The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-09-25

| close as they could to one another, each
with his rod and line, some with two.
| Once in a great while some one would
| draw up a small sinner, while smile
| of supreme satisfaction frightened his
J face.
We have visited the mortuary tenn
pies, built in front OF the tombs OF the
two greatest Shoguns. Iyeyasu and his
grandson, Iyemitsu. From time imme-
mortal there has been a Shinto tenn
pie in this valley. The Shinto priests
selected high places in sylvan retreats,
or mountain peaks, for their places OF
devotion. We had on one railroad train
large band of pilgrims. all dressed in
white, each with his staff and bells. en-
route for some shrine. Nikko is a IA
vorite resort for the rice farmers early
in the season. There are no rats in
these temples. Their absence is attrib-
uted to the magic power of the carved
image of sleeping cat. The farmers
come to pray for protection of their
rice fields against rats. There is an
other story told OF this marvellous cat,
that whenever she sees it is going to
rain, she winks with one eye. 1t re-
minds me of the similar story told OF
an image of ST. Peter. that turns It's
eyes whenever it hears a cock crow.
Our hotel is on the brink of one OF
the conical hills, of which the valley
of the Daiya-gawa, is full, and oppo-
site those on which the various tenn
pies are built. The view from our win
dows in the early morning after our
arrival was specially beautiful. The
first rays of dawn, tipped with roseate
light some of the high peaks above us,
while light clouds half yelled the vari-
Gus ridges beneath. This view, half
concealing half disclosing, was more
beautiful than the full light of the sun
as it shone out this morning over this
whole mountain region. Nikko-san
means Mountains Of the Suns Bright
ness and has supplanted the old name
Futa-ana-yama, Two Storm Noun
tains." Kobo Daisha, A. ID. 500, exer-
cised the storm demons that used to de-
vastate the country, but our coming
seems to have brought an unusual
prevalence of rain, and we have seen
very little, indeed, of the suns bright
ness in this Nikko region.
We were favored with a morning
without rain when we visited the tenn
pies. A broad avenue of rather steep
ascent leads up the side of the hill, then
turns at right angles, and turns again
as it leads up to the temple gate, with
double ways. The sides of the hill have
with Japanese cedars, toll moss-growD,
or the banks are walled in with mas
sive cyclopean masonry, not the nice
ly fitted, finely chiselied work OF mod
ern days and Western architecture.
The graveled walks are ribbed every
IL feet with transverse lines of stone,
so as to prevent the water from wash
ing away the road. Stone cutters on
each side conduct the water into safe
as it comes rushing down the
sides of the roadway, or gushing out
like clear mountain springs into the
stone channel
We crossed the Daiya just below the
Sacred Red Bridge reserved for the
and closed to all others. 1t
is said to have been built on the spot
where the Shinto Saint, Shodo Shonin,
crossed on a bridge, formed by two
snakes, one green, one blue, which
some deity threw across the stream i'm
answer to the saints prayer. General
Grant was offered the privilege of
crossing this bridge when he visited
Iikko but with characteristic modesty
ieclined the honor not given to ordi-
larry mortals.
The broad avenues through the for
st of stately cedars enhance beyond all
ccount the grandeur of the approach
~ Tic J6ulplc5. i UeSe are Dull, court
fter court, up the acclevity Of the hill,
ach court with its gate house and
pecial guardian figures, and granite
teps, up which the long procession OF
RESTS and worshippers marched in i'm
osing array. The influence of a cere-
nonial spectacular worship is strong,
ven in it's decay, for Shinotism and
with all the superstitious
ears they formulate and foster, can
ot long endure in a country of rail-
Dads and telegraphs and newspapers
uch as Japan is now. Pure as the wa
er seems, gushing from the roadside
has filtered through the green mold
f ages of decay, and will poison with
nteric fever those who drink it, So
hese religions Of fear and cruelty must
i've place to the everything gospel OF
)ve and truth.
The impression made upon one on
listing these temples of hoary antiq-
ity, dating back to A. ID. 1916, is not
hat of delight in beauty, but of won