23: October 24th, 1917: At Kambutsa-Ya

The Pilgrim pearl-purchaser, not unduly weighed down with his load of gems, put up at the above inn and on interviewing Okamisan and enumerating various Japanese dishes which he did not like, was agreeably surprised to learn that “biffu tic” could be had, also pan (bread). With regard to another alleged foreign item on the bill of fare, the name sounded so much like a suppressed inclination to sneeze that the writer gave up guessing, upon which one of the servants produced a bottle of near-Lee & Perrin’s which solved the mystery.

Making out the bill

 Further evidence of Omura’s aspirations to be considered up-to-date was the prevalence of a song, which is very popular at present in Nagasaki and the large towns. One hears it everywhere. Sung in Japanese, each verse of this popular ditty ends with the words “I don't know” (in English), the popular rendition of which being “Ahi doo-ante know te,” with accent on the final “te.” So popular is this ditty, indeed, that once one has broken through the barrier of polite reserve, instead of receiving a “search me” or shirimasen in reply to a query, one frequently gets this last line, accompanied by a laugh and its occasional use greatly facilitates progression from stiff, formal politeness to easy, friendly and familiar conversation.

"Ahi doo-ante know te"

As for the theme of the ditty itself - Well, “Ahi doo an-te know te.” It may be fit for “Choirs and places where they sing,” or for use at Sunday Schools and again, on the other hand, it may not. Occidental and Japanese ideas differ some what upon what is fitting and seemly and the apparently innocuous chant with which yon urchin is beguiling his way, if reproduced at Kuling, might clear a Landrenters Meeting with more celerity than the sound of a dog-fight outside.

On being shown to his room, the writer, wishing to create a favourable impression as to his social status, showed his “quality” by desiring that the Katana-kake be brought immediately. This is the small rack, sometimes elaborately carved and ornamented, never seen nowadays, upon which the samurai of byegone days hung his sword - at his side and ever within his reach.

This request, equivalent to ordering a bootjack and warming pan, was considered a huge joke and one of the nesans disappeared, returning after a few moments with a katana-kake, which she placed in position with all due ceremony, with apologies for its previous absence. Not to be outdone, the Pilgrim gravely placed hip penknife and travellers’ corkscrew on the brackets, upon which in days gone by, the “soul of a samurai” has oft rested and then sat down awaiting the advent of dinner.

But Alas for fine promises! Omura, it transpired, had completely run out of bread. This defficiency, however, was made up by a supply of Japanese biscuits supplemented by a number of thick slices of kasutera; that toothsome edible which we know as sponge cake and upon which, with liquid refreshment, the stranded traveller can satisfy the most insistent cravings of the inner man. Just try it gentle, and it may be doubting, reader. The prescription is - take three of four slices of kasutera, followed by a long drink (for acute cases aerated waters are recommended) and if within five minutes you are not in a similar condition to the Yangtsepoo tramcar on wet day - chock-full inside, with no broken stowage - then there is an Oliver Twistiness about you(r) internal economy that is both remarkable and interesting.

Vegetables a-plenty, but bread "no have got" - a Breadless Day at Omura

22: October 24th 1917, Omura Pearl Culture

Pearl Culture

Head Office and Factory at Omura

At the Company's offices and show-rooms, the writer was welcomed by the local Manager and several members of the staff who spoke English.

Ise Pearlers

Kaihasami (scissor tongs)

Nagaura Branch Factory

It was regretfully explained that, it not being the fishing season, actual working conditions, with the various stages of the industry (the labratory and workshops, which contain business secrets being excepted) could not be seen. Advised by the Tourist Bureau, however, a number of oysters had been fished up in readiness and these were inspected, opened and but with one exception, were found to contain no pearls.

Omura Wan

Unlike the large shell seen at Thursday Island, the Omura oyster measures but from four to six inches across, thus the local “shell” is not the valuable marketable commodity similar to that procured in southern waters.

An adjournment was made to another room containing a large glass tank in which, on the rocky bottom, one saw a number of oysters in their natural environment. One such, a small one, young and possibly indiscreet, seemingly was afflicated with wanderlust, as it had travelled from its rocky bed towards the surface of the water to a place on the glass, to which it adhered.

The fishing season opens in November and continues until April and from a number of interesting photographs, together with the explanation supplied by the Manager and his staff, the procedure is somewhat as follows :—The divers proceed to the fishing grounds which lie in from 3 to 7 fathoms, in sampans. For the lesser depths no diving suit is used, the naked diver, descends armed with his kai-asami, (tong-scissors) with which he detaches the oyster from the rocky bottom, places same in his basket and then returns to the surface. For the deeper waters a regular diving suit and air pump is necessary.

