CHAP, xyii.] 
TRAVELLING IN JAPAN. 
355 
with great difficulty between wild, black, rocky masses, along 
deep clefts, whose sides are often covered with the most luxuriant 
vegetation. No fence protects ihQ jinrikisha in its rapid progress 
down the mountains from the bottomless abysses by the wayside. 
A man must therefore not be weak in the nerves if he is to derive 
pleasure from the journey. He must rely on the coolie’s keen 
eye and sure foot. On all sides one is surrounded by a confused 
mass of lofty shattered mountain tops, and deep down in the 
valleys mountain streams rush along, whose crystal-clear water 
is collected here and there into small lakes confined between 
heights covered with greenery. Now the traveller passes a 
dizzy abyss by a bridge of the most defective construction, now 
he sees a stream of water rushing down from an enornious 
height by the wayside. Thousands of foot-passengers, crowds of 
pilgrims, long rows of coolies, oxen and horses bearing heavy 
burdens meet the traveller, who during frequent rests at the 
foot of the steep slopes has an opportunity of studying the 
variegated life of the people. He is always surrounded by 
cheerful and friendly faces, and the pleasant impression is never 
disturbed by the expressions of coarseness in speech and 
behaviour which so often meet us in Europe. 
It is not until the traveller has passed the mountain ridge 
and descended to a height of only 300 metres above the sea 
that the road becomes passable for a carriage. While we ex¬ 
changed, not without regret, our clean, elegant /mW/asAas for 
two inferior vehicles drawn by horses, I saw two men wandering 
from shop to shop, standing some moments at each place, ringing 
a bell and passing on when they were not attended to. On my 
inquiry as to what sort of people they were, I was informed 
that they were wandering players. For me of course they did 
not ring in vain. For a payment of fifty cents they were ready 
immediately to show in the street itself a specimen of their art. 
One of them put on a well-made mask, representing the head 
of a monster, with a movable jaw and terrible teeth. To the 
A A 2 
