ade some difficulty about theirs, but was satisfied by their
explanations. After the _seance_, I went out riding through the
streets. I had not given notice, and we went through a densely peopled
quarter, which gave me an opportunity of seeing something of the
popular feeling. We were followed by immense crowds, among whom some
boys took to hooting, and by degrees to throwing stones. This got
rather disagreeable, so at length we took to stopping at the gates,
turning right about, and facing the mob with our horses, until the
gates were shut. It proves to me, however, that it is not prudent to
go about without a good Japanese escort. Yesterday we had a most
charming expedition into the country. We started at about 11 A.M.,
rode first to the road I have already described, and which runs along
the moat of the second enclosure of the Emperor's domain. We passed
alongside of this enclosure. The effect of the domain within, with its
dropping trees (not yews, I see, but pines of some sort, many of them
with spreading branches like cedars), being somewhat that of a
magnificent English park. This, mind you, in the centre of a city of
two or three millions of inhabitants.

_Sunday, August 22nd._--We then passed through the gate of the
outermost enclosure on the opposite side, and entered some crowded
streets beyond, through which we made our way, passing on our right
the palace of the greatest of the hereditary princes, really an
imposing mass of building. Beyond, we got into the country, consisting
at first of a sort of long street of quaint cottages with thatched or
tiled roofs, embosomed in gardens, and interspersed with avenues
conducting to temples. Further on were cultivated fields, with
luxuriant crops of great variety: rice, sweet potato, egg-plant, peas,
millet, yams, taro, melons, &c. &c. At last, we reached a place of
refreshment, consisting of a number of kiosques, on the bank of a
stream, with a waterfall hard by, and gardens with rock-work (not
_mesquin,_ as in China, but really pretty and in good taste) opposite.
Here we had luncheon. Fruits, and a kind of Julienne soup; not bad,
but rather _maigre,_ served to us by charming young ladies, who
presented on their knees the trays with the little dishes upon them.
The repast finished, we set out on our return (for we had overshot our