washed；　are　constantly　worn；　night　and　day；　as　long　as　they　will
  hold　together。　　They　seal　up　their　houses　as　hermetically　as　they
  can　at　night；　and　herd　together　in　numbers　in　one　sleeping…room；
  with　its　atmosphere　vitiated；　to　begin　with；　by　charcoal　and
  tobacco　fumes；　huddled　up　in　their　dirty　garments　in　wadded　quilts；
  which　are　kept　during　the　day　in　close　cupboards；　and　are　seldom
  washed　from　one　year's　end　to　another。　　The　tatami；　beneath　a
  tolerably　fair　exterior；　swarm　with　insect　life；　and　are
  receptacles　of　dust；　organic　matters；　etc。　　The　hair；　which　is
  loaded　with　oil　and　bandoline；　is　dressed　once　a　week；　or　less
  often　in　these　districts；　and　it　is　unnecessary　to　enter　into　any
  details　regarding　the　distressing　results；　and　much　besides　may　be
  left　to　the　imagination。　　The　persons　of　the　people；　especially　of
  the　children；　are　infested　with　vermin；　and　one　fruitful　source　of
  skin　sores　is　the　irritation　arising　from　this　cause。　　The　floors
  of　houses；　being　concealed　by　mats；　are　laid　down　carelessly　with
  gaps　between　the　boards；　and；　as　the　damp　earth　is　only　18　inches
  or　2　feet　below；　emanations　of　all　kinds　enter　the　mats　and　pass
  into　the　rooms。
  The　houses　in　this　region　（and　I　believe　everywhere）　are
  hermetically　sealed　at　night；　both　in　summer　and　winter；　the　amado；
  which　are　made　without　ventilators；　literally　boxing　them　in；　so
  that；　unless　they　are　falling　to　pieces；　which　is　rarely　the　case；
  none　of　the　air　vitiated　by　the　breathing　of　many　persons；　by　the
  emanations　from　their　bodies　and　clothing；　by　the　miasmata　produced
  by　defective　domestic　arrangements；　and　by　the　fumes　from　charcoal
  hibachi；　can　ever　be　renewed。　　Exercise　is　seldom　taken　from
  choice；　and；　unless　the　women　work　in　the　fields；　they　hang　over
  charcoal　fumes　the　whole　day　for　five　months　of　the　year；　engaged
  in　interminable　processes　of　cooking；　or　in　the　attempt　to　get
  warm。　　Much　of　the　food　of　the　peasantry　is　raw　or　half…raw　salt
  fish；　and　vegetables　rendered　indigestible　by　being　coarsely
  pickled；　all　bolted　with　the　most　marvellous　rapidity；　as　if　the
  one　object　of　life　were　to　rush　through　a　meal　in　the　shortest
  possible　time。　　The　married　women　look　as　if　they　had　never　known
  youth；　and　their　skin　is　apt　to　be　like　tanned　leather。　　At
  Kayashima　I　asked　the　house…master's　wife；　who　looked　about　fifty；
  how　old　she　was　（a　polite　question　in　Japan）；　and　she　replied
  twenty…twoone　of　many　similar　surprises。　　Her　boy　was　five　years
  old；　and　was　still　unweaned。
  This　digression　disposes　of　one　aspect　of　the　population。　｛11｝
  LETTER　XII（Concluded）
  A　Japanese　FerryA　Corrugated　RoadThe　Pass　of　SannoVarious
  VegetationAn　Unattractive　UndergrowthPreponderance　of　Men。
  We　changed　horses　at　Tajima；　formerly　a　daimiyo's　residence；　and；
  for　a　Japanese　town；　rather　picturesque。　　It　makes　and　exports
  clogs；　coarse　pottery；　coarse　lacquer；　and　coarse　baskets。
  After　travelling　through　rice…fields　varying　from　thirty　yards
  square　to　a　quarter　of　an　acre；　with　the　tops　of　the　dykes　utilised
