A Trip To Dai-Butsu.

A TRIP TO DAI-BUTSU .

( Continued jrom page 614 . ) Yokoska Dockyard , Japan , May 29 th , 1873 . SEAWARD on all sides , Enoshima presents

a bold front of rocky armour , against which the waves are ever dashing , whilst its crest is crowned with the dark green shadows of solemn and stately firs . Beyond—far away across the wide expanse of waters—rises Fujiyama "The Peerless "

, free from snow during the heat of summer , iu spite of its 13 , 000 feet . According to au old legend , Enoshima rose out of the sea in one night , A . D . 552 , while at the same time a beautiful and shining figure of the goddessBenzaitendescended and took

, , np her abode in the island . Benten , as she is more vulgarly called , is the special patroness of the island , and is represented , in the temple raised to her honour amongst

the towering pine trees on the summit , wearing a jewelled cap , in the centre of which is a white snake , the head being fashioned after the form of an old man ' s with white eyebrows . The figure has eight hands , the left holding a ball , spear ,

wheel and bow ; the right , a sword , sceptre , key , and arrow . The fishing village at the entrance of Enoshima is very picturesque—built at the back of the island , which thus forms a barrier from ocean storms . The one street runs straight up from

the sandy causeway , rising terrace upon terrace nearly half way up the hill , "J series of steps , strongly reminding one of Malta . Passing the first house we were surprised to find that we were not the onl y Europeans intending to sojourn 111 the sacred isle . . Ladies and children'he most inquisitive of the " genus homo " —turned out on the balconies to have a

view of the new comers . We found that We had indeed wandered into the very ¦ bri ghton of Japan . Our guide led the way to the most imposing house in the Place , and ten minutes afterwards we were ™ ree stories hihin spacious

g , a grassbatted apartment , opening on to a verandah with a delightful view of the sand y beach , with its long lines of curling white , drawing nearer and nearer to each

other as the tide rose . Our boots were ordered below ( for in every Japanese house taking off shoes is equivalent to our removing hats ) , a rickety table , and still more rickety chairs , were placed in the centre of the matted floorand then our

, host , his wife and daughter vied with each other in attending to our wants . By the way , if Europeans had not made a Brighton of this charming spot , the rickety table and chairs would not have been , and we should not have been

entertained " a la Japanaise pur et simple . " The inner man cared for , we sallied out under charge of a new guide , to inspect the far-famed cave , a drawing and short account of which I remember seeing some years back in the fllustrated London

News , under the heading of Moshima . We crossed right over the hill by series of steps every few hundred yards—now up , now down , till the last lot , numbering some hundreds , brought us on to the rocks , where the billows were dashing their

spray high in the air . A few hundred yards over the wall-beaten zigzag track , brought us to the entrance of the cave , by the side of which a narrow footpath is

fenced off , as the sea flows in for a short distance . Just as we reach the gloom caused by the contracting sides , we come to a small establishment where we are each supplied with a tiny oil lamp . Wendin" - our way carefully , for our lamps do not

shed their pale beams quite two yards ahead , we notice that there is little beauty about the interior at present—it is all dirty , dark , drab , damp stone . After much uneven climbing aud slipping , we reach the point beyond which no one

, noio , is allowed to go—an altar with wooden idols , and a grating in front of it barring all further progress . Before this shrine quite a number of natives , of both sexes , principally pilgrims from long distances , are paying their

"devoirs . " The cave has narrowed considerably , and from the constant stream of pilgrims _ pouring in , is getting crowded , so , seeing no opportunity of getting behind the grating , we retrace our steps and return our lampsfor which we

, are charged J bu . ( not quite 3 d . ) On asking our guide " How far the passage extends J" he points away towards the Peerless Mountain , and says " Fusiyama . " E 2