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slopes of the hills at the back of the town where also a few Ainos reside.
Otaronai to Satsporo viâ Zeni-baco, distance 23 miles.
The road runs along the shore, in some places overhung by high cliffs of basalt or conglomerate. In one place a short tunnel has been cut through a projecting rock.
The cliff scenery is very fine, bold and wild. Marks of blasting were visible on the huge masses of rock that had fallen from the cliffs above.
The village of Zenibaco is situated on the sea shore nestling under some fine steep hills that are well wooded.
From Zeni baco, the road soon reaches the edge of the great Satsporo plain, over which it winds; this is a dirt road some twenty feet in width, fairly made and well settled all the way to Satsporo.
The country here changes in character. The dense woods and scrub give way to the most lovely park like land, clumps of fine oak, elm, ash and walnut diversify the plain, which is covered with a luxuriant growth of pasture some four or five feet in height. This scenery extends for tens of miles over this lovely plain in the centre of which is situated the new capital Satsporo.
The Ishi-kari River, Yezo, 1873.
The Ishi-kari River rises amongst a range of mountains (the highest of which is called Ishi-kari yama and is situated in about 40° 40′ N. and 143° 20′ E.) and flowing through a fine plain called “Kami Kawa,” reaches the gorge of Kamoyé Kotan through which it rushes into a second plain on which Sapora (Satsporo) is situated; winding through this it finally reaches the sea in the Bay of Ishi-kari on the N. W. coast of Yeso.
The length of the river is about 112 ri=280 miles.
For the first 30 miles the river flows with great rapidity through a series of basaltic gorges, the walls of which are often perpendicular and sometimes of considerable altitude. The river bed consists of boulders of large size which, forming a succession of barriers, cause numerous
