The Harrison times., 1911-05-06

the gentlemen nnalIN pdlu TIC
amount demanded, and immediate
~ our coolies were ready to go on.
Ne now fully realized that we had
been the victims OF q case of graft.
The United States is in its infancy
along,ide of Japan i'll its thoroughly
organized system of graft 1t begins
with the lowest coolir. and extends
upwards there is no telling how far.
The unwarv American who thinks
that graft is an american evil solely,
always falls an unhappy victim.
That tea house had given our cool
les all money over and above the
amount of the bill, which they could
squeeze ont of us, because the cool
les had allowed MS to stop there.
Had there been a police anywhere
around this would not have hap
pened as this is one case where the
law favors the European.
On leaving Furuseki, we TOOK the
shortest path which led over an
other mountain range, and it was
not long till we were in the midst OF
such wonderful scenery that wesoon
forgot our troubles in the en- oy ment
of it, and journeyed on in the hap
piest frame Of mind, arriving at the
FujikaWa river at two O'Clock.
After an elaborate tifhn of meats,
timed tamales, eelS and rice. we all
embarked in a sampan for a FIVE
and half hours boat ride down
the largest and widest rapids in
Japan Carried along by the swift
current, our rate varied from three
to twenty miles an hour. The rap
ids followed one another iii quick
succession, but did not at the time
appear to be exceedingly dangerous.
We felt the boat CRATE on the rocks
many times, but the bottom was Of
pliable wood and gave to them, so
that "e could trace our progress
over it bN the bending up Of the
floor, vet the wood was never even
cracked have since found that
many people have lost their lives on
those rocks which form some of the
widest rapids.
After we had sailed along for an
hour, the boatmen suddenly swung
us into shore at a small village and
announced that we would have to
STAY here all nj ght at q certain tea
house, After our first experience,
we recognized graft when it sudden
" loomed up before us, this time,
but we determined not to be brow
beaten, and told them that they
could stay all night, but we would
walk, baggage nevertheless, to Iva
buchi, our destination, at the foot OF
the Fulikawa river, A Japanese
loves to argue and these men had a
great propensity for it, SO sat them
selves down to argue until 1t would
he too lat to shoot the rapids, and
we would be forced to stay.
We let them argue, paying no at
tention to them | have no idea as
to what would have been the out
come if a little policeman had not
suddenly dropped down from some
where. The boatmen had not ex-
pectcd this and the result was won
derful Each man jumped into the
boat like whipped dogs, and with
out another word pulled out into
midStream, and we continued our
ride
We passed numbers of Sampans
being pulled up the stream, a diff
cult task occupying from four to
seven DAYS. The boatmcn, as scan
tiv clad as the law will allow, walk
along the bank pulling the boat by
a rope. and to aid them they hoist a
sail 1t was a picturesque sight to
see these long white boats with
their square white sails outlined
against the dark velvety green OF
the mountains.
The river swept along between
high mountains and rocky cliffs,
which we often narrowly missed
hitting, and finally sudden turn in
it brought us a beautiful view OF
Fuiii, towering high over the inter.
vening ranges, its jagged summit
now clear of clouds. The sunset,
too, was a magnificent sight, the
sky aglow with every color from
copper to palest pink, the noun,
tains standing clear-cut and dar,
against the brilliant background OF
light.
At 9 O'Clock we once more left ouI
shoes outside a Japanese inn, this
one being in the town of lwabudu
a village boasting but one street
Il A.. a.