The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-08-04
IN MIKADO'S LAND
Continued from First Page1

the Kanayo and Nikko-owned and
kept by japanese, but run strictly on
the European plan In speaking Of
some of the principal features of Mix
ko, one might mention the curio shops.
where old lacquer and silverware can
be purchased; the fur shops. supplied
from the region about Nikko, where
wild animals abound and where hunt
ing is carried on to a great extent I
must not forget TO mention the Nikko
fur slippers. When tourist arrives in
that place, one of the first things he
does is to purchase a pair of the slip
pers.
In Nikko we remained just two
days, and then our party was dimin-
ished to just we four girls. We pro-
cured guide, who could speak Eng
lish and cook, and then started for
ChuZenZi, a mountain resort within the
Imperial limits, in Sedan chairs, each
carried by four coolies. A hotel had
just been opened in that place, and in
this we were fortunate. Chuzenzi is
right on the border of a lake, where
trout and other fish abound, and
where sport-loving tourists can gain
much pleasure.
Con the way up to the place we stop
ped at a certain tea house. Looking
down upon the stone lamp | saw cut
Wilder No. q / will not deny feeling
a little homesick, but l got to work and
cut directly underneath Wilder No. 8.
We remained in the place overnight
and then went back to Nikko. AS we
left the hotel at Chuzenzi we could
hear the Japanese crying "SayOnara
and asking us to return again. Not un-
til we were at the base of the noun
tain did these cries cease.
eve thought we had seen nearly
everything in Nikko, but in this we
were mistaken, as we found upon re-
turning In this place is to be found
the famous sacred lacquer bridge over
one of the streams. Over this none but
the royalty are allowed to pass. Other
bridges near by are reserved for the
common people.
1.-The Japanese have a story, which
has gone into their history, of the time
when Grant visited Nikko. He was
with party of friends, and had come
to the sacred bridge. The Japanese
keeper, knowing who Grant was,
opened the gate, allowed him to step
upon the bridge, and then closed the
gate again. Grant turned and asked:
Are my friends not allowed in here"
No. came the reply; only you!' Like
an American, Grant answered: We'll,
what's good enough for my friends is
good enough for me- With this he
turned, was allowed to go out, and, re-
joining his friends, crossed over on the
bridge for common folks.
81 must say that we liked NikkO so
well that we returned three times. The
houses in that place, as well as all
over Japan, are not built upon founda-
lions in the ground. They simply rest
with their corner posts on huge rocks,
so that when the earthquakes come the
houses simply sway with the ground.
After one week in Nikko we took a
sampan, put all our luggage aboard,
and crossed over ChuzenZi Lake. The
other side reached, we dressed in BIZ
cycle costume, tied Japanese sandals
over our other shoes, and walked 10
miles through the Chuzenzi pass, a
rough, tiresome journey, to Akakura.
the great copper mining country, where
white women before us were never
seen. Gangs of a hundred or more
japanese never ceased to follow us
around, gazing at us and making re-
marks, of which I was unable to catch
the drift
From this place we went in jinriki-
shas to a tea house in Ashio, where
we remained 10 days. To give you some
idea of the cheapness of living in Jap
an, I would say that, counting the four
girls and the guide, it cost us II yen
($S.50) for rooms and the finest of
board for 10 days. Kane, our Japanese
guide, a homely but faithful fellow,
was simply indispensable.
"At Ashio we donned Japanese
clothes and proceeded on a rough 80
mile trip on foot to the figured rocks
at Chosinjin. Half of the distance was
up and the other half down hill. do
not think that l shall attempt the trip
again. The rocks we went to see are
shaped naturally into heads of ami
mails and people. In the valley is a
natural bridge, to fall from which
would mean to be dashed to pieces a
thousand feet below.
1--WE called on the Japanese priest in
the Shinto temple in this forlorn place.
He explained that Japanese women
were never seen there. and that it had
been 80 years since a white woman
had crossed his patch. Upon eXamln-
ing the register we found that in 10
years but seven white men had visited
Chosinjin When we got back to our
jinrikishas we found a. crowd Of about
400 Japanese awaiting us. Our carriers
had spread the alarm We got back
to Ashio tired and ready for bed.
From Ashio we took horses over
the Shibu Pass. Beware of the short, |
animals that the Japanese dig
Nifty by the name of horse. They are
to their drivers only. One
may be standing still and you can
shout and strike the animal as much |
Is you like. He will not bulge. At the |
word "Hiako' he will start on a run, /
md you can pull your arms off for all |
he good it will do. He will not stop |
Unless the driver shouts Matt" We /
'eturned to Nikko by different road, /
md from there went back to Yokoha- !
ma. where we were just in time to |
ime to catch the steamer for our good /