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hours the summit was reached, rather more than 1000 feet above the rest-house, the total height being 5400 feet. Here on climbing to the top of a tree, which most conveniently had its top twisted off, I found the Japanese had not exaggerated the view to be obtained. Although I shall never forget it, I feel it is useless to attempt to describe it. Suffice it to say, all the coast, and the interior as far as the eye could reach, lay before me. No higher range sprang up to intercept the view. Far away in the distance Fusi yama rose out of a curtain of mist, and another great mountain further to the North and West, the name of which I do not know, was also to be seen. The former was 150 miles distant; the latter not so far. it is surprizing how great an extent of country Odai-yama, notwithstanding its moderate height, commands. I had only half succeeded with the theodolite, when down came a shower of rain, from the N.W., which quickly settled into a wet afternoon. The next day was spent mostly in the clouds: it cleared away towards the afternoon, but not in time to reach the top and return before dark. The day after this I was again at the summit soon after daylight, but it thickened over before I finished, so I spent an hour or two roaming through the beautiful primeval forest. The perfect silence that reigned was only disturbed by the big black and white woodpecker, as he tapped the trees with his hard sharp bill in quest of insects. The wolves were not howling as they did when I first reached the tops two days before.
Next day it blew a good gale—and what a grand sight it was! These glorious forests, which yesterday were so still and silent, now roared and howled, as the gusts of wind rushed through them; branches were broken off and hurled away, trees felled, and cracked off like twigs, and the air was thick with flying leaves. It was a wild and grand sight, the streams soon became good-sized rivers, for it rained in torrents the whole time.
The storm lasted throughout the following day, but towards evening the wind hauled to the north, and I felt sure fine weather would follow.
