The boy travellers in the Far East : adventures of two youths ... - Library

162
THE BOY TRAVELLEKS.
Oil a cannon charged to the muzzle and ready to tire. We said, ' Take tlie
one or tlie otlier ; sign a treaty of peace and good-will and accejJt the
blessings of civilization, or we will blow 3'on so high in the air that the
pieces won't come down for a week.' Japan was convinced when slie
saw that resistance would be nseless, and Cjuite against her wishes she
entered the family of nations. We opened the way and then England
followed, and then came the other nations. We have done less robbing
and bullying than England has, in our intercourse with Japan, and the
Japanese like ns better in conseqnence. But if it is a correct principle
that no man should bo disturbed so long as he does not disturb any one
else, and does no harm, the outside nations had no right to interfere witli
Japan, and compel her to open her territory to them."
This conversation occurred wliile they were halted under some ven-
erable shade-trees by the side of the Tokaido, and were looking at the
people that passed. Every few minutes they saw gronps varying from
two to six or eight persons, very thinly clad, and having the appearance of
wayfarers with a small stock of money, or none at all. The Doctor ex-
plained that these men were pilgrims on their way to holy places—some
of them were doubtless bound for
Enoshima, some for Ilakone, and
some for the great mountain
which every now and then the
turns in the road revealed to the
eyes of the travellers. These pil-
grimages have a religious charac-
ter, and are made by thousands of
persons every year. One mem-
ber of a party usually carries a
small bell, and as they walk along
its faint tinkle gives notice of
their religious character, and prac-
tically warns others that they are
not commercially inclined, as they
are without more money than is
actually needed for the purposes
of their journey. They wear broad hats to protect them from the sun,
and their garments, usually of white material, are stamped with mystic
characters to symbolize tlie particular divinity in whose honor the journey
is made.
PILGKIMS ON THD KUAD.
Village after village was passed by our young adventurers and their