384 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[CHAr. XVIII. 
explanation of the beautiful poetical idea that ran through 
this series of pictures, some of which were executed with 
execrable truth to nature, that I missed the opportunity of 
purchasing it. 
I was obliged to leave Kioto too early in order to be present 
at a fete, which was given to us at Kobe by the Japanese, 
Europeans, and Chinese who were interested in our voyage. 
The entertainment was held in a Buddhist temple without 
the town, and was very pleasant and agreeable. The Japanese 
did not seem at all to consider that their temple was desecrated 
by such an arrangement. In the course of the afternoon for 
instance there came several pilgrims to the temple. I observed 
them carefully, and could not mark in their countenances any 
trace of displeasure at a number of foreigners feasting in the 
beautiful temple grove whither they had come on pilgrimage. 
They appeared rather to consider that they had come to 
the goal of their wanderings at a fortunate moment, and 
therefore gladly accepted the refreshments that were 
offered them. 
On the morning of the 18th October the Vega again weighed 
anchor, to proceed on her voyage. The course was shaped 
through the Inland Sea of Japan for Nagasaki. When I 
requested of the Governor of Kobe permission to land at two 
places on the way, he not only immediately granted my request, 
but also sent on the Vega the same English-speaking official 
from his court who had before attended me to Kioto. The 
weather was clear and fine, so that we had a good opportunity 
of admiring the magnificent environs of the Inland Sea. They 
resemble much the landscape in a northern archipelago. The 
views here are however more monotonous in consequence of 
their being less variety in the contours of the mountains. 
Here as at Kobe the hills consist mainly of a species of granite 
which is exposed to weathering on so large a scale that the 
hard rocks are nearly everywhere decomposed into a yellow 