Pearl Fishers 

Unlike the South Sea pearl fishing, here there is no disagreeable process of “rotting out.” Any one who has passed to leeward of a pile of oysters rotting out on a tropical beach, under a torrid sun, is hardly likely to forget the experience.

Gathering Pearl Oysters at Omura

At Omura, the oysters are opened immediately on being brought ashore, the pearls extracted and the fish shipped to the market - whether for food or for fertiliser was not ascertained. The shell is locally converted into buttons and lime, a very fine grade of the latter being produced. The pearls, of which there are two kinds, the natural and that produced by culture, (the latter being of the type known as a “blister” among south sea pearlers), are taken to the selecting room where they are sorted out, the cultured pearls being taken to the adjoining work-shop from which later they are returned to the inspectiong room, for classification.

On the Beach at Omura Wan

In a number of glass-topped show cases, a fine collection of jewelry is exhibited, pins, rings, bangles &c., set with both natural and cultured pearls, the difference between the two classes of pearls is indistinguishable to the eye of the inexpert. From a number of small boxes, each containing a number of unset pearls of varied hues and sizes, a modest selection is made and with the usual exchange of compliments the Pilgrim bade farewell to the courteous manager and his staff and set out to attend to the wants of the inner man.

21: October 24th, 1917: Omura

This place, formerly a castle town, is now an important garrison town and the extensive grounds which encircled the old castle have been laid out as a Public Garden the work being carried out by landscape gardeners, seemingly, of no mean ability. The offices and plant of the pearl culture company are situated at the water's edge some 20 minutes by ricksha from the railway station.

The Company, apparently, are staunch believers in the efficicacy of frequent and continuous advertising, as throughout the route from the station, at every cross-road or possible wrong turning, a large notice board appears intimating that “this road leads to the Pearl Company,” a direction pointing arrow further obviating any possibility of the visitor making a mistake and, in place of ultimately inspecting a most interesting exhibition of molluses and their products, finding himself deposited in a region the prominent characteristics of which are samisen, and sing-song, with general hilarity.

Instances, indeed, are not entirely unknown where the ricksha-man has erroneously “sized up” his fare and directed his course accordingly, with the above related deplorable result, but with such an austere personality as the Pilgrim, about whom such an obvious odour of sanctity prevails, needless to remark, the making of any such mistake is utterly out of the question.

Ryokan at Kotse

After passing through the town, the road lies through the Ko-en, or Public Garden previously referred to, passing by or under numerous torii and along an avenue of cherry trees flanked by a long and sinuous lotus pond. These trees, now gaunt and leafless, are a blaze of colour in the spring and attract numbers of the townsfolk, who indulge in all-day picnics in the park, admiring the blossoms, the literati expressing their admiration by inditing poems, which they affix to the blossom-laden branches.

Omura Ko-en - cherry trees and lotus ponds

The lotus, also, was not in flower but on each great leaf a rain drop glitters like a jewel in the transient sunbeams. On, past quaint and pretty suburban residences, each with its small orchard the boughs weighed down with the ripening fruit, mikan, nashi or kaki being the most apparent, until at length the ricksha-man pulls up at the gate of the S.K.K. plant.

A brief account of this flourishing industry may be appropriate. The Omura-wan Shinju Kabushiki Kwaisha, to give it its official title (Omura Bay Pearl Coy,. Ltd.) was organized as a joint-stock concern in 1913, the company incorporating the many existing small, private enterprises and carrying on the industry at Omura, with branch factories at Nagaura, Kikitsu and Sozu. For many years the pearls produced in the Gulf have been celebrated for their lustre and, while not so large as the Thursday Island product, they are in great and increasing demand, in the Home and Foreign markets. The area of the fishing ground is about 23,200 acres, from which over 200,000,000 pearl oysters are procured annually.

Given ordinary luck and the absence of the dreaded Akashi-wo or Red current, to which, however, unlike the Bay of Ise, the Omura Gulf is not particularly liable, the promoters and shareholders may congratulate themselves upon being associated in a flourishing industry. The Red Current appears to be due to the presence of infusoria, which at certain seasons appear in such quantities as to give the water a blood-red appearance. It is understood to be inimical to molluses, the pearl oyster in particular, and its appearance synchronises with many dead fish and consequent financial loss. In addition to the natural pearls gathered from the beds, the Company, as the result of extensive scientific investigation, have succeeded in increasing the annual output by their perfected method of pearl culture.

20: October 24th, 1917 Omura: Omura Pearls

Thinking that a visit to the culture plant of the Omura-wan Pearl Company would prove interesting and inspire bygone Thursday Island reminiscences, preparations for the trip were made accordingly, the same being greatly facilitated by the advice and assistance courteously rendered by the Japan Tourist Bureau, which provided the necessary introductions, arranged the itinerary and also issued the railway tickets.