  by　planting　dwarf　beans　along　them；　we　came　to　a　large　river；　the
  Arakai；　along　whose　affluents　we　had　been　tramping　for　two　days；
  and；　after　passing　through　several　filthy　villages；　thronged　with
  filthy　and　industrious　inhabitants；　crossed　it　in　a　scow。　　High
  forks　planted　securely　in　the　bank　on　either　side　sustained　a　rope
  formed　of　several　strands　of　the　wistaria　knotted　together。　　One
  man　hauled　on　this　hand　over　hand；　another　poled　at　the　stern；　and
  the　rapid　current　did　the　rest。　　In　this　fashion　we　have　crossed
  many　rivers　subsequently。　　Tariffs　of　charges　are　posted　at　all
  ferries；　as　well　as　at　all　bridges　where　charges　are　made；　and　a
  man　sits　in　an　office　to　receive　the　money。
  The　country　was　really　very　beautiful。　　The　views　were　wider　and
  finer　than　on　the　previous　days；　taking　in　great　sweeps　of　peaked
  mountains；　wooded　to　their　summits；　and　from　the　top　of　the　Pass　of
  Sanno　the　clustered　peaks　were　glorified　into　unearthly　beauty　in　a
  golden　mist　of　evening　sunshine。　　I　slept　at　a　house　combining　silk
  farm；　post　office；　express　office；　and　daimiyo's　rooms；　at　the
  hamlet　of　Ouchi；　prettily　situated　in　a　valley　with　mountainous
  surroundings；　and；　leaving　early　on　the　following　morning；　had　a
  very　grand　ride；　passing　in　a　crateriform　cavity　the　pretty　little
  lake　of　Oyake；　and　then　ascending　the　magnificent　pass　of　Ichikawa。
  We　turned　off　what；　by　ironical　courtesy；　is　called　the　main　road；
  upon　a　villainous　track；　consisting　of　a　series　of　lateral
  corrugations；　about　a　foot　broad；　with　depressions　between　them
  more　than　a　foot　deep；　formed　by　the　invariable　treading　of　the
  pack…horses　in　each　other's　footsteps。　　Each　hole　was　a　quagmire　of
  tenacious　mud；　the　ascent　of　2400　feet　was　very　steep；　and　the　mago
  adjured　the　animals　the　whole　time　with　Hai！　Hai！　Hai！　which　is
  supposed　to　suggest　to　them　that　extreme　caution　is　requisite。
  Their　shoes　were　always　coming　untied；　and　they　wore　out　two　sets
  in　four　miles。　　The　top　of　the　pass；　like　that　of　a　great　many
  others；　is　a　narrow　ridge；　on　the　farther　side　of　which　the　track
  dips　abruptly　into　a　tremendous　ravine；　along　whose　side　we
  descended　for　a　mile　or　so　in　company　with　a　river　whose
  reverberating　thunder　drowned　all　attempts　at　speech。　　A　glorious
  view　it　was；　looking　down　between　the　wooded　precipices　to　a
  rolling　wooded　plain；　lying　in　depths　of　indigo　shadow；　bounded　by
  ranges　of　wooded　mountains；　and　overtopped　by　heights　heavily
  splotched　with　snow！　　The　vegetation　was　significant　of　a　milder
  climate。　　The　magnolia　and　bamboo　re…appeared；　and　tropical　ferns
  mingled　with　the　beautiful　blue　hydrangea；　the　yellow　Japan　lily；
  and　the　great　blue　campanula。　　There　was　an　ocean　of　trees
  entangled　with　a　beautiful　trailer　（Actinidia　polygama）　with　a
  profusion　of　white　leaves；　which；　at　a　distance；　look　like　great
  clusters　of　white　blossoms。　　But　the　rank　undergrowth　of　the
  forests　of　this　region　is　not　attractive。　　Many　of　its　component
  parts　deserve　the　name　of　weeds；　being　gawky；　ragged　umbels；　coarse
  docks；　rank　nettles；　and　many　other　things　which　I　don't　know；　and
