noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第7章

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from　the　sky；　and　from　the　summit　tumbled　down　the　ravines　into　the

valley；　and　met　me　at　Naoyetsu　in　a　drizzling　rain。　



Naoyetsu　is　not　an　enlivening　spot　to　be　landed　at　in　a　stress　of

weather；　hardly　satisfactory；　in　fact；　for　the　length　of　time　needed

to　hire　jinrikisha。　　It　consisted　originally　of　a　string　of　fishermen's

huts　along　the　sea。　　To　these　the　building　of　the　railway　has

contributed　a　parallel　row　of　reception　booths；　a　hundred　yards

in…shore；　and　to　which　of　the　two　files　to　award　the　palm　for

cheerlessness　it　would　be　hard　to　know。　　The　huts　are　good　of　a　kind

which　is　poor；　and　the　booths　are　poor　of　a　kind　which　is　good。

To　decide　between　such　rivals　is　a　matter　of　mood。　　For　my　part；

I　hasted　to　be　gone　in　a　jinrikisha；　itself　not　an　over…cheerful

conveyance　in　a　pour。　



The　rain　shut　out　the　distance；　and　the　hood　and　oil…paper　apron

eclipsed　the　foreground。　　The　loss　was　not　great；　to　judge　by　what

specimens　of　the　view　I　caught　at　intervals。　　The　landscape　was　a

geometric　pattern　in　paddyfields。　　These；　as　yet　unplanted；　were

swimming　in　water；　out　of　which　stuck　the　stumps　of　last　year's　crop。　

It　was　a　tearful　sight。　　Fortunately　the　road　soon　rose　superior　to

it；　passed　through　a　cutting；　and　came　out　unexpectedly　above　the

sea；a　most　homesick　sea；　veiled　in　rain…mist；　itself　a

disheartening　drab。　　The　cutting　which　ushered　us　somewhat　proudly

upon　this　inhospitable　outlook　proved　to　be　the　beginning　of　a　pass

sixty　miles　long；　between　the　Hida…Shinshiu　mountains　and　the　sea　of

Japan。　



I　was　now　to　be　rewarded　for　my　venture　in　an　unlooked…for　way；　for　I

found　myself　introduced　here　to　a　stretch　of　coast　worth　going　many

miles　to　see。　



The　provinces　of　Hida　and　Etchiu　are　cut　off　from　the　rest　of　Japan

by　sets　of　mountain　ranges；　impassable　throughout　almost　their　whole

length。　　So　bent　on　barring　the　way　are　the　chains　that；　not　content

with　doing　so　in　mid…course；　they　all　but　shut　it　at　their　ocean　end；

for　they　fall　in　all　their　entirety　plumb　into　the　sea。　　Following

one　another　for　a　distance　of　sixty　miles；　range　after　range　takes

thus　its　header　into　the　deep。　　The　only　level　spots　are　the　deltas

deposited　by　the　streams　between　the　parallels　of　peak。　　But　these

are　far　between。　　Most　of　the　way　the　road　belts　the　cliffs；　now　near

their　base；　now　cut　into　the　precipice　hundreds　of　feet　above　the

tide。　　The　road　is　one　continuous　observation　point。　　Along　it　our

jinrikisha　bowled。　　In　spite　of　the　rain；　the　view　had　a　grandeur

that　compensated　for　much　discomfort。　　It　was；　moreover；　amply

diversified。　　Now　we　rushed　out　to　the　tip　of　some　high　cape；　now　we

swung　round　into　the　curve　of　the　next　bay；　now　we　wound　slowly

upward；　now　we　slipped　merrily　down。　　The　headlands　were　endless；　and

each　gave　us　a　seascape　differing　from　the　one　we　folded　out　of　sight

behind；　and　a　fringe　of　foam；　curving　with　the　coast；　stretched　like

a　ribbon　before　us　to　mark　the　way。　



We　halted　for　the　night　at　a　fishing　village　called　No：　two　lines　of

houses　hugging　the　mountain　side；　and　a　single　line　of　boats　drawn

up；　stern　on；　upon　the　strand；　the　day　and　night　domiciles　of　the

amphibious　strip　of　humanity；　in　domestic　tiff；　turning　their　backs

to　one　another；　a　stone's　throw　apart。　　As　our　kuruma　men　knew　the

place；　while　we　did　not；　we　let　them　choose　the　inn。　　They　pulled　up

at　what　caused　me　a　shudder。　　I　thought；　if　this　was　the　best　inn；

what　must　the　worst　be　like！　　However；　I　bowed　my　head　to　fate　in　the

form　of　a　rafter　lintel；　and　passed　in。　　A　dim　light；　which　came　in

part　from　a　hole　in　the　floor；　and　in　part　from　an　ineffective　lamp；

revealed　a　lofty；　grotto…like　interior。　　Over　the　hole　hung　a　sort　of

witches'　caldron；　swung　by　a　set　of　iron　bars　from　the　shadowy　form

of　a　soot…begrimed　rafter。　　Around　the　kettle　crouched　a　circle　of

gnomes。　



