On way to Japan.
March 13th, 1904.
About four this afternoon we saw an irregular line of
purple mountains against a yellow sky, and it was Japan. In
spite of the Sunday papers, and the interminable talk on
board, the guide books and maps which had made Japan nauseous
to me, I saw the land of the Rising Sun with just as much of a
shock and thrill as I first saw the coast of Africa. We
forgot entirely we had been twenty days at sea and remembered
only that we were ten miles from Japan, only as far as New
Bedford is from Marion. We are at anchor now, waiting to go
in in the morning. Were it not for war we could go in now but
we must wait to be piloted over the sunken mines. That and
the flashlights moving from the cruisers ten miles away gave
us our first idea of war. To-morrow early we will be off for
Tokio, as it is only forty miles from Yokohama. Of course, I
may get all sorts of news before we land, but that is what we
expect to do. It will be good to feel solid earth, and to see
the kimonos and temples and geishas and cherry blossoms. I am
almost hoping the Government won't let us go to the
front and that for a week at least Cecil and I can sit in tea
houses with our shoes off while the nesans bring us tea and
the geishas rub their knees and make bows to us. I am sending
you through Harper's, a book on Hawaii and one of Japan that I
have read and like and which I think will help you to keep in
touch with the wanderers. With all my love to all.
DICK.
