Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan/Series 1/Volume 3/Part 1/Description of a Trip to Niigata
DESCRIPTION OF A TRIP TO NIIGATA,
ALONG THE SHINSHIU-ROAD AND BACK
BY THE MIKUNI PASS.
BY
J. A. LINDO, Esq.
Read before the Asiatic Society of Japan,
18th November, 1874.
———o———
From Yedo, Niigata may be reached by two different roads, both of which follow for the first part the Nakasendô, the one as far as Takasaki, and the other up to Oïwake, which is 12 ri farther on. From Takasaki the first road branches off N. over the Mikuni pass to Niigata. At Oïwake the Nakasendô itself bends to the S. while the Hokkok’kaidô, as it is called, runs W. to the borders of the Province of Echigo, and so reaches Niigata.
Both roads running together up to Takasaki, a short description of this part of the Nakasendô may first be given.
The annexed itinerary gives the distances of the several villages between Yedo and Takasaki, between which a daily coach is running, leaving each place in summer time at 5 a.m. arriving at 7 p.m. at the other, so that the trip is made in 14 hours.
Province of Masashi.
| Yedo to |
|
4 ri | 18 cho. | ||
|
2 ri„ | ||||
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1 ri„ | ||||
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1 ri„ | 4 cho. | |||
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1 ri„ | 4 cho„ | |||
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1 ri„ | ||||
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1 ri„ | 30 cho. | |||
|
4 ri„ | 18 cho„ | |||
|
2 ri„ | 35 cho„ | |||
| Yedo to |
|
20 ri | 1 cho. | ||
| Province of Musashi. | |||||
|
2 ri | 31 cho. | |||
| Province of Joshiu. | |||||
|
2 ri„ | 7 cho. | |||
|
1 ri„ | 10 cho„ | |||
|
1 ri„ | 19 cho„ | |||
|
27 ri | 32 cho. | |||
The Nakasendô between Yedo and Takasaki is in a tolerably good condition; I estimate the breadth to vary between 10 and 40 feet; except near Todamura no very steep inclines occur, and without great expense at least this part of it could be easily made a really fine road. The chief difficulty would be as regards some of the villages where the road has in many cases a minimum breadth; but outside the villages it extends through flat arable land, for the greatest part cultivated with corn, rapeseed, beans, etc. (while paddy fields are rare) and it would certainly be no matter of great difficulty to appropriate here and there a strip of these fields along the existing road, and to widen it in this way.
At Todamura the Todagawa is passed by means of ferry boat. The Todagawa is the same river as the Sumidagawa; like many other rivers in Japan, its name is often changed, higher up it is called Arakawa, about 2 ri lower down from the village of Sumida to Riôgokubashi, Sumidagawa, and down Riôgokubashi it ultimately becomes Ôgawa. When I passed the Todagawa in May 1873 I estimated the breadth on the water line to be about 50 metres (165 feet); the velocity of the current being small, so that the discharge must have been small too. But after the rainfall of September and October of last year, I heard that the river had swollen to an enormous degree, and had overflowed its banks, part of the Nakasendô being inundated, and the passage being for some days almost impassable.
From Sakato to Kumagaë the Nakasendô runs along the top of the left embankment of the Aragawa. Between this embankment and the river-bed is an extended piece of arable land, and the river-bed is only seen at a distance. It has here already quite the character of a Japanese upper-river, in which may be seen more gravel and stones than water, and the piers, bank-defences and other river-works are all constructed by means of material extracted from the river, while on the lower parts of the river they consist entirely of wood.
Between F’kaya and Honjô the Nakasendô is sufficiently wide, but there are some steep inclines; here the scenery becomes picturesque and full of variation, exhibiting arable land with farms covered with flowers, the latter even extending to the top of the houses, which were overgrown with a blooming kind of hyacinth; and Buddha-temples calmly situated at a little distance from the road at the end of a neatly paved alley; groves of matsu and bamboo and those magnificent sugi trees, of which often two, three, or even four, grown together at the lower part of their trunks, are the principal features of this part of the road.
Honjô, like Kônosu and F’kaya, is a very large place, but had been burnt down for a great part, a month or so before my arrival. Here is a very prettily situated temple on the top of a hill, from which there is a splendid view over part of the Tonegawa valley, the nearest village on the Tonegawa being Tanakamura, at 1 ri distance. Along the foot of the hill a brook is running, in which naked men and children were occupied in drawing up, by means of small baskets, a small kind of fish, called funa, which is boiled and dried and sometimes used as medicine, though it is also used as common food.
A little before arriving at Shimmachi, from which place a road branches off to Tomioka, which has a large silk-manufactory under French superintendence, the Kanagawa bed is passed. This river is the boundary between the provinces of Musashi and Jôshiu. Such remarkable points as this seem to impress the people; at least both times I passed here, my jinrikisha-coolie turned round to communicate this fact to me. The Kanagawa falls to the right into the Karasugawa, which in its turn fails into the Tonegawa at Goriô. Nota drop of water was to be seen in the Kanagawa; the river looked like a gravel-desert in the midst of the cultivated lands; one or two small rustic bridges were laid across the now dry channels.
At Iwabana, the Karasugawa itself is passed by means of a boat-bridge; as the river is very shallow, the boats are moored to baskets loaded with stones, lying at the bottom of the river. The Karasugawa is navigable here only for very small boats, being, as has already been said, full of waterfalls and very shallow. At Iwabana is a large prison, situated on the river, the left bank of which rises here almost perpendicularly to a height of about 30 feet above the water level.
From Iwabana the Nakasendô, not much broader than a footpath, winds through arable lands until Kuragano is reached—a place situated on the right bank of the Karasugawa, a little above the mouth of the Kaburakawa, on which Tomioka lies. From Kuragano a road branches off to the right to Nikkô. Between Kuragano and Takasuki the Nakasendô is in a very good condition, being about 30 feet wide, well drained and shaded by a row of matsu trees on each side. It lus here quite the aspect of an European road, with richly cultivated arable land on both sides, bordered by low hills in the distance.
Takasaki is a large town, 66 miles from Tôkei, with a gloomy looking Daimiô’s castle, and with a flourishing trade. It lies on the confluence of the Karasugawa and the Usuigawa. Both these rivers proceed from the mountains in the neighbourhood of Sakamoto.
