fourhousestherewere307people！Insometherewerefourfamilies——thegrand-parents，theparents，theeldestsonwithhiswifeandfamily，andadaughterortwowiththeirhusbandsandchildren。Theeldestson，whoinheritsthehouseandland，almostinvariablybringshiswifetohisfather’shouse，wheresheoftenbecomeslittlebetterthanaslavetohermother-in-law。Byrigidcustomsheliterallyforsakesherownkindred，andher“filialduty“istransferredtoherhusband’smother，whooftentakesadisliketoher，andinstigateshersontodivorceherifshehasnochildren。Myhostesshadinducedhersontodivorcehiswife，andshecouldgivenobetterreasonforitthanthatshewaslazy。
TheNumapeople，shesaid，hadneverseenaforeigner，so，thoughtherainstillfellheavily，theywereastirintheearlymorning。
Theywantedtohearmespeak，soIgavemyorderstoItoinpublic。
Yesterdaywasamosttoilsomeday，mainlyspentinstumblingupandslidingdownthegreatpassesofFutai，Takanasu，andYenoiki，allamongforest-coveredmountains，deeplycleftbyforest-chokedravines，withnowandthenoneofthesnowypeaksofAidzubreakingthemonotonyoftheoceanofgreen。Thehorses’shoesweretiedanduntiedeveryfewminutes，andwemadejustamileanhour！AtlastweweredepositedinamostunpromisingplaceinthehamletofTamagawa，andweretoldthataricemerchant，afterwaitingforthreedays，hadgoteveryhorseinthecountry。Attheendoftwohours’chafferingonebaggagecooliewasproduced，someofthethingswereputonthericehorses，andasteedwithapack-saddlewasproducedformeintheshapeofaplumpandprettylittlecow，whichcarriedmesafelyoverthemagnificentpassofOrianddowntothetownofOkimi，amongrice-fields，where，inadrowningrain，Iwasgladtogetshelterwithanumberofcooliesbyawood-firetillanotherpack-cowwasproduced，andwewalkedonthroughtherice-fieldsandupintothehillsagaintoKurosawa，whereIhadintendedtoremain；buttherewasnoinn，andthefarm-housewheretheytakeintravellers，besidesbeingontheedgeofamalariouspond，andbeingdarkandfullofstingingsmoke，wassoawfullydirtyandfulloflivingcreatures，that，exhaustedasIwas，Iwasobligedtogoon。Butitwasgrowingdark，therewasnoTransportOffice，andforthefirsttimethepeoplewereveryslightlyextortionate，anddroveItonearlytohiswits’end。Thepeasantsdonotliketobeoutafterdark，fortheyareafraidofghostsandallsortsofdevilments，anditwasdifficulttoinducethemtostartsolateintheevening。
Therewasnotahousecleanenoughtorestin，soIsatonastoneandthoughtaboutthepeopleforoveranhour。Childrenwithscald-head，scabies，andsoreeyesswarmed。Everywomancarriedababyonherback，andeverychildwhocouldstaggerunderonecarriedonetoo。Notonewomanworeanythingbutcottontrousers。
Onewomanreeledabout“drunkanddisorderly。“Itosatonastonehidinghisfaceinhishands，andwhenIaskedhimifhewereill，herepliedinamostlamentablevoice，“Idon’tknowwhatIamtodo，I’msoashamedforyoutoseesuchthings！“Theboyisonlyeighteen，andIpitiedhim。Iaskedhimifwomenwereoftendrunk，andhesaidtheywereinYokohama，buttheyusuallykeptintheirhouses。Hesaysthatwhentheirhusbandsgivethemmoneytopaybillsattheendofamonth，theyoftenspenditinsake，andthattheysometimesgetsakeinshopsandhaveitputdownasriceortea。“Theold，oldstory！“Ilookedatthedirtandbarbarism，andaskedifthisweretheJapanofwhichIhadread。Yetawomaninthisunseemlycostumefirmlyrefusedtotakethe2or3senwhichitisusualtoleaveataplacewhereyourest，becauseshesaidthatIhadhadwaterandnottea，andafterIhadforceditonher，shereturnedittoIto，andthisredeemingincidentsentmeawaymuchcomforted。
