Some six years back lived in the beautiful village of Minoge an old lady
who kept the big tea-house of the place known as the "White Pine." Minoge
is situated at the base of the holy mountain Oyama, and during the months
of August and September trade in Minoge was always brisk, on account of
the influx of pilgrims from all parts of Japan, who came hither to perform
the holy duty of ascending the mountain, and of paying their devoirs at
the shrine of the Thunder-God, previous to making the grand pilgrimage of
Fuji-Yama.
The old lady was well off, and her inn bore an unblemished reputation for
possessing the prettiest serving-girls, the gayest guest-chambers, and the
primest stewed eels--the dish _par excellence_ of Japanese _gourmets_--of
any hostelry in the country side. One of her daughters was married in
Yedo, and a son was studying in one of the European colleges of that city;
still she was as completely rustic and unacquainted with the march of
affairs outside as if she had never heard of Yedo, much less of
foreigners. At that time it was a very rare thing indeed for a foreigner
to be seen in Minoge, and the stray artists and explorers who had wandered
there were regarded much in the same way as would have been so many white
elephants.
It caused, therefore, no little excitement in the village when, one fine
autumn evening, the rumour came along that a foreigner was making his way
towards the "White Pine." Every one tried to get a glimpse of him. The
chubby-cheeked boys and girls at the school threw down their books and
pens, and crowded to the door and windows; the bath-house was soon empty
of its patrons and patronesses, who, red as lobsters with boiling water,
with dishevelled locks and garments hastily bound round them, formed line
outside; the very Yakunin, or mayor, sentenced a prisoner he was judging
straight off, without bothering himself to inquire into evidence, so as
not to be balked of the sight, and every wine and barber's shop sent forth
its quota of starers into the little street.
Meanwhile the foreigner was leisurely striding along. He was taller by far
than the tallest man in Minoge, his hair was fair, and even his bronzed
face and hands were fair compared to those of the natives. On the back of
his head was a felt wide-awake, he wore a blue jacket and blue half
trousers (Anglice, knickerbockers), thick hose, and big boots. In his
mouth was a pipe--being much shorter than Japanese smoking tubes--in his
hand a stick, and on his back a satchel.
As he passed, one or two urchins, bolder than the rest, shouted out,
"Tojin baka" ("Foreign beast") and instantly fled indoors, or behind their
mothers' skirts; but the majority of the villagers simply stared, with an
occasional interjection expressive of wonder at his height, fair hair, and
costume.
At the door of the "White Pine" he halted, unstrapped his bundle, took off
his boots, and in very fair Japanese requested to be shown his room. The
old lady, after a full ten minutes' posturing, complimenting, bowing, and
scraping, ushered him into her best guest-chamber. "For," said she, "being
a foreigner, he must be rich, and wouldn't like ordinary pilgrim
accommodation." And she drew to the sliding screens, and went off to
superintend his repast. Although nothing but the foreigner's boots were to
be seen outside, a gaping crowd had collected, striving to peer through
the cracks in the doors, and regarding the boots as if they were infernal
machines. One, more enterprising than the rest, took a boot up, passed it
to his neighbour, and in a short time it had circulated from hand to hand
throughout the population of Minoge, and was even felt and pinched by the
mayor himself, who replaced it with the reverence due to some religious
emblem or relic.
Then the hostess served up her banquet--seaweed, sweets, raw "tighe"--the
salmon of Japan--in slices, garnished with turnips and horse-radish, egg
soup with pork lumps floating in it, chicken delicately broiled, together
with a steaming bottle of her choicest "San Toku Shiu," or wine of the
Three Virtues (which keeps out the cold, appeases hunger, and induces
sleep).
The foreigner made an excellent meal, eked out by his own white bread, and
wine from a flask of pure silver, then, lighting his pipe, reclined at
full length on the mats, talking to the old lady and her three damsels, O
Hana, O Kiku, and O Riu (Miss Flower, Miss Chrysanthemum, and Miss
Dragon). He was walking about the country simply for pleasure, he
said--which astonished the women greatly--he had been away from Yokohama
three weeks, and was now on his road to the big mountain. The party were
soon screaming with laughter at his quaint remarks and at his occasional
colloquial slips, and in a short time all were such good friends that the
old lady begged him to display the contents of his satchel. "Certainly,"
said the stranger, pulling it towards him and opening it. A dirty flannel
shirt or two didn't produce much impression--perhaps wares of a similar
nature had been imported before into Minoge--nor did a hair-brush,
tooth-brush, and comb; but when he pulled out a pistol, which was
warranted to go off six times in as many seconds, and proceeded to
exemplify the same in the air, popular excitement began to assert itself
in a series of "naruhodo's" ("really!"). Then he pulled out a portable
kerosine lamp--(kerosine lamps are now as common in Japan as shrines by
the road-side)--and the light it made, throwing entirely into the shade
the native "andon," or oil wick, burning close by, raised the enthusiasm
still higher. Lastly he showed a small box of medicines, "certain cures,"
said he, "for every disease known amongst the sons of men."
The old lady and the maids were enchanted, and matters ended, after much
haggling and disputation, in the foreigner allowing them to keep the three
articles for the very reasonable sum of fifty dollars--about fifteen
pounds sterling--which was handed over to the foreigner, who called for
his bedding and went fast asleep.
The first thing for the old lady to do the next day was to present herself
and maids in full holiday costume with their recent purchases at the house
of the mayor. The great man received them and their goods with the dignity
befitting his rank, and promised that a public trial should be made of the
pistol, lamp, and medicines, at an early date, in order to determine
whether they were worthy to be adopted as institutions in the village.
Accordingly, by proclamation, at a fixed date and hour, all Minoge
assembled in the open space facing the mayor's house, and the articles
were brought forth. The pistol was first taken and loaded, as directed by
the foreigner, by the boldest and strongest man in the village. The first
shot was fired--it wounded a pack-horse, standing some twenty yards away,
in the leg; he took fright and bolted with a heavy load of wine tubs down
the street into the fields: the second shot went through a temple roof
opposite, and shattered the head of the deity in the shrine: the third
shot perforated the bamboo hat of a pilgrim; and it was decided not to
test the remaining three barrels.
Then the lamp was brought forth: the wick was turned up full, and the
village strong man applied a light. The blaze of light was glorious, and
drew forth the acclamations of the crowd; but the wick had been turned up
too high, the glass burst with a tremendous report, the strong man
dropped the lamp, the oil ignited, ran about and set fire to the matting.
In ten minutes, however, the local fire brigade got the flames under, and
the experiments proceeded.
The medicine packets were brought forth. The first was a grey powder. A
man who had been lame from youth upwards was made to limp out. The powder
mixed with water, according to directions, was given him. He hobbled away
in frightful convulsions, and nearly injured his whole limb in so doing.
The second packet was then unsealed--it contained pills. A blind man was
called out--six pills were rammed down his throat, and he was left
wallowing in a ditch. The third packet, a small book containing sticking
plaster, was then introduced. A burly peasant, victim to fearful
toothache, was made to stand forth. The interior of his mouth was lined
with the plaster, and when he attempted in his disgust to pull it off,
away came his skin also.