As mentioned before, from Takasaki one road branches off in a northerly direction to Niigata, while another leading to the same place, still follows the Nakasendô to Oiwake. I shall first describe this latter road, known at Niigata by the general name of Shinshiu Kaidô, in consequence of its passing through the Province of Shinano or Shinshiu.
| Yedo to |
|
27 ri. | 32 cho. | |||
| Province of Joshiu. |  |
|
2 ri„ | 24 cho„ | ||
 |
|
1 ri„ | ||||
 |
|
2 ri„ | 19 cho„ | |||
| Province of Shinano. | |
|
2 ri„ | 35 cho„ | ||
 |
|
1 ri„ | 5 cho„ | |||
|
|
1 ri„ | ||||
|
|
2 ri„ | 18 cho„ | |||
|
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2 ri„ | 18 cho„ | |||
|
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2 ri„ | 18 cho„ | |||
|
|
3 ri„ | ||||
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|
3 ri„ | ||||
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|
4 ri„ | ||||
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1 ri„ | ||||
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|
3 ri„ | ||||
|
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2 ri„ | ||||
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|
1 ri„ | ||||
| Province of Echigo. | |
|
1 ri„ | |||
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3 ri„ | ||||
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5 ri„ | ||||
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2 ri„ | ||||
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|
1 ri„ | ||||
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2 ri„ | ||||
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|
2 ri„ | ||||
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|
1 ri„ | 18 cho„ | |||
|
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2 ri„ | ||||
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|
1 ri„ | ||||
|
|
1 ri„ | ||||
|
|
3 ri„ | 8 cho„ | |||
|
|
0 ri„ | 24 cho„ | |||
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|
2 ri„ | ||||
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|
1 ri„ | ||||
| Province of Echigo. | |
|
2 ri„ | |||
|
|
2 ri„ | ||||
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|
10 ri„ | ||||
|
106 ri. | 3 cho. | ||||
After passing the Karasugawa from the left to the right bank at Takasaki, the left bank of the Usuigawa is followed up to Sakamoto. The Usuigawa is not navigable so high up; its bed being covered with stones between which the rapid stream works its way, now through one, then through different channels, over which rustic bridges are built. The scenery becomes more and more beautiful, and after having passed Matsuida, we are soon in the mountains. The Nakasendo is practicable to this point for jinrikishas, with two good coolies to draw them up the steep inclines. For waggons drawn by horses this part of the Nakasendo is impracticable; such waggons could not advance further than Takasaki.
The valley of the Usuigawa becomes with every step, as it were, narrower and more picturesque; the mountain slopes on both sides of the river are covered in early summer with a carpet of blooming fugi flowers, which form, with the dark green of the sugi trees, the rapidly running streamlets, falling from the mountain slopes and crossing the read, the winding Nakasendo itself, and the charmingly situated mountain villages everywhere at a distance, a really fine picture—drawing even forth some admiring remarks from my interpreter.
The Japanese mountain villages have, at least in the districts which I have seen, a quite different aspect from those in the plains. They consist chiefly of a row of houses on each side of the road, thus forming a street which constitutes the whole village. The houses are notable by their wooden roofs on which blocks of stone are laid, and their poor and dirty appearance.
About 212 ri from Matsuïda the Usuïgawa is crossed over a bridge, and here a straight road with 160 houses placed on both sides of it, enclosed in a narrow valley, forms the village of Sakamoto.
The next part of the Nakasendo is very interesting; it ascends now rapidly, jinrikishas are out of the question, and if one does not wish to be tortured in a kago, nothing remains but to walk or to go on horseback. The scenery is fine, particularly in May when fuji and azaleas are in full flowers; at every step the view of the surrounding mountains and valleys changes, and especially that on the valley in which Sakamoto lies, is surprising. The highest point is reached at Togematshi, about 2 ri from Sakamoto. I estimate the height of this point, according to very roughly made barometric observations, at about 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) above the sea level. Here is the border between the provinces of Joshiu and Shhinano, and at the same time the separation of the lands which drain into the Tonegawa. Pack-horses and female pilgrims form the bulk of the travellers on this part of the road.
From Togematshi the road descends rapidly to Karuisawa, a poor village on the extended plain, surrounded by mountains, on which the volcano of Asama-yama, is situated; over this plain the road is more interesting than beautiful; the place is covered with large blocks of lava, thrown up by the Asamayama, and has a very desolated aspect. Only the western, very smoothly ascending slope of the Asamayama, is very nice to look at; being covered here by a wood of matsu trees: the large and isolated mountain produces the impression of Gulliver with the Lilliputians. Smoke is always issuing from the crater of the Asamayama.
At Oïwake, situated at the foot of the mountain, the Niigata road leaves the Nakasendo; while the latter descends, the Niigata-road (called Hokkok’kaido), follows the table-land along the foot of the Asama-yama, and is practicable here for jinrikishas. The average breadth will be about 12 feet, some steep inclines are met with, but the way is generally well shaded; in the valleys rice is cultivated. 212 ri from Oïwake is Komoru, a large town, situated on the Chikumagawa; it was formerly the residence of a daimio, whose castle is now in a dilapidated condition. From here the road follows the right bank of the Chikumagawa down to Yasiro. The Chikumagawa is the same river as the Shinanogawa, which flows at Niigata into the Japan Sea. I believe the name is changed between the villages of Hakura and Miabara, where it enters the provinces of Echigo; but I cannot say this for a certainty; in the course of this paper some further data about the river will be given.
Generally speaking, the road between Komoru and Tanaka is in a bad condition, rugged and narrow, and in some parts with steep inclines and sharp curves; from Tanaka Oyeda can be reached by jinrikisha. Oyeda is the largest place which I had until now passed; it has an important trade, particularly in silk, both raw and manufactured. Numerous shops with European provisions are to be found in this ex-daimio’s seat, and an European modelled garrison patrols the streets of the beautifully situated town.
The general features of the Chikumagawa valley between Komoru and Yasiro are a picturesque scenery, the valley alternately widening and narrowing, while the broad river-bed in the depth is covered with white boulders, over which the blue water rapidly flows and forms numerous falls; the mountains on both sides covered with flowers and trees. (Every now and then a dirty village without a single comfortable looking house). At a little distance from the left bank rises the Bosha-yama, a haunted mountain, with which the following “romantic” story, as my interpreter styled it, is connected. “In former times during a war between two princes, the nurse of the infant son of one of them took refuge in the mountains with the child and kept it concealed there from the rapacity of the conquerer. At length both nurse and child died, and now-a-days during the night, the nurse’s voice may at times be heard among the mountains, calling for the lost child!”
If all Japanese “romantic” stories were as romantic as 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 splendid, which assertion, when compared with that of their andons, may well be true.
At Murei the road branches off in a W. direction, thus leaving the Chikumagawa Valley, and now runs to Furuana from whence it bends N. to Sekigawa, the frontier-place of Echigo. The prettiest spot on this part of the road is Nojiri-shuku, a place situated on the Fuyòkò lake, which is surrounded by low hills covered with thickets. What rendered this beautiful spot all the more impressive for the time at least, was a heavy thunderstorm, which overtook us here, and which formed a curious contrast with the snow-covered mountain tops we had been sighting since leaving Oyeda, in a N. W. direction.
The small Ichigawa river forms here the border between Shinano and Echigo; it is here but a mountain-stream, rushing forth with great velocity over rocks. Between its steep and densely grown high borders, it is crossed by a rustic bridge of singular construction.
