HOW TO EXCITE JAPANESE CURIOSITY. 215 
seeing during his first walk in the strange land of a still 
stranger people ? Sometimes we would leave the highway 
that followed along the river’s bank, and, following a 
winding footpath, come suddenly upon some rural habi- 
tation and its startled occupants. Then what a scene of 
noise and confusion would ensue! Dogs barking and 
slinking off behind corners, children screaming and 
clinging to their mothers for protection, while the mo- 
thers themselves, in some cases, wrung their hands and 
blubbered like so many children, — everybody and every 
thing flying from us as if destruction existed in our very 
appearance. By the men only were we, as a general rule, 
differently received ; and even they often avoided us, or 
approached with distrustful glances, as their retreating 
household left them alone with the Amelikins.” 
We generally commenced these interviews by exclaim- 
ing “Ohio,” (good-morning,) then shaking hands with 
friendly energy, next addressing them as “John,” and 
finally producing a cigar for each of the party. These 
they would light with great difiiculty, watching our mo- 
tions very closely, soon tire of smoking them, put them 
aside carefully, and end by lighting their own small pipes 
and oftering us a puff, wdiile waxing bold enough to 
feel the texture of our clothes, examine our boots, &c. &c. 
About this period of the action we would produce a watch, 
revolver, box of matches, or some equally, to them, un- 
known principle, and explain its mechanism or use; and 
before ending wo were generally surrounded by the entire 
family, — women, children, and dogs, — all apparently (not 
even excepting the latter) equally curious to see “what 
the row was,” What wonders the feeling of curiosity 
