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chorages, are found all along this 70 miles of wonderfully beautiful coast.
Singo, a town eight miles north of Katsura, is the only place of any importance whatever, and this mainly from its trade in wood, which is brought down by means of no less than twelve rivers, which joining in one, near Singo, form a short way above the town a fine stream of water, with ample depth for large junks, which, however, can only cross the bur during calm and favorable weather. The population of Singo is about 4,000.
A few ri up the river there is a coal-mine, the coal is brought to Katsura in boats, stored in large quantities, and shipped off to Yedo and other places. I took in 50 tons for trial, excellent in appearance, but it simply refused to burn; when mixed, and so assisted, with some different kind I had on board, it did fairly well. It is very hard and heavy, and free from dust.
None of these provinces grow sufficient rice for their own consumption, but this is not surprising considering that the only rice cultivation of any extent is near to Singo, where a plain of some square miles extends back from the beach to the foot of the mountains.
There is one other place worthy of note, more for the employment of its people than for its extent or importance. This is Kozaura, five miles W. of Oosima, at the mouth of a viver called Koza Gawa. Wood and whale’s flesh are the two articles of export, and as the mode of catching this leviathan of the deep may not be without interest, I will try and describe the novel method which is pursued. I believe the species of cetacea, which finds its way into the open deep bays, and in the different eddies, near points, caused by the great Kuro Siwo, rushing past the coast, to be the Balena Mysticetus, but this I cannot with any certainty affirm; it is not unlikely that other smaller kinds are often caught. In passing I may mention that in the east of Yeso I have seen on numerous occasions, the little known and rare species the high-finned cachalot (Physeter Tursio). As soon as whales are seen, basking about the surface, or lazily mov-