Between Sekigawa and Sekiyama (3 ri) the road is entirely shut in by mountains, and when it rains heavily, it has sometimes more the appearance of a stream than of a road, with not even a footpath to be seen. It passes zigzag up hill and down hill, with very steep inclines, and is one of the most charming parts of the road between Yedo and Niigata. The slopes of the high hills are grown all over with azaleas and other flowering shrubs—one valley leads over the top of the hills into another, and when looking upwards from the bottom of those beautiful valleys with the blue and white, thundering and foaming streams, all hastening to the Sekigawa, one cannot help being moved deeply.
After Sekiyama the country becomes much flatter, but the road remains awfully bad, especially between the villages of Matsusaki (2 ri from Sekiyama) and Araï (1 ri before reaching Takada), where it is very rugged and full of holes. At Araï the road descends into the valley of the Arakawa, a left tributary of the Sekigawa; here the road becomes much better, smoother and shaded by a row of matsu trees on both sides.
Takada is the first place which is reached in Echigo; this extensive town is situated on the left bank of the Sekigawa, a little way down from the month of the Asakusa, which was crossed from its right to its left bank by a wooden bridge. This Aragawa is about 100 feet wide; there was a rapid stream running and the river was impracticable for navigation. Takada consists properly of one street, which bends itself repeatedly at right angles while between two bendings a straight part stretches as it were to the horizon. All the houses are equally low and built in the same manner, with a verandah or covered way supported by wooden columns, placed at nearly equal distances from each other. The upper story of the houses projects in many cases over the ground-floor till in a plane with the columns. These verandahs serve to keep a free passage during the winter, when the street is sometimes buried under 5 or 6 feet of snow. But they give a very monotonous appearance to the dull and silent town. They told me here the place contains 5,000 houses. The principal business of the people is cotton-weaving, and the town abounds with drapers’ shops.
Between Nagano and Takada no bamboo is to be seen; at Takada there is a very small kind, which seems to be the case throughout Echigo. On this part of the road, too, all pack-horses we saw were mares, which is certainly aa exception to the general rule; bulls were also much used for transport purposes.
At Takada the road passes to the right bank of the Sekigawa; the river was much swollen by the rainfall of the previous day; a right tributary of the Sekigawa is crossed at Kasugasinden, and about 1 ri downward the Sekigawa flows into the Japan Sea near Imamatshi. Kasugasinden was reached by jinricksha, the road between Takada and Kasugasinden being tolerably good. To the left there are large paddy-fields; to the right the way is bordered by farms, separated from the road by high hedges and broad ditches, From the latter the water is carried off at several places across the road, to irrigate the rice fields; and as only a plank or the trunk of a tree is laid over these road crossings for pedestrians, the jinrickshas had to he carried across.
At Kasugasinden we parted with jinrickshas, not to see them again till Shibukawa (3 ri from Takasaki( on our way home, excepting four or five broken ones at Niigata.
From Kasugasinden the road goes for some distance along the right bank of the Sehigawa to Kuroi, situated on the sea shore near the mouth of that river, opposite Tamamatshi. From Kuroi we followed the sea shore up to Teradomari; on those parts where there is a beach there is no road properly speaking, but the strand is used as such, and one has the difficult choice of either dragging ones-self through the thick dusty sand in the burning sun, or of having our limbs tortured in a kago. Fortunately there happened a circumstance which left me no choice at all, as not only all our luggage, but also the kago had to be carried by women and even young girls, the male population of the villages being almost without exception fishermen; and though it was not perhaps directly to their pecuniary advantage, I had to refuse in most cases the help of a kago and to walk my way. One kago was carried by three, and another by four women at once. At larger or smaller distances the beach is bordered to the right by hills, sometimes grown with shrubs and dark pine-trees and consisting of hard clay; at other places there were downs of sand, grown with grass. Sometimes the hills border the sea, leaving no beach between, so that the road passes over them. This is first the case between Kuroi and Kakisaki, where the hills are very low and for the greater part built, on both sides, with houses and farms. Between Kakisaki and Hatsusaki the beach forms the road, and it was at Kakisaki that for the first time luggage and kagos were born by women. The villages between Kuroi and Hatsusaki are all poor in appearance and dirty. Hatsusaki is situated at the foot of tolerably high hills and close to the sea; from here the road passes over the hills to Kujiranami; the hills are grown with shrubs sad flowers and cultivated, the higher parts with corn, the 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.
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!
From Teradomari the road follows the beach to Niigata, but my way led inwards to the Shinanogawa through the cutting which the Japanese were in the act of making between the sea and that river. That the Japanese are not afraid of making large ground cuttings, the neighbourhood of Yokohama will show, but this Teradomari cut is the most remarkable one I have seen. It was originally undertaken to draw off part of the Shinanogawa water from Okodz (on the river) directly to the sea. The cutting has a length of more than five miles, of which about nearly two are in the hills; the highest hill to be cut through is 260 feet over the intruded water level. Generally the ground consisted of layers of scale clay, in the beginning very hard, but becoming soft after having been exposed for some time to the air. In many cases the layers of clay are separated by thin layers of sand. The works have since been stopped, as too much money would be necessary to complete them in such a manner that the canal would really prove useful to the river, which would only be the case at very high floods; in other eases it would do more harm than good to the river.
Okodz, the river-terminus of the canal, lies 151⁄2 ri from the mouth of the river at Niigata; it is a small village but has lately somewhat improved by the building of the canal.
Between Okodz and Niigata the Shinanogawa is enclosed between good embankments, which, with the exception of two or three places, leave no space between them and the river. At Okodz a small river, called Nishikawa, separates from the Shinanogawa to re-unite with it at Hesima (about 2 ri above Niigata.) This river was dug in olden times for irrigation purposes for the lands W. of the Shinanogawa. At Dowkiu (2 ri below Okodz) another and much more considerable part of the water separates from the Shinanogawa; the here separating river is called Nakanokuchikawa, and re-unites with the Shinano at Ono (3 ri above Niigata.) I think at low water this river even draws a greater quantity of water from the Shinanogawa than remains flowing through the latter, the Nakanokuchi being shorter than the Shinano between the points of separation and re-uniting, the water has a greater velocity in the former than in the latter, and the river being moreover deeper, most of the down-going boats go by the Nakanokuchi.
Formerly this river separated from the Shinanogawa at Osima, where the two rivers are now separated from each other only by an embankment; the Nakanokuchi was then only a small brook, even of less importance than the present Nishi-kawa; but about 150 years ago the part between Dowkiu and Osima was dug and the existing part widened to its present state, probably in consequence of inundations along the Shinanogawa, but I could not clear up this point. In those times, too, the Shinanogawa flowed through the now dry bed of the Furu-Shinano, as it is called at present, between Oosima and Idoba, over a length of about 9,000 feet; but by-and-by it changed its course by breaking in the right bank until it formed the sharp double-curve which is now to be found between those two places.
The minimum depth of the Shinanogawa may be stated to be 3 or 312 feet at low water; but this minimum only exists in some places, while in general the depth is much greater, and I think that by the construction of well arranged works the river might be so fur improved as to allow ships of 6 feet draft to come up as far as Okodz, and perhaps to the extensive town of Nagaoka (6 ri above Okodz.)
