The morning call., 1895-01-13
ASCENT OF Full.
Climbing Up a Japanese
Mountain.
Watching the Sun Rise-The Orange
COlored Globe Moves i'm Space
OF Mysterious Blue.

The path from Gotemba to the summit
is one steady ascent over beds of old ashes
At first 1t is very gentle rise. The lanes
wind through fields with various crops
and past cottages with hedges Of pink and
while hibiscus; but after few miles II
begins to get sleeper, the ashes are less
disintegrated, cultivation only appears in
isolated spots, and there are large stretches
of gray moorand varied only with bushes
and wild flowers. The mist still hung
round us. There was no landscape 10 be
seen in any direction, and If il had not
been for the flowers and the ever new and
quaint figures on the road this part of the
walk would have been dull. Besides the
regular pilgrims there were many men
and women leading pack horses, those
on their way up carrying provisions and
fuel for the rest-honses, and thoss coming
down bringing bundles OF grass so large
that they looked like walking haystacks,
and the wiry little ponies that carried
them were almost Invisible. In front a
| misshapsn head peeped out, underneath
| were four thin little legs with enormous
feet, and as they passed their narrow
dropping quarters. cat-hammed and cow
hooked. swayed at every step under the
heavy load. Japanese drawings of horses
have risen in my estimation since l have
seen the models tue artists have to work
| from; there never was more ili-shaped
beast than the ordinary horse of the coun-
| try. In this, as in many other hill dis
tricts. mares only are used; they are shod
with big straw 0vershoes, which give
finishing touch 10 their ludicrous shape;
under them is slung square of dark-blue
cotton cloth TO keep off the flies. and
narrow strip Of the same material. with
big crimson cord and tassel print on it
for decoration, is draped across their quar-
tiers. Many of the pilgrims ride up as far
| as the teahouse, called Uma-gaeshi (horse
send back, and the ponies look almost as
much eclipsed under the big pack-saddle
with Its lrapplngs, and the pilgrim with
bis. as they do under the loads Of grass.
When all cultivation had disappeared,
and the road was mere cindeT track
over moorland of ashes. the flowers and
bushes still grew In clusters here and
there. The most abundant plant was a
large bushy knOtweed covered with
sprays of white blossoms, and this grew
far up the mountain side. There were
also clumps of tall bocconia. a campanula,
with large pink or lavender flowers
sprinkled In each bell with tiny inkspots,
and various less snowy flowers. The
fora on this side of the mounts ain, devas-
tated by the last eruption. in 1706, is not
so rich as that on The northern slope.
AS the ascent became sleeper we got
into wood of dwarfed and scraggy pine
trees, which extended as far as Taro bo a
large teabouse with a little temple at
tached, and hen suddenly ceased; above
this there was only an occasional dead
stump to break the monotonous surface of
ashes. here every pilgrim purchases a
stick to help him up the mountain-an
,pctagonal staff OF birch, about five feet
long, with aD inscription burned on IL,
and for few coppers the priest on duty at
In ln6d rn6 81
that the owner has actually been there.
The morning was clear and bright, and
we ali crouched in hooks Of the rocks,
wrapped in our quilts, aud gazed at the
straight gIsy line of the Pacific and the
gradually Frightening line above it. watch
lug for the first sign of the approaching
god. On the most prominent rock priest
kDelt, waving strips of paper tied TO
stick and chanting prayers and eulogies,
and soon the sun rose. as he assuredly will
every morning, whether he is prayed TO or
not There was such vast space of mys-
terious blue sea and distance below the
horizon that the big orange ball ap-
peared to be already halfway up
The heavens when We first saw
it. This daily occurrence seems
ever new and wonderful, always has
something of the miraculous about it, and
to most minds 1t brings a sense of thank
tuineSs, as the sunset gives that of repose;
though why we should feel grateful both
that it is time 10 begin work and time TO
leave off is puzzle to me. My Thoughts
turned 10 all early morning near PlevaD,
and to an honest Turk. who. as the sun
rose over the bare Bulgarian hills, turned
on his box-seat and, gravely touching his
forehead, wished q go0d-day to his little
brothers In the carriage he WAS driving.
There was mixture of conTtsousness and
solemnity in his manner which seemed
exactly suited 10 the important moment.
When the orange glow had turned to a
dazzling glare. We walked round to the