176 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



the bay, and we walked, for two hours, in deep sand and crushqd shells, around curve and head- 

 land. It was very toilsome work, especially as the glare of the sand struck directly in our 

 faces. The beach was narrow and bordered with thick hedges of the pandanus, the fruit of 

 which resembles that of the pine apple. The mountains on our left were wild and uncultivated. 

 There were occasional paths striking up their sides ; but, although the compass told us that the 

 shore-path led us out of our true course, the guide refused to take any of them. At the end of 

 two hours we reached a large village, where the guide, who had followed us from "Isitza," 

 levied a substitute and turned back. A two-masted junk, of thirty or forty tons burden, lay at 

 anchor in a cove near this place. We were now approaching the northern extremity of Barrow's 

 Bay, and had a full view of the long headland south of it, and the four islands which lie, like a 

 breakwater, across its mouth. The bay appeared to be extremely shallow, except near the 

 entrance ; and I doubt whether it would be of much value, as a harbor, for shij^ping of large size. 

 The path, finally, turned off to the north, up a steep hill, which brought us upon a rolling 

 upland, covered with abundance of wood. The mountains we had passed exhibited an outline 

 similar to the Catskills, and there was nothing in the scenery to remind us of the vicinity of the 

 tropics. We i^resently entered a fine, broad avenue of pines, at the extremity of which appeared 

 a handsome house, with a tiled roof. Our native conductors passed on into some bamboo arches, 

 which denoted a village beyond ; but I slipped suddenly into the open entrance and found a 

 spacious house in the midst of a garden, with a small Buddhist temple beside it. Quick as my 

 motions had been, the mats were already let down before all the doors, and nobody was to be 

 seen. Before the house was a plant about ten feet high^ with large scarlet panicles of flowers. 

 I had barely time to break off a cluster when one of our officers came hurrying up and urged 

 me, by signs and words, to leave, saying that the Bunyo, or Governor, as he designated Mr. 

 Jones, had gone on. I, therefore, followed him through the village to a Cung-qua, which was 

 larger and finer than any we had yet seen. It was like an elegant jjrivate residence; having a 

 garden, enclosed by a squarO;, clipped hedge of jessamine, and a separate establishment for 

 servants and attendants. There were rows of chrysanthemums (a flower much esteemed by the 

 Japanese) and two peach trees in the garden, besides a stout camellia, clipped into a fanciful 

 shape. We installed ourselves in the chief apartment, on the soft matting, while the Pe-ching 

 and his train took the other building. The only supplies we could procure were raw salt fish and 

 sweet potatoes, with some roots of a native onion, pickled in salt. Neither fowls nor eggs could 

 be found. The natives gave the name of the village as "Ching," which, being a Chinese word, 

 is evidently incorrect ; but we could get no other. The paper screens between the rooms were 

 removed on our arrival, tea was brought in_, and the natives busied themselves to make us com- 

 fortable; but the same unrelaxing espionage, as at "Missikya," was kept up through the whole 

 night. Again camp-fires were kindled and guards posted around us, while crowds of curious 

 natives peeped from behind the bushes and walls to gratify their desire of seeing us. Mr. 

 Heine, who had the first watch, went out to the camp fire, showed the people his watch, and 

 other curiosities, and soon had a large crowd of villagers gathered about him ; but one of the 

 officers making his appearance, a single word of command scattered them in all directions, and 

 they did not return again. In the evening I offered a handful of cash to one of the boys who 

 had accompanied us from Napha. He refused it very earnestly, as there were two other boys 

 standing near ; but, watching an opportunity, when he was alone, I offered it again, when he 

 immediately accepted it, with gestures expressive of his thanks. 



