Morris tribune., 1906-07-14

mlgnt come, we were left to our re-
pose, When the light was out strange
noises were heard, noises as of the
sound OF many pattering feet. A
clatter at the head of my bed brought
me up with jerk and I reached for
the candle, but it was not. I lighted
the lamp and soon found the candle
over in another corner of the room on
platform two feet high. Rats! Dur
ing the remainder Ct was going to
say "rest'') of the night we had the
pleasure of watching six big rats
chase each other about the room. Now
Japanese inns stand for Gratis" in my
mind. Next day to get even, nearly
put this linn, rats and all, out of bust
ness by knocking over a lighted lamp
with my head. I had been sitting on
the floor la Japanese and upon ris-
ing struck the lamp which was sus-
pended from the low ceiling. In a
minute there was some excitement
which was reserved for me alone. For
minute [ was volunteer fire brigade
but no damage was done to me or to
the inn save thai the mattings of the
latter were redolent of Standard Oil.
The next night was spent in a
Japanese sleeping car. This was small
but modern everything here that is
comfortable is modern.)
We spent week in Kyoto, the old
capital of Japan and the most distinc-
lively native city in the empire.
With a population of over half million
it presents the peculiar characteristics
of the Oriental city. When you re-
member that for the most part these
cities are composed of one and two
story houses, you will easily see
that they must have vast extent to
accommodate such large numbers.
Even the two story houses are not
higher than our one story affairs, for
the ceilings are very low and the low
er floor rests practically on the
ground.
The chief sights in Japan are the
temples and there are many of them
but after you have seen a few, you
are then quite ready to look at the
surroundings of the temples rather
than at the ediices themselves
The temple is usually situated in
IN the midst of natural park and the
trees are old and stately. The temples
of Kyota were to my mind, the finest
we saw. Especially stately and dig
nified were the two belonging to the
Hongwanji section. The lines of the
roofs were graceful and the exterior
decorations were less ornate and ugly
than those of most of the temples.
While the interiors were almost free
from those touches which are repul-
sive to the eye and the religious sense.
Of course know I am not ORTIZ odox
in my judgement of temples,-H l
were I should be compelled to rave
over the Mikko temples for they
are supposed to be 1.-THE" temples
temples of Japan.
From Kyoto we made several side
trips. One day we went to Lake
Biwa, the largest body of fresh water
in Japan. 1t is picturesquely situated
and the surrounding countryabounds in
legend and myth. We went across the
lake in steamer to visit famous
pine tree which spreads it's branches
for hundreds of feet. 1t is low and
big and awkward. We returned to
Kyoto by way of the Biwa canal. The
UNIQUE feature is that it traverses
nearly two miles of tunnels before 1t
reaches Kyoto. One tunnel is mile
and half long. The scheme was first
projected by a student in the Onlver-
sity in a graduation thesis. Later ne
was put in charge of the construction.
A weird sensation is experienced as
you are carried along in the blackness
with no light save torch. Occasion
ally your craft strikes a heavy barge
which is being pulled along in the OPP
posite direction by means of a cable
which extends along the side. The
fall from the terminus of the canal to
the lower canal and river is too great
to make locks practicable and SO they