Between Okodz and Niigata the course of the river is generally speaking parallel to the sea coast at about 5 or 6 ri distance from it. This comparatively narrow strip of land between the river and the hills along the sea coast, is irrigated by the Nishikawa and the Naka no kuchikawa, whereas at this side there are no feeders of the Shinanogawa. There are many of them at the right side of the river, all proceeding from the hills which are at some distance from the right bank. The principal of these confluents are:—1, The Imamatshikawa, also called Karyada-kawa, coming from Nagaska, length about 8 ri, mouth at Wosaki; 2, The Igarasikawa, length about 8 ri, mouth at Sanjo; it discharges a good quantity of water; 3, The Kamokawa, coming from Takemura over a length of 4 ri, mouth at Kamosinden; 4, The Kuagawa, connecting the Agakawa with the Shinano mouth at Sakayamatshi.
Owing to these additions the discharge of the Shinanogawa varies naturally between the points of confluence with the different tributaries. The following itinerary may prove interesting. To facilitate comparisons I have added the corresponding figures for the Rhine at the Netherlands frontiers:—
| Discharge per second in cubic feet. | |||||
| Name of River. | Low Water. | Ordinary Circes. | High Water. | ||
|
9,000 | 15,000 | 170,000 | ||
|
12,000 | 22,000 | 200,000 | ||
|
47,000 | 86,000 | 396,000 | ||
In ordinary circumstances the water level is at Okodz 38 feet above the sea level; but the water has been known to rise there to 10 feet above this normal state.
The following are the principal places situated on the Shinano between Okodz and Niigata, beginning from upwards, we have:—
|
distant | 3 | ri | from | Okodz. | ||
|
distant„ | 5 | from„ | Sanjo. | |||
|
distant„ | 212 | from„ | Kosdo. | |||
|
distant„ | 2 | from„ | Sakamatshi. | |||
|
distant„ | 3 | from„ | Ono. | |||
| Okodz to Niigata | 1512 | ri |
measured along the river. They have in general a poor appearance; the chief industry consists in cotton weaving.
All along the Shinanogawa rice is cultivated, also, though in a lesser degree, corn, beans, ai plants (of which a kind of blue pigment is made, used in colouring dresses,) cotton, rape-seed, etc. These latter articles are cultivated on higher parts of the ground, bordering the different rivers, while the interjacent lower parts are used as paddy-fields. Probably the higher situation of those parts which immediately border the river embankments, may be accounted for by the absence of embankments in previous years, when all the sediments which the river, when inundating its banks in high flood, carried along, settled nearest to those banks, while the more distant parts only received clear water.
Niigata is situated on the alluvial ground between the river mouth and a range of low sandy hills or downs W. of it; it is regularly built and has a neat appearance; the population, it is said, amounts to 60,000. It is, or was, renowned for its beautiful “tea-houses,” and princes from several parts of the country used to visit the place for the sole purpose of amusing themselves. Like Takada, the houses are provided with covered ways or verandahs, which offer an agreeable shelter, in winter against the snow, in summer against the burning sun. The lowest temperature occurs at the end of January or the beginning of February, the thermometer falling to—9° C. (1545° F.); the highest temperature in the shade, during the last days of July 1873, amounted to 33.5° C. (about 92° F.) When the weather is settled, in summer time during the night a land breeze always blows, while daily at about 9 a.m., a sea breeze seta in. In winter N. and N. W. winds prevail, interrupted by storms from S.W. to N. W., when, as soon as the wind changes to N., fine weather is re-established. I am indebted for the above data to Mr. Weber, who is a resident at Niigata and who makes daily meteorological observations.
To all appearances Niigata is splendidly situated for trade; the Shinanogawa being almost the only high-way for goods-traffic in Echigo, all goods which now go by pack-horses overland from the staple-places of trade, would be sure to go to Niigata if only that place were provided with good harbour accommodation. The bar which now lies before the mouth of the river and which has this year even silted up in such a degree that only 3 feet of water remains in the channel, is the cause that the trade of Niigata has in the last few years almost entirely disappeared; and there can be little doubt that the construction of suitable piers over the bar would prove, in every respect, a profitable undertaking. Echigo, is, as the Japanese say, one of the richest provinces of Japan, boasting indeed of never having suffered by famine, while all other provinces have done so. The export trade from Niigata would certainly become important. The undernamed are the chief productions of this rich province:
Rice, throughont the province, but particularly at Suyebara.
Tea, at Muramatshi, Murakami and Midzu.
Ai (blue pigment), at Suyebara.
Copper, at Yashiko, Toish, Otani.
Coal, at Akatani.
Petroleum, at Midzu, Kanaya, Garameki, Kogutshi, Tatemura, Yoshimisu, Aida, Mishooji, &c.
At Midzu there is a jet of gas issuing from the ground, which is lighted to the general amusement of the visitors to a tea-house, built expressly for the purpose, on the spot.
Silk is cultivated at Goshen and Joshiu.
Hemp, at Chiujo and Manoshiro.
Moreover fish is much exported, of which in the first place, I mention salmon, which abounds in the Shinanogawa between Ono and Hesima; and wooden clogs are exported by long files of pack-horses.
Besides the common fruits and crops a small kind of apple is grown in Echigo, which, if not plucked before being half-ripe according to Japanese custom, is very savoury and fragrant.
Following the coast N. E. of Niigata over a length of about 3 ri we come to another large river mouth, being that of the Agakawa. This river, though generally much wider than the Shinano, does not discharge such a large volume of water as the latter; a good portion of its water flows from Sawa-umi, situated at about 4 ri from the mouth, through the Kuagawa into the Shinano. In former years the Agakawa had no separate mouth but flowed through what is now called the Sinkawa, parallel to the coast, to unite with the Shinano opposite Niigata, while both rivers flowed into the sea by one single mouth. The consequence was, that a much larger volume of water being discharged, the channel over the bar had always a sufficient depth for navigation, being in fact never less than 20 feet, as is reported. But probably in order to prevent inundations along the Agakawa, it was resolved upon, 170 years ago, to lead its water directly to the sea, by cutting through the hills which border the sea-coast, near the place where the Agakawa bended to the S.W. to unite with the Shinano.
Echigo was divided between several princes (I believe there were 11 of them); to one of whom belonged the Shinanogawa-mouth, while the new Agakawa-mouth came into the possession of another. In order to prevent the trade of Niigata from being transferred to Matsugasaki, which lies at the mouth of the Agakawa, and of which fear existed (as, owing to the greater velocity of the current at the Agakawa-mouth, its depth would probably be greater than that of the Shinanogawa-mouth), a treaty was concluded between the two princes, in which it was stipulated that junks would never be allowed to load or unload at Matsugasaki, and would only be permitted to anchor in the Agakawa-mouth in case of bad weather. A guard-house was built near the coast to watch the interests of Niigata, which was only removed last year, though the junks are not yet officially permitted to trade at Matsugasaki. This place is built against the slope and on the top of the downs; it is a fishing village of very poor and dilapidated appearance, but with its red-painted temple and large torii, projecting above the houses on the top of the hill, it is nicely situated, as looked at from the river. The trade along the Agakawa is by no means so important as that along the Shinano; the river is navigable up to Tsugawa, twelve or thirteen ri from its mouth. The part of the river I visited, over a length of 3 ri upwards from the mouth, is very shallow, the greatest depth being for a great part not more than 212 or 3 feet. But as the river is very broad, it could surely be made navigable for ships of 5 or 6 feet draught up to the mouth of the Kanagawa, and probably still higher up.
