Sporting Notes in the Far East. 1 1 1 



the hands exceedingly shaky. The natives say that they are much 

 troubled by pig and deer, and so build these walls as a protection 

 for their crops. 



We tried the stream for trout, as far up as four miles from the 

 mouth, but up to that point we neither saw, nor caught, one little 

 fish. 



KOBE. 



Not long ago, I was glancing over a small book on the " Coasts 

 of Japan," written by an observant and clever naturalist, in the early 

 days of Japan's intercourse with the outside world ; and from the 

 notes contained, the surroundings of Kobe a couple of decades back, 

 must have been a veritable home for the sportsman. Now all this 

 is past and gone ! and at the present time, a man who manages to 

 return from shooting with two brace of pheasants, and a couple 

 of cock in his game bag, is considered more than lucky. 



One likely beat, to pick up a pheasant or two, is on the low 

 hills, on the far side of the mountain range, through which the road 

 to Arima passes. A dog is necessary, and if birds are to be found 

 at all, it will be in the low scrub, adjoining the detached patches 



of rice fields ; or if the sun be very hot, basking and sunning them- 







selves on the higher ground. The simplest method to reach this 

 country, is to hire a two-man jinrickshaw for the day ; drive to the 

 foot of the hills ; time, twenty-five minutes good going ; then get 



