XI
From Kobe to Nagasaki by the Sanjo and Kyushu Railways, Shimonoseki and Moji, Okayama, Hiroshima and Miyajima.
Some years ago I read Pierre Loii's Madame Chrysanthime," and I confess with shame and anger, that I then failed to find therein the utter want of truth which I now see ina book, written for notoriety, and based on prejudice. It gave me a dislike of Nagasuki and a bitter taste in the mouth of all "'Juponeries." 'There is not one word of truth in it, and it is artificial from begining to end. It isa lampoon, directed from a. low-class tes-house, caricaturiog men and ivomen who had been known to MIN. Loti during a five minutes' delirium who were above'him in everything, as th stars are above the mountains, It is view from the hatoba, And as regards the heroine, Brother Yves, M. Kangomou, the depraved " mousmés" of twelve to fifteen yours of ago, the "immensely tall friend" (Komodachi, sic) M. Sucre, and Madame Prune, and many others, I'am ive lined to cheve that these personages existed only in the poetic imagination of the talented author, But enough; let us depart from Madame La Duchess De Richelieu.
The night express leaves Kobe Station at 11.30 pin. for Nagasaki, It arrives at Shimonoseki at 7 p.m, on the following day. People going through should rest at the Sanjo Hotel, where's comfortable room and a good dinner can be obtained, until 10 p.m, when the ferry takes them across the straits to Moji in twelve the train for Nagasaki direct station at 11.20 p.m. and arrives at destination at o'clock the next morning. Between Kobe and Shimonoseki the express carries divin; and sleeping cars; between Moji and Nagasaki the passengers have to be con-touted with a soft seat and o box of "hent," cold -boiled rice and fish, ete, "But shikara ga nai," if you can manage a sloop during the night, you will be just in time for a bath- and a solid breakfast, when you arrive at the birthplace of "Madame Chrysanthime." The new railway station is now close to Oura, the foreign Settlement.
The so-called semi-foreign _hotel Moji. (vide Murray's Guide Book) is a delusion and' a snare. 'A through ticket from Kobe to Nagasaki, first class, is good for five days, so the journey can be broken whenever the traveller in search of the beautiful desires.
Lot us start with Okayama. One of the advantages of leaving Kobe by the midnight express is, that on emerging from your sleeper in the morning, you ate just entering upon the finest bits of scenery on the road. The gardens of Oksyama—Korakwen—are famous through all Japan for their classic beauty. Hero are the old pleasure grounds of the proud ésimios, with mighty goldfish in lotus-ponds maples, cherries, plums, wisterins, feathery bamboos; cranes; old as the patriarchs pavilions with snowy tanami and enticing serving-maids; hills like the coal-mount Peking; and manifold other charming attractions to hold the tourist in admiring Dondage during an entire day. Bridges, rustic and with - sweet-smelling herbs, ferns and grasses, span the lakes; splendid camphor-trees wave their branches, laden with myriads of pretty singing-birds, and all nature proclaims that here is @ place to rest and to admire.
The Okayama Orphanage, managed and assisted by the American mission, is the largest in Japwn. They are learning here how to become good men, women, and citizens, and some of the boys are now holding good positions; one 18 a farmer on a large scale in Canada. They print and bind books; they work at every. kind of handicraft; the girls make their own Grosses, and above all they have schools of their own, where they are taught to become Christians and useful members of society. Dr. Petrie and his wife are the leading spirits of this great institute, that is to say, under the supervision of the Japanese President, and they are most grateful to anyone who will condescend honourably to contribute to the support of the little mites. i, noted for its beautiful capital of the province of Aki, and is situated at the mouth of the river Otagawa, The notorious Taira and Asano families were the rulers of this province until the restoration of the Mikado in 1868, and everywhere are still a the two crossed hawks' feathers, the crest of the Asano daimios. The castle was destroyed during the civil wars, but the present Mikado occupied a building in the grounds during the war with China in 1895, There is hero a splendid park, with temples and shrines of the ancient Tairas and Assnos, and the Inland Sea is around every curve and pretty island, enchanting the eye and murmuring over the white pebbles on the shores. And, oh, the memory, of Hiroshima oysters an natural! The choicest tit-bits for an epicure Com...L Salt pans abound in this district, and large fields of rushes, used in the making of the tanami, are waving in the fresh breezes.
Miyajima or Itsukushima, the sacrod island, and one of the San-kei (the three famous sights), is the island of the gods, which lies on' the bosom of the Inland'
Sea, si few miles from Hiroshima. the pilgrim must halt and do reve Not only worship his gods and of his ancestors, but nature, which here has cast'her charms over sea, mountain, dale, glade, and forest. This is the queen of all. Hero their ancient love-tales are recorded in pastry, one of which T have dared to translate.
Speak not the word!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.