  never　wish　to　see　again。　　Near　the　end　of　this　descent　my　mare　took
  the　bit　between　her　teeth　and　carried　me　at　an　ungainly　gallop　into
  the　beautifully　situated；　precipitous　village　of　Ichikawa；　which　is
  absolutely　saturated　with　moisture　by　the　spray　of　a　fine　waterfall
  which　tumbles　through　the　middle　of　it；　and　its　trees　and　road…side
  are　green　with　the　Protococcus　viridis。　　The　Transport　Agent　there
  was　a　woman。　　Women　keep　yadoyas　and　shops；　and　cultivate　farms　as
  freely　as　men。　　Boards　giving　the　number　of　inhabitants；　male　and
  female；　and　the　number　of　horses　and　bullocks；　are　put　up　in　each
  village；　and　I　noticed　in　Ichikawa；　as　everywhere　hitherto；　that
  men　preponderate。　｛12｝　　I。　L。　B。
  LETTER　XIII
  The　Plain　of　WakamatsuLight　CostumeThe　Takata　CrowdA　Congress
  of　SchoolmastersTimidity　of　a　CrowdBad　RoadsVicious　Horses
  Mountain　SceneryA　Picturesque　InnSwallowing　a　Fish…bone
  Poverty　and　SuicideAn　Inn…kitchenEngland　Unknown！My　Breakfast
  Disappears。
  KURUMATOGE；　June　30。
  A　short　ride　took　us　from　Ichikawa　to　a　plain　about　eleven　miles
  broad　by　eighteen　long。　　The　large　town　of　Wakamatsu　stands　near
  its　southern　end；　and　it　is　sprinkled　with　towns　and　villages。　　The
  great　lake　of　Iniwashiro　is　not　far　off。　　The　plain　is　rich　and
  fertile。　　In　the　distance　the　steep　roofs　of　its　villages；　with
  their　groves；　look　very　picturesque。　　As　usual　not　a　fence　or　gate
  is　to　be　seen；　or　any　other　hedge　than　the　tall　one　used　as　a
  screen　for　the　dwellings　of　the　richer　farmers。
  Bad　roads　and　bad　horses　detracted　from　my　enjoyment。　　One　hour　of
  a　good　horse　would　have　carried　me　across　the　plain；　as　it　was；
  seven　weary　hours　were　expended　upon　it。　　The　day　degenerated；　and
  closed　in　still；　hot　rain；　the　air　was　stifling　and　electric；　the
  saddle　slipped　constantly　from　being　too　big；　the　shoes　were　more
  than　usually　troublesome；　the　horseflies　tormented；　and　the　men　and
  horses　crawled。　　The　rice…fields　were　undergoing　a　second　process
  of　puddling；　and　many　of　the　men　engaged　in　it　wore　only　a　hat；　and
  a　fan　attached　to　the　girdle。
  An　avenue　of　cryptomeria　and　two　handsome　and　somewhat　gilded
  Buddhist　temples　denoted　the　approach　to　a　place　of　some
  importance；　and　such　Takata　is；　as　being　a　large　town　with　a
  considerable　trade　in　silk；　rope；　and　minjin；　and　the　residence　of
  one　of　the　higher　officials　of　the　ken　or　prefecture。　　The　street
  is　a　mile　long；　and　every　house　is　a　shop。　　The　general　aspect　is
  mean　and　forlorn。　　In　these　little…travelled　districts；　as　soon　as
  one　reaches　the　margin　of　a　town；　the　first　man　one　meets　turns　and
  flies　down　the　street；　calling　out　the　Japanese　equivalent　of
  〃Here's　a　foreigner！〃　and　soon　blind　and　seeing；　old　and　young；
  clothed　and　naked；　gather　together。　　At　the　yadoya　the　crowd
  assembled　in　such　force　that　the　house…master　removed　me　to　some
  pretty　rooms　in　a　garden；　but　then　the　adults　climbed　on　the　house…
  roofs　which　overlooked　it；　and　the　children　on　a　palisade　at　the
  end；　which　broke　down　under　their　weight；　and　admitted　the　whole
  in