Wepulledupalongside，gaveitsoccupantsgood-day，andaskedleavetomount。Thefishermen，hospitablesouls，offerednoobjection。
Thisseemedtomethemorecourteousontheirpart，afterIhadmadetheascent，forthereweretwooftheminthebasket，andavisitormateriallyaddedtothealreadyuneasyweight。Butthentheywereusedtoit。Therungsofwhatdidforladderweresofarapartastonecessitatemakingverylonglegsofitinplaces，whichmusthavebeencolossalstridesfortheowners。ThehigherIclambered，theflimsierthestructuregot。However，Iarrived，notwithoutunnecessarytrepidation，wormedmywayintothebasketandcroucheddowninsomeuneasinessofmind。Thewaythethingswayedandwriggledgavemetobelievethatthenextmomentweshouldallbeshotcatapultwiseintothesea。Tocallittopheavywilldoforaword，butnothingbutexperiencewilldoforthesensation。Thisoscillation，strangelyenough，wasnotapparentfromthesea;whichremindsmetohavenoticeddifferencesduethepointofviewbefore。
Iwasgreetedbyanextensiveoutlook。Theshore，perhapsahundredyardsaway，ranshortlyintoafisherhamlet，andthenintoalonglineofhalfsubmergedrocks，likesuccessivetouchesofaskippingstone。Beyondtheendofthisindefinitepoint，andalittletotherightofit，stoodanotherlookout。Thiswasouronlynearneighbor，thoughotherscouldbeseeninminiatureinthedistance，faintcobwebsagainstthecoast。Thebaystretchedawayonallsides，landlockedatlast，exceptwheretotheeastanopeninggaveintotheseaofJapan。
Toadispassionateobserverthebasketmayhavebeentwentyfeetabovethewater。Tooneinthebasket，itwasconsiderablyhigher——anditsheightwasemphasizedbyitsseeminginsecurity。
Thefishermenwereverymuchathomeinit，buttomethesensationwassuchastocausestrainedrelationsbetweenmywilltostayandmywishtobegone。