PAST AND PEESENT. 229 



the mountains was a most keen talker on physical geo- 

 graphy and history. The amount of information the 

 old man possessed was wonderful. He gave me the 

 Japanese theory of a great flood — the Flood — as 

 follows : — " 2200 years ago Japan was covered with 

 water, and every living thing was drowned. Heaven 

 then opened, and a male and female of the human race 

 were dropped on the highest mountain, as the water 

 receded. Japan was again rcpeopled." My host was 

 an inveterate saki drinker, and went through the 

 operation in the most matter-of-fact way. He drank 

 it hot and sweetened, and I am bound to say I found 

 it exceedingly nice taken in this way. As soon as he 

 could drink no more, he lay down and slept the effects 

 off. In about an hour he seemed to rouse up as fresh as 

 a lark, and turn to his books at once, and hot saki at 

 the same time. This process went on all day long, 

 the younger priests performing the necessary religious 

 routine. I must in justice say that my friend's par- 

 tiality for strong waters was exceptional, the Japanese 

 generally being, as I have before remarked, very 

 temperate. Notwithstanding his constant and sudden 

 collapsing, I found him a most entertaining host, and 

 spent the wet days, when confined to the temple, most 

 agreeably. Deer barked all day long in the thick wood 



