The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-06-18

They worship it and paint it on all their
lacquered work and on all their fans. 1t
was an active volcano about 400 years
ago. The foot hills that lead up to it are
all covered with snow, and when the sun
is bright it is very pretty sight On the
Tokido you meet lots of queer sights
The road everywhere is crowded with
people and lined with houses on both
sides-mostly tea houses and shops, and
every now and then big village where
the farmers ana the people live. You
never see pony in cart or wagon. Ev-
erything is put on their backs A heavi-
ly loaded fellow looks very funny as you
approach him. saw one loaded with bun.
dies of switches, and it is a positive fact
the pony could not be seen from anywhere
1t was simply square pile of the bundles,
about fifteen feet high, eight feet wide
and longer than the pony. The whole
mass seemed to be walking along on its
own hook, led by q coolie. They pack
every imaginable thing on the ponies, and
make long journeys. They are shod with
shoes made of straw, sandal that covers
all the bottom of the foot, and tied on
round the ankle with straw strings. They
don't make bit of noise as they come
along. Every shop along the road sells
horse shoes, and they cost about halfa cent
a pair. met a lot of fat cattle going to
Yokohama, small, black fellows, about as
large as good yearling-all shod with
straw shoes and each one led by coolie,
ty halter made of straw rope.
We passed any number of wayside
sErines or Joss houses, composed of lit
tie stone god about two feet high, with
little wooden roof built over him-horri-
BILE looking things. Most of them seemed
to be going to decay and everything in
the religious way is going to pieces in ia
pan.
We reached Tooska in about two and
a-half hours had to walk up the big hills
to ease the coolies, and walked down for
safety. We took possession of tea
house, and sat down on the floor on stuff
ed mats to eat our "chow :" called for En-
glish Lake" pronounced Lackky,) which
is beer, and had good time, as we were
awfully hungry. Lake is the name of the
stuff the natives all drink, just as the Chi
nese drink "Samshu." Both are distilled
from rice, and taste horribly. The Japs
get quite drunk on their holidays.
Each tea house is provided with lot
of girls, who act as drummcrs and wait on
the guests When any swell fellow passes
the door several of them rush out and sing
sort of chant, which is an invitation to
come in and partake of their bed and
board. The girls were very much amused
at the way we eat our lunch and drank
our beer, and we were equally amused at
them. With the aid of japanese diction-
airy we carried on quite lively converse
tion with them. They are about the same
class as the waiter girls in concert rooms
are-not very choice A tea house or no.
tel is quite an institution. The one we
went to was tirst-class and about sixty
feet square; upstairs and downstairs be-
ing all in one room. Any number of
rooms are made by setting up paper screens.
The floors are covered with stuffed mats
made Of Canton mating, each mat feet
by 4, with q dark border all round, and at
night fellow is entitled to mat. The
size of house is known by the number
of its mats, not by the number of rooms as
i'll our hotels. They are never more than
two stories, and some only one. The first
floor is raised up about two feet from the
ground. In the center is little court
containing well, wash place and all that
sort of thing. The house being all open
to the court, only paper screens to shut out
the cold, there is plenty of light, and this
kind of weather too much air. AS YOU
enter you pass the kitchen and pantry,
both open rooms, cut off from the rest of
the house by paper screens. The framery
about japanese house is awfully light.
l always feel as if was going to put my
foot through the floor somewhere. There
are no timbers much larger than two inches.
All the wood work is very nicely made
no paint anywhere The floors are always
clean, because the Japs always shed their
shoes before getting upon the floor. If the
house is full, then there is quite an array
of shoes outside, and don't see how they
ever tell their shoes apart. They all look
exactly alike and are either made of wood
or straw. If you stay all night in tea
house you are expected to bring your COW
ers with you, and they give you block OF
wood for pillow. They have no furni-
ture in their houses, have trays to eat from
and the mats do for chairs and beds AT
ter finishing our lunch we had some tea
for my friends benefit. had drank ia
panese tea before 1t is horrible stuff
weak as water, hot as blazes, and no sugar
or milk
| On our return we left the main road and
struck off through the paddy fields; the
paths are cmbankments just wide enough
for the Ginricksha, about six inches to
spare on each side, and the embankments
about four feet high. Below on each side
mud and water, and it is quite common
for Ginrickshas to tumble off, particularly
where the little bridges are, when you
cross tie little canals that carry the water
for irrigation. We kept our eyes wide
open while crossing the paddy fields, and
| valloJ Of tho nonliao 70 l,a 20 rof,l ~, tbo
higher ground we went through lovely
lanes about six feet wide. with Japonica
hedges on each side; hedges seven or
eight feet high, all in full bloom, pink and
white flowers. They have also some fine
hedges of box and a fine leafed pine, some
thing like spruce. ''''
These lanes lead through little villages,
but you can hardly see the houses, there
is such a growth Of shrubs and vines.
Above all are immense evergreen trees.
The effect produced by the heavy. shade
and the sun struggling through is beauti-
full. Then oil at once you pop out on lot
of paddy fields again. Gross these and
come to another little hamlet, prettier than
the last. At home these lanes would be
called "lovers' walks" but don't suppose
the japanese ever think of such thing.
We finally got back to Yokohama, and
rated Japanese country all that it should
be.
The weather here is about as cold us we
have it the last of November. The ground
freezes every night and thaws every day.
The atmosphere is perfectly dry, SO there
is no frost. In January there is often
snow. 1t don't last more than few hours.
Tropical plunts and shrubs grow out OF
doors all the year round, and Japonicus
attain an immense size. .|
In few days i expect to go to see
, | Diahutz tbe famous bronze ;ma0o and m