THE INLAND SEA OF JAPAN. 319 



sugar the former at three dollars for a tub of about 

 sixteen gallons, and the latter (refined and white) at 

 about six cents a-pound. Firewood is also exceed- 

 ingly cheap, is in abundance, and might be profitably 

 taken over to China. 



The morning of our fifth day, as the anchor was 

 being raised, presented a most wonderful dawn. 

 First a pale translucent green light filled the whole 

 heaven, gradually changing into a deep ruddy brown, 

 which seemed not so much to colour as to permeate 

 water, islands, and sky, and from that softening into 

 a celestial rosy red. Beside the white castle of a 

 Daimio, near which we had anchored there was the 

 tree-fringed Tocaido the great road which runs the 

 entire length of the three large islands of Japan. 

 Here as elsewhere, where I had the opportunity of 

 travelling upon it, it is a fine white broad road, in 

 excellent repair, with side-walks for foot-passengers, 

 lines of trees on either side, and tea-houses at con- 

 venient distances for the refreshment of travellers. 

 These houses have no furniture beyond the beauti- 

 fully clean matting of their floors ; but, when required, 

 the weary wayfarer will be provided with a stool of 

 some kind, and with a quilt and a small bamboo 

 pillow. Tea, rice, fish, and sweet cakes are served 

 by young female attendants, who take pleasure in 

 making themselves as agreeable as possible, and 

 whose appearance is often very charming, if not 

 strictly beautiful in Western eyes, from their ruddy 



