A LARGE CRATER. 
337 
understood, write descriptions of the empire of Japan sufficient 
do induce the whole world to come and settle in it. If, how- 
ever, these gentlemen had been compelled to travel for say 
two consecutive months upon Japanese food and in districts 
somewhat remote from the great capitals, I think, if they ever 
lived to tell the story, that they would write a different account 
from those which we usually read, — when it becomes an absolute 
necessity to walk over mountain-passes which are more like 
flights of steps than ordinary roads, to sleep on hard mats, and 
-to subsist on vegetable diet, the chief portion of which con- 
sists of rice and a radish called ‘ daikon,’ — the hardships of 
travelling in Japan will be fully recognized. Occasionally a 
foreigner will endeavour to travel as a native; but usually, after 
finding that his health has suffered, you will discover him to 
have fallen hack upon the usual plan of travelling, the essential 
part of which is to have a native servant and a pack-horse to 
carry some provisions ; and under these circumstances it is but 
seldom that you can find a foreigner who is able or who cares 
to continue his exploration beyond the period of one month. 
At the end of that time, having lost ten per cent of his original 
weight, and longing for the flesh-pots of the open ports, he 
beats a quick retreat from the rugged hills and brawling 
streams, the enjoyment of which is hemmed in by so many 
difficulties. 
From Kumamoto, where, in the new town, the ruined castle, 
and groups of troops, I saw indications of the recent war, I 
travelled directly eastward along a road which upon the native 
maps appears to lead from one side of the island to the other. 
Straight before us we could see Asosan, the mountain to which 
we were going, giving off heavy clouds of steam ; between us 
and this there was a long range of rugged hills parallel with 
the coast which we had just left behind us; these looked reddish 
and bare, but when we came actually upon them, I found that 
their colour was due to a covering of brown grass, and not to 
earth and stones, as I had previously supposed. The road on 
which we travelled was, for a J apanese road, very wide ; on 
each side of it there were two lines of trees, the lines nearest to 
the road were wax-trees, whilst those behind them were crypto- 
merias. As the wax-trees had lost their leaves, they looked 
very bare and ragged, but in summer time, when they are in 
full foliage, they must form an avenue which I think would 
far surpass anything I ever saw in an English park. Hoads 
bounded with lines of tall trees are a feature in Japan, and 
some of these which continue for twenty or thirty miles in 
almost unbroken lines, form sights which when once seen will 
always be remembered. 
After eleven and a half miles up this road, we reached the 
