T. Yes; the river is crowded with boats and illuminated with many coloured lanterns, and the fireworks are very beautiful.

B. I think I shall look on from the balcony of a hotel, as there will be such a crush on the banks and the river.

T. That's best! But you must book a seat at some tea-house a few days in advance, or they will all be engaged.

taken.

B. Thank you for your advice; I will act upon it. Are the seats very expensive?

T. I expect you will have to pay one or two yen for a good one, but it is cheaper than hiring a boat.

B. From which hotel can I get the best view?

T. I should think from the...

but I will make enquiries and let

...

Hotel,

you know.

XXV. THE SHOKONSHA FESTIVAL.

1.

Do you know that the Shokonsha Festival falls on the 5th, 6th and 7th of next month? B. What is What is the Shokonsha Festival?

never heard of it.

T. It is an annual festival in

of those soldiers who died in battle.

B. Where is it celebrated?

I

(memory honour

T. At the Yasukuni Shrine on Kudan Hill. B. Oh! the shrine by the Military Museum, ch?

T. Yes, that's the one I mean.

B. Please tell me what will take place.

T. Kudan, and indeed all Tokyo, will be crowded with the relatives of those heroes who gave up their lives for their country. They will go to the shrine to worship.

B. And will there be any amusements?

be horseraces,

T. Oh, yes; there will be

wrestling matches, merry-go-rounds, fireworks and all kinds of amusements.

B. Let us go then; I dearly love to see fireworks (a display of fireworks).

T. Very well, let us go on the last day of the festival, as the grounds will be less crowded.

XXVI. A VISIT TO THE BOTANICAL

T.

GARDENS.

Have you ever been to the Botanical

Gardens, Mr. Brown?

B. No! where are they?

T. In Koishikawa, near the Arsenal.
B. I should like to go very much.

T. Then let's spend this very afternoon in strolling round the Gardens, shall we?

B. Capital idea! We'll start at once Come on!

(In the Garden)

B. To whom does the Garden belong?

T. It doesn't belong to any one person; it's the property of the Agricultural College of the Imperial University.

B. Look at those lovely little thatched summer-houses! Shall we (have a) rest in one?

T. No! no! don't let's stop yet! there's so many beautiful things to see.

B. Then let us go and see the flowers and plants in that green-house.

T. Very well; and afterwards we will walk through the hot-houses?

B. Are these plants Japanese?

T. No, they come from India; they are tropical plants. What strange shapes and pretty colours the flowers have. What is their English name?

B. We call them orchids.

T Do you see that huge plant over there? It is called the "Saboten."

B. Is it a native of Japan?

T. No, it was introduced into Japan from the Tropics, but it is quite common here now. What do you call it in English?

B. It is commonly called the "prickly pear," but its scientific name is the "cactus."

T. Are you a botanist?

B. Yes, a bit of a one, but I have never studied botany much from books; Nature has almost always been my teacher.

7. I think she is the kindest and most interesting of all teachers, don't you?

B. Indeed she is! Come, it's getting dusk. We must go home.

XXVII. THE YABUIRI FESTIVAL.

B. It's very cold to-day, isn't it?

T. Yes; in Tokyo the cold is severe in winter, owing to the icy north wind.

B. It snowed a little on the 16th.

T. That was the second day of Yabuiri, so I hoped that a thaw would soon set in, and it did.

B. What do you mean by Yabuiri?

T. It's a very old (ancient) festival in Japan, how old I can't tell, and when it comes