A great portion of the lands between the different rivers which ran through this part of Echigo, is situated much below the ordinary level of the surrounding rivers, which causes every year great injury to the crops; several lakes or pools of greater or lesser extent lie in this otherwise prosperous district, which might, when properly drained, add a considerable portion of paddy-field to the existing one. Much is to be done here in the course of time; unfortunately money has hitherto been wanting.
A remarkable instance of Japanese engineering skill may be seen at Uchino, which is about 212 ri S. of Niigata, between the Nishikawa and the sea, which are here close to each other. At this place a considerable area of the lands between the Shinano, Nakanokuchi and Nishikawa, and moreover the extensive lakes which are situated in this part, throw their superfluous water into the sea, the water flowing on through several channels. The Hishikawa, serving for irrigation, for which purpose from distance to distance a dam is laid through its bed, its level is much higher than that of the lands around it; so that the superfluous water coming from the low lying lands, has to pass underneath the bed of the Nishikawa. For this purpose a large wooden lock, shut at both sides by self-acting gates, is constructed; there are 5 of these gateways adjoining each other; each of them has a length of 210 feet, and 18 feet in width; 4 of them have a height of 6 feet and one of 4 feet. Perhaps some more will be constructed, as after heavy rain-falls the locks prove not to be sufficiently large.
I believe I have now sketched the chief features of the lower part of the Shinanogawa valley, partly in connection with the commercial interests which adhere to it.
I will now give a description of the home-road which led over the Mikuni pass. I reached Okodz on foot along the Nishikawa embankments, passing through a very prosperous district. From Okodz I went by boat up the Shinanogawa to Nagaoka, which is a distance of nearly 6 ri. About half-way between those two places, and situated at 5 or 6 cho from the left bank of the river, is Yoïta, a very large, but poor-looking town, with a beautiful Honjin or Daimio’s hotel. The river between Okodz and Nagaoka and down Okodz as far as the separating point of the Nakanokuchi, is very broad, but full of sand-banks and islands. About 1 ri upwards of Yoïta the sand-banks are covered with heavy gravel, which becomes larger and larger, until, before Nagaoka is arrived at, the pieces reach the size of pebble-stones. Nagaoka, 40 miles above Niigata, is the most important place in Echigo; it is renowned for its silk manufactures and is the staple place of trade from Echigo overland to the South. It is not situated directly on the Shinanogawa, but its suburbs extend to it. Formerly it was the seat of a Daimio, who was Minister to the Taicoon; afterwards it became the capital of the Nagaoka-ken, which was united last year with the Niigata-ken. The town is spaciously built with wide streets; about the number of the inhabitants or of the houses I could not get any information, but judging from the extent of the place, it must be considerably greater than that of Niigata.
Here follow the distances of the different places along the Mikuni Road. I have added the height above the sea level, as I determined it by means of an aneroid barometer, but these observations were very roughly made, as I had neither the time nor the means of making them with accuracy; they may serve, however, to give a general idea of this part of the road.
| Height above Sea level in English Feet. | |||||||
|
21 | Ri | 18 | Chô. | |||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 80 | ||
|
3 | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 115 | ||
|
2 | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 280 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 370 | ||
|
1 | Ri„ | 18 | Chô„ | 225 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 410 | ||
|
2 | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 280 | ||
|
1 | Ri„ | 18 | Chô„ | 865 | ||
|
1 | Ri„ | 8 | Chô„ | 370 | ||
|
1 | Ri„ | 16 | Chô„ | 440 | ||
|
1 | Ri„ | 26 | Chô„ | 500 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | 30 | Chô„ | 575 | ||
|
2 | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 745 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 970 | ||
|
1 | Ri„ | 16 | Chô„ | 990 | ||
|
40 | Ri„ | 6 | Chô„ | |||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 1,425 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 1,725 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 2,135 | ||
|
1 | Ri„ | 34 | Chô„ | 1,825 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 2,000 | ||
|
1 | Ri„ | 11 | Chô„ | 2,800 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 2,640 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 3,005 | ||
|
1 | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 2,430 | ||
|
1 | Ri„ | 4 | Chô„ | 2,845 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 2,955 | ||
|
1 | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 2,820 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | 26 | Chô„ | 3,220 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 3,990 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | 26 | Chô„ | 3,900 | ||
|
2 | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 2,365 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 1,765 | ||
|
1 | Ri„ | 20 | Chô„ | 1,745 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 1,505 | ||
|
1 | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 1,660 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | 28 | Chô„ | 1,360 | ||
|
— | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 2,600 | ||
|
2 | Ri„ | 18 | Chô„ | 1,740 | ||
| — | — | ||||||
|
55 | Ri | 29 | Chô | |||
|
1 | Ri„ | — | Chô„ | 2,170 | ||
|
2 | Ri„ | 13 | Chô„ | 1,045 | ||
|
2 | Ri„ | 2 | Chô„ | 750 | ||
|
3 | Ri„ | 10 | Chô„ | No observation. | ||
|
2 | Ri„ | 18 | Chô„ | |||
|
27 | Ri„ | 32 | Chô„ | |||
| — | — | ||||||
|
94 | Ri | 32 | Chô. | |||
After leaving Nagaoka the road runs over a distance of 3 ri through tolerably flat land, the hills enclosing us at a distance from all sides, and the circle narrowing as we advance; afterwards, at Miokin, the road begins to ascend very steeply. Between Nagaoka and Miokin rice and corn are cultivated, and the country has generally a prosperous aspect; but the road is not wider than 10 or 12 feet, excepting some parts where it was in the course of being widened in an entirely unnecessary degree.
From Miokin the Shinanogawa valley is followed along the slopes of the hills, in which the road is cut out, having no mere width than a footpath; two or three times, indeed, it passes under the straw pent-house of a coolie’s tea-house, the outside uprights of which stand on the edge of the steeply descending mountain slope. The valley is picturesque, the river winding its way in the depth between gravel and pebble-banks, and forming waterfalls everywhere.
At Kidzu, to which place the road ascends with a steep incline, (as may be seen in the above-mentioned itinerary) a small tea-house is situated on a beautiful spot, where ice-cold water is to be had from a deep well. From here to Kawakuchi is 112 ri, at which place the Owedagawa flows into the Shinano; this Owedagawa is the. principal right tributary to the Shinanogawa; it is navigable for small boats up to Muikamachi, at which place it alters its name to Owonogawa.
