The market at Yokohama is one of the sights of the place. There were
large quantities of birds and game of all kinds--pheasants with tails
six feet long, of a rare copper-coloured variety, ducks, pigeons,
small birds, hares, deer, rabbits. The fish-market was well supplied,
especially with cuttle-fish. They are not inviting-looking, but are
considered a delicacy here. A real octopus, in a basket, with its
hideous body in the centre, and its eight arms, covered with suckers,
arranged in the form of a star, is worth from a dollar to a dollar and
a half, according to its size. I was not tempted, however, to make any
purchases.
From the market we went to one or two small shops in back streets, and
thence over the bluffs, in the teeth of a bitterly cold wind, to a
nursery garden, to examine the results of the Japanese art of dwarfing
and distorting trees. Some of the specimens were very curious and some
beautiful, but most were simply hideous. We saw tiny old gnarled
fruit-trees, covered with blossom, and Scotch firs and other forest
trees, eight inches high, besides diminutive ferns and creepers.
It being now half-past nine o'clock, we went to the hotel to meet the
rest of the party for breakfast, and at one o'clock we returned to the
yacht. At half-past one Lady Parkes and several other friends from
Tokio came on board to luncheon.
Pages:
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439