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ed the crest, and then descended with terrible steepness, along only one shoulder of the mountain, to 1,500 feet. What a wonderful spot we here reached! A few very poor inhabitants had clustered together forming a village of about ten houses, called King umi, situated on the steep slope of the hill side, in an almost perfect crater, so steep and straight did the mountains rise all round.
There was but one opening where a clear stream of water rushed over great boulders, joining a large river close by, which flowed away to the southward for 70 miles, before reaching Singo. The small patches of potatoes and other vegetables round the cottages, were all barricaded in with stout wood, (quarter trees) to keep the deer and wild boar out. I was charmed to find here a domesticated bee, even then busily working, notwithstanding the lateness of the day and season. One cottage had six hives, rough square boxes, sheltered with some bark from the rain. The bee is similar to our own, but rather smaller, and as for the honey, it is excellent. I must just add before closing the first day that we had again left the oak and chestnut and returned to the region of the henoki and sugi. From here and along the course of the river these two cedars are grown, and when cut, floated to Singo.
Here I must remark that immediately after topping the first range of mountains from the sea, all the streams and rivers took a southerly direction, and though close to the sea coast—about six miles as the crow flies—none found their way there.
Occasionally during the day I came upon men and women carrying immense loads of staves for tubs, all ready cut, and soon found that they went many, many miles into these wild forests, until finding a suitable tree they felled it, and there and then cut it up into tub staves; to do this they had to return to and fro frequently, atire; some and laborious task. We had come from first starting at Owari Bay not less than 18 miles, all the way, except the first 5 miles, up and down mountains, the highest being 4,000 feet. At Kingumi we put up for the night.
Next morning we started at eight, getting almost im-
