noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第14章

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a　notoriety　than　I　ever　hope　to　be　again；　especially　as　any　European

would　have　done　them　as　well。　　My　public　would　have　been　greater；　as

I　afterwards　learned；　if　Yejiro　had　not　been　holding　rival　court　in

the　kitchen。　



Between　us　we　were　given　a　good　deal　of　local　information。　　One　bit

failed　to　cause　me　unmitigated　delight。　　We　were　not；　it　appeared；

the　first　foreigners　to　set　foot　in　Wakura。　　Two　Europeans　had；　in　a

quite　uncalled…for　way；　descended　upon　the　place　the　summer　before；

up　to　which　time；　indeed；　the　spot　had　been　virgin　to　Caucasians。　

Lured　by　the　fame　of　the　springs；　these　men　had　come　from　Kanazawa　in

Kaga；　where　they　were　engaged　in　teaching　chemistry；　to　make　a　test

of　the　waters。　　I　believe　they　discovered　nothing　startling。　　I　could

have　predicted　as　much　had　they　consulted　me　beforehand。　　They

neglected　to　do　so；　and　the　result　was　they　came；　saw　and　conquered

what　little　novelty　the　place　had。　　I　was　quite　chagrined。　　It　simply

showed　how　betrodden　in　these　latter　days　the　world　is。　　There　is　not

so　much　as　a　remote　corner　of　it　but　falls　under　one　of　two　heads；

those　places　worth　seeing　which　have　already　been　seen；　and　those

that　have　not　been　seen　but　are　not　worth　seeing。　　Wakura　Onsen

struck　me　as　falling　into　the　latter　halves　of　both　categories。　



While　discussing　my　solitary　dinner　I　was　informed　by　Yejiro　that

some　one　wished　to　speak　with　me；　and　on　admitting　to　be　at　home；

the　local　prefect　was　ushered　in。　　He　came　ostensibly　to　vise　my

passport；　a　duty　usually　quite　satisfactorily　performed　by　any

policeman。　　The　excuse　was　transparent。　　He　really　came　that　he　might

see　for　himself　the　foreigner　whom　rumor　had　reported　to　have

arrived。　　As　a　passport　on　his　part　he　presented　me　with　some　pride

the　bit　of　autobiography　that　he　had　himself　once　been　in　Tokyo；

a　fact　which　in　his　mind　instantly　made　us　a　kind　of　brothers；

and　raised　us　both　into　a　common　region　of　superiority　to　our

surroundings。　　He　asked　affectionately　after　the　place；　and　I

answered　as　if　it　had　been　the　one　thought　in　both　our　hearts。

It　was　a　pleasing　little　comedy；　as　each　of　us　was　conscious　of

its　consciousness　by　the　other。　　Altogether　we　were　very　friendly。　



Between　two　such　Tokyoites　it　was；　of　course；　the　merest　formality　to

vise　a　passport；　but　being　one　imposed　by　law　he　kindly　ran　his　eye

over　mine。　　As　it　omitted　to　describe　my　personal　appearance　in　the

usual　carefully　minute　manner；　as　face　oval；　nose　ordinary；

complexion　medium；　and　so　forth；　identification　from　mere　looks　was

not　striking。　　So　he　had　to　take　me　on　trust　for　what　I　purported　to

be；　an　assumption　which　did　not　disconcert　him　in　the　least。　　With

writing　materials　which　he　drew　from　his　sleeve；　he　registered　me

then　and　there；　and；　the　demands　of　the　law　thus　complied　with　to　the

letter；　left　me　amid　renewed　civilities　to　sleep　the　sleep　of　the

just。







X。



An　Inland　Sea。



They　had　told　us　overnight　that　a　small　steamer　plied　every　other　day

through　Noto's　unfamed　inland　sea；　leaving　the　capital　early　in　the

morning；　and　touching　shortly　after　at　Wakura。　　As　good　luck　would

have　it；　the　morrow　happened　not　to　be　any　other　day；　so　we　embraced

the　opportunity　to　embark　in　her　ourselves。　　On　her；　it　would　be　more

accurate　to　say；　for　she　proved　such　a　mite　that　her　cabin　was　barely

possible　and　anything　but　desirable。　　By　squatting　down　and　craning

my　neck　I　peered　in　at　the　entrance；　a　feat　which　was　difficult

enough。　　She　was；　in　truth；　not　much　bigger　than　a　ship's　gig；　but

she　had　a　soul　out　of　all　proportion　to　her　size。　　The　way　it

throbbed　and　strained　and　set　her　whole　little　frame　quivering　with

excitement；　made　me　think　every　moment　that　she　was　about　to　explode。　

The　fact　that　she　was　manned　exclusively　by　Japanese　did　not　entirely

reassure　me。　



There　was　an　apology　for　a　deck　forward；　to　which；　when　we　were　well

