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CHAPTER XIV.
THE LIFE OF A EONIN.
FU-CHIU, the city (now called Shidzuoka)
which now sheltered the rouin, Honda Jiro,
was the capital of Tsuruga, in which Japan's lordly
mountain of Fuji overlooks thirteen provinces.
The peerless cone casts its shadow at sunrise and
sunset on distant peaks, far-off cities, and out over
the purple sea. The lofty crest even in July wore
a tiny cap of fresh-fallen snow, and during the afternoon
an umbrella-shaped white cloud gathered, and
presently hooded the crown and cap from view.
Thousands of pilgrims annually visited this shapely
mass, which out of granite and ashes the Creator
had made so beautiful.
Unnumbered legends were told about Fuji and the
origin of its name. Had not a hundred generations
of poets sung its praise ? Had not artists in every
form of painting, carving, sculpture, and decoration
kept it before the eyes of the people
? Modeled in
marble, wood, living vegetation, and artificial mound,
Fuji lived in echo all over the Mikado's dominions.
Hokusai had published his books of drawings of
One Hundred Views of Fuji.
itself talked about
Somehow it contrived to get
all the time. In Chinese form its name is Fuji-sau,
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