THE KII COAST. 137 



very nearly met a bear as he crossed a tiny stream, and 

 but for my anxiety to reach the top early for the pur- 

 pose of taking observations, I could easily have followed 

 the animal until I came upon him, probably up an oak- 

 tree enjoying the ripe acorns. A nigou, Antilope 

 crispa, the Japanese chamois, passed like a shadow 

 across the tall tree-stems. I fired a couple of snap 

 shots at him, but unsuccessfully. The view from the top 

 was very beautiful. Fusi Yama, the sacred mountain of 

 Japan, rose like a great white mass of sugar out of mist 

 and haze, as the crow flies 150 miles from where I 

 stood. I was able to take angles with the theodolite 

 at objects, such as a single conspicuous tree, fifty miles 

 away. During the time I remained at the summit a 

 wolf, evidently much puzzled at our intrusion on his 

 hunting-grounds, kept howling, scarcely 200 yards off. 

 I remained four days at this wild, elevated spot, 

 returning by a different way, which in distance and 

 time was much the same as that by which I ascended. 

 This upper range of mountains I found to be covered 

 with primeval forest. Oak of large size flourished. 

 Chestnut came the next in quantity. On the very 

 summit itself several species of fir grew in profusion. 

 The Hinoki, Cryptomeria Japonica, appeared to take 

 the lead in size and number. Picea Veitchii was the 



