134 THE KII COAST. 



Japanese hunters were placed to mark any game started, 

 and 1 shall never forget their astonishment and delight 

 when my second shot entered piggie's carcass between 

 the shoulders, killing him stone dead on the spot. The 

 distance and deadliness of the "Express rifle" was always 

 a cause of wonder to the Japanese. This particular boar 

 was about 200 yards off. With their own matchlocks, 

 firing a bullet as large as a big pea, they make excellent 

 shooting up to seventy yards, killing pheasants and 

 other birds, besides boar and deer. The latter are 

 hardly ever killed dead, but are wounded, and run 

 down with dogs. I have already remarked that deer 

 almost always take to the water when hunted by 

 Japanese dogs. I have seen them swim long distances, 

 crossing bays and arms of the sea. 



In October 1874 I had to make an excursion to 

 Odai Yama, the high peak before mentioned. Two 

 days were spent in reaching it, and a very hard 

 climb it was. A few hours after we started the first 

 crest was reached, and we looked back towards the 

 east from a height of 3000 feet, while to the west 

 range after range of mountains still rose before us. 

 Shortly afterwards we had descended to only 1000 

 feet above the sea, but towards evening had again 

 reached the height of 4000 feet. From here the path 



