height is being added to by hundreds of creels of earth brought on
ponies' backs. It is supposed that carriages and waggons will use
this causeway, but a shying horse or a bad driver would overturn
them. As it is at present the road is only passable for pack-
horses, owing to the number of broken bridges. I passed strings of
horses laden with sake going into the interior. The people of Yezo
drink freely, and the poor Ainos outrageously. On the road I
dismounted to rest myself by walking up hill, and, the saddle being
loosely girthed, the gear behind it dragged it round and under the
body of the horse, and it was too heavy for me to lift on his back
again. When I had led him for some time two Japanese with a string
of pack-horses loaded with deer-hides met me, and not only put the
saddle on again, but held the stirrup while I remounted, and bowed
politely when I went away. Who could help liking such a courteous
and kindly people?

MORI, VOLCANO BAY, Monday.

Even Ginsainoma was not Paradise after dark, and I was actually
driven to bed early by the number of mosquitoes. Ito is in an
excellent humour on this tour. Like me, he likes the freedom of
the Hokkaido. He is much more polite and agreeable also, and very
proud of the Governor's shomon, with which he swaggers into hotels
and Transport Offices. I never get on so well as when he arranges
for me. Saturday was grey and lifeless, and the ride of seven
miles here along a sandy road through monotonous forest and swamp,
with the volcano on one side and low wooded hills on the other, was
wearisome and fatiguing. I saw five large snakes all in a heap,
and a number more twisting through the grass. There are no
villages, but several very poor tea-houses, and on the other side