In Search of the Niinja (53 page)

Grind the above into powder, decoct to the measurement of seven
Go
and then apply it to the ship.

Night Attack Torch or Area Illuminating Fire

Grind the above into powder and ram it into a large bamboo cylinder, compress it firmly, [when set]
198
this will make a bar so you can cut into pieces for use. In case of heavy rain and wind, it is preferable to use the way of the Grass Tied Fire, which uses a three parts mixture of Camphor, Cinnabar and Vermilion. Also, it is ideal if you can use this recipe even in normal times. The diameter of the throwing ball
199
of this tool should be about three
Sun
. This is to be thrown into the enemy and one piece can light up a ten
Ken
square area.

Concerns About Horse Gear
200

A saddle with gold and silver edges is not recommended and soaked cow’s leather moulded into shape and lacquered should be used instead.

You should have three layers of spreads under your saddle. The
Umahada
– which is the spread to be put directly on the horseback – should be made of cattail, so that it will not irritate and make raw the horse’s back.

The
Nogutsu
straps which attach to the skirts of the horse’s saddle should be straight and not hooked, as hooked ones often get caught.

Shiode
saddle rings [used to attach things to] should be made in the style of
Mekurinuki
,
201
and also they should desirably be attached with rings made of leather. Normal
Shiode
rings cannot be easily reattached once they have broken off. Also, looped versions of this are not good because they will strech the horse’s crupper.

Metal stirrups should be used.

Fur saddle flaps should be used as they are beneficial in cold weather.

The hems and fringes of saddles should be made of linen with a chain sewn inside of them.

The leather cords used for stirrups sometimes break. Therefore it is preferable to double them up with a rope of linen and put them through the hole for the stirrup cords which is on the saddle uprights [which support a rider in the saddle].

Reins should be made of fabric weaved with thick yarn.
O-no-tazuna
reins which are made of cord are not good as they are too thin in your hands, especially they are of no use in the rain. Nowadays many people use purple dyed versions but in the days of old it was hard to use such reins without permission from the lord. If you have a particular liking for
O-n-tauna
reins, you should use silk-crepe instead.

The
Umazura
horse mask has disadvantages, whilst having not so many advantages and horses can have trouble breathing when using it. However, it is useful when your colleague’s horse becomes angered, thus you should use it if needs arise.
202

The horse bit should be cross shaped. Decorative ones such as ones with carved crests are not good.

Horse shoes should not be made of the ‘false nettle’ plant.
203
This is a secret.
204

The
Hana-neji
‘nose twisting stick
205
should be equipped with a sickle. How to make this is an oral tradion.

There is oral tradition for the Horse Ladle.

The ‘Travel Nose Leather’ should be connected with
Karamushi
false nettle rope.

Horse feed bags for bran should be sewn with the stiches on the inside of the bag and should be attached on the both sides of the back of the saddle. Those colours which stand out are not good.

For a temporary saddle stand whilst travelling, use the [horse] shoe basket, make sure it has a hinged lid.

The above [horse] shoe basket should be woven in the ‘
Ajiro
’ style of weaving and also you should apply lacquer to the basket so it can be strong enough to be used as the horse washing tub, however there are oral traditions on how to make this.

The Art of Horses

Larger horses are better for crossing rivers, whilst smaller horses are good for ascending and descending. Horses with short body-trunks are good for fields and mountains, whilst those with long trunks and a high head are good when in deep rice paddies, ponds and marshes.
Same
-horses which are cremello and perlino horses do not stand out in the morning sunlight. Horses of ‘dual-colour’ should be avoided on the battlefield. ‘Dual-colour here means
Buchi,
that is those horses with big white dapples,
Ashige,
dappled grey and
Yukifumi,
those who ‘step in snow’
that is have white sections at the lower part of the leg
.
Remember, you should consider what kind of horses will suit your purpose.

On a battlefield young horses are not recommended and should not be ridden. A horse around eight years old is good and should be used.

‘Difficult’ horses or those who are fearful should not be used, those horses which are too hard to control are simply not good. Before a battle, if a horse is agitated and ‘chomping at the bit’ and you have to restrain it, then this is not proper at all. Also, if you are taken by such a horse and killed in vain, then this is truly regretful. Remember that you must be able to freely control a horse with the reins in one hand.

Oroshi
-horses, which are Russian horses will not stay or go to the gallop unless the rider lifts his rear off the saddle. However, armoured warriors [
Musha
] are heavy therefore you cannot ride [risen off the saddle] as can be done at normal times. Therefore, it is desirable to use horses from Hitachi. Alongside this, it is also said that
Oroshi
-horses are not recommended when you have to cross over difficult terrain, rocky areas and down rocky trails and pathways. Remember you should ask people who know of these things.

