Cha.. xix.] WORSHIP OF THE WHITE HORSE. 41 7 



Japanese coast, a flock of about 20 Swallows {Hirundo rustica) 

 came to rest on the rigging. They were very tired, and allowed 

 themselves to be caught with the hand. Yokohama was at 

 length reached on April nth. 



At Japan I had the good fortune to become acquainted 

 with Mr. F. V. Dickins, a barrister, practising at Yokohama, 

 who is an accomplished Japanese scholar, and at the same 

 time deeply versed and interested in all branches of science. 

 I am mainly indebted to him for what little knowledge I 

 gained of the country. I travelled with him overland from 

 Kioto to Yokohama. 



I have never met with any persons, whether naval officers 

 or members of other professions, or ordinary travellers who 

 have been to Japan, who did not wish to go there again, so 

 charming are the people, and so full of interest to every one 

 is the country and its belongings. 



No traveller can fail to be impressed by the great powers 

 of endurance shown by the Japanese coolies. Two coolies 

 will drag a man in a jinriksha a distance of 30 miles in six 

 hours, along a road anything but good. The same two men 

 dragged me at a fair pace 30 miles on each of two successive 

 days. 



When great speed is required, three coolies are taken, and 

 as they run they encourage one another all the way with 

 shouts, " quickly," " quickly," " now pull up," and so on, and 

 when several jinrikshas are travelling together, the shouting 

 reminds one of a pack of hounds in cry. The coolies only 

 get from four to six shillings apiece for such a day's hard 

 work. 



I travelled more than 200 miles in this way with Mr. 

 Dickins along the great military road between the two capitals, 

 called the Tokaido (East sea road). The start was from Kobe. 

 Here 1 was delighted to see a Sacred White Horse kept in a 

 stall at one of the temples. The Japanese came up one after 

 another and uttered a short prayer before the horse, clapping 

 their hands reverently together in the attitude of prayer. 

 Close by an old man sold small measurefuls of boiled maize 

 to be given as offerings. I bought a measureful for the horse, 

 which responded with alacrity to that form of worship, and I 

 could not help going through the other form as well in memory 

 of ancient reverence for the white horse in my own country. 



There seems to be a parallel for everything European in 

 Japan, even for the most out-of-the-way customs. At Kama 

 Nisigamo, near Kioto, on the slope of a hill called I-)aimogiyama, 

 is a huge representation of the written character " dai," " great." 

 Thia is cut out on ihc hill side. 



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