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