Japan and the Japanese

THUNBERG'S BOTANICAL OBSERVATIONS. 407
Setting out from Miako on the fourteenth of April, the travellers,
in passing lake Oitz, were treated to a delicious fish, of the salmon
kind, the largest of which seen by Thunberg weighed about ten
pounds. Finding, in the course of their journey, that this species
of fish was often served up, they ordered some to be smoked, against
their return ; but they did not prove equal to European salmon,
either in size, fatness, or style of curing. The country still contin-
ued as populous as before. In the villages were many almond,
peach and aprisot trees, which now presented a very beautiful
appearance, blossoming on the bare branches, before the leaves
unfolded. These, as well as the plum, cherry, apple and pear* trees,
sometimes bore double flowers, upon which the Japanese put a high
value.
The road having brought them to the sea-shore, Thunberg ob-
served the Fucus saccharinus, called by the Japanese, Komb, or
Kohu, or sometimes Kosi. Cleansed and dried, it is eaten, though
very tough, either boiled or raw in the latter case, cut into strips,
which are folded in little squares, a considerable number of which
are usually strewed on the little tables, or salvers, on which the
complimentary presents, so common with the Japanese, are offered.
These presents, generally of trifling value, are always accompanied
with a complimentary paper (so called), folded in a peculiar man-
ner, and having slips of this fucus pasted to both ends of it.
The mountain, Fusi, was now in sight, and presently the moun-
tainous tract of Facone was entered, separating the bays of Totomina
and Jedo. It took a day to cross these mountains, which
were covered with bushes and forest-trees, and were the only hills
in Japan, except those close to Nagasaki, which Thunberg was per-
mitted freely to wander over and examine. " This day," he says,
" I was seldom in my norimon ; but in the same degree as I eased
my bearers of their burden, I rendered the journey troublesome to
the interpreters, and, more particularly, to the inferior officers, who,
* Kampfer says that the European apple-tree is unknown in Japan, and
that they have only one kind of pears, such as we call winter pears. The
fruit grows to a great size, but must be cooked to be eaten. Cherry-trees
are cultivated only for the flowers, as apricots and plums often are, the blos-
soms being brought by art to be as big as roses. Golowuia, however, ate
apples in northern Japan, though of an inferior quality.