VISIT 
TEMPLE. 
223 
scenery can be obtained. We ascended one of 
these, and were kindly received by the priests 
attached to the temple. Some fine fresh fruit of 
the loquat, and sundry cups of very good tea, 
were presented to us, and a visitors’ book was 
brought in which to insert our names. This book 
contained the names of many distinguished Ja- 
panese who had honoured the place with a visit ; 
and numerous sketches and scraps of poetry, com- 
posed upon the spot, recorded the beauties of the 
situation and the fine views which it commanded. 
The book was examined with much interest by the 
members of our little party, and Dr. Dickson pro- 
posed to buy it, offering the munificent sum of 
fourpence halfpenny as an inducement to the priest 
to part with it. The Japanese are certainly a 
curious people ; they will sell anything for money. 
The priest took the tempos, and Dr. Dickson carried 
off the visitors’ book with its valuable autographs, 
clever sketches, and immortal poetry. After visit- 
ing some other places of interest, we returned to 
our inn, having been everywhere received with the 
greatest politeness by the people. 
We occupied a suite of rooms upstairs. They 
communicated with each other by sliding doors made 
of paper pasted over a wooden frame ; these doors 
could be taken out, and the whole flat converted 
into one room when required. The room in which 
we dined looked out upon the sea, and the high 
road of the town was under our windows. As the 
weather was exceedingly warm, the windows were 
