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through which flows a fine stream said to contain plenty of sea trout and salmon. This stream reaches the sea near Shutzu (west coast).
The bridle path up to this point is very bad, traversing much swamp, heavy forest and dense underwood; in places there are stretches of corduroy but in wretched condition. This path would be impassable in bad weather.
In this forest, the oak, beech and elm are very fine,—maple, ash, silver birch, and alder-fari; larkspur and large orange lilies were in blossom.
The soil is a dark loam in the bottoms and light reddish earth on the hills. Passed several huts surrounded by cultivated patches, the occupants of which did not appear to be very happy. They had planted daikon, buckwheat, Indian corn, potatoes, onions, runners and some flowers. The crows damage the crops very much unless they are protected by netting. The cultivators are Government settlers from Matsumai district.
From Kuro Matsunai the path followed the banks of the river, crossing fords in three places; finally the path keeps the right bank until it opens into a plain bordered by ranges of hills, spurs from which project into the sea and form a fine bay on the shores of which are situated the villages of Ota-Shutz and Shutz.
The bridle path across the plain to Ota-shutz is bordered by straggling huts and patch cultivation, mostly vegetables.
The forest on the plain and on some of the slopes had been recently fired, which gave the country rather an appearance of desolation.
Ota-Shutz contains about 600 houses, the population is entirely Japanese. There were anchored off the town one foreign-built barque and seventeen sea-going junks.
The population appeared to be all engaged in the cutting and preparation of seaweed for export.
A large colony of crows were seated on a sand bank taking the evening air. They looked very absurd as they kept their bills wide open and all faced head to wind.
Shutz, situated on the opposite side of the bay, appear-
