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valley of a streamlet is followed, which is about parallel to the Owedagawa-valley, and throws its water into the Owedagawa near Horinooji, after which the Tochiwara-toge is ascended, the top of which is the boundary between the villages of Horinooji and Urasa, which latter is situated again in the valley of the Owedagawa, over which a fine view is to be had from the tea-house on the top of the hill. Ascending the hill the Owedagawa is then followed, along an easy, but always ascending, road to Seki. The whole district seems to be prosperous, all the places are neat looking; the principal one being Muikamatshi, which may be called a town, and the chief trading place of the district.
On this part of the road women again were engaged to carry our luggage over the mountains. From Seki the Owedagawa, or Owonogawa, as it is called upwards of Muikamatshi, and in which delicious salmon is here found, is followed to Yusawa, where we leave it to our left after having passed over a steep hill, on the top of which the tea-house of Akasaka is situated. We travelled now in company with a long file of cattle, on its way to Yedo.
From Yusawa the road goes over the mountains, which form the boundary between the lands draining into the Owedagawa and those draining into the Kiodzugawa, another right tributary to the Shinanogawa,; the valley of the Kiodzugawa is reached at Mitsmata, which is a lovelily situated village. The Kiodzugawa, enclosed by the densily clothed mountains, rushes here with its clear blue ice-cold water over large blocks of stone, the white foam formed by the numerous waterfalls, embellishing the light blue water, and contrasting, as it does, with the dark hue of the old sugi trees here bordering the road, gives an almost enchanting aspect to the scenery from the top of the hill, from where the road steeply descends into the valley. In many places the water, turned off from the river and led through the gardens and through several of the houses, and hastening back along the streets on its way to the river, sounds almost like music through the village. I think Mitsmata is one of the most
