The bronze factories, open to the traveler, are well worthy of a visit. The mixture of gold, copper, tin and silver into these ornaments are regulated in price by the quantity of gold and silver used. The intaglio figures are overlaid with these precious metals, and the deft hand of cunning workmanship is perceptible in every article produced. The Rapids of Katsuragawa (a famous resort in the maple season) is fourteen miles by jinrikisha from Kiota, which takes about three hours and a half to accomplish. Our party of five required five jinrikishas and ten men, much of the road being upgrade and through tunnels. Rice fields abounded and the scenery wild and picturesque. A tea house at the end of the ride affords room for us to have our own luncheon spread, and after an hour's rest we take a boat, to which our jinrikishas and coolies are transferred. The descent of the rapids requires two hours' time. The pilot stands half clad at the helm, while three men with long ropes attached to the vessel run along the rocky shore, pulling with all their strength. The bed of the river is rocky. Artificial improvements have been made rendering the channel more navigable, but the weirdness of the scene is heightened by the flashes of lightning and the low, reverberating thunder claps that were followed by slight rain. The boat trembles and bends before the fury of the waters. We are assured that the pilot is skillful and an accident is the exception. We land at Arashizama and resume our jinrikisha ride to Kiota.
Alternate days are spent in the shops. We find jade to be an expensive article. The stone is very difficult to carve, hence its value. The pale green in color is most desirable; a cup of cornelian red, very tiny, was 145 yen; a small figure of a lion, beautifully carved, 175 yen. There is a superstition among the natives of Japan and China that anklets or bracelets of jade keep off the evil eye.
We next visit Nara, the holy city. It is not to-day a tenth of its former size, as it is no longer the imperial seat of government. Situated at the foot of a range of mountains are beautiful groves, through which wind broad avenues, shaded by the cryptomeria trees. Temples are hid away in sequestered spots; in one of these the sacred rite of an ancient dance is kept up by priestesses. For a stated fee you can have it executed. The dress worn is of ancient type and bears the Wisteria crest of the Hasaga temple. These dancers wear a white, expressionless mask; their movements, together with the doleful music furnished by the priests with kotos, pipes and drums, make you feel well satisfied with a brief performance, the tune suggesting Watts' "Hark from the tombs, the doleful sound," etc. Here we meet crowds of pilgrims enjoying the beautiful groves with old trunks of trees covered with camellias, wisterias, plum and wild ivy, which are the marvels of the place. The great bell, thirteen feet high, containing thirty-six tons of copper, an image of Buddha, fifty-three feet in height, and a museum erected and sustained by the government are the chief attractions of Nara. Together with the Temple of Taconda, with its fine wood carvings and its beautiful little lake near by, with shoals of speckled fish which are fed daily for the entertainment of visitors. Our inn was strictly Japanese. The apartment set aside for us was partitioned into rooms by mosquito netting. Imagine a room sixty feet long; at intervals of fifteen feet were hooks, placed in the cornice, upon which were hung mosquito nets with teaster-tops, forming, as it were, a square chamber. On the floor of each, beds were made, which consisted of three or four comforters or futahs, immaculately clean, placed one upon the other, while one was rolled for our head rest. Before retiring we were asked to place our valuables in the hands of the proprietor for safety, which we did in part. Our dinner consisted of soup, chicken and potatoes, beefsteak and onions. The curiosity of the waitresses of the inn is laughable; nothing escapes their eyes; even the linings of our dress skirts were investigated.
The founder of one of the temples is said to have ridden to this place in 767 on a spotted deer. Since then the animal is almost deified and is by some supposed to be a messenger from earth to heaven. The groves are full of these favorites.
Osaka, the Birmingham of Japan, is built upon canals, on either side of which are lines of storehouses containing cotton goods, chinaware and wooden utensils. The castle here was occupied by a military force, and all admittance was denied. Kobe, two hours' ride via railroad, is the point of departure for us from Japan, after sailing through the Inland sea and stopping a few hours at Nagasaki. Kobe has an English concession. Club houses, banks and good hotels gives it a European appearance. The Japanese portion has its bazaar, crematories and temples. The hour for cremating is at six o'clock in the evening, and we visited this place in time to see three bodies already placed in the furnaces; two of these were in casks, as they were in a sitting position; that of an infant in a rude box, in such as our oranges are shipped, and tied with twine. The crematory was on the summit of a hill, at the foot of which was the cemetery, where the ashes were interred. The sailing of the "Empress of China" through the Inland Sea is lovely beyond description. The sky cloudless, temperature about 72 (Oct. 1st, 1895); Americans and English crowded the deck. The harbor at Nagasaki is fine. War vessels from almost every country lie at anchor in the sparkling waters. The "Centurion" of the British line and the "Charleston," of the American, commanded by Captain Coffin, Messrs. Sharp and Littlefield, officers, gave us a courteous welcome. When the day was far spent and the last rays of the setting sun reflected its beautiful coloring on the waters, which glistened like diamonds in an emerald setting around the vessels, our own flag waved its colors and the soul-stirring strain, "Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot," aroused all the patriotism and tenderness in our hearts. As we waved a good-bye to the land of "The Rising Sun" it was with the desire that we might return to the scenes that had contributed so much to our enjoyment. The twelve guns fired from the "Centurion" in honor of the occasion seemed as echoes from the hills bidding us adieu with an au revoir.