Besidesthese，sevenwomensatinarowinthebackgroundsplittingbark。Alargeironpanhungoverthefirefromablackenedarrangementabove，andBenri’sprincipalwifecutwildroots，greenbeans，andseaweed，andshreddriedfishandvenisonamongthem，addingmillet，water，andsomestrong-smellingfish-oil，andsetthewholeontostewforthreehours，stirringthe“mess“nowandthenwithawoodenspoon。
Severaloftheolderpeoplesmoke，andIhandedroundsomemildtobacco，whichtheyreceivedwithwavinghands。ItoldthemthatI
camefromalandinthesea，veryfaraway，wheretheysawthesungodown——soveryfarawaythatahorsewouldhavetogallopdayandnightforfiveweekstoreachit——andthatIhadcomealongjourneytoseethem，andthatIwantedtoaskthemmanyquestions，sothatwhenIwenthomeImighttellmyownpeoplesomethingaboutthem。Shinondiandanotherman，whounderstoodJapanese，bowed，andasoneveryoccasiontranslatedwhatIsaidintoAinoforthevenerablegroupopposite。Shinondithensaid“thatheandShinrichi，theotherJapanesespeaker，wouldtellmealltheyknew，buttheywerebutyoungmen，andonlyknewwhatwastoldtothem。
Theywouldspeakwhattheybelievedtobetrue，butthechiefknewmorethanthey，andwhenhecamebackhemighttellmedifferently，andthenIshouldthinkthattheyhadspokenlies。“Isaidthatnoonewholookedintotheirfacescouldthinkthattheyevertoldlies。Theywereverymuchpleased，andwavedtheirhandsandstrokedtheirbeardsrepeatedly。BeforetheytoldmeanythingtheybeggedandprayedthatIwouldnotinformtheJapaneseGovernmentthattheyhadtoldmeoftheircustoms，orharmmightcometothem！
Forthenexttwohours，andfortwomoreaftersupper，Iaskedthemquestionsconcerningtheirreligionandcustoms，andagainyesterdayforaconsiderabletime，andthismorning，afterBenri’sreturn，Iwentoverthesamesubjectswithhim，andhavealsoemployedaconsiderabletimeingettingabout300wordsfromthem，whichIhavespeltphoneticallyofcourse，andintendtogooveragainwhenIvisitthecoastAinos。{19}
Theprocesswasslow，asbothquestionandanswerhadtopassthroughthreelanguages。Therewasaverymanifestdesiretotellthetruth，andIthinkthattheirstatementsconcerningtheirfewandsimplecustomsmaybereliedupon。IshallgivewhattheytoldmeseparatelywhenIhavetimetowriteoutmynotesinanorderlymanner。IcanonlysaythatIhaveseldomspentamoreinterestingevening。
Aboutninethestewwasready，andthewomenladleditintolacquerbowlswithwoodenspoons。Themenwereservedfirst，butallatetogether。Afterwardssake，theircurse，waspouredintolacquerbowls，andacrosseachbowlafinely-carved“sake-stick“waslaid。
Thesesticksareveryhighlyprized。Thebowlswerewavedseveraltimeswithaninwardmotion，theneachmantookhisstickand，dippingitintothesake，madesixlibationstothefireandseveraltothe“god“——awoodenpost，withaquantityofspiralwhiteshavingsfallingfromnearthetop。TheAinosarenotaffectedbysakenearlysoeasilyastheJapanese。Theytookitcold，itistrue，buteachdrankaboutthreetimesasmuchaswouldhavemadeaJapanesefoolish，andithadnoeffectuponthem。
Aftertwohoursmoretalkoneafteranothergotupandwentout，makingprofusesalutationstomeandtotheothers。Mycandleshadbeenforgotten，andourseancewasheldbythefitfullightofthebiglogsonthefire，aidedbyasuccessionofchipsofbirchbark，withwhichawomanreplenishedacleftstickthatwasstuckintothefire-hole。Ineversawsuchastrangelypicturesquesightasthatgroupofmagnificentsavageswiththefitfulfirelightontheirfaces，andforadjunctstheflareofthetorch，thestronglights，theblacknessoftherecessesoftheroomandoftheroof，atoneendofwhichthestarslookedin，andtherowofsavagewomeninthebackground——easternsavageryandwesterncivilisationmetinthishut，savagerygivingandcivilisationreceiving，theyellow-skinnedItotheconnecting-linkbetweenthetwo，andtherepresentativeofacivilisationtowhichourownisbutan“infantofdays。“
