ade to the main temple, whose rough, hewn columns and bare floor
are most unusual. The whole style is original and unique. The great
festival day here is on the 17th of August, when a classic concert is
given, the musicians being dressed in various unique costumes. They are
seated opposite each other in the wings like the two sides of a choir. A
dancing stage extends the whole length of its front, and this opens
into a hall full of _ex-voto_ pictures, some of which possess great
artistic merit. Directly behind this main temple are several other
temples and an eleven-storied pagoda which it is impossible to describe
here adequately.

On our homeward way we visited the Art Museum. This and the museum at
Nara contain the very best collections of early Japanese statuary. The
exhibits have been taken or borrowed from time to time from various
Buddhist temples in Kyoto and the surrounding provinces. Some date from
the seventh and eighth centuries, when Buddhist carving was at the
height of its excellence. There are also screens, ancient manuscripts,
swords, armor, musical instruments, coins, imperial robes, and
miscellaneous articles.

To vary the programme a little, we made an excursion on the following
day to Lake Biwa, some miles distant. This is a very celebrated body of
water in Japan. We had our choice between returning to Kyoto by the more
exciting way of the canal with its long tunnels or going to Otsu. We
chose the latter.

[Illustration: _The largest pine tree in the world at Lake Biwa_]

Near Otsu there is the largest pine tree in the world, and it has been
trained in the peculiar conventional manner employed by the Japanese.
Here we had a picnic luncheon and then drove some distance to the
heights of Otsu, where one hundred and thirty monasteries and temples
are said to be grouped. We walked up the incline, passing many temples
and seeing a very ancient bronze bell of great historic interest.
Descending, we went through the village of Otsu, which has quite a
reputation, since it was the scene of what might have been a very
serious accident to the present Emperor of Russia, then czarevitch. He
was accompanied by Prince George of Greece, now King George, when
savagely attacked by an insane man. Certain disaster would have followed
had it not been for the presence of mind of the Prince.

We reached Kyoto at 5 P.M., having had a long, though extremely
delightful day. Excursions being in order, we went the next da