noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第17章

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across　the　twilight　sea。　　The　song；　no　doubt　some　common　ditty；

gathered　a　pathos　over　the　water　through　the　night。　　It　swept　from

one　side　of　us　to　the　other；　softened　with　distance；　lingered　in

detached　strains；　and　then　was　hushed；　leaving　us　once　more　alone

with　the　night。　



Still　we　paddled　on。　　It　was　now　become　quite　dark；　quite　cold；　quite

calm；　and　we　were　still　several　good　miles　off　from　Nanao。　　At　length

on　turning　a　headland　the　lights　of　the　town　and　its　shipping　came

out　one　by　one　from　behind　a　point；　the　advance　guards　first；　then

the　main　body；　and　wheeling　into　line　took　up　their　post　in　a　long

parade　ahead。　　We　began　to　wonder　which　were　the　nearer。　　There　is　a

touch　of　mystery　in　making　a　harbor　at　night。　　In　the　daytime　you　see

it　all　well…ordered　by　perspective。　　But　as　you　creep　slowly　in

through　the　dark；　the　twinkles　of　the　shipping　only　doubtfully　point

their　whereabouts。　　The　most　brilliant　may　turn　out　the　most　remote；

and　the　faintest　at　first　the　nearest　after　all。　　Your　own　motion

alone　can　sift　them　into　place。　　If　we　could　voyage　through　the　sea

of　space；　it　would　be　thus　we　might　come　upon　some　star…cluster　and

have　the　same　delightful　doubt　which　should　become　our　sun　the　first。　



In　half　an　hour　they　were　all　about　us；　the　nearer　revealing　by　their

light　the　dark　bodies　connected　with　them；　the　farther　still　showing

only　themselves。　　The　teahouses　along　the　water…front　made　a

milky…way　ahead。　　We　threaded　our　course　between　the　outlying　lights

while　the　milky…way　resolved　itself　into　star…pointed　silhouettes。　

Then　skirting　along　it；　we　drew　up　at　last　at　a　darksome　quay；　and

landed　Yejiro　to　hunt　up　an　inn。　　I　looked　at　my　watch；　it　was　ten

o'clock。　　We　had　not　only　passed　my　estimate　of　time　somewhere　in　the

middle　of　the　bay；　we　had　exceeded　even　the　boatmen's　excessive

allowance。　　Somehow　we　had　put　six　hours　to　the　voyage。　　I　began　to

realize　I　had　hired　the　wrong　men。　　Nor　was　the　voyage　yet　over；　if

remaining　attached　to　the　boat　for　fully　an　hour　more　be　entitled　to

count。　　For　Yejiro　did　not　return；　and　the　boatmen　and　I　waited。　



I　was　glad　enough　to　make　pretence　at　arrival　by　getting　out　of　the

boat　on　to　the　quay。　　The　quay　was　a　dismal　place。　　I　walked　out　to

the　farther　end；　where　I　found　an　individual　haunting　it　with　an　idea

to　suicide　apparently。　　His　course　struck　me　as　so　appropriate　that　I

felt　it　would　be　hollow　mockery　to　argue　the　point　with　him。　　He　must

have　become　alarmed　at　the　possibility；　however；　for　he　made　off。　

Heaven　knows　he　had　small　cause　to　fear；　I　was　certainly　at　that

moment　no　unsympathetic　soul。　



Having　only　come　to　grief　on　the　quay；　I　next　tried　a　landward　stroll

with　much　the　same　effect。　　The　street　or　place　that　gave　upon　the

wharf　was　as　deserted　as　the　wharf　itself。　　Half　the　houses　about　it

were　dark　as　tombs；　the　other　half　showed　only　glimmering　shoji

taunting　me　by　the　sounds　they　suffered　to　escape；　or　by　a　chance

silhouette　thrown　for　a　moment　upon　the　paper　wall　by　some　one

within。　　And　now　and　then；　as　if　still　further　to　enhance　the

solitude；　a　pair　passed　me　by　in　low　self…suited　talk。　



Still　no　sign　of　the　boy。　　Every　few　minutes　I　would　walk　back　to　the

boat　and　linger　beside　it　till　I　could　no　longer　stand　the　mute

reproach　of　the　baskets　huddled　in　a　little　pile　on　the　stones；　poor；

houseless　immigrants　that　they　were。　　And　from　time　to　time　I　made　a

touching　spectacle　of　myself；　by　pulling　out　my　watch　and　peering；　by

what　feeble　light　I　could　find；　anxiously　at　its　face　to　make　out　the

hour。　



At　last　Yejiro　turned　up　in　the　company　of　a　policeman。　　This　official；

however；　proved　to　be　accompanying　him　in　a　civil　capacity；　and；

changing　into　a　guide；　led　the　way　through　several　dark　alley…waysto

an　inn　of　forbidding　face；　but　better　heart。　　There　did　we　eventually

dine；　or　breakfast；　for　by　that　time　it　was　become　the　next　day。　







