om we found the whole of the front of the place
filled by a gaping, curious crowd. The proprietor suggested that they
should retire at once, and an abrupt retreat immediately took place,
the difficulties of which were greatly augmented by the fact that
every one had left his high wooden shoes outside, along the front of
the house. The street was ankle deep in mud and half-melted snow, into
which they did not like to venture in their stockings; but how the
owners of two or three hundred pairs of clogs, almost exactly alike,
ever found their own property again I do not understand, though they
managed to clear out very quickly. I believe Muriel and I were the
chief objects of attraction. They told us that no European lady or
child had ever been at Simono-seki before. It is not a treaty port, so
no one is allowed to land, except from a man-of-war, without special
permission, which is not often given; it is, besides, the key to the
Inland Sea, and the authorities are very jealous about any one seeing
the forts. There is only one European resident here, connected with
the telegraph; and a dull time he must have of it. The wire crosses
the Straits a few miles higher up.

The streets appeared to be full of soldiers, patrolling singly and in
pairs, with fixed bayonets. The temples were being used as barracks,
and the principal buildings seemed to be strongly guarded; but
otherwise everything appeared to go on as usual.

We waded through the mud and snow to the proverbial end of all things,
always followed by the same crowd, and stared at by all the
inhabitants of the houses we passed. They seemed very timid, and
inclined to run away directly we turned round. Still, their curiosity,
especially respecting my sealskin jacket and serge dress, was
insatiable, and I constantly felt myself being gently stroked and
touched.

We returned to the yacht, and whilst we were at lunch some officers
came on board to say that, this not being a treaty port, we could not
purchase any provisions, except through them, and with special
permission. This was soon arranged, and our visitors were rewarded for
their trouble by being shown over the yacht.

_Sunday, February 18th_.--We were awakened in the night by a heavy
gale, with snow and sleet beating furiously on the deck. In the
morning the land was covered with snow, the water froze as it was
pumped on deck, and the bitter wind howled and whistled through the
rigging. In the afternoon the wind