Chapter II: Preface: To First Edition

The following sketches of life in Japan and the voyage there and back are taken from a diary which I kept during my travels.

As Japan and its wonderful little people have come so much before the world during the last few years, and especially at this time are one of the chief factors in the crisis in the Far East, I thought that these reminiscences and anecdotes taken from real life might be of interest.

I am indebted to the editors of the _Cornhill_, _Sketch_, _Sunday_, and the _Buenos Aires Standard_ for the reproduction of some of the following sketches.

ELLA HART BENNETT.

1904.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
ON THE WAY

PAGE
I start on my travels--A fair Theosophist--Life on an 1–12
American liner--Arrival at New York--Delmonico’s---The
Hotel Waldorf--Niagara Falls--Across the Lakes--The
prairies--A quiet Sunday

CHAPTER II
IN THE ROCKIES

First sight of the Rockies--Stay at Banff--Indians and 13–22
salmon--Arrival at Vancouver--The _Empress of
India_--Chinese passengers--The missing day--A
court-martial--First sight of Japan

CHAPTER III
EARLY DAYS IN JAPAN

A new friend--A Japanese dinner--Japanese temples--An 23–32
earthquake--A fire in Yokohama

CHAPTER IV
A JAPANESE HARROGATE

A trip to the Japanese Harrogate--A curious travelling 33–50
companion--A Japanese inn--A mountain ride--At the sulphur
springs--A sulphur bath--A night in a tea-house--Sad news

CHAPTER V
AN IMPERIAL GARDEN-PARTY

Silk dresses and frock-coats--A disappointed Colonel--The 51–65
Royal procession--The chrysanthemums--I am presented--A
Japanese play--Japanese royal sport--The Mikado and his
subjects

CHAPTER VI
JAPANESE LADIES

Their habits and ways--Home life--The Honourable Bath--Count 66–82
Ito and his wife--Old Japan--Loyalty to husbands--A mixed
marriage--Curious customs--Japanese sayings

CHAPTER VII
JAPANESE CHILDREN

Boys and girls--Games--The Feast of Dolls--School life--The 83–97
‘Hina Matsuri’--The Feast of the Carp--The ‘Bon Matsuri,’
the festival for dead children

CHAPTER VIII
SERVANTS IN JAPAN

Their politeness--Frequency of their baths--Always ready for 98–108
a nap--Mrs. Peter Potts

CHAPTER IX
SOME FESTIVALS AND A FUNERAL

The Imperial Silver Wedding--Parade of the troops--The 109–123
wedding feast--The Chinese ball in Tokio--A gay
assembly--A Royal funeral--Strange customs

CHAPTER X
CHANG, MY CHOW

His first appearance--Adventures and mishaps--Companions in 124–140
the Hospital--Chang goes to church--Facing the enemy

CHAPTER XI
FURTHER ADVENTURES OF CHANG

The tale of a tub--Sayonara--Board-ship acquaintance--Queer 141–163
company