wouldtake，——Ishouldliketohavehadthemallshot。Theyarecheapandabundant，andareofnoaccount。Theydroveanumbermoredownfromthehills，andIchosethelargestandfinesthorseIhaveseeninJapan，withsomespiritandaction，butIsoonfoundthathehadtenderfeet。Weshortlyleftthehigh-road，andintorrentsofrainturnedoffon“unbeatentracks，“whichledusthroughaverybadswampandsomemuchswollenandveryroughriversintothemountains，wherewefollowedaworn-outtrackforeightmiles。Itwasliterally“FOULweather，“darkandstill，withabrownmist，andrainfallinginsheets。Ithrewmypaperwaterproofawayasuseless，myclotheswereofcoursesoaked，anditwaswithmuchdifficultythatIkeptmyshomonandpapermoneyfrombeingreducedtopulp。TyphoonsarenotknownsofarnorthasYezo，butitwaswhattheycalla“typhoonrain“withoutthetyphoon，andinnotimeitturnedthestreamsintotorrentsbarelyfordable，andtoreupsuchofaroadasthereis，whichatitsbestisamerewater-channel。Torrents，bringingtolerable-sizedstones，toredownthetrack，andwhenthehorseshadbeenstrucktwoorthreetimesbythese，itwaswithdifficultythattheycouldbeinducedtofacetherushingwater。Constantlyinapass，thewaterhadgraduallycutatrackseveralfeetdeepbetweensteepbanks，andtheonlypossiblewalkingplacewasastonygashnotwideenoughforthetwofeetofahorsealongsideofeachother，downwhichwaterandstoneswererushingfrombehind，withallmanneroftrailersmattedoverhead，andbetweenavoidingbeingstrangledandattemptingtokeepatender-footedhorseonhislegs，theridewasaverysevereone。Thepooranimalfellfivetimesfromsteppingonstones，andinoneofhisfallstwistedmyleftwristbadly。IthoughtofthemanypeoplewhoenviedmemytourinJapan，andwonderedwhethertheywouldenvymethatride！
Afterthishadgoneonforfourhours，thetrack，withasuddendipoverahillside，camedownonOldMororan，avillageofthirtyAinoandnineJapanesehouses，veryunpromising-looking，althoughexquisitelysituatedontherimofalovelycove。TheAinohutsweresmallandpoor，withanunusualnumberofbearskullsonpoles，andthevillageconsistedmainlyoftwolongdilapidatedbuildings，inwhichanumberofmenweremendingnets。Itlookedadecayingplace，oflow，meanlives。Butata“merchant’s“therewasonedelightfulroomwithtwotranslucentsides——oneopeningonthevillage，theotherlookingtotheseadownashort，steepslope，onwhichisaquaintlittlegarden，withdwarfedfir-treesinpots，afewbalsams，andaredcabbagegrownwithmuchprideasa“foliageplant。“
Itisnearlymidnight，butmybedandbeddingaresowetthatIamstillsittingupanddryingthem，patchbypatch，withtediousslowness，onawoodenframeplacedoveracharcoalbrazier，whichhasgivenmyroomthedrynessandwarmthwhichareneededwhenapersonhasbeenformanyhoursinsoakedclothing，andhasnothingreallydrytoputon。Itoboughtachickenformysupper，butwhenhewasgoingtokillitanhourlateritsownerinmuchgriefreturnedthemoney，sayingshehadbroughtitupandcouldnotbeartoseeitkilled。Thisisawild，outlandishplace，butanintuitiontellsmethatitisbeautiful。Theoceanatpresentisthunderingupthebeachwiththesullenforceofaheavyground-
swell，andtherainisstillfallingintorrents。
“MorethanPeace“——GeographicalDifficulties——Usu-taki——SwimmingtheOsharu——ADreamofBeauty——ASunsetEffect——ANocturnalAlarm——
TheCoastAinos。
“WearywaveanddyingblastSobandmoanalongtheshore，Allispeaceatlast。“
Andmorethanpeace。Itwasaheavenlymorning。Thedeepblueskywasperfectlyunclouded，ablueseawithdiamondflashanda“many-