FromNumathedistancehereisonly1。5ri，butitisoverthesteeppassofHonoki，whichisascendedanddescendedbyhundredsofrudestonesteps，notpleasantinthedark。OnthispassIsawbirchesforthefirsttime；atitsfootweenteredYamagatakenbyagoodbridge，andshortlyreachedthisvillage，inwhichanunpromising-lookingfarm-houseistheonlyaccommodation；butthoughalltheroomsbuttwoaretakenupwithsilk-worms，thosetwoareverygoodandlookuponaminiaturelakeandrockery。TheoneobjectiontomyroomisthattogeteitherinoroutofitI
mustpassthroughtheother，whichisoccupiedbyfivetobaccomerchantswhoarewaitingfortransport，andwhowhileawaythetimebystrummingonthatinstrumentofdismay，thesamisen。Nohorsesorcowscanbegotforme，soIamspendingthedayquietlyhere，rathergladtorest，forIammuchexhausted。WhenIamsufferingmuchfrommyspineItoalwaysgetsintoafrightandthinksIamgoingtodie，ashetellsmewhenIambetter，butshowshisanxietybyashort，surlymanner，whichismostdisagreeable。Hethinksweshallnevergetthroughtheinterior！
Mr。Brunton’sexcellentmapfailsinthisregion，soitisonlybyfixingonthewell-knowncityofYamagataanddevisingroutestoitthatwegeton。HalftheeveningisspentinconsultingJapanesemaps，ifwecangetthem，andinquestioningthehouse-masterandTransportAgent，andanychancetravellers；butthepeopleknownothingbeyondthedistanceofafewri，andtheagentsseldomtelloneanythingbeyondthenextstage。WhenIinquireaboutthe“unbeatentracks“thatIwishtotake，theanswersare，“It’sanawfulroadthroughmountains，“or“Therearemanybadriverstocross，“or“Therearenonebutfarmers’housestostopat。“Noencouragementisevergiven，butwegeton，andshallgeton，I
doubtnot，thoughthehardshipsarenotwhatIwoulddesireinmypresentstateofhealth。
Veryfewhorsesarekepthere。Cowsandcooliescarrymuchofthemerchandise，andwomenaswellasmencarryheavyloads。Abaggagecooliecarriesabout50lbs。，butheremerchantscarryingtheirowngoodsfromYamagataactuallycarryfrom90to140lbs。，andevenmore。Itissickeningtomeetthesepoorfellowsstrugglingoverthemountain-passesinevidentdistress。Lastnightfiveofthemwererestingonthesummitridgeofapassgaspingviolently。
Theireyeswerestartingout；alltheirmuscles，renderedpainfullyvisiblebytheirleanness，werequivering；rillsofbloodfromthebiteofinsects，whichtheycannotdriveaway，wereliterallyrunningallovertheirnakedbodies，washedawayhereandtherebycopiousperspiration。Truly“inthesweatoftheirbrows“theywereeatingbreadandearninganhonestlivingfortheirfamilies！
Sufferingandhard-workedastheywere，theywerequiteindependent。Ihavenotseenabeggarorbeggaryinthisstrangecountry。Thewomenwerecarrying70lbs。Theseburden-bearershavetheirbackscoveredbyathickpadofplaitedstraw。Onthisrestsaladder，curvedupatthelowerendliketherunnersofasleigh。Onthistheloadiscarefullypackedtillitextendsfrombelowtheman’swaisttoaconsiderableheightabovehishead。Itiscoveredwithwaterproofpaper，securelyroped，andthatchedwithstraw，andissupportedbyabroadpaddedbandjustbelowthecollarbones。Ofcourse，asthemanwalksnearlybentdouble，andthepositionisaverypainfulone，herequirestostopandstraightenhimselffrequently，andunlesshemeetswithabankofconvenientheight，hereststhebottomofhisburdenonashort，stoutpolewithanL-shapedtop，carriedforthispurpose。Thecarryingofenormousloadsisquiteafeatureofthisregion，andso，Iamsorrytosay，areredstingingantsandthesmallgadflieswhichmolestthecoolies。
