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1 88 THE WONDERFUL CITY OF TOKIO.
There was a large crowd of visitors, who, like the Jewetts,
thoroughly enjoyed the glorious flowers.
About four o'clock, Mrs. Nambo said, " Oto, to-day is the
festival of Sui-jin.
If we go down to Shini-gawa and take
a sail boat, we can cross to Fouka-gawa in time to see the
Mikoshi carried into the bay."
"What is that? " asked Fitz.
"
It is this," she said.
* The priest blesses a mirror, takes
it from the temple, and puts it in the Mikoshi. Then the men
who belong to the sodality raise the ark upon their shoulders
and carry it all round the city. At sunset they rush with it
into the water on the Fouka-gawa side of the bay."
"Do let us go to see the fun," said Fitz.
The jin-riki-sha were summoned, and they bade the men
take them down to Goten-yama, where they secured a boat and
were soon sailing for the opposite shore.
As they neared Fouka-gawa, they heard shouting, and saw
the Mikoshi being conveyed along the muddy strand, and
heard the bearers yelling," Tot-choi! Wat-choi!"
The ark swayed from side to side, the gilded huoiuo
(heavenly bird) on the top flapped its wings as though about
to essay a flight, and the drunken crowd screamed and splashed
like a lot of schoolboys out for a frolic.
"That will sober them," said the kindly lady. "Ah! in a
year or two more,
They say the Mikado intends to issue an edict to that effect.
all these ancient customs will be abolished.
It is a very interesting sight, is it not?"
" I would rather see the wrestlers," said Fitz.
" Come,
Oto, tell the boatman to run us up the Sumida, and land us at
the nearest place where we can take jin-riki-sha for home.
Sallie looks tired, and we must not keep her out too late."
"Won't you go home with us?" asked Mrs. Nambo. "I