Our　entrance　caused　a　stir；　out　of　which　one　of　the　gnomes　came　forward；

bowing　to　the　ground。　　When　he　had　lifted　himself　up　enough　to　be　seen；

he　turned　out　quite　human。　　He　instantly　bustled　to　fetch　another　light；

and　started　to　lead　the　strangers　across　the　usual　slippery　sill　and

up　the　nearly　perpendicular　stairs。　　Why　I　was　not　perpetually

falling　down　these　same　stairways；　or　sliding　gracefully　or　otherwise

off　the　corridors　in　a　heap；　will　always　be　a　mystery　to　me。　　Yet；

with　the　unimportant　exception　of　sitting　down　occasionally　to　put　on

my　boots；　somewhat　harder　than　I　meant；　I　remember　few　such　mishaps。　

It　was　not　the　surface　that　was　unwilling；　for　the　constant　scuffle

of　stocking　feet　has　given　the　passageways　a　polish　mahogany　might

envy。　



The　man　proved　anything　but　inhuman；　and　very　much　mine　host。

How　courteous　he　was；　and　in　what　a　pleased　mind　with　the　world；

even　its　whims　of　weather；　his　kind　attentions　put　me！　　He　really　did

so　little；　too。　　Beside　numberless　bows　and　profuse　politeness；

he　simply　laid　a　small　and　very　thin　quilt　upon　the　mats　for　me　to

sit　on；　and　put　a　feeble　brazier　by　my　side。　　So　far　as　mere　comfort

went；　the　first　act　savored　largely　of　supererogation；　as　the　mats

were　already　exquisitely　clean；　and　the　second　of　insufficiency；

since　the　brazier　served　only　to　point　the　cold　it　was　powerless　to

chase。　　But　the　manner　of　the　doing　so　charmed　the　mind　that　it

almost　persuaded　the　grumbling　body　of　content。　



As　mine　host　bowed　himself　out；　a　maid　bowed　herself　in；　with　a　tray

of　tea　and　sugar…plums；　and　a　grace　that　beggared　appreciation。　



〃His　Augustness　is　well　come；〃　she　said；　as　she　sank　on　her　knees　and

bowed　her　pretty　head　till　it　touched　the　mats；　and　the　voice　was

only　too　human　for　heaven。　　Unconsciously　it　made　the　better　part　of

a　caress。　



〃Would　his　Augustness　deign　to　take　some　tea？　　Truly　he　must　be　very

tired；〃　and；　pouring　out　a　cup；　she　placed　it　beside　me　as　it　might

have　been　some　beautiful　rite；　and　then　withdrew；　leaving　me；　beside

the　tea；　the　perfume　of　a　presence；　the　sense　that　something

exquisite　had　come　and　gone。　



I　sat　there　thinking　of　her　in　the　abstract；　and　wondering　how　many

maids　outside　Japan　were　dowried　with　like　grace　and　the　like　voice。　

With　such　a　one　for　cupbearer；　I　could　have　continued　to　sip　tea；　I

thought；　for　the　rest　of　my　natural；　or；　alas；　unnatural　existence。　



There　I　stayed；　squatting　on　my　feet　on　the　mats；　admiring　the　mimic

volcano　which　in　the　orthodox　artistic　way　the　charcoal　was　arranged

to　represent；　and　trying　my　best　to　warm　myself　over　the　idea。

But　the　idea　proved　almost　as　cold　comfort　as　the　brazier　itself。

The　higher　aesthetic　part　of　me　was　in　paradise；　and　the　bodily　half

somewhere　on　the　chill　confines　of　outer　space。　　The　spot　would　no

doubt　have　proved　wholly　heaven　to　that　witty　individual　who　was　so

anxious　to　exchange　the　necessities　of　life　for　a　certainty　of　its

luxuries。　　For　here；　according　to　our　scheme　of　things；　was　everything

one　had　no　right　to　expect；　and　nothing　that　one　had。　　My　European

belongings　looked　very　gross　littering　the　mats；　and　I　seemed　to

myself　a　boor　beside　the　unconscious　breeding　of　those　about　me。

Yet　it　was　only　a　poor　village　inn；　and　its　people　were　but　peasants；

after　all。　



I　pondered　over　this　as　I　dined　in　solitary　state；　and　when　I　had

mounted　my　funeral　pyre　for　the　night；　I　remember　romancing　about　it

as　I　fell　asleep。　



I　was　still　a　knight…errant；　and　the　princess　was　saying　all　manner

of　charming　things　to　me　in　her　still　more　charming　manner；　when　I

became　aware　that　it　was　the　voice　of　the　evening　before　wishing　me

good…morning。　　I　opened　my　eyes　to　see　a　golden　gleam　flooding　the

still…shut　shoji；　and　a　diamond　glitter　stealing　through　the　cracks

that　set　the　blood　dancing　in　my　veins。　　Then；　with　a　startling

clatter；　my　princess　rolled　the　panels　aside。　



Windows　are　but　half…way　shifts　at　best。　　The　true　good…morning　comes

afield；　and　next　to　that　is　the　thrill　that　greets　the　t