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lower with rice, while the road itself is not much more than a footpath, winding with steep inclines through the hills. Every now and then a beautiful view is to be had ever the bine sea with the island of Sado about 18 ri distant.
Between Kujiranami and Kasiwasaki, a large town, the road lies at some distance from the sea and through a somewhat flat district. Tore we met with several nicely dressed persons and whole families, who were going to occupy the different tea-houses along the road, and in the villages we had passed, in order to wait upon the “squire of the village,” who had been on a travelling tour and was now expected back. What was meant by the “squire of the village,” I could not make out.
Kasiwasaki being a town, and, as it seems, a prosperous one, coolies could here be had to carry our luggage and Kagos. Between Kasiwasaki and Siija we followed the beach which is here very broad and bordered to the right by barren sandy hills; the sand of which the beach and hills consist is of a dark grey colour; the beach slopes in a steep incline to the sea; there is here under ordinary circumstances a difference of seven English inches between ebb and flood tide, according to daily observations which are made also at Niigata.
Siiga is situated very much like Hatsusaki, i.e. close to the sea and at the foot of a hill. I should not advise any one who is going to make this tour to spend a night at Siija, at least if he wants to sleep. It was perfectly impossible for me to shut my eyes for the barking and howling, during the whole night, of these ante-diluvian Japanese dogs, which seemed to be aware that a company of strange people had entered their village: at least this is how my host explained the terrible noise they made.
From Siija to Teradomari the road runs almost without exception over the beach, and through some well-to-do looking places of which Itsumosaki, the principal one, is 1 ri in length and is situated close to the sea. Teradomari is alse a long prosperous town with some very good hotels.
