184 
BOKENGEE VALLEY. 
The Bokengee Valley is a beautiful one ; it leads up 
between two pretty green hills covered with brush- 
wood, evergreen oaks, and pines. The same 
solemn stillness seemed to reign amongst the 
temples as I had observed on a former occasion, 
broken only at intervals by some priest loudly re- 
hearsing his prayers. At the principal entrance of 
this temple there are some large examples of the 
double-blossomed cherry-tree. One of these was 
one mass of bloom, and very handsome it appeared. 
The broad cleanly-swept walk below it was covered 
with thousands of its petals, which were falling 
like thin flakes of snow. 
On the 7th of May I left Yokuhama, and crossed 
the bay to Kanagawa, where I took up my quarters 
in a large temple which had been rented and fitted 
up by Messrs. Dent and Co. ; but as they had re- 
moved their establishment to Yokuhama, it was 
now unoccupied. Had I searched all Japan I could 
not have found a place better fitted for my pur- 
suits. I had large rooms and verandahs in which 
I could prepare and store my coflections of dried 
plants, seeds, insects, and shells, while the garden 
afforded ample space for the living plants which 
I was daily adding to my stores, and hoped 
one day to introduce into Europe. A Japanese 
porter, a gardener, Tunga, and myself, were the 
only occupants of this temple ; and I must have 
had more confidence in the natives than perhaps 
was prudent, for my doors were never locked, 
neither by night nor by day. Itinerant florists 
