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As I was with some Government officials we were waited upon at the entrance of every place by some of the local yakunins, who walked before us through the village, or led us to a tea-house, according to circumstances. It was interesting to note the different degrees of respect with which we were waited upon, in the various localities through which we travelled. In general the politeness and submission increased with the distance from Yedo, yet there was sometimes a marked difference between two succeeding places. Moreover it may be considered as a rule that in the large villages and towns much fess notice was taken of us than in the small villages: in some of the towns, in fact, there was nobody to receive us, though we were going to take our tiffin or to stop for the night (which was always notified the previous day), so that we had to look and ask ourselves for our hotel. But along the beach there was the same servile submission wherever we passed.
The most ridiculous reception we met with, was at Teradomari, at which place we were waited upon by six yakunins, each armed with a small sword, portable inkpot and pencil, and pipe and tobacco-pouch between his girdle and a small stick in his hand. One of them walked before us, the others following. The foremost, cleared, as it were, the street with his stick; children were taken up and put softly down into the neighbouring houses, the inhabitants standing in front of their houses were ordered to kneel down; by the incessant cry of “m’ma, m’ma,” “kassa, kassa,” horseleaders were ordered to take care of their horses, which were as quiet as possible, but frightened by the noise of the yakunins, began to kick and trample, and passers by were ordered to take off their hats, at the cry “O ashi, ashi.” As the village was very long, at last nobody was to be seen, and the street appeared as dull as if it had died out; but the most curious incident of the day was the furious look and the cursing “chiku-sho!” which the yakunin cast upon a cock, which dared to crow at the very moment we passed!