twinklingsmile“rippledgentlyonthegoldensandsofthelovelylittlebay，andopposite，fortymilesaway，thepinksummitofthevolcanoofKomono-taki，formingthesouth-westernpointofVolcanoBay，roseintoasofteningveiloftenderbluehaze。Therewasabalmybreezinessintheair，andtawnytintsuponthehill，patchesofgoldinthewoods，andascarletsprayhereandthereheraldedthegloriesoftheadvancingautumn。Asthedaybegan，soitclosed。Ishouldliketohavedetainedeachhourasitpassed。Itwasthoroughenjoyment。IvisitedagoodmanyoftheMororanAinos，sawtheirwell-grownbearinitscage，and，tearingmyselfawaywithdifficultyatnoon，crossedasteephillandawoodofscruboak，andthenfollowedatrailwhichrunsontheambersandsclosetothesea，crossesseveralsmallstreams，andpassesthelonelyAinovillageofMaripu，theoceanalwaysontheleftandwoodedrangesontheright，andinfrontanapparentbartofartherprogressinthevolcanoofUsu-taki，animposingmountain，risingabruptlytoaheightofnearly3000feet，Ishouldthink。
InYezo，asonthemainisland，onecanlearnverylittleaboutanyprospectiveroute。UsuallywhenonemakesaninquiryaJapaneseputsonastupidlook，giggles，tuckshisthumbsintohisgirdle，hitchesuphisgarments，andeitherprofessesperfectignoranceorgivesonesomevaguesecond-handinformation，thoughitisquitepossiblethathemayhavebeenovereveryfootofthegroundhimselfmorethanonce。Whethersuspicionofyourmotivesinasking，orafearofcompromisinghimselfbyanswering，isatthebottomofthisIdon’tknow，butitismostexasperatingtoatraveller。InHakodateIfailedtoseeCaptainBlakiston，whohaswalkedroundthewholeYezosea-board，andallIwasabletolearnregardingthisroutewasthatthecoastwasthinlypeopledbyAinos，thattherewereGovernmenthorseswhichcouldbegot，andthatonecouldsleepwhereonegotthem；thatriceandsaltfishweretheonlyfood；thatthereweremany“badrivers，“andthattheroadwentover“badmountains；“thattheonlypeoplewhowentthatwaywereGovernmentofficialstwiceayear，thatonecouldnotgetonmorethanfourmilesaday，thattheroadsoverthepasseswere“allbigstones，“etc。etc。SothisUsu-takitookmealtogetherbysurprise，andforatimeconfoundedallmycarefully-constructednotionsoflocality。IhadbeentoldthattheonevolcanointhebaywasKomono-taki，nearMori，andthisIbelievedtobeeightymilesoff，andthere，confrontingme，withinadistanceoftwomiles，wasthisgrand，splintered，vermilion-crestedthing，withafarnobleraspectthanthatof“THE“volcano，withacurtainrangeinfront，deeplyscored，andslashedwithravinesandabysseswhosepurplegloomwasunlightedevenbythenoon-daysun。Oneofthepeakswasemittingblacksmokefromadeepcrater，anothersteamandwhitesmokefromvariousrentsandfissuresinitsside——
vermilionpeaks，smoke，andsteamallrisingintoaskyofbrilliantblue，andtheatmospherewassoclearthatIsaweverythingthatwasgoingontherequitedistinctly，especiallywhenIattainedanaltitudeexceedingthatofthecurtainrange。
ItwasnotfortwodaysthatIgotacorrectideaofitsgeographicalsituation，butIwasnotlonginfindingoutthatitwasnotKomono-taki！Thereismuchvolcanicactivityaboutit。I
sawaglarefromitlastnightthirtymilesaway。TheAinossaidthatitwas“agod，“butdidnotknowitsname，nordidtheJapanesewhowerelivingunderitsshadow。Atsomedistancefromitintheinteriorrisesagreatdome-likemountain，Shiribetsan，andthewholeviewisgrand。
AlittlebeyondMombetsflowstheriverOsharu，oneofthelargestoftheYezostreams。Itwasmuchswollenbythepreviousday’srain；andastheferry-boatwascarriedawaywehadtoswimit，andtheswimseemedverylong。Ofcourse，weandthebaggagegotverywet。ThecoolnesswithwhichtheAinoguidetooktothewaterwithoutgivingusanynoticethatitsbroad，eddyingfloodwasaswim，andnotaford，wasveryamusing。
