we
must look after our own exterior, before we could make our entrance
into the capital of Japan. We therefore took from the carriage our
basket with linen, shaving implements, and towels, settled down
around the stream of water at which the girls stood, and immediately
began to wash and shave ourselves. There was now general excitement.
The girls ceased to go on with their own toilet, and crowded round
us in a ring in order to see how Europeans behave in such cases, and
to give us the assistance that might be required. Some ran laughing
and bustling about, one on the top of another, in order immediately
to procure us what we wanted, one held the mirror, another the
shaving-brush, a third the soap, &c. Round them gathered other elder
women, whose blackened teeth indicated that they were married. A
little farther off stood men of all ages. Chance had here quite
unexpectedly shown us a picture from folk-life of the most agreeable
kind. This pleasant temper continued while we immediately after, in
the presence of all, ate our breakfast in the porch of the
ground-floor, surrounded by our former ministering spirits, now
kneeling around us, continually bowing the head to the ground,
laughing and chattering. The same fun went on when a little after I
bought some living fresh-water fishes and put them in spirit, yet
with the difference that the girls now, with some cries, to show
their fear of handling the living animals--though fish-cleaning was
one of their ordinary occupations--handed over to the men the
trouble of taking the fishes and putting them into the spirit-jars.
For a worm placed in spirit they feigned the greatest terror,
notwithstanding its covering of spirit and glass, and ran shrieking
away when any one suddenly brought the jar with the worm near their
faces. It ought to be noted to the honour of the Japanese, that
although we were by no means surrounded by any select circle, there
was not heard during the whole time a single offensive word among
the closely-packed spectators, a fact which gives us an idea of the
excellent tone of society which prevails here, even among the lowest
of the population, and which shows that the Japanese, although they
have much to learn from the Europeans, ought not to imitate them in
all. In Japan there is much that is good, old, and national to take
note of, perhaps more than the Japanese at present have any idea of,
and undoubtedly more than many of the European residents will al