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this one, the Japanese might really be called a naïvely innocent people.
After crossing the Chikamagawa from its right to its left bank, the Hokkok’kaido follows the left bank at a much greater distance, along the mountains, as far as Murei, where it separates from the Chikumagawa valley. At Tambajima the Saigawa (left tributary to the Chikumagawa) is crossed by a bridge of boats. Every boat of this bridge is moored to a heavy iron chain of Japanese manufacture, reaching from one bank of the river to the other. At both sides it runs over a windlass by which it may be stretched if the water in the river rises, while boats may be added when the river thereby considerably increases in breadth. For the rest, all these rivers have the same characteristics; they look like large stone fields, of which in summer time only a comparatively small portion serves for the flowing off of the water. But the Saigawa discharged even now a considerable volume, though the river was at a low level. Judging from the Japanese maps, it seems to be the principal tributary of the Shinanogawa.
One ri from the place where the Saigawa is this passed, lies Nagano, a large town with the renowned Buddha-temple, called Tenkoji, situated at the end of the long, broad and regularly ascending street, by which the place is entered. This is one of the finest temples I had yet seen; it is well kept, and is admired for its beautiful wood carvings. The site of the Temple is much like Asakusa at Yedo. It is surrounded by a great many ichitoros (stone lanterns) and by some very neat priestly dwellings with well arranged gardens.
In the mountains, at a distance of about 1 ri from Nagano, petroleum wells are found; they have only been worked for two years. The wells are about 120 to 150 feet in depth, and are entirely under Japanese management. The petroleum is twice purified, once on the spot, and afterwards in the town: it is by no means as white as the American oil, but the Japanese maintain that the light is
