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TOPOGRAPHY OF NIP-PON. 489
even railways will ere long serve to forward the produce of the south to the
northern coast lands, while the adverse winds of the western waters have been
already overcome by the introduction of steam navigation. The harbour of
Tsuruga, which is of small extent, but which is accessible to the largest vessels, and
which is sheltered by an amphitheatre of hills from aU winds- except that of the
north-west, is the best on the inner side of Hondo, and will probably become the
chief station for vessels trading with the ports of Korea and Eussian Manchuria.
Tsuruga is already one of the entrep&ts for the edible sea-weeds and fish forwarded
Fig. 205. MATSUYB.
Scale 1 : 900.000.
. 15
Holes.
I5330
from Hakodate, a traffic in which hundreds of junks are yearly engaged. The
question of opening this port to European shipping has been frequently dis-
cussed.
"\Vcst of the isthmus, the centre of which is occupied by Lake Biva, nearly all
the towns stand on the shores of the Inland Sea, or at least on the southern slope of
the peninsula, which is by far the most fertile and populous. Nevertheless a few
busy places are also found on the opposite side. Towards the western extremity of
Vakasa Bay lies Yura, in the midst of orange groves which yield the best fruit in
Japan. In the neighbourhood is found the " third wonder " of the country, the
Amatate-basi, a natural causeway of rocks projecting far into the sea. Farther on
the highway along the coast traverses the towns of Tottori and Yonago. A. little
west of the latter place stands the 'picturesque town of Matsui/e, or Simane-kcn, on
the banks of the winding brackish lagoon of Sinzino-ike, which communicates
through a narrow outlet with the sea.
Akaii, the first place lying west of Iliogo near the coast of the Inland Sea,