wn of Japan, famed for its
theatres and its dancing-girls. Unfortunately I had not time to
visit it, for I started for the old capital, Kioto, a few hours
after the _Vega_ anchored, and after I had waited on the governor in
order to procure the passport that is still required for travelling
in the interior. He received me, thanks to a letter of introduction
I had with me from one of the ministers at Tokio, in an exceedingly
agreeable way. His reception-room was part of a large European stone
house, the vestibule of which was tastefully fitted up in European
style with a Brussels carpet gay with variegated colours. At our
visit we were offered Japanese tea, as is customary everywhere in
Japan, both in the palace of the Emperor and the cabin of the poor
peasant. The Governor was, as all the higher officials in Japan now
are, dressed like a European of distinction, but he could not speak
any European language. He showed himself, however, to be much
interested in our voyage, and immediately ordered an official in his
court, who was well acquainted with English, Mr. YANIMOTO, to
accompany me to Kioto.

We travelled thither by a railway constructed wholly in the European
style. At Kioto my companion, at my special request, conducted me
not to the European hotel there, but to a Japanese inn, remarkable
as usual for cleanliness, for a numerous crowd of talkative female
attendants, and for the extreme friendliness of the inn people to
then guests as soon as they indicated, by taking off then boots at
the door, that it was their intention not to break Japanese customs
and usages in any offensive way. A calling card and a letter from
Admiral Kawamura, minister of marine, which I sent from the hotel to
the Governor of Kioto, procured me an adjutant No. 2, a young,
cheerful, and talkative official, Mr. KOBA-YASCHI, whose eyes
sparkled with intelligence and merry good humour. One would sooner
have taken him for a highly-esteemed student president at some
northern university, than for a Japanese official. It was already
late in the day, so that before nightfall I had time only to take
the bath which, at every Japanese inn not of too inferior a kind, is
always at the traveller's call, and arrange the dreding excursion
which, along with Lieut. Nordquist, I intended to make next day on
Lake Biwa.

[Illustration: JAPANESE SHOP. ]

The road between Kioto and Biwa we travelled the following morning
in _jinrikishas_. In a short time the