FromthetopofasteepishascentbeyondtheOsharugawathereisaviewintowhatlookslikeaverylovelylake，withwoodedpromontories，andlittlebays，androckycapesinminiature，andlittleheights，onwhichAinohouses，withtawnyroofs，areclustered；andthenthetrackdipssuddenly，anddepositsone，notbyalakeatall，butonUsuBay，aninletofthePacific，muchbrokenupintocoves，andwithaverynarrowentrance，onlyobviousfromafewpoints。Justasthetracktouchesthebaythereisaroad-post，withaprayer-wheelinit，andbytheshoreanuprightstoneofverylargesize，inscribedwithSanskritcharacters，neartoastonestaircaseandagatewayinamassivestone-facedembankment，whichlookedmuchoutofkeepingwiththegeneralwildnessoftheplace。Onarockypromontoryinawoodedcovethereisalarge，ramblinghouse，greatlyoutofrepair，inhabitedbyaJapanesemanandhisson，whoareplacedtheretolookafterGovernmentinterests，exilesamong500Ainos。Fromamongthenumberofrat-haunted，ramblingroomswhichhadoncebeenhandsome，Ichoseoneopeningonayardorgardenwithsomedistortedyewsinit，butfoundthatthegreatgatewayandtheamadohadnobolts，andthatanythingmightbeappropriatedbyanyonewithdishonestintentions；butthehouse-masterandhisson，whohavelivedfortenyearsamongtheAinos，andspeaktheirlanguage，saythatnothingisevertaken，andthattheAinosarethoroughlyhonestandharmless。WithoutthisassuranceIshouldhavebeendistrustfulofthenumberofwide-mouthedyouthswhohungabout，inthelistlessnessandvacuityofsavagery，ifnotofthebeardedmenwhosatorstoodaboutthegatewaywithchildrenintheirarms。
Usuisadreamofbeautyandpeace。Thereisnotmuchdifferencebetweentheheightofhighandlowwateronthiscoast，andthelake-likeillusionwouldhavebeenperfecthaditnotbeenthattherocksweretingedwithgoldforafootorsoabovetheseabyadelicatespeciesoffucus。IntheexquisiteinletwhereIspentthenight，treesandtrailersdroopedintothewaterandweremirroredinit，theirgreen，heavyshadowslyingsharpagainstthesunsetgoldandpinkoftherestofthebay；logcanoes，withplankslacedupontheirgunwalestoheightenthem，weredrawnuponatinybeachofgoldensand，andintheshadiestcove，mooredtoatree，anantiqueandmuch-carvedjunkwas“floatingdouble。“
Wooded，rockyknolls，withAinohuts，thevermilionpeaksofthevolcanoofUsu-takiredderthaneverinthesinkingsun，afewAinosmendingtheirnets，afewmorespreadingedibleseaweedouttodry，asinglecanoebreakingthegoldenmirrorofthecovebyitsnoiselessmotion，afewAinoloungers，withtheir“mild-eyed，melancholy“facesandquietwayssuitingthequieteveningscene，theunearthlysweetnessofatemplebell——thiswasall，andyetitwastheloveliestpictureIhaveseeninJapan。
InspiteofIto’sremonstrancesandhisprotestationsthatanexceptionallygoodsupperwouldbespoiled，Ileftmyrat-hauntedroom，withitstarnishedgildingandprecariousfusuma，togetthelastofthepinkandlemon-colouredglory，goingupthestaircaseinthestone-facedembankment，andupabroad，well-pavedavenue，toalargetemple，withinwhoseopendoorIsatforsometimeabsolutelyalone，andinawonderfulstillness；forthesweet-tonedbellwhichvainlychimesforvespersamidstthisbear-worshippingpopulationhadceased。ThistemplewasthefirstsymptomofJapanesereligionthatIremembertohaveseensinceleavingHakodate，andworshippershavelongsinceebbedawayfromitsshadyandmoss-growncourts。YetitstandstheretoprotestfortheteachingofthegreatHindu；andgenerationsofAinoheathenpassawayoneafteranother；andstillitsbronzebelltolls，anditsaltarlampsarelit，andincenseburnsforeverbeforeBuddha。Thecharactersonthegreatbellofthistemplearesaidtobethesamelineswhichareoftengravenontemplebells，andtopossessthedignityoftwenty-fourcenturies:
“Allthingsaretransient；
Theybeingbornmustdie，Andbeingbornaredead；
AndbeingdeadaregladTobeatrest。“