confessthatIshutmyeyes！Aftergettingthrough，wecameuponthelandsbelongingtothisvillage——rice-fieldswiththedykesburst，andallthebeautifulridgeandfurrowcultivationoftheothercropscarriedaway。Thewaterswererisingfast，themensaidwemusthurry；theyunboundme，sothatImightridemorecomfortably，spoketothehorses，andwentonatarun。Myhorse，whichhadnearlywornouthisshoesinthefords，stumbledateverystep，themagogavemeanooseofropetoclutch，therainfellinsuchtorrentsthatIspeculatedonthechanceofbeingwashedoffmysaddle，whensuddenlyIsawashowerofsparks；Ifeltunutterablethings；Iwaschoked，bruised，stifled，andpresentlyfoundmyselfbeinghauledoutofaditchbythreemen，andrealisedthatthehorsehadtumbleddowningoingdownasteepishhill，andthatIhadgoneoverhishead。Toclimbagainonthesoakedfutonwastheworkofamoment，and，withmenrunningandhorsesstumblingandsplashing，wecrossedtheHirakawabyonefinebridge，andhalfamilefartherre-crosseditonanother，wishingaswedidsothatallJapanesebridgeswereassubstantial，fortheywereboth100feetlong，andhadcentralpiers。
WeenteredIkarigasekifromthelastbridge，avillageof800
people，onanarrowledgebetweenanabrupthillandtheHirakawa，amostforlornandtumble-downplace，givenuptofellingtimberandmakingshingles；andtimberinallitsforms——logs，planks，faggots，andshingles——isheapedandstalkedabout。Itlooksmorelikealumberer’sencampmentthanapermanentvillage，butitisbeautifullysituated，andunlikeanyoftheinnumerablevillagesthatIhaveeverseen。
Thestreetislongandnarrow，withstreamsinstonechannelsoneitherside；butthesehadoverflowed，andmen，women，andchildrenwereconstructingsquaredamstokeepthewater，whichhadalreadyreachedthedoma，fromrisingoverthetatami。Hardlyanyhousehaspaperwindows，andinthefewwhichhave，theyaresoblackwithsmokeastolookworsethannone。Theroofsarenearlyflat，andarecoveredwithshinglesheldonbylathsandweightedwithlargestones。Nearlyallthehouseslookliketemporarysheds，andmostareasblackinsideasaBarrahut。Thewallsofmanyarenothingbutroughboardstiedtotheuprightsbystrawropes。
Inthedrowningtorrent，sittinginpuddlesofwater，anddrenchedtotheskinhoursbefore，wereachedthisveryprimitiveyadoya，thelowerpartofwhichisoccupiedbythedaidokoro，apartyofstorm-boundstudents，horses，fowls，anddogs。Myroomisawretchedloft，reachedbyaladder，withsuchaquagmireatitsfootthatIhavetodescendintoitinWellingtonboots。Itwasdismallygrotesqueatfirst。ThetorrentontheunceiledroofpreventedItofromhearingwhatIsaid，thebedwassoaked，andthewater，havinggotintomybox，haddissolvedtheremainsofthecondensedmilk，andhadreducedclothes，books，andpaperintoaconditionofuniversalstickiness。Mykimonowaslesswetthananythingelse，and，borrowingasheetofoiledpaper，Ilaydowninit，tillrousedupinhalfanhourbyItoshriekingabovethedinontheroofthatthepeoplethoughtthatthebridgebywhichwehadjustenteredwouldgiveway；and，runningtotheriverbank，wejoinedalargecrowd，fartoointenselyoccupiedbythecomingdisastertotakeanynoticeofthefirstforeignladytheyhadeverseen。