74 
IN FORBIDDEN SEAS 
had been stored for us, and for which I held receipts, 
the arrangement being that these things should be 
handed over to me when I came for them in the 
spring. Nemuro was then, and is now, the chief port 
on the east coast of Yezo, and the seat of the head¬ 
quarters of the district, which includes the Kuril 
Islands. It has increased since those days con¬ 
siderably in size, population, and importance. We 
arrived just about the time the herrings were 
“ running ” on the coast, and immense catches had 
been made. Hundreds of thousands were piled up 
in rough enclosures on the beach, people being at 
work boiling them down and putting them in presses 
to extract the oil, the residue, which is afterwards 
spread out and sun-dried., forming what is called 
kasu. This kasu is shipped away to the south, where 
it is used as manure, fetching a high price. 
I did not contemplate having the least trouble 
with the authorities about obtaining my goods, but I 
found I had reckoned without my host. First of all 
I was asked if I had brought a permit from Hakodate, 
which I had not done, not deeming it necessary, 
holding as I did their own receipts and guarantee 
to deliver up the things whenever I should call 
in for them. They insisted on communicating 
with Hakodate, a proceeding that would take three 
weeks. 
Finding I could do nothing with them, I returned 
on board, wrote a letter to the Consul in Hakodate 
explaining the whole matter (this letter never 
reached its destination), and then wrote out a 
vigorous protest in English, stating I should hold 
them responsible if anything happened to the vessel, 
as I had only one anchor and a small cable on board, 
