Chap. VI. 
AVENUES AND GROVES. 
to admit that nothing in England even could he 
compared to them. Large avenues and groves 
of pines, particularly of Cryptomeria . , were fre- 
quently met with, fringing the roads, and afford- 
ing most delicious shade from the rays of the sun. 
Now and then magnificent hedges were observed, 
composed sometimes of evergreen oaks of various 
species, sometimes of Cryptomeria japonica and 
other evergreens. These were kept carefully 
clipped, and in some instances they were trained to 
a great height, reminding one of those high hedges 
of holly or yew which may frequently be met with 
in the parks or gardens of our English nobility. 
Everywhere the cottages and farm-houses had a 
neat and clean appearance, such as I had never 
observed in any other part of the East. Fre- 
quently we came upon tea-houses for the refresh- 
ment of travellers ; and these had little gardens 
and fish-ponds in their rear, of which glimpses 
were obtained as we rode slowly by. The scene 
was always changing and always beautiful — hill 
and valley, broad roads and shaded lanes, houses 
and gardens, with a people industrious, but un- 
oppressed with toil, and apparently happy and 
contented. 
Such is the appearance of the sylvan scenery 
in the vicinity of Yedo. I could scarcely fancy 
myself on the borders of one of the largest and 
most populous cities in the East, with a popula- 
tion of two millions of human beings, and cover- 
ing nearly a hundred square miles of land. As 
