the above, however, make as fine a show in this, their
native country, as they do in our greenhouses in England,
nor have the majority of Japanese flowers much
scent, On the other hand, I cannot endorse the statement
made in print by one of the earliest explorers of
this interesting country, that flowers have no scent,
birds no song, fruit and vegetables no flavour, for I
have heard forests re-echo with the sweet sounds of
singing birds, and can equally disprove the other assertions.
The rose smells the moment you enter the
garden; the soy-bean tell its own tale by its sauce; and
I might name scores of instances without overtaxing
my memory.
The great charm of Japanese scenery, in that respect
resembling Java, is that there are few deciduous plants,
nearly all are evergreens. The people we passed along
the road appeared cheerful and respectful. Children
seemed to abound, and their greatest amusement spinning
tops and flying kites, whilst their elders were
occupied in the field; they are essentially an agricultural
nation. On reaching Fouzisawa about noon, we
got down to have tiflin at a picturesque little inn, and
here we were regaled with rice, eggs, salt fish, and a
new dish, which proved to be bamboo-root, sliced and
stewed tender,—not a bad repast when one is ravenous
; the latter also makes an excellent pickle. Tea
OUDAWARA
raunmcetr aqmti t-nreedollars,m-
liltting bearers; in i-
J apanese, a perfect piece of caligrapuy (Mate XX V. ) ;
IIP! porters AVai'o Jsngaged to carry our traps and pro-
mfPP®. proportions of the soi-ddsant palki
«jtt not Avncy. and 'with very little interruption
1 walked H i whole way, occupying. three hours,
and • ii&nieTisely jojaed.. the maryqttous scenery v(&
WhiMeaving the village the noise of roaring waves in-
rimate$ our ;nx>ximity to the deaf Mad right inrffont of M ill1 |l i a nucol^un ot small bridles, five m numwer,-and
then followed its bank along a narrow valley bounded
by magnificent mountain scenery, wilder and more imposing
than. remember, eveii in Switzerland.
After half afcKwP^radgixig, all the -while gazing
around in. sneer amazement, and regrqttiag the