they feel safer, with men-of-war at anchor just under their windows.

[Illustration: Wayside Travellers.]

There was just time to go round some of the old streets, and to some
of the shops, before the hour by which we were due at the station.
Osaka is famous for its waxworks and theatres. Five of the best of
these have, however, been burnt down within the last eighteen months,
with terrible loss of life. We heard that a short time ago there was
nearly being serious trouble, in consequence of one of the managers
having produced on the stage, in a most objectionable manner, a
representation of the cruel and unprovoked assassination of an officer
and two men, part of a boat's crew of a French ship. The English and
French consuls went to the governor of the town, who promised that the
piece should be stopped, and the obnoxious placards announcing the
performance removed at once. But his instructions were not complied
with, for the next day the piece was again performed, and the placards
were still there. Some French sailors, luckily accompanied by their
officers, saw the latter and wanted to tear them down; but they were
persuaded to wait while the consuls were telegraphed for. They came at
once, and again saw the governor, who sent some soldiers to stop the
play and remove the bills; and so the affair ended peaceably.

We reached Kobe about seven o'clock, and went on board at once to
dinner.

_Saturday, February 10th_.--We were to have gone early this morning to
Arrima, a village in the mountains, situated among groves of bamboos,
where there are mineral springs and a hot-water bath, in which people
bathe in the old style. But the weather was impossibly bad for our
intended expedition, with showers of snow and sleet. We waited till
half-past eleven, and then landed and talked of going to Osaka again
by train; but finally decided that even this was not practicable, and
that we had better stay and potter about at Kobe and Hiogo. The
children set out to buy toys, whilst I went with a lady to pay another
visit to the white horse and monkeys at the temple, and then walked on
to a waterfall, prettily situated in a ravine, a little way behind the
town. We afterwards visited several pawnbrokers' shops, at all of
which there was something interesting to be seen. Many are perfect
museums; but their proprietors never seem to care much to show you
what they have, unless you are accompanied by a resident or some one
they know. The