Yesterday’sjourneywas18milesintwelvehours！Ichinonoisanice，industrioushamlet，givenup，likeallothers，torearingsilk-worms，andthepurewhiteandsulphuryellowcocoonsaredryingonmatsinthesuneverywhere。
ComelyKine——JapaneseCriticismonaForeignUsage——APleasantHalt——RenewedCourtesies——ThePlainofYonezawa——ACuriousMistake——
TheMother’sMemorial——ArrivalatKomatsu——StatelyAccommodation——
AViciousHorse——AnAsiaticArcadia——AFashionableWatering-place——
ABelle——“Godowns。“
Aseveredayofmountaintravellingbroughtusintoanotherregion。
WeleftIchinonoearlyonafinemorning，withthreepack-cows，oneofwhichIrode[andtheircalves]，verycomelykine，withsmallnoses，shorthorns，straightspines，anddeepbodies。IthoughtthatImightgetsomefreshmilk，buttheideaofanythingbutacalfmilkingacowwassonewtothepeoplethattherewasauniversallaugh，andItotoldmethattheythoughtit“mostdisgusting，“andthattheJapanesethinkit“mostdisgusting“inforeignerstoputanything“withsuchastrongsmellandtaste“
intotheirtea！Allthecowshadcottoncloths，printedwithbluedragons，suspendedundertheirbodiestokeepthemfrommudandinsects，andtheywearstrawshoesandcordsthroughthecartilagesoftheirnoses。Thedaybeingfine，agreatdealofriceandsakewasonthemove，andwemethundredsofpack-cows，allofthesamecomelybreed，instringsoffour。
WecrossedtheSakuratoge，fromwhichtheviewisbeautiful，gothorsesatthemountainvillageofShirakasawa，crossedmorepasses，andintheafternoonreachedthevillageofTenoko。There，asusual，IsatundertheverandahoftheTransportOffice，andwaitedfortheonehorsewhichwasavailable。Itwasalargeshop，butcontainednotasinglearticleofEuropeanmake。Intheoneroomagroupofwomenandchildrensatroundthefire，andtheagentsatasusualwithanumberofledgersatatableafoothigh，onwhichhisgrandchildwaslyingonacushion。HereItodinedonsevendishesofhorrors，andtheybroughtmesake，tea，rice，andblackbeans。Thelastareverygood。Wehadsometalkaboutthecountry，andthemanaskedmetowritehisnameinEnglishcharacters，andtowritemyowninabook。Meanwhileacrowdassembled，andthefrontrowsatonthegroundthattheothersmightseeovertheirheads。Theyweredirtyandpressedveryclose，andwhenthewomenofthehousesawthatIfelttheheattheygracefullyproducedfansandfannedmeforawholehour。Onaskingthechargetheyrefusedtomakeany，andwouldnotreceiveanything。Theyhadnotseenaforeignerbefore，theysaid，theywoulddespisethemselvesfortakinganything，theyhadmy“honourablename“intheirbook。Notonlythat，buttheyputupaparcelofsweetmeats，andthemanwrotehisnameonafanandinsistedonmyacceptingit。IwasgrievedtohavenothingtogivethembutsomeEnglishpins，buttheyhadneverseensuchbefore，andsooncirculatedthemamongthecrowd。ItoldthemtrulythatI
shouldrememberthemaslongasIrememberJapan，andwenton，muchtouchedbytheirkindness。
TheloftypassofUtsu，whichisascendedanddescendedbyanumberofstoneslabs，isthelastofthepassesofthesechoked-upranges。FromitssummitinthewelcomesunlightIjoyfullylookeddownuponthenobleplainofYonezawa，about30mileslongandfrom10to18broad，oneofthegardensofJapan，woodedandwatered，coveredwithprosperoustownsandvillages，surroundedbymagnificentmountainsnotaltogethertimbered，andboundedatitssouthernextremitybyrangeswhitewithsnoweveninthemiddleofJuly。
InthelongstreetofthefarmingvillageofMatsuharaamanamazedmebyrunninginfrontofmeandspeakingtome，andonItocomingup，heassailedhimvociferously，anditturnedoutthathetookmeforanAino，oneofthesubjugatedaboriginesofYezo。IhavebeforenowbeentakenforaChinese！