XIII。



On　the　Noto　Highway。



On　the　morrow　morning　we　took　the　road　in　kuruma；　the　road　proper；

as　Yejiro　called　it；　for　it　was　the　main　bond　between　Noto　and　the　rest

of　Japan。　　This　was　the　nearest　approach　it　had　to　a　proper　name；

a　circumstance　which　showed　it　not　to　be　of　the　first　importance。　

For　in　Japan；　all　the　old　arteries　of　travel　had　distinctive　names；

the　Nakasendo　or　Mid…Mountain　road；　the　Tokaido　or　Eastern　Sea　road；

and　so　forth。　　Like　certain　other　country　relations；　their　importance

was　due　to　their　city　connections；　not　to　their　own　local　magnitude。　

For；　when　well　out　of　sight　of　the　town；　they　do　not　hesitate　to

shrink　to　anything　but　imposing　proportions。　　In　mid　career　you　might

often　doubt　yourself　to　be　on　so　celebrated　a　thoroughfare。　　But　they

are　always　delightful　to　the　eye；　as　they　wander　through　the　country；

now　bosomed　in　trees　among　the　mountains；　now　stalking　between　their

own　long　files　of　pine；　or　cryptomeria；　across　the　well…tilled　plains。

This　one　had　but　few　sentinels　to　line　it　in　the　open；　but　lost

little　in　picturesqueness　for　its　lack　of　pomp。　　It　was　pretty　enough

to　be　very　good　company　itself。　



It　was　fairly　patronized　by　wayfarers　to　delight　the　soul；　cheerful

bodies；　who；　though　journeying　for　business；　had　plenty　of　time　to　be

happy；　and　radiated　content。　　Take　it　as　you　please；　the　Japanese

people　are　among　the　very　happiest　on　the　face　of　the　globe；　which

makes　them　among　the　most　charming　to　meet。　



Nothing　notable　beyond　such　pleasing　generalities　of　path　and　people

lay　in　our　way；　till　we　came　to　a　place　where　a　steep　and　perfectly

smooth　clay　bank　shot　from　a　spur　of　the　hills　directly　into　the

thoroughfare。　　Three　urchins　were　industriously　putting　this　to　its

proper　use；　coasting　down　it；　that　is；　on　the　seats　of　what　did　them

for　breeches。　　An　over…grown…up　regard　for　my　own　trousers　alone

deterred　me　from　instantly　following　suit。　　No　such　scruples

prevented　my　abetting　them；　however；　to　the　extent　of　a　trifling

bribe　for　a　repetition。　　For　they　had　stopped　abashed　as　soon　as　they

found　they　had　a　public。　　Regardless　of　maternal　consequences；　I　thus

encouraged　the　sport。　　But　after　all；　was　it　so　much　a　bribe　as　an

entrance　fee　to　the　circus；　or　better　yet；　a　sort　of　subsidy　from　an

ex…member　of　the　fraternity？　　Surely；　if　adverse　physical　circumstances

preclude　profession　in　person；　the　next　best　thing　is　to　become　a

noble　patron　of　art。　



From　this　accidental　instance；　I　judged　that　boys　in　Noto　had　about

as　good　a　time　of　it　as　boys　elsewhere；　the　next　sight　we　chanced

upon　made　me　think　that　possibly　women　did　not。　　We　had　hardly　parted

from　the　coasters　on　dry　ground　when　we　met　in　the　way　with　a　lot　of

women　harnessed　to　carts　filled　with　various　merchandise；　which　they

were　toilsomely　dragging　along　towards　Nanao。　　It　was　not　so

picturesque　a　sight　as　its　sex　might　suggest。　　For　though　the　women

were　naturally　not　aged；　and　some　had　not　yet　lost　all　comeliness　of

feature；　this　womanliness　made　the　thing　the　more　appealing。　　Noto

was　evidently　no　Eden；　since　the　local　Adam　had　thus　contrived　to

shift　upon　the　local　Eve　so　large　a　fraction　of　the　primal　curse。

It　was　as　bad　as　the　north　of　Germany。　　The　female　porters　we　had　been

offered　on　the　threshold　of　the　province　were　merely　symptomatic　of

the　state　of　things　within。　　I　wonder　what　my　young　Japanese　friend；

the　new　light；　to　whom　I　listened　once　on　board　ship；　while　he　launched

into　a　diatribe　upon　the　jinrikisha　question；　the　degrading　practice；

as　he　termed　it；　of　using　men　for　horses；I　wonder；　I　say；　what　he

would　have　said　to　this！　　He　was　a　quixotic　youth；　at　the　time

returning　from　abroad；　where　he　had　picked　up　many　new　ideas。

His　proposed　applications　of　them　did　him　great　credit；　more　than

they　are　likely　to　win　among　the　class　for　whom　they　were　designed。

A　cent　and　two　thirds　a　mile；　to　be　had　for　the　running　for　it；　is　as

yet　too　glittering　a　prize　to　be　easily　foregone。