Ifounditveryexciting，andwhenallhadleftcreptoutintothestarlight。Thelodgeswerealldarkandsilent，andthedogs，mildliketheirmasters，tooknonoticeofme。Theonlysoundwastherustleofalightbreezethroughthesurroundingforest。Theversecameintomymind，“ItisnotthewillofyourFatherwhichisinheaventhatoneoftheselittleonesshouldperish。“Surelythesesimplesavagesarechildren，aschildrentobejudged；maywenothopeaschildrentobesavedthroughHimwhocame“nottojudgetheworld，buttosavetheworld“？
Icreptbackagainandintomymosquitonet，andsufferednotfromfleasormosquitoes，butfromseverecold。ShinondiconversedwithItoforsometimeinalowmusicalvoice，havingpreviouslyaskedifitwouldkeepmefromsleeping。NoJapaneseeverintermittedhisceaselesschatteratanyhourofthenightforasimilarreason。Later，thechief’sprincipalwife，Noma，stuckatriply-
cleftstickinthefire-hole，putapotsherdwithawickandsomefish-oiluponit，andbythedimlightofthisrudelampseweduntilmidnightatagarmentofbarkclothwhichshewasornamentingforherlordwithstripsofbluecloth，andwhenIopenedmyeyesthenextmorningshewasatthewindowsewingbytheearliestdaylight。Sheisthemostintelligent-lookingofallthewomen，butlookssadandalmoststern，andspeaksseldom。Althoughsheistheprincipalwifeofthechiefsheisnothappy，forsheischildless，andIthoughtthathersadlookdarkenedintosomethingevilastheotherwifecaressedafinebabyboy。Benriseemstomesomethingofabrute，andthemother-in-lawobviouslyholdsthereinsofgovernmentprettytight。Aftersewingtillmidnightshesweptthematswithabunchoftwigs，andthencreptintoherbedbehindahangingmat。ForamomentinthestillnessIfeltafeelingofpanic，asifIwereincurringariskbybeingaloneamongsavages，butIconqueredit，and，afterwatchingthefiretillitwentout，fellasleeptillIwasawokebytheseverecoldofthenextday’sdawn。
ASupposedActofWorship——ParentalTenderness——MorningVisits——
WretchedCultivation——HonestyandGenerosity——A“Dug-out“——FemaleOccupations——TheAncientFate——ANewArrival——APerilousPrescription——TheShrineofYoshitsune——TheChief’sReturn。
WhenIcreptfromundermynetmuchbenumbedwithcold，therewereaboutelevenpeopleintheroom，whoallmadetheirgracefulsalutation。Itdidnotseemasiftheyhadeverheardofwashing，for，whenwaterwasaskedfor，Shinondibroughtalittleinalacquerbowl，andhelditwhileIbathedmyfaceandhands，supposingtheperformancetobeanactofworship！Iwasabouttothrowsomecoldteaoutofthewindowbymybedwhenhearrestedmewithananxiousface，andIsaw，whatIhadnotobservedbefore，thattherewasagodatthatwindow——astickwithfestoonsofshavingshangingfromit，andbesideitadeadbird。TheAinoshavetwomealsaday，andtheirbreakfastwasarepetitionofthepreviousnight’ssupper。Weallatetogether，andIgavethechildrentheremainsofmyrice，anditwasmostamusingtoseelittlecreaturesofthree，four，andfiveyearsold，withnootherclothingthanapieceofpewterhangingroundtheirnecks，firstformallyaskingleaveoftheparentsbeforetakingtherice，andthenwavingtheirhands。Theobedienceofthechildrenisinstantaneous。TheirparentsaremoredemonstrativeintheiraffectionthantheJapaneseare，caressingthemagooddeal，andtwoofthemenaredevotedtochildrenwhoarenottheirown。
TheselittleonesareasgraveanddignifiedasJapanesechildren，andareverygentle。
