MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



517 



to the opposite side, and entered 

 a deep woody valley, in which 

 there was a brook : we seated 

 ourselves in a concealed place, 

 and kindled a fire to dry our 

 clothes and warm us, for the 

 weather was extremely cold and 

 windy; and having gathered some 

 wild garlic and water-angelica, 

 we cooked and eat it. These 

 herbs were, however, none of the 

 most palatable, and without the 

 addition of other food, such as a 

 handful of beans orrice, we could 

 not possibly have eaten them. I 

 lost all appetite, though I drank 

 considerable quantities of water 

 wherever it was to be found. We 

 now began to consider how we 

 should furnish ourselves with pro- 

 visions ; and our situation ren- 

 dered it necessary that we should 

 search for a convenient place in 

 the forest, where we might repose 

 and recover our strength, which, 

 owing to want of sustenance, and 

 excessive fatigue, was nearly ex- 

 hausted. Unfortunately for us, 

 the hills at a certain distance from 

 the shore were completely barren ; 

 and, at every three wersts, there 

 were villages, whose inhabitants 

 were, during the day, continually 

 going backward and forward to 

 the forest. In the day-time, it 

 was, therefore, impossible to con- 

 ceal ourselves close to the shore, 

 and we were obliged before sun- 

 rise, to hasten across the hills into 

 the forest, and when night ap- 

 proached again to direct our 

 weary steps towards the sea. 

 When we reached the beach, we 

 were usually so overcome with 

 fatigue, that we were scarcely 

 able to move along. We wished 

 to procure a supply of provisions, 

 but we determined that nothing 



but the most urgent necessity 

 should induce us to resort to mea- 

 sures of violence, which might 

 irritate the Japanese, and give 

 them reason to guard their coasts 

 more strictly. Our great object 

 was to obtain, as speedily as pos- 

 sible, possession of a vessel, con- 

 fident that it would, according to 

 the Japanese custom, be plenti- 

 fully supplied with provisions and 

 fresh water. W^e likewise re- 

 solved, when we shodld be passing 

 through the villages, to seaftcU 

 for the spot where the Japanese 

 lay out their fish to dry, or;';'if 

 possible, to catch two or three 

 horses in the fields, carry them 

 into the forest, and kill them and 

 live upon their flesh, 



At sunset, we quitted our hid- 

 ing place, and proceeded, as usual, 

 to grope our way to the coast. 

 The obstacles which we before 

 had to contend with were now 

 increased ; the valleys were deeper 

 than any we had hitherto met 

 with, the rivulets flowed with 

 violence, and in wading through 

 them the water frequently rose 

 above our waists: in addition 

 to this, the rain poured in tor- 

 rents, so that we found it impos- 

 sible to lie down on the grass 

 to rest. 



We this night encountered two 

 adventures. Close to the shore, 

 at some distance from us, we 

 beheld a flame, which, however, 

 suddenly vanished at our approach. 

 On reaching the spot where we 

 had seen it, we discovered an 

 extremely high rock, but nei- 

 ther hole nor hut from which 

 flame could have issued. It was, 

 perhaps, merely the effect of 

 illusion. 



We now descended into a deep 



valley, 



