Sporting Notes in the Far East. 107 



I believe as good a pheasant country as any, is beyond Tokio, in 

 the Shirako district. But unfortunately, at nearly all the most 

 likely coverts, one is confronted with a cross board, on which are 

 painted two staring cross European guns ; intimating that these 

 particular plantations are the preserves of the Emperor. Rather 

 absurd as I don't suppose that His Imperial Highness ever shoots, 

 or even knows one end of a gun from another ; without taking into 

 consideration, the nominally few birds that there are to preserve. 



It is greatly against my wish, to detract from the character of the 

 quaint, interesting, and obliging race, that people the islands ruled 

 by the Mikado. But when shooting in Japan, I must warn a " Bird 

 of passage," (not possessing much knowledge of the language), on no 

 account to put any trust in the native shooting guide, be he 

 rickshaw man, tiller of the soil, or professed shikari. For a more 

 stupid, thick headed, and (within the limits of the Treaty ports) 

 avaricious set of individuals, it is impossible to meet. 



They will say anything, and lead you anywhere, for the sake 

 of earning a few cents ; and their regard for the truth is absolutely 

 a minus quantity. 



Many is the time, and oft, when more or less green to Xipon and 

 her ways, have I been sold by these gentry ; and I think one of the 

 most cruel cases in my experience is worth relating. 



I had scrambled out over a bad road, for close on fifteen miles: 

 bound for a place, where I knew there were a few snipe, and 