under　way；　I　clambered　over　the　other　passengers。　　I　was　just　sitting

down　there　to　enjoy　a　comfortable　pipe　when　I　was　startlingly

requested　by　a　voice　from　a　caboose　behind　to　move　off；　as　I　was

obscuring　the　view　of　the　man　at　the　wheel。　　After　that　I　perched　on

the　gunwale。　



We　steamed　merrily　out　into　the　middle　of　the　bay。　　The　water　was

slumberously　smooth；　and　under　the　tawny　haze　of　the　morning　it　shone

with　the　sheen　of　burnished　brass。　　From　the　gentle　plowing　of　our

bow　it　rolled　lazily　to　one　side；　as　if　in　truth　it　were　molten　metal。

Land；　at　varying　picturesque　distances；　lay　on　all　sides　of　us。

In　some　directions　the　shore　was　not　more　than　a　mile　and　a　half　off；

in　others；　the　eye　wandered　down　a　vista　of　water　framed　by　low

headlands　for　ten　miles　or　more。　　But　the　atmosphere　gave　the

dominant　thought；　a　strange　slumber…like　seclusion。　　So　rich　and

golden；　it　shut　this　little　corner　of　the　world　in　a　sort　of　happy

valley　of　its　own；　and　the　smoke　from　my　pipe　drifted　dreamily

astern；　a　natural　incense　to　the　spirits　of　the　spot。　



The　passengers　suggested　anything；　from　a　public　picnic　to　an　early

exploration　party。　　There　were　men；　women　and　children　of　all　ages

and　kinds；　some　stowed　away　in　the　cabin　behind；　some　gathered　in

groups　amidships；　and　those　in　the　cabin　thought　small　fry　of　those

on　deck。　　The　cabin　was　considered　the　place　of　honor　because　the

company　made　one　pay　a　higher　price　for　the　privilege　of　its

discomfort。　　Altogether　it　was　a　very　pretty　epitome　of　a　voyage。　



Just　as　the　steamer　people　were　preparing　for　their　first　landing；

there　detached　itself　from　the　background　of　trees　along　the　shore

the　most　singular　aquatic　structure　I　think　I　have　ever　seen。

It　looked　like　the　skeleton　of　some　antediluvian　wigwam　which　a

prehistoric　roc　had　subsequently　chosen　for　a　nest。　　Four　poles

planted　in　the　water　inclined　to　one　another　at　such　an　angle　that

they　crossed　three…quarters　of　the　way　up。　　The　projecting　quarters

held　in　clutch　a　large　wicker　basket　like　the　car　of　a　balloon。　

Peering　above　the　car　was　a　man's　head。　　As　the　occupant　below　slowly

turned　the　head　to　keep　an　eye　on　us；　it　suggested；　amid　its　web　of

poles；　some　mammoth　spider　lying　in　wait　for　its　prey。　



It　was　a　matter　of　some　wonder　at　first　how　the　man　got　there；　until

the　motion　of　the　steamer　turned　the　side　and　disclosed　a　set　of

cross　poles　lashed　between　two　of　the　uprights；　forming　a　rude　sort

of　ladder。　　Curiosity；　satisfied　on　this　primary　point；　next　asked

why　he　got　there。　　As　this　was　a　riddle　to　me；　I　propounded　it　to

Yejiro；　who　only　shook　his　head　and　propounded　it　to　somebody　else；

a　compliment　to　the　inquiry　certainly；　if　not　to　my　choice　of　informant。

This　somebody　else　told　him　the　man　was　fishing。　　Except　for　the

immobility　of　the　figure；　I　never　saw　a　man　look　less　like　it　in　my

life。　



Such；　however；　was　the　fact。　　The　wigwam　was　connected　by　strings　to

the　entrance　of　a　sort　of　weir；　and　the　man　who　crouched　in　the　basket

was　on　the　lookout　for　large　fish；　of　a　kind　called　bora。　　As　soon　as

one　of　them　strayed　into　the　mouth　of　the　net；　the　man　pulled　the

string　which　closed　the　opening。　　The　height　of　his　observatory　above

the　level　of　the　water　enabled　him　to　see　through　it　to　the　necessary

depth。　　I　am　a　trifle　hazy　over　the　exact　details　of　the　apparatus；

as　I　never　saw　a　fish　inquisitive　enough　to　go　in；　but　I　submit　the

existence　of　the　fishermen　in　proof　that　it　works。　



Having　deposited　such　wights　as　wished　to　go　ashorefor　the　place

was　of　no　pretensionour　steam　fish　once　more　turned　its　tail　and

darted　us　through　some　narrows　into　another　bay。　　It　must　have　been　a

favorite　one　with　bora；　as　its　shores　were　dotted　with　fish…lookouts。　

The　observatories　stood　a　few　stone…throws　out　in　deepish　water；　at

presumably　favorable　points；　and　never　very　near　one　another；　lest

they　should　interfere　with　a　possible　catch。　　Some　were　inhabited；

some　not。　



This　bay　was　further　remarkable　for