. The mikado's empire. Bringing Water to wash Travelers Feet.(Hokusai.) IN THE HEART OF JAPAN. 417 and very handsome norimono, borne on the shoulders of two men, wasprovided. It was a fine, large box, like a palanquin, except that thepole by which it rested on the two mens shoulders passed throughthe top instead of being fastened at the centre, as in India. The oneI rode in was gold-lacquered without, and richly upholstered and pa-pered within, with neat curtains of bamboo split into fine inside, there was room to sit down. K one does not mind be-ing a little cramped, he can spend
. The mikado's empire. Bringing Water to wash Travelers Feet.(Hokusai.) IN THE HEART OF JAPAN. 417 and very handsome norimono, borne on the shoulders of two men, wasprovided. It was a fine, large box, like a palanquin, except that thepole by which it rested on the two mens shoulders passed throughthe top instead of being fastened at the centre, as in India. The oneI rode in was gold-lacquered without, and richly upholstered and pa-pered within, with neat curtains of bamboo split into fine inside, there was room to sit down. K one does not mind be-ing a little cramped, he can spend a day comfortably inside. Forhigh lords and nobles four men are provided, and the long supportingbar is slightly curved to denote high rank. I entered the norimonoin the presence of the entire village, including the small boys. The. ride of a few hundred yards sufficed for me. The sights were toonovel to miss seeing any thing, and so I got out and walked. I wasnot sorry for the change. The air was bracing, the scenery inspiring. A double pleasure rewards the pioneer who is the first to penetrateinto the midst of a new people. Besides the rare exhilaration felt intreading soil virgin to alien feet, it acts like mental oxygen to lookupon and breathe in a unique civilization like that of Japan. To feelthat for ages millions of ones own race have lived and loved, enjoyedand suffered and died, living the fullness of life, yet without the relig-ion, laws, customs, food, dress, and culture which seem to us to be thevitals of our social existence, is like walking through a living Pompeii. Our path wound up from the village to a considerable height. Onboth sides of the mountain path and pass the ground was terraced 418 THE MIKADOS EMPIRE. into rice-fields, which were irrigated by the stream that is usuallyfound flowing be
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Keywords: ., bookauthorgriffisw, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookyear1894
