THE INLAND SEA REVISITED. 59 



lakes, white herons, storks, wild ducks, and so on; 

 creepers and ferns, hanging from moss-covered rocks, 

 dripping water, and, in fact, every description of garden 

 peculiar to the Japanese style. 



How fresh, green, and cool these tastefully arranged 

 and carefully cared for Japanese homes are ! The dis- 

 position or nature of people who universally show such 

 taste and love for all that is pleasing and beautiful in 

 nature, cannot, in my own humble opinion, be bad. 

 There must be a considerable amount of inherent kind- 

 ness, goodness, and gentleness in them; and this, I 

 think, is most strongly shown in the Japanese race. 



Simonosaki is a busy place. Eice from the north 

 reaches here in straw bags carried on ponies' backs, and 

 thence is shipped to all parts of the country. In walking 

 along the streets, candle-manufactories are conspicuoiis. 

 These articles are made from the wax which is extracted 

 from the berries of a species of mulberry-tree, the 

 wick being a rush. The berries are first boiled, under 

 which process the greater part becomes wax, of a sub- 

 stance softer than manufactured beeswax, and lighter 

 in colour. In making the candles, the rush is dipped 

 into the hot wax, pulled out and rubbed smooth with 

 the hand ; when hard enough, the same process is gone 

 over again, until sufficient wax has adhered to form the 