Kawakuchi is the first place along this road where silk-industry is again met with, and from here throughout the way till Takasaki, it seems to be the chief traffic of the population.
After crossing the Owedagawa at a little distance above Kawakuchi by means of a ferry-boat, a steep hill, called Tobisaki, is ascended; the slopes of this hill are grown with beautiful sugi-trees, and on the top are two very good tea-houses, from whence the road descends to Horinooji. This is a very prosperous looking and nice place with broad streets; it is situated at a little distance from the left Owedagawa bank; the valley is principally cultivated with rice; and the narrow road leads through the paddy-fields, and being unshaded and rugged, it is rather uncomfortable. But the Japanese were hard at work to improve it, every village having to provide the necessary coolies for the part of the road lying within its limits.
From distance to distance parties of from 20 or 30 people were met with, consisting of men, women and girls who were repairing the road by filling up the numerous gaps with the clay from the adjoining paddy-fields, burying under it the blocks of stone which now formed part of the rugged road, and widening it to about 9 to 12 feet. Besides the spade, every workman or woman was invariably provided with a fan, which gave them a very quaint aspect; to shelter against the burning sun, instead of being naked, they wore a kind of dress; commonly their legs were enwrapped with cotton and over their kimonos they wore the ordinary straw rain-coats.
After leaving Horinooji, over a distance of 112 ri the 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 charming spots on the Mikani road. Leaving Mitsmata the road becomes very bad, great sharp stone points protrude everywhere, and the ascending of the steep inclines is very difficult. Before F’tai is reached two high hills have to be crossed, which are separated from each other by a deep valley. The road is here seen over all the length of the valley, winding zig-zag along the slope of the hills through the dense verdure; on the top of the second one a fine view is to be had over the village of F’tai, lying nearly 600 feet below. This village consists of one street only, with some 40 houses; it has, like Asakai, quite a modern aspect; for during the last war both places were burnt down by the Tycoon’s troops, and are now being slowly rebuilt. From F’tai the road gradually ascends to a spot named Kiridos, where a narrow passage is cut through two hills, and from where it descends rapidly to the valley of the Yogawa, a left feeder of the Kiodzu-sawa, the last named river having been crossed at F’tai. This Yogawa valley was seen from F’tai upwards, but the road remained at a considerable distance from the river, which streams along the foot of the hills over which the road is led, hid under the dense shrubs which cover the slopes, and only heard in the rushing sound of its water.
Very slowly ascending through the Yogawa valley, through which the road is comparatively so low situated that it is often submerged, when after heavy rainfalls, the river is in high flood, Asakai is reached, where the properly named Mikuni-pass begins, which continues to Nangai, the total length between those places being 3 ri 16 cho.
At Asakai the road begins to ascend tolerably slowly to Taske-goya, whence it goes by zig-zag, and with heavy inclines to the small temple of Gogén, which is at the highest point. It is throughout not broader than 6 feet, and as it winds up the mountains, now from one side, then from another, a superb view is to be had into the valley of the Yogawa from which we ascend. The mountain slopes are all covered with thickets, through which everywhere a patch is broken, uniting two branches of a zig-zag, and shortening the way considerably if made use of, which is only possible to unburdened travellers, who, moreover, do not care for their clothes.
The small temple of Gogén at the highest point of the road, I found to be situated about 4,000 feet above the sea level. Here is the boundary of the three provinces of Echigo, Joshiu and Shinano, and from the fact that those three provinces unite here the mountain derives its name of Mikuni (three countries). The temple is a small wooden building, and always closed; there is only a small hole in the door, through which however nothing is to be seen. A large wooden torii with an ichitoro on each side, is placed before the entrance; on this torii, the Japanese try their fortune in the usual way by attempting to throw small stones on the cross-beam. After all I had heard about the renowned temple on the top of this mountain, I was very much disappointed in seeing this wretched place.
Though the scenery N. of the Mikuni was superb, it cannot be called charming; it was in all too green; excepting a lovely white Japanese lily on the mountain-slopes, no flower was to be discovered; and in this respect I think the Shinshiu-road is to be preferred to the Mikuni road. Perhaps, however, it was the fault of the time of the year, and that in May blooming azaleas and fuji flowers will give to this road an equally, if not more charming aspect than to the Shinshiu-road.
The road now enters the Province of Joshiu; the first resting place is a large but dirty tea-house, at a place called Gogen-no-betto, the road alternately descending and ascending to nearly the same height as the Gogen temple. The scenery is finer here than on the North side of the Mikuni top; many cascades, coming from the mountain slopes on one side, cross the road and full into the deep valleys leading to the Tonegawa.
After Gogen-no-betto the road descends to Nangai; it is broader and shaded by high trees; the mountain slopes are grown with the Kojiwa (a kind of low, knotty oak), with a tree which has some resemblance to a beech, and with a kind of walnut tree, all rising amidst thickets and encircled by ivy.
Nangai was also destroyed during the war in 1868. From this place to F’see the valley of the Nishikawa is followed along its left bank to Kayabara, where it is crossed by a bridge. The Nishikawa is aright tributary to the Tonegawa; it has quite the aspect of a mountain stream, and viewed from the hills with its clear water, with wooden bridges of a particularly clever and quaint construction leading over it, the whole enclosed by hills covered with fresh verdure, it furnishes a pleasant sight. As far as can be seen the valley is moreover covered with villages.
Between F’see and Nakayama a new road has lately been opened, shortening the distance, as it formerly was, by 112 ri. But this part is certainly the most trying one of the whole road. The ascent of these hills, along the slopes of which it has been cut, is steep; at most places it is not broader than five or six feet, this width being sometimes obtained by trunks of trees, supported by props, or by large stone-blocks against the descending mountain-slopes, and covered by branches of trees over which one has to go. It looks very dangerous, and I think will be wholly impracticable, and in many parts liable to be destroyed by heavy rainfalls. After the highest point has been attained, at a place called Kirigakubotoge, the road descends more slowly to the valley in which Nakayama is situated, being for a great part an uncultivated and solitary grass-land with a tree scattered on it here and there, and with a gently undulating soil. Nakayama itself is a place of very poor appearance, quietly situated in the midst of the valley.
Leaving Nakayama the road gradually ascends for about 1 ri; the highest point is reached here between the Minami and the Komochiyama, two grass-grown hills on both sides of the road, at a little distance from it; in clear weather Asama-yama is to be seen from this in about a S.W. direction. From here to Yokobori the road descends rapidly; about half way there is a splendid view between the mountains into the Tonegawa valley, and the whole silk-districts around Mayebashi. The road is for the greatest part not shaded, tolerably smooth, but steep. Yokobori consists of a row of houses on both sides of the street. One ri further on, at Kitamoku, the Agatsumagawa is crossed by a large wooden bridge; this river is another right feeder of the Tonegawa. After climbing the hill which rises here directly at the right bank of the river, for the last time, on the home road one of those beautiful views is to be had of the river valley and over the villages lying scattered in it, such as one often sees in the interior of Japan.
