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bears about west. We took up our quarters in a comfortable inn for the night.
Salmon were at that season running up the rivers of this district, being valued at about 50 cents each. We met many droves of cattle and horses on their way from Nambu to Yedo.
In the morning a direct course North by East part of which we travelled before daylight, along the high road—here lined by willows and alders—crossing a river about 60 to 80 yards wide called E-kawa, to a small village where we changed horses. In this interval of one and a half ri, we passed the boundary of Miangi Ken and entered the province or country of Midzusawa. Thence ascended uplands and a rolling country; the road about 24 feet wide running over low scrub wooded hills between lines of pine trees, the valleys only being cultivated. Changed horses again at 112 ri, and then 212 ri more brought us to a well-to-do looking village called Sikitatae. A branch road to Shonai on the west coast of Nipon branches off somewhere hereabout. The distance is reckoned at four days travelling to Sakata, the former capital of that daimiate.
From Sikitatae we crossed the valley in which it stands, through which runs a good sized river called O-kawa, probably a branch of the Kita-kami. This very pretty valley widens out from the mountains some ten or fifteen miles distant. The road passes through another large village on the north side of the valley, then over scrub-covered rolling uplands, and at 212 ri reaches a poor village called Sawabi. The season was now so far advanced that the rice crops were for a great part cut, but still not yet carried off the paddy fields. There having been some frosty nights the leaves were beginning to fall, the autumnal colours of which appeared exceedingly brilliant when contrasted with the dark green cedars and pines. The prevailing fruit throughout this region is the persimmon, but as you proceed north they are not of large size. The people seem to take less care of their horses than in the south, and this negligence increases as you get into Nambu.
