四神地名録 6巻. [4]葛飾郡 - 翻刻

翻刻

【ここより葛飾郡之部・下】
六月中旬の頃東葛西の村々を通行せしき五月初
旬少し雨ふりて以来雨更になく旱魃ひとかたならす
田場を見しに過半は水尽雫もなく所によりて土干
破（ワレ）白くなりて稲のいたみ少なからす今四五日の内に
雨なくは稲毛葉をたれ倒るへきていなり此辺は西に
中川流れ東に利根川 土人江戸川といふ みくり#1川と川と
の間漸〳〵広き所にて七八十町狭き所五六十町差て
人力を尽さず共逆水を以幾筋にも水を引るゝ地の
筋あり僕か国にてもかくのこときの所ありて旱魃年には

十村も二十ケ村も和し談して川水を堤きわへ溝をほり
高引かせ其水を大和車を以て三段にも五段にも次車
と称して幾車もかけならへ一村〳〵をして替り番の
法度を定め昼夜 懈怠（ケタイ）なく踏あくる時には五千石や
壱万石の田場は数日ならずして水を引入るゝことにて
十日と十二三日は其潤を以取続のなるものにて其内には
雨を得て無難に稲作をば取る事僕か国の風俗ゆへに
此葛西にても利根川の水をなぜに引入ざるやと土人に
□□に此辺にても先年村々申合利根川の水を引入し

現代語訳

【ここより葛飾郡之部・下】
六月中旬の頃、東葛西の村々を通行した時、五月初旬に少し雨が降って以来、雨が全くなく、旱魃がひとかたではない。田場を見ると、過半は水が尽きて一滴もなく、所によっては土が乾いて割れ、白くなって、稲の痛みが少なくない。今、四五日の内に雨がなければ、稲は葉を垂れて倒れるだろうという状態である。この辺りは西に中川が流れ、東に利根川（土地の人は江戸川という）が流れ、二つの川の間は、広い所で七八十町、狭い所で五六十町ほどで、それほど人力を尽くさずとも逆水を使って幾筋にも水を引ける地形がある。私の国でもこのような所があって、旱魃の年には

十村も二十ヶ村も話し合って、川水を堤で堰き止め、溝を掘って高い所に引かせ、その水を大和車を使って三段にも五段にも「次車」と称して幾つもの車をかけ並べ、一村ずつが交替番の法度を定め、昼夜怠ることなく踏み続ける。そうすると五千石や一万石の田場は数日ならずして水を引き入れることができ、十日から十二三日はその潤いで持続することができるもので、その間には雨を得て無難に稲作を収穫することができる。私の国の風俗なので、この葛西でも利根川の水をなぜ引き入れないのかと土地の人に尋ねると、この辺りでも先年、村々が申し合わせて利根川の水を引き入れた

英語訳

[From here: Katsushika District Section - Part 2]
When I traveled through the villages of East Katsushika around mid-June, there had been no rain at all since a little rainfall in early May, and the drought was severe. When I observed the rice fields, more than half had no water at all, not even a drop, and in some places the soil had dried and cracked, turning white, with considerable damage to the rice plants. If there is no rain within the next four or five days, the rice will droop its leaves and fall over. In this area, the Naka River flows to the west and the Tone River (which the locals call the Edo River) flows to the east. Between these two rivers, the distance is about seventy to eighty chō in wide areas and fifty to sixty chō in narrow areas, and there is terrain where water can be drawn in multiple channels using reverse flow without exerting too much human effort. In my home province, there are similar places, and in drought years,

ten or twenty villages would consult together, dam the river water with embankments, dig ditches to draw it to higher ground, and use water wheels called "Yamato-guruma" arranged in three or five tiers, called "tsugi-guruma" (relay wheels), with multiple wheels lined up. Each village would establish regulations for taking turns, working day and night without negligence. In this way, rice fields of five thousand or ten thousand koku could have water drawn into them within a few days, and this moisture could sustain them for ten to twelve or thirteen days. During this time, they would receive rain and successfully harvest their rice crop. Since this is the custom in my province, I asked the locals why they don't draw water from the Tone River here in Katsushika as well. They replied that in this area too, in previous years, the villages had agreed together to draw water from the Tone River.