The road leads now through a very fertile district to the large town of Shibukawa, where for the first time from Niigata jinrikishas were again met with; this town is situated at a little distance from the right Tonegawa bank, and about 3 ri from Mayebashi; it is an important trading town.
While from Shibukawa one road goes S. E. to Mayebashi, another goes generally ascending S., over Kaneko, to Takasaki. Almost uninterruptedly the road is on both sides lined with houses and very prosperous looking farms; the intervals being occupied by temporary small booths, in which fruits, such as suikas, makuas, pears and cucumbers are sold.
On this part of the road, women and girls were always industriously occupied in reeling off the silk cocoons; while the chief business of the men seemed to be sleeping; there was, at least, scarcely any house in which one or two were not laid stretched in the arms of Morpheus, while their wives and daughters were cheerfully at work.
At Kaneko is the finest honjin I have seen, but it now belongs to a silk-merchant; from this place to Takasaki the road slowly descends through the fields, and Takasaki itself, as it is seen from this side, stretching over a considerable extent with its castle walls and numerous white plastered buildings, projecting against the green hills, gives a pleasing impression.
Throughout both roads between Yedo and Niigata, in every place of importance, there was a house, belonging to the “Rikugun-kai” (an overland transport company), which is, as far as I could see, very well organised. Here we were provided with jinrickshas, kagos, pack-horses and coolies, after a fixed tariff, which differed slightly according to circumstances; thus, in the mountains, it was a trifle higher than on the flat parts of the road.
A jinricksha was paid for 1 “ishu” per ri; if with 2 coolies about 10 cents. In the mountains the weight which a man had to bear, was 7 quanine (about 57 pounds); he was paid for that 5.2 tempo per ri, if carrying more, his wages were increased in proportion. A kago, borne by two men, pays for 212 men, as a compensation for wear and tear. On an average the Kai-offices were 3 or 4 ri apart; taking 312 ri, a coolie’s wages in the interior should be something between “Sanshu” and “ichibu.” Very often the Kai-offices were at the same time the municipal offices of the villages, with the “Koshiduka” (or official notice-board) before the entrance. The distances which separate the villages are measured from notice board to notice board.
By this company, all merchandise is despatched by pack-horses from office to office. The horses are often led by little girls; when arriving at the different stations the packages are at once taken from the horses, and thrown upon the ground, where they remain lying till fresh horses are ready to carry them to the next station; while the other horses immediately return.
In order to assemble the necessary number of coolies, in some of the villages, a kind of roll had to be beaten with a wooden hammer on a hollowed-out piece of wood, hanging in front of the Kai-office. This operation had often to be repeated 10 or 12 times before the required number arrived; they game on very slowly and drowsily, but after having weighed their load and prepared to start, they become jolly and good-humoured, and all over the way there is no end to their talking and laughing.
In general they are a very good-natured kind of people, and though “uncivilized,” as some call them, I think many of our own civilized races in Europe might take them as an example for their kind and polite manners towards each other. I remember a young coolie inviting an “O-ji-san” (old man) who walked before him, to change burdens, his, (the O-ji-san’s) being far the heavier of the two, which offer was gratefully accepted after the necessary courtesies and compliments.
However not only the coolies, but all other people I came in contact with, seemed to me equally kind and well-disposed to foreigners; all over the way I never met with the least ill-will.
It struck me that the inhabitants of Echigo and particularly of Niigata were generally better looking and of larger stature than those of Yedo, many of them having the Jewish type; the girls too, are undoubtedly better looking, and Echigo used to be the principal recruiting-place to fill the Yoshiwaras at Yedo and Osaka.
I have had much assistance during this trip from 2 Japanese maps; one is the generally known: “Fujimi Jusan Shiu Yochi Zènsu” (map of the 13 Province, which are to be seen from the top of the Fuji-Yama); the other is named “Echigo Shiu Shikiyenshi” (being the Echigo-sheet of a map of the whole of Japan). I found the first to be pretty accurate as to the direction of the road and the distances from place to place; the second one is merely descriptive and has not the least claim to any accuracy as to measures or directions.
For the rest, though To have given here some details which may prove interesting, I could have given many more if I had been acquainted with the Japanese language. This not being the case, I entirely depended upon my interpreter, who never told me anything I did not ask for, and whose answers I had, as it, were, to draw from his mouth, though I must do him the justice to say that he took more interest in the incidents of the journey than Japanese generally do.
For any one acquainted with the Japanese language, I think no trip can be more interesting than the one here roughly sketched out.
J. A. LINDO,
Lieut. Royal Engineers,
(Dutch Army).
The Minutes of the last General Meeting were read and approved, and it was announced that the following gentlemen had been elected Ordinary Members of the Society:—Lieut. A. J. Lindo, R.E. Dutch Army; Drs. A. J. Geerts and Dwight Dickinson; and Messrs. S. Parry, T. Lepper, Julius Bryner, and F. Walker.
Dr. Geerts then read his second paper on the “Useful Minerals and Metallurgy of the Japanese.” It treated, on this occasion, of the metallurgy and properties of the Copper of this country.
The Chairman tendered the thanks of the Society to the author for his valuable and exhaustive paper on the Metal for which, perhaps above all others, Japan was most famous.
In reply to a question from the Rev. Mr. Syle, Dr. Geerts said that “yaki” was a mineral of a greenish colour, which, though it did not itself contain much copper, was nevertheless very useful, as it indicated wherever it was found that copper ores also existed in the vicinity.
Mr. R. Vicars Boyle then read a paper by Mr. J. A. Lindo entitled “A trip to Niigata, and back by the Mikuni Pass.” The reader had kindly furnished, in illustration of the paper, some maps upon which the route might be followed.
The Chairman observed that Mr. Lindo had described not only one but two interesting journeys, and his account showed that a trip to Niigata by either of the routes which he had taken was full of attraction. The interest of the subject, however, was not limited to travel only. Niigata is a place of considerable promise; as a Treaty Port it is said to be opened to foreign trade, but it is really closed to it by the natural obstacle of the bar at the mouth of the Shinanogawa. It is of great importance to commerce that this obstacle should be removed. As the surrounding country is very rich its vast crops of rice give it the name of the Granary of the nation, and it also produces minerals, petroleum, tea, tobacco, hemp, and other products. He invited gentlemen present who were able to speak on the subject of the port and bar to give the meeting the benefit of their observations.
After a few observations from Mrs. Ayrton on the subject of the tariff for the Coolie Stage, and a few remarks from Dr. Geerts about the Province of Yechigo,
Mr. Brunton said that as Niigata was a Treaty port, and the only means by which it could be made really a port was by the Shinanogawa perhaps a few particulars concerning this river would be of interest.
