThispumicefellduringtheeruptionofthevolcanoofTarumai，whichisverynearShiraoi，andisalsobroughtdowninlargequantitiesfromtheinteriorhillsandvalleysbythenumerousrivers，besidesbeingwashedupbythesea。AtthelasteruptionpumicefelloverthisregionofYezotoamediumdepthof3feet6inches。Innearlyalltheriversgoodsectionsoftheformationmaybeseenintheirdeeply-cleftbanks，broad，light-
colouredbandsofpumice，withafewinchesofrich，black，vegetablesoilabove，andseveralfeetofblacksea-sandbelow。
DuringafreshetwhichoccurredthefirstnightIwasatShiraoi，asinglestreamcoveredapieceoflandwithpumicetothedepthofnineinches，beingthewashfromthehillsoftheinterior，inacourseoflessthanfifteenmiles。
Lookinginland，thevolcanoofTarumai，withabaregreytopandablastedforestonitssides，occupiestherightofthepicture。Totheleftandinlandaremountainswithinmountains，tumbledtogetherinmostpicturesqueconfusion，denselycoveredwithforestandcleftbymagnificentravines，hereandthereopeningoutintonarrowvalleys。Thewholeoftheinteriorisjunglepenetrableforafewmilesbyshallowandrapidrivers，andbynearlysmotheredtrailsmadebytheAinosinsearchofgame。Thegenerallieofthecountrymademeveryanxioustofindoutwhetheramuch-brokenridgelyingamongthemountainsisorisnotaseriesoftufaconesofancientdate；and，applyingforagoodhorseandAinoguideonhorseback，IleftItotoamusehimself，andspentmuchofamostsplendiddayininvestigationsandinattemptingtogetroundthebackofthevolcanoandupitsinlandside。Thereisagreatdealtoseeandlearnthere。OhthatIhadstrength！AfterhoursofmosttediousandexhaustingworkIreachedapointwheretherewereseveralgreatfissuresemittingsmokeandsteam，withoccasionalsubterraneandetonations。Thesewereonthesideofasmall，flankcrackwhichwassmokingheavily。Therewaslightpumiceeverywhere，butnothinglikerecentlavaorscoriae。Onefissurewascompletelylinedwithexquisite，acicularcrystalsofsulphur，whichperishedwithatouch。Lowerdownthereweretwohotspringswithadepositofsulphurroundtheirmargins，andbubblesofgas，which，fromitsstrong，garlickysmell，Isupposetobesulphurettedhydrogen。Fartherprogressinthatdirectionwasimpossiblewithoutaforceofpioneers。Iputmyarmdownseveraldeepcreviceswhichwereatanaltitudeofonlyabout500feet，andhadtowithdrawitatonce，owingtothegreatheat，inwhichsomebeautifulspecimensoftropicalfernsweregrowing。AtthesameheightIcametoahotspring——hotenoughtoburstoneofmythermometers，whichwasgraduatedabovetheboilingpointofFahrenheit；andtyingupanegginapocket-handkerchiefandholdingitbyastickinthewater，itwashardboiledin8。5
minutes。Thewaterevaporatedwithoutleavingatraceofdepositonthehandkerchief，andtherewasnocrustrounditsmargin。Itboiledandbubbledwithgreatforce。
Threehoursmoreofexhaustingtoil，whichalmostknockedupthehorses，broughtustotheapparentridge，andIwasdelightedtofindthatitconsistedofalateralrangeoftufacones，whichI
estimateasbeingfrom200to350，oreven400feethigh。Theyaredenselycoveredwithtreesofconsiderableage，andarichdepositofmould；buttheirconicalformisstilladmirablydefined。Anhourofveryseverework，andenergeticuseoftheknifeonthepartoftheAino，tookmetothetopofoneofthesethroughamassofentangledandgiganticvegetation，andIwasamplyrepaidbyfindingadeep，well-definedcrateriformcavityofgreatdepth，withitssidesrichlyclothedwithvegetation，closelyresemblingsomeoftheoldconesintheislandofKauai。Thisconeispartiallygirdledbyastream，whichinoneplacehascutthroughabankofbothredandblackvolcanicash。AlltheusualphenomenaofvolcanicregionsareprobablytobemetwithnorthofShiraoi，andIhopetheywillatsomefuturetimebemadetheobjectofcarefulinvestigation。