Iwentoutsoonafterfive，whenthedewwasglitteringinthesunshine，andthemountainhollowinwhichBiratoristandswaslookingitsverybest，andthesilenceoftheplace，eventhoughthepeoplewereallastir，wasasimpressiveasthatofthenightbefore。Whatastrangelife！knowingnothing，hopingnothing，fearingalittle，theneedforclothesandfoodtheonemotiveprinciple，sakeinabundancetheonegood！Howveryfewpointsofcontactitispossibletohave！IwasjustthinkingsowhenShinondimetme，andtookmetohishousetoseeifIcoulddoanythingforachildsorelyafflictedwithskindisease，andhisextremetendernessforthisveryloathsomeobjectmademefeelthathumanaffectionswerethesameamongthemaswithus。Hehadcarrieditonhisbackfromavillage，fivemilesdistant，thatmorning，inthehopethatitmightbecured。AssoonasIenteredhelaidafinematonthefloor，andcoveredtheguest-seatwithabearskin。Afterbreakfasthetookmetothelodgeofthesub-
chief，thelargestinthevillage，45feetsquare，andintoabouttwentyothersallconstructedinthesameway，butsomeofthemwerenotmorethan20feetsquare。InallIwasreceivedwiththesamecourtesy，butafewofthepeopleaskedShinondinottotakemeintotheirhouses，astheydidnotwantmetoseehowpoortheyare。Ineveryhousetherewasthelowshelfwithmoreorfewercuriosuponit，but，besidesthese，nonebutthebarestnecessariesoflife，thoughtheskinswhichtheysellorbartereveryyearwouldenablethemtosurroundthemselveswithcomforts，wereitnotthattheirgainsrepresenttothemsake，andnothingelse。Theyarenotnomads。Onthecontrary，theyclingtenaciouslytothesitesonwhichtheirfathershavelivedanddied。Butanythingmoredeplorablethantheattemptsatcultivationwhichsurroundtheirlodgescouldnotbeseen。Thesoilislittlebetterthanwhitesand，onwhichwithoutmanuretheyattempttogrowmillet，whichistothemintheplaceofrice，pumpkins，onions，andtobacco；butthelookoftheirplotsisasiftheyhadbeencultivatedtenyearsago，andsomechance-sowngrainandvegetableshadcomeupamongtheweeds。Whennothingmorewillgrow，theypartiallyclearanotherbitofforest，andexhaustthatinitsturn。
Ineveryhousethesamehonourwaspaidtoaguest。Thisseemsasavagevirtuewhichisnotstrongenoughtosurvivemuchcontactwithcivilisation。BeforeIenteredonelodgethewomanbroughtseveralofthefinermats，andarrangedthemasapathwayformetowalktothefireupon。Theywillnotacceptanythingforlodging，orforanythingthattheygive，soIwasanxioustohelpthembybuyingsomeoftheirhandiwork，butfoundeventhisadifficultmatter。Theywereveryanxioustogive，butwhenIdesiredtobuytheysaidtheydidnotwishtopartwiththeirthings。Iwantedwhattheyhadinactualuse，suchasatobacco-boxandpipe-sheath，andkniveswithcarvedhandlesandscabbards，andforthreeoftheseIoffered2。5dollars。Theysaidtheydidnotcaretosellthem，butintheeveningtheycamesayingtheywerenotworthmorethan1dollar10cents，andtheywouldsellthemforthat；andI
couldnotgetthemtotakemore。Theysaiditwas“nottheircustom。“Iboughtabowandthreepoisonedarrows，tworeed-mats，withadiamondpatternontheminreedsstainedred，somekniveswithsheaths，andabarkclothdress。Itriedtobuythesake-
stickswithwhichtheymakelibationstotheirgods，buttheysaiditwas“nottheircustom“topartwiththesake-stickofanylivingman；however，thismorningShinondihasbroughtme，asaveryvaluablepresent，thestickofadeadman！Thismorningthemanwhosoldthearrowsbroughttwonewones，toreplacetwowhichwereimperfect。Ifoundthem，asMr。VonSieboldhaddone，punctiliouslyhonestinalltheirtransactions。Theywearverylargeearringswithhoopsaninchandahalfindiameter，apairconstitutingthedowryofanAinobride；buttheywouldnotpartwiththese。
Ahousewasburneddowntwonightsago，and“custom“insuchacaserequiresthatallthemenshouldworkatrebuildingit，sointheirabsenceIgottwoboystotakemeina“dug-out“asfaraswecouldgouptheSarufutogawa——alovelyriver，whichwindstortuouslythroughtheforestsandmountainsinunspeakableloveliness。Ihadmuchofthefeelingoftheancientmariner-
“WewerethefirstWhoeverburstIntothatsilentsea。“