En passant, it may be remarked that the J. T. B., organised and controlled by Government sorely for the convenience of travellers and tourists, is an excellent institution and the mono-lingual alien, on applying at any of its branch offices will receive every assistance from its courteous staff of English speaking employees towards making any tour a pleasant one. In addition to supplying information respecting the train service, the Bureau will arrange itineraries with an estimate of the expenditure involved and if necessary, will issue letters of introduction - all free, gratis and for nothing.

In its issuance of railway tickets alone, the Bureau is a great convenience as these tickets, unlike the regular ones issued at the railway station, are good for 90 days, with the further privilege of as many “stops over” at intermediate points as the holder may desire.

Provided with such a ticket, to Omura then by the 7.40 train. In passing the barrier leading to the platform, the Pilgrim appeared to be regarded as a “distinguished personage,” the J. T. B. blue paper he exhibited at the barrier being somewhat of a mystery to the ordinary ticket holders, hence the remarks overheard, as to his probable identity, destination and mission were amusing, if inaccurate.

The route to Isahaya has previously been described but one never tires of the pretty silvan scenery and the incidentalae of rural life observed are always interesting. The shooting season is evidently open as in the fields one frequently observes sportsmen with dog and gun. No game is visible, even policemen or politicians being conspicuous by their absence, so what there is to shoot is a matter for conjecture. In the rick-yards farm hands are busy, threshing out the rice, repairing the thatch or at other farm work, while from odd corners small bonfires with much smoke indicate the burning of woods or farm refuse. The rice fields appear as bare brown patches, in which the short stubble, in regular ordered rows shows where the crop has been harvested.

The weather, which on setting out had been dull and overcast, now seems to have developed into a contest for the survival of the fittest - sunshine v. rain. The Pilgrim lays odds on the latter, in the hopes that his usual lottery-luck prevails and that he will lose out.

But now the panting of the engine and decreasing speed indicates the ascent of the steep gradient which precedes the first of the seven tunnels between Nagasaki and Omura. The electric lamps light up, there is a hurried closing of the car windows and with a roar, we enter the first and longest tunnel.

As nothing is to be seen outside, the Pilgrim turns round and takes stock of his travelling companions. The latter are few in number and consist mainly of the - one can hardly term them the “fairer” sex, so compromise matters by styling them the O-shiroi-ed ditto and letting it go at that. O-shiroi, it may be well to explain to the uninitiated, is an adjunct to milady's toilette table; a complexion cream, the medium wherewith dazzling complexions, varying from a warm cream-like pallor to a chalk white incrustation are “built up.”

O-Shiroi

As usual, there is the lady whom railway travelling upsets, curled up on the seat, handkerchief pressed firmly to her nose and drooping like a wilted lily. The puckered brows and the handkerchief give rise to an interesting speculation. Is the evolution of the many retrousse noses one observes due to excessive railway travelling, superimposed upon the effects consequent upon being strapped to Mamma’s back in infancy, when every step Mamma takes in her clumsy but cheap and durable geta, is punctuated by the bobbing of baby's head, and the abrupt contact between its nose and Mamma’s shoulders? It is an interesting question, somewhat too profound for the Pilgrim who leaves it to ethnologists to solve.

A family party with friends and a huge number of bundles, packages and umbrellas, which are constantly falling down and being replaced. From their conversation, the party is travelling to Obama, under the chaperonage of an elderly lady who possesses a sharp tongue and apparently a profound contempt, for Oshiroi, elaborate hairdressing, or other feminine fripperies and adornments. Keeping a sharp eye on her charges who are seated, all so very proper and demure, Obasan, in the intervals of having a whiff at her pipe, calls attention to some detail of apparel or deportment apparently not exactly “just so”, that is quite invisible to the eye of a man.

In the corner seat, fond Mamma, with H. R. H. the Baby, the latter a centre of a clique of admiring ladies. H. R. H. is evidently of a fighting breed which holds in profound contempt, the “Rules,” as laid down by a late Marquis of immortal, if immoral, memory. A very fair attempt at gouging was evaded by an admirer, who retained sufficient equanimity to gurgle the Japanese equivalent for “My! But ain’t he just too cute for anything!”

Out again, into the blessed daylight clear of the smoke and fumes of sulphurous coal. On the left is the beautiful terraced valley at the head of the Gulf of Omura with the waters of the gulf itself in the near distance, ever beautiful even under this sullen sky. Until the railway branches off at Haiki, the track skirts the winding shore line of the gulf, amid scenery which is, perhaps, the most picturesque between Nagasaki and Tosu.

Shikano-shima, Omura-wan