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You remember how this mountain figures over and over and over again Japanese art, from the treasured drawings of old masters to the cheapest paper fans. The spot where you are standing now is on almost the highest point of this most famous peak in Japan, more than 12,000 feet above the sea. The wall of lava-rock and dead volcanic cinders which you see beyond these men is part of the ragged rim of the great crater, out of which these very cinders came pouring in a deadly shower at the time of the last eruption in 1708.
There are various paths followed in ascending from different villages, but, after you have passed the forest belt, the rest of the way is steadily up, up, up over what seems an interminable, steep slope of bare, dead cinders. (In winter, when the snow forms a conical cap most beautiful from a distance, ascents are very seldom attempted.) There are little rest-houses at intervals along the way and not infrequently mountain climbers overtaken by a hard storm have had to spend not merely hours but days crowded into such a shelter.
   All summer long, throngs of Japanese (mostly country folks of small means) come up here on pious pilgrimages. It is popularly regarded as an act of great religious merit to make the ascent, to walk around the crater as these men are doing, and to pray at a shrine on the summit. It is especially meritorious to spend the night up here and recite certain prayers at sunrise:-it means good fortune in the affairs of this world and a better chance of happiness in a world to come.
  (See Scidmore's "Jinrikisha Days in Japan." etc._
  From Notes of Travel, No. 8, copyright, 1904 b
 Underwood & Underwood.

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Pilgrims at the End of Their Ascent, on Fujiyama; Japan.
Pélerins á la Fin de leur Ascension, sur Fujiyama; Japon.
Bilger am Ende ihres Uufftieges am Fujihama; Japan.
Peregrinos al Cabo de su Ascensión de Fujiyama; Japan.
Pilgrimmer vid slutet af deras uppstigande vid Fujiyama; Japan.
Пилинrpимы нa кoнцв иxъ пoдъeмa нa Фy жiямy; Япoнiя.

Transcription Notes:
Could not translate russian French: àâæ éèêë ïî ôœ ùûüÿ ç German: äöüß Spanish: áéíñóúü Swedish: äåéö Russian uppercase: Я Ш Е Р Т Ы У И О П Ю Щ Э А С Д Ф Г Ч Й К Л Ь Ж З Х Ц В Б Н М Ъ Ё Russian lowercase: я ш е р т ы у и о п ю щ э а с д ф г ч й к л ь ж з х ц в б н м ъ ё Япoнiя.