A horse should not have a long mane because it will tangle with the gear or even the reins.

The Art of Horse Riding

When mounting and dismounting from a horse and in armour, there is an oral tradition which involves the stirrup. Also, there is something to be passed down by mouth about the saddle-girth.

There is a secret way to carry reins and hunger pills when on horseback, this is called the ‘Seven
Sun
’ [way].

How to tighten the saddle is an oral tradition.

Remember the art of tethering a horse to grass.

If a horse suddenly becomes nervous or loses control, then you should wash its mouth out with water and rest it before riding on.

Push your right stirrup forward and pull your left stirrup back and ride like this, with your feet not straight [and opposite each other]. This is done to maximise your grip around the horse and to keep the horse calm.

How to ride horses that have one-sided mouth
206
or are untamed should be orally transmitted.

[To re-train] those horses who lie down near a river or who lie down when they see water, you should put a tooth pick or a firm twisted paper string, deep in to their ear, this method is also good for horses that anger quickly.

After riding a horse fast for five or six
Cho
in distance you will find that the horse gets out of breath. Therefore, you should ride it in a circle two or three times or even in a zigzag manner. You should ask experienced riders about other ways.

If you want to pull ahead of other horses, you should ride a fast-footed horse or fine horse.

There are secret ways to cross a horse over water.

When you ride to a river bank, take care and consider the horse. Wash its mouth and then ride into the river with the reins loose; also, the ‘front’ of the horse should be unrestricted. There are vast amounts of things to be orally transmitted for these ways.

When you ride into a river, go in facing downstream. It is desirable that the horse is familiar with water so you should train it at normal times.

After a hard ride, if you plunge straight in to water then the horse may die. Therefore, wash its mouth and cool down its head before a river crossing.

When crossing a river untie the forward cords of the skirt that goes underneath the saddle and tie them back on themselves [which will pull the skirt backwards and help the crossing].

[When crossing a river] lift up the stirrups and cross them over the top of a saddle.

When in water, if someone comes to hold the tail of your horse, fend them off with the butt of your spear.

If in a big river, you should still ride your horse until you get to the deeper sections, there is an oral tradition for this.

To cross over a moat, dry or water filled, show the horse the moat by riding up and down the moat, so he can see it, then retreat and then go at them at speed, talking to your mount and giving him the whipping rod [so that he crosses].

When you ride in a deep paddy field you should raise the head of the horse and gently pull backwards and raise your bottom off the saddle. The ‘reins of rock pulling against stone’ [illustrated at the start of this manual] are good for this, but there are more secrets.

When you ride upon a road at night you should follow a pale horse, a dapple grey horse or any animal that is distinct. There are many things you should be aware of and it is like a cart following another cart, for if the forward cart is overturned, then the cart at the rear will learn by the mistake of the cart at the front.

When on the march, going out on a shinobi mission
207
or if you are on a mountain or even in a steep and rocky area, then you should use an unsaddled horse.

If a horse is out of breath and you have no water, then use your own urine to wash its mouth.

Apply salt to the tongue of a horse every morning and wash and apply ‘medicine’ to calm its breathing.

Wrap the above ‘medicine’ in a cloth and attach it to the bar of the horse’s bit [so it dissolves in its mouth].

The above volume is what Babamino no Kami
Yamamoto Kansuke, who was a retainer of the Takeda clan of Koyo studied at all times and should be kept secret. However [the receiver of this scroll] was very eager to obtain it, therefore, I will pass this on, but be sure not to reveal this information to anyone.

[The giver]

Mabuchi Ruiemon

Transcribed on the 27th day of the second lunar month in the year of ‘Koka
208
Two’ [1846] which is considered as the year of Kinoto-snake.
209

[The receiver]

Iikura Ken’nosuke

This is a list of sixteen tools that are considered to be shinobi tools passed down in the Sawamura family of Iga. Their content – including the ‘shinobi-lantern’ – secures these items well within the realm of the ninja and can be found in multiple manuals. The original writing is in
Sosho
or ‘Grass-style’ and is some of the most difficult we have come across yet. Therefore, for the benefit of those familiar with Japanese, the original text has been transcribed here into Kaisho or Block-style by Mieko Koizumi (pictured on page 213). The order is English, then the original Japanese and lastly the simplified Japanese below that. Note that the numbers do not appear in the original text.

Memorandum

1

Hikibashi ‘the retractable bridge’ – a tool needed when you are crossing over a moat