_Tuesday, January 30th_.--When we awoke from our slumbers this
morning, it was very cold and dark, and we heard noises of a strange
kind. On going on deck to ascertain the cause of this state of things,
we discovered that the sky-lights and portholes were all covered and
blocked up with snow, and that the water froze as it came out of the
hose, forming a sheet of ice on the deck. Masses of snow and ice were
falling from the rigging, and everything betokened that our welcome to
Japan would not be a warm one.

[Illustration: Fujiyama, Japan]

After breakfast we had many visitors, and received letters from Sir
Harry and Lady Parkes, inviting us to go up to Yeddo to-morrow for a
long day, to settle our future plans.

Having landed, we went with the Consul to the native town, to see the
curio shops, which are a speciality of the place. The inhabitants are
wonderfully clever at making all sorts of curiosities, and the
manufactories of so-called 'antique bronzes' and 'old china' are two
of the most wonderful sights in Yokohama. The way in which they
scrape, crack, chip, mend, and colour the various articles, cover them
with dust, partially clean them, and imitate the marks and signatures
of celebrated makers, is more creditable to their ingenuity than to
their honesty. Still, there are a good many genuine old relics from
the temples, and from the large houses of the reduced Daimios, to be
picked up, if you go the right way to work, though the supply is
limited. Dealers are plentiful, and travellers, especially from
America, are increasing in numbers. When we first made acquaintance
with the shops we thought they seemed full of beautiful things, but