CHAPTER IV. 



KAMSCHATKA. 



We leave Japan for Kamschatka — Constant fogs — Avatcha Bay — Avatchinska, 

 Koriatska, and Kozelska volcanoes — Beauty of the scenery — Petropaulovsky 

 Harbour — The village and its inhabitants — Dr. Dybowski — Monuments to 

 Bering, Gierke, and De la Perouse — Defeat of the Allied Forces in 1854 — Graves 

 of the English and French — Sledge dogs — We make arrangements for our journey 

 through the country — Village and hot springs of Kluchi. 



A FAVOUKIKG wind and current bore us rapidly from the Liu-kiu 

 Islands towards the Land of the Mikado. Past the Linschotens ; 

 past the wild and rugged coast of the southern part of Nipon ; past 

 Sinioda Harbour, where in the terrible earthquake of 1854 the 

 Eussian frigate Diana was lost ; and lo ! ahnost before we have 

 finished home letters, and written diaries up to date, the sharp 

 rattle of the cable sends a convulsive shudder through our little 

 ship, and we are at anchor in Yokohama Bay. 



Japan ! "What a flood of recollections pour into the mind at the 

 mere mention of the word ! A jjot-pourri of quaint castles and still 

 quainter streets, of jinrickshas and gloomy groves of cryptomerias, 

 of stately Torii and squalid huts, of " curios," lotus ponds, and 

 scarlet maple. Once more one is drinking tea round the Mhachi, 

 or carrying on a flirtation under linguistic difficulties with some 

 bright-eyed, tittering mousvii: once more one is fighting legions 

 of fleas and an equal number of odours in some noisy tea-house. 

 And above all, ever present to our mental vision, and pre-eminently 

 the cosa cli Giappone, Fuji, the sacred mountain, rears his snowy 



