cious Temple of Higashi Hongwanji, the chief religious edifice of
the Monto sect of Buddhists. It is very plain in its architecture, but
is noted principally for its proportions. The area of the matted floor
of the nave alone is one hundred and fifty mats, and around the front
and sides is a wooden aisle one hundred and twelve feet wide.

Tokio has many other temples and parks, but of these, as I have said,
Ueno is the most popular; around us were crowds of gayly dressed grown
people and children, all in holiday attire; various games for adults and
children were in progress, and there was a tea-house where refreshments
were being served. To me this appeared in very truth a park for the
people.

The Botanical Garden is also quite interesting. A long, imposing street
led down to it from Ueno Park, and on this were situated the principal
shops of the city, with curio nooks in abundance. These, of course, were
larger and more pretentious than the bazars spoken of elsewhere, some
of them being three stories in height, the first of the kind we had seen
in Japan. Taken as a whole, Tokio is a large, populous city, with a
bright future before it. I now was obliged to turn my face toward
Yokohama, it being a comparatively short distance from Tokio. Here I
found a number of friends whom I had met at different points and who
were about to leave for San Francisco,--my own departure for North China
to occur the following morning.

To visit North China, I was compelled to return to Shanghai in order to
join the Collver Tours party I had met at Kyoto. I left Yokohama on
March 3d by rail for Kobe, arriving at the Oriental Hotel about 9 P.M.
The route by day was very pleasant, as we saw much fine scenery, and for
some time Mt. Fujiyama rose before us in the distance. At Kobe I found
that the steamer, _Mongolia_, would be delayed, and therefore I would
need to remain there until the second day. The following morning, I took
a jinrikisha ride to the country and revisited several points of
interest.

[Illustration: _Gate of Chionin in Kyoto_]

[Illustration: _Ueno Park Pagoda_]

* * * * *

_June 6th_: I was awakened at seven on the morning of June 6th by the
voice of the guide saying, "We are now in the narrowest part of the
Inland Sea." I arose quickly, and, glancing out of the port-hole,
beheld a scene of loveliness which caused a spontaneous exclamation,
"Oh, how beautiful!" Before me on the left wa