ABSTRACT
On this day, they started on their journey to the East Country. So great \vas the urgency that the Emperor did not wait to ride, but \vent on foot. Suddenly he fell in \vith a saddle-horse belonging to Ohotomo, Agata no Inukahi no Muraji. The Emperor accordingly mounted him. The Empress-consort followed in a palanquin. It was not until they had gone as far as the River Tsufuri that the Emperor's carriage 1 came up, so he got into it. The original follo\vers of the Emperor at this time \vere the Imperial Princes Kusakabe and Osakabe, with the toneri \Vogimi, Yeno\vi no 1.furaji, Ohotomo Agata no Inukahi no 11uraji, Ohome, Saheki no Muraji, Tomokuni, Ohotomo no ~Iuraji, Ihose, Waka-zakura-be no Omi, Nemaro, Fumi no Obito, Chitoko, Fumi no Atahe, Wobayashi, Yamashiro no Atahe, Y~amashirobe no \Voda, Chitoko, Ato no Muraji, Afumi, Mitsugi no Obito, and the like, more than twent~y persons in all. There were n10re than ten \vornen. ~he same day they' arrived at Aki in Uda/ ,vhere they \vere overtaken by Jlakuda, Ohotomo no Muraji, and Ohotomo, Kibumi no Muraji, from the Palace of Yoshino. At this time Mate, Hashi no ~Iuraji, a toneri of the Department of the official rice-fields, supplied food to those who followed the Imperial carriage. Passing the village of Kammura, there were there more than twenty hunters, with Ohokuni, Yenomoto no Muraji, at their head. These were all summoned to follow the Imperial carriage. Moreover, Prince 11ino was called. He forthwith came and joined the Emperor's suite. At the Town Hall of the district of Uda they \vere met by fifty pack-horses of the province of Ise which \vere carrying the rice of the hotbaths. All the rice was thro\vn away, and thus mounts were provided for those who \vere going afoot. When they reached Ohono, the sun went do\vn, the mountains \vere dark, and they were unable to proceed. Accordingly they pulled down the fences of the houses of that village, by which they provided lights and so reached the district of Nabari at midnight. They set fire to the posting-station of Nabari, and made proclamation to the people of that village, saying :-" The Emperor is on his
way to the East Country. Therefore let all the people flock to join him." Ho\vever, not a single man \vould come. 'Vhen they were just arriving at the River Yokogaha, a dark cloud overspread the sky to the breadth of more than ten rods. Now the Emperor wondering at this, forthwith kindled a light, and holding in his own hand the Rule,l divined, saying :-" This is an omen of the division of the Empire into t\VO parts. However, in the end We shall probably acquire the Empire. So they hastened on,vards and arrived at the district of Iga, where they set fire to the posting-station. Going round to Nakayama in Iga, they \vere joined by the district governors of that province in command of a body of several hundred men. At dawn they reached the plain of Tara, where a short halt was made and food partaken of. On arriving at Yamaguchi ~ in TSUmU)Te they were joined by the Imperial Prince Takechi, \vho came across by \vay of I{afuka. He was followed by Ohohi, Tami no Atahe, Tokotari, Akazome no Miyakko, Hiro-sumi, Ohokura no Atahe, Kunimaro, Sakanohe 110 Atahe, J1'uruichi no Kuromaro, Takeda no Ohotoko, and Abe, Ikago no Omi. They crossed Mount Miyama and arrived at Suzuka in Ise. Here Ihatoko, Miyake no ~Iuraji, Governor of the province, with the Vice-Governor, Kobuto, Miwa no I(imi, Tarumaro, Tanaka no Omi, magistrate of the hot-baths':i Nihinomi, Takata no Obito, and ,others joined the Emperor at the district of Suzuka. So in the morning a body of 500 troops \vere despatched to block the road over the mountain of Suzuka. When they arrived at the foot of the Hill of I(ahawa the sun went down, and as the Empress-consort was fatigtled, her palanquin was stayed for a while until she rested. But the night closed in gloomily, and it threatened rain, so that a pro.. longed halt was impos~ible, and they proceeded on their way. Hereupon it became cold, and there was a violent thunderstorm, with rain, so that the clothing of those in the Emperor's train was drenched and they could not bear the cold. When they arrived at the Town Hall of the district of Mihe, they set
3°7 fire to onc of the buildings and so warmed the shivering-luen. That night, at midnight, the \Varden of the Barrier of Suzuka sent a n1cssenger to the En1peror to inform him that Prince Yamabe and Prince Ishikaha had come to proffer their allegiance, and that he had therefore kept them at the Barrier. The Emperor accordingly sent l\Iasubito, ~Iichi no i\tahe, to fetch thenl.