The Shinanogawa is the outlet for the drainage waters of a large tract of country in the provinces of Shinano, Musashi and Yechigo, as had been described in the paper. Its general course is in a northwesterly direction, and its total length is about 250 miles. On the 21st June 1871, from actual gauging near the mouth, Mr. Brunton had found the discharge to be 1,500,000 cubic feet per minute, while on the 23rd June, after one day’s heavy rain, the river’s surface had risen one foot, its velocity had increased in some places three times, and its discharge was 3,900,000 cubic feet per minute. The Thames discharged only 600,000 cubic feet per minute in floods, and 45,000 cubic feet per minute in ordinary summer weather; and the Rhine 10 millions in floods, and 900,000 cubic feet per minute in ordinary summer weather, which latter, consequently, had about the same volume as the Shinanogawa. Up to 40 miles from the sea, the river maintained an irregular width varying from 4,000 feet to 1,200 feet, and over the whole of that distance down to the mouth various shallows and sands banks had been thrown up, which not only impeded the flow of the water, but almost entirely destroyed the use of the river for navigation purposes. Its depth over that distance varied from 20 feet to 3 feet. For vessels drawing over this latter depth it could not be considered navigable more than a few miles above Niigata. From all Mr. Brunton could ascertain no attempts whatever had been made at any place either to regulate the course of the stream, or to protect its banks. The banks of the Shinanogawa were so low, and so easily washed away that great damage was done to them, and to the neighbouring country in floods. Thus he was informed that 12,000 acres of valuable rice land were flooded five or six times every year. Instead, however, of raising the banks, and otherwise regulating the flow of the river, the scheme to remedy this state of matters which had been adopted by the Japanese authorities was the formation of a new channel of large dimensions to carry off the surplus flood waters of the Shinanogawa. At the entrance of the Shinanogawa to the sea the bar which had formed stretches across its mouth having a channel through it, which at the time of Mr. Brunton’s visit ran in a northwesterly direction and had a minimum depth of water in it of from seven to eight feet, which had, according to the paper just read, now been reduced to five feet. It was said that this channel changed more or less every day, each flood and each gale of wind moved it considerably, but its movements did not so far as he could discover seem to be ruled by any principle. The bar, however, presented no peculiarities which were likely to render it difficult to be successfully dealt with. It had on the contrary many advantages which with proper treatment made it most capable of improvement. It was composed of the finest sand, which was moved about by every disturbance in the water, whether waves from seaward or river currents from in shore. It was stated that there was at least thirty feet depth of this fine sand on it, and with a properly directed stream carried through a channel of proper width, this could not fail to be to agre at extent cleared away. Mr. Brunton felt convinced, from the success of the works at the Sulina mouth of the Danube, the Oder, the Tees, and other rivers which were in many ways similar to this, that by the proper execution of a well devised harbour scheme having piers running out into deep water to cause a scour over the bar, a very fair commercial port might be made at Niigata. The Shinanogawa, running for 250 miles through one of the most productive districts in Japan, offered, with a little improvement of its channel, an excellent means of transport for the various products to Niigata, and with a harbour there capable of admitting vessels of a good draught there could be little doubt of its success as a port. Works of the nature suggested would have the effect of deepening the bar to admit vessels of a draught of from twenty-five feet in very fine weather to about twenty feet when there was so much sea as to cause a ship to pitch considerably below her line of flotation; and though in some weathers it would be hazardous and perhaps impossible to enter between the piers at all, Niigata had the advantage of having, at a distance of thirty miles directly off the coast, the Island of Sado, where vessels might with safety anchor and wait for suitable weather to enter in. in this respect it had an immense advantage over all the harbours on the east coast of England, between the Thames and the Forth, a distance of 400 miles, along which coast there were none but tidal and river harbours, the entrances to which were most precarious, where the prevailing winds were easterly and right on the coast, and where the largest traffic in the world was carried on without a harbour of refuge of any kind. he effects of the Piers on the Bar at the Sulina mouth of the Danube might be here given, as the circumstances in which they were built were so analogous to what was required at Niigata. “The depth on the Bar in 1820 was from 7 feet to 12 feet. In 1857 the navigable channel was only 9 feet deep. In November 1859 the North Peer had advanced 3,000 feet and and the South Pier 500 feet, the depth on the bar was then 10 feet. On 30th November, 1860, the works being completed there was a good navigable channel of 12 feet; on the 31st December, of 13 feet; on 28th February, 1861, of 14 feet. Then came the breaking up of the ice, and the furious descent of the extraordinary high flood, but this time the swollen waters being confined between the two Piers and directed in a proper line, instead of causing a diminution of the depth fairly swept the remaings of the bar on to the south bank and into deep water. From that time to the present the depth has never been less than 1612 feet, and frequently as much as 1712 feet.”[1]
In conclusion Mr. Brunton said that there could be no reason why similar results should not follow the erection of properly executed Piers at Niigata.
In reply to a question from the Chairman, Mr. Brunton said that two years ago he had estimated the cost of such works as he had described at about $800,000.
Mr. Brent made a few remarks regarding the communication between Niigata and Nagaoka and said that a native company had already started a small steamer, drawing only 112 feet of water, to run between those places up the Shinanogawa, and he thought they intended to put a second boat on the same river shortly.
In reply to a question from the Chairman, Mr. Boyle remarked that it did not appear why the post did not use the road down the valley of the Shinanogawa to Niigata, instead of the road along the coast, but he had been informed by the local authorities that arrangements were being made for the post to follow the valley route.
The Chairman thanked Mr. Brunton for the very interesting statement he had given the Meeting. The history of the bar showed that it was of comparatively recent growth. It appeared that as late as 1820 the Shinanogawa received near to its mouth the waters of the Aganogawa, and it was said that the depth of the entrance was then twenty or twenty-five feet. But in order, as it was supposed, to improve the drainage of the plain and to check inundation the channel of the Aganogawa was diverted and conducted into the sea by its present mouth which opens a few miles above the mouth of the Shinanogawa. The waters of the former were thus lost to the latter, the force of the stream was checked just at the point where it was most necessary to preserve it and consequently the growth of the present bar rapidly increased. The desired object was not attained for the obvious reason that as the mouth of the river contracted in depth it could not carry off the same volume of water as before, and the people were again troubled with inundations. Unmindful however of the warning afforded by the opening of the Aganogawa, north of Niigata, the Japanese had lately sought to repeat the mistake by opening a cutting from the Shinanogawa into the sea at Teradomari, about 26 miles south of Niigata. Fortunately this cutting had not been completed and the work upon it was now stopped. Were it allowed to be carried out it would complete the ruin of Niigata, as the mouth of the Shinanogawa would probably in that case be soon entirely closed. What was required was that the Shinanogawa should carry off all its waters by its own channel, and thus maintain a scour of sufficient strength to prevent deposits forming at its mouth. It was well that the Teradomari cutting had been abandoned in time, and it was to be hoped that the attention of the Government would be directed to sounder measures for the conservancy of the river and the preservation of the port. It was lamentable to hear it stated that nearly eight hundred thousand dollars had been spent on this worse than useless cutting, a sum believed to be sufficient to construct the works advised by Mr. Brunton and also by Mr. Lindo.
The meeting terminated in the usual manner.- ↑ From Sir C. Hartley’s paper on the Delta of the Danube, read before the Institution of Civil Engineers in London.