Chap. XVIII. REMOVAL TO YOKUHAMA. 
doing everything in their power, in their own 
way, to protect us from the vengeance of the 
dreaded loonins. 
This state of things was exciting enough, but I 
must confess that it was far from being agreeable. 
I did not care much for any attack which might 
be made upon us during the day-time, when one 
would have an opportunity of either fighting or 
running away; but the prospect of being mur- 
dered in bed, while one slept, was quite another 
thing; and as I was alone in a large rambling 
building, I might have fallen an easy victim 
during the night, without any one being aware 
of it until the following day. In these circum- 
stances, going to bed at night was about the most 
unpleasant part of the day’s operations. My work, 
however, was nearly finished ; and after a few days 
of this excitement I was able to go over to Yoku- 
hama, where the principal portion of the foreign 
community resided. Here I was kindly received 
by Mr. Aspinall, a gentleman whom I had for- 
merly known in China, and who had established a 
firm in Japan. 
It was now the end of July, and a great change 
had taken place in the appearance of the flora 
of the country. Flowers had nearly disappeared 
in the vegetation. With the exception of Hyd- 
rangeas, Hollyhocks, Hibiscus, and some few 
weeds on the roadsides, there was now nothing in 
bloom. The common Hydrangea grows to a great 
