The voyage of the Vega round Asia and Europe; with a historical review of previous journeys along the north coast of the Old World . he winter there is very cold andwindy. The town is then abandoned not only by the visitors tothe baths, but also by most of the other inhabitants. Already,at the time of our visit, the number of bathers remaining wasonly inconsiderable. Even these were prejaaring to depart. XVII.] ON THE EOAD TO ASA]\IAYAMA. 659 During tlie second night that we passed at Kusatsu, our nightsrest was disturbed by a hjud noise from the next room. It wasa visitor who was to leave the
The voyage of the Vega round Asia and Europe; with a historical review of previous journeys along the north coast of the Old World . he winter there is very cold andwindy. The town is then abandoned not only by the visitors tothe baths, but also by most of the other inhabitants. Already,at the time of our visit, the number of bathers remaining wasonly inconsiderable. Even these were prejaaring to depart. XVII.] ON THE EOAD TO ASA]\IAYAMA. 659 During tlie second night that we passed at Kusatsu, our nightsrest was disturbed by a hjud noise from the next room. It wasa visitor who was to leave the place the following morning, andwho now celebrated his recovery with sciki (rice-brandy) andstring music. The environs of Kusatsu are nearly uncultivated, though thevegetation is exceedingly luxuriant. It consists partly of bam-boo thickets, partly of a high rich grass, above which rise solitarypines, mixed with a few oaks or chestnuts. On the 3rd October we continued our journey to the foot ofAsamayama. The road was very bad, so that even the kagobearers had difficulty in getting along. It first ran across two ^t^^.^:$:^ %^%. .5% BATH AT KUSATSU. valleys more than 300 feet deep, occupied with close, luxuriant,bushy thickets. We then came to an elevated plain of great,extent covered with unmown grass, studded with beautiful oaksand chestnuts. The plain was not turned to any account, thoughthousands of the industrious population could find an abundant,living there by tending cattle. Farther up the oaks and chest-nuts were mixed with a few birches, resembling those at homo,and we came next to complete deserts, where the ground consistedof lava blocks and lava gravel, scarcely covered by any grass,,and yielding nourishment only to solitary pines. This continuedto the place——where we were to pass the night, u u 2 660 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [ciiap. and from which the next day we were to ascend the summit ofAsamayama. Rokuriga-hara is situated at a height of 1270
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