Chap. XIV. 
SACRED STONE. 
235 
was pointed out which could cure ophthalmia ; 
and we were gravely assured by our guide that 
any one afflicted with sore eyes, which are very 
common in Japan, as well as in China, had only to 
look upon this image and be healed. 
Among the other wonders of the- place was a 
sacred stone, curiously formed by nature, and appa- 
rently slightly assisted by art. This stone had the 
remarkable property, we were told, of rendering 
barren women fruitful. Ladies came from afar to 
worship it, and at the same time to turn their faces 
towards the holy mountain, which is said to be one 
of the conditions to ensure a successful issue. A 
box is duly provided for the reception of offerings, 
which shows that there is some one who is pre- 
pared to profit by the superstitions of his country- 
women. We are surprised and we pity the poor 
Japanese for their superstitious delusions, and yet, 
if one of them were to write an account of his 
travels amongst ourselves, could he not tell his 
countrymen that in enlightened England, in the 
nineteenth century, a class of persons gain a 
livelihood by telling the fortunes of our servant- 
girls, and sometimes of their mistresses, and pror 
mising them rich husbands, horses and carriages, 
and lots of romping children ? With these things 
in our minds we should not be too hard on the 
superstitions of the good ladies who visit the sacred 
stone at Kamakura. 
The afternoon was now getting cool, for the sun 
was sinking rapidly l)ehind the western hills. We 
