A JINRIKISHA JOURNEY. 177

“ Here,” said the doctor, “the cooking is done. Sometimes you
will see a fireplace in the middle of the floor; the smoke escapes
through a hole in the roof.”

_ “Where are the chairs?” asked Ralph.

“The floor is chair.”

“And haven't they any sofa?”

“The floor is sofa.”

“Haven't they any beds or tables i

“We will find out.”

The doctor then went up to one of the partitions, and the Japanese
woman who had followed him and comprehended his desire, courte-
ously slipped forward and pushed back the paper wall. The boys
then saw that the partitions were arranged to slide backward and
forward. In the second room thus revealed, they saw a wooden
block and a little cushion on top.’ Near it were several quilts.

“The floor with the matting is the bedstead, boys, and these quilts
are the bedding. You see the furniture is very simple. Sometimes
you will see a little lacquer table in a room. I have seen in houses a
room with a recess and raised platform for vases, flowers, and various
ornaments; and the surrounding walls are decorated with pictures.
Generally in houses you see a god-shelf; perhaps in the kitchen or
the family sitting-room.”

“Tcan see after inspecting this house,” remarked Uncle Nat, “why
fires are so destructive in Japan, the houses being just wood and paper
so often.”

“T was going through a town once,” remarked the doctor, “and
I noticed the sounding of a firealarm. A man mounted a ladder
and bawled to the people, and they responded and pulled down the
louse that was on fire. That probably was the best thing they
could have done. The building was a cheap affair, and it was of