258 EXTEA.CTS FROM JOURNAL. 



mile towards my destination, steaming as hard as I 

 could, about nine knots. Fortunately the current does 

 not always ran like this. Quantities of duck every- 

 where, mostly mallard. So far as the winter has gone, 

 I think it has been decidedly milder than last. Last 

 summer was exceptionally wet. 



19th. — Thermometer 31°. Went to a favourite old 

 shooting ground. Tango Sango. Everything was just 

 as I left it two years ago — in fact, as I first saw it five 

 years ago ; but the geese, which used to abound in such 

 quantities, have quite forsaken the locality. In look- 

 ing across the country formerly, it appeared as if the 

 fields were covered by a gigantic cobweb; now the 

 Japanese don't find it necessary to erect the long poles in 

 the centre, with straw-roping drawn from the top to the 

 tiny bank surrounding each field, to scare away the birds. 

 The ground was quite white with last night's frost. 



2&th. — At Kobe again. The hills all white with 

 snow this morning. I can only make out three species 

 of seagull in the bay. Went over the hiUs behind the 

 settlement, but it snowed too heavily to see anything. 



27th. — Thermometer 29°. Quantities of snow on 

 the high ground. 



31s*. — Thermometer 31°. Took a long walk over 

 the hills behind the Moon temple. The fir-trees are 

 most beautiful in their white silvery covering. 



