ForcertainlynoEuropeanhadeverpreviouslyfloatedonthedarkandforest-shroudedwaters。Ienjoyedthosehoursthoroughly，forthesilencewasprofound，andthefaintblueoftheautumnsky，andthesoftblueveilwhich“spiritualised“thedistances，weresoexquisitelyliketheIndiansummer。
Theeveningwasspentlikethepreviousone，buttheheartsofthesavagesweresad，fortherewasnomoresakeinBiratori，sotheycouldnot“drinktothegod，“andthefireandthepostwiththeshavingshadtogowithoutlibations。Therewasnomoreoil，soafterthestrangersretiredthehutwasincompletedarkness。
Yesterdaymorningweallbreakfastedsoonafterdaylight，andtheable-bodiedmenwentawaytohunt。Huntingandfishingaretheiroccupations，andfor“indoorrecreation“theycarvetobacco-boxes，knife-sheaths，sake-sticks，andshuttles。Itisquiteunnecessaryforthemtodoanything；theyarequitecontentedtositbythefire，andsmokeoccasionally，andeatandsleep，thisapathybeingvariedbyspasmsofactivitywhenthereisnomoredriedfleshinthekuras，andwhenskinsmustbetakentoSarufutotopayforsake。Thewomenseemnevertohaveanidlemoment。Theyriseearlytosew，weave，andsplitbark，fortheynotonlyclothethemselvesandtheirhusbandsinthisnearlyindestructiblecloth，butweaveitforbarter，andthelowerclassofJapaneseareconstantlytobeseenwearingtheproductofAinoindustry。Theydoallthehardwork，suchasdrawingwater，choppingwood，grindingmillet，andcultivatingthesoil，aftertheirfashion；
but，todothemenjustice，Ioftenseethemtrudgingalongcarryingoneandeventwochildren。Thewomentaketheexclusivechargeofthekuras，whichareneverenteredbymen。
Iwasleftforsomehoursalonewiththewomen，ofwhomtherewereseveninthehut，withafewchildren。Ontheonesideofthefirethechief’smothersatlikeaFate，foreversplittingandknottingbark，andpetrifyingmebyhercold，fatefuleyes。Herthick，greyhairhangsinshocks，thetattooingroundhermouthhasnearlyfaded，andnolongerdisguisesherreallyhandsomefeatures。Sheisdressedinamuchornamentedbark-clothdress，andwearstwosilverbeadstiedroundherneckbyapieceofbluecotton，inadditiontoverylargeearrings。Shehasmuchswayinthehouse，sittingonthemen’ssideofthefire，drinkingplentyofsake，andoccasionallychidinghergrandsonShinondifortellingmetoomuch，sayingthatitwillbringharmtoherpeople。Thoughherexpressionissosevereandforbidding，sheiscertainlyveryhandsome，anditisaEuropean，notanAsiatic，beauty。
Theyoungerwomenwereallatwork；twowereseatedonthefloorweavingwithoutaloom，andtheothersweremakingandmendingthebarkcoatswhicharewornbybothsexes。Noma，thechief’sprincipalwife，satapart，seldomspeaking。Twooftheyoungestwomenareverypretty——asfairasourselves，andtheircomelinessisoftherosy，peasantkind。Itturnsoutthattwoofthem，thoughtheywouldnotdivulgeitbeforemen，speakJapanese，andtheyprattledtoItowithgreatvivacityandmerriment，theancientFatescowlingatthemthewhilefromunderhershaggyeyebrows。I
gotanumberofwordsfromthem，andtheylaughedheartilyatmyerroneouspronunciation。Theyevenaskedmeanumberofquestionsregardingtheirownsexamongourselves，butfewofthesewouldbearrepetition，andtheyansweredanumberofmine。Asthemerrimentincreasedtheoldwomanlookedincreasinglyangryandrestless，andatlastratedthemsharply，asIhaveheardsince，tellingthemthatiftheyspokeanotherwordsheshouldtelltheirhusbandsthattheyhadbeentalkingtostrangers。Afterthisnotanotherwordwasspoken，andNoma，whoisanindustrioushousewife，boiledsomemilletintoamashforamid-daylunch。DuringtheafternoonaveryhandsomeyoungAino，withawashed，richly-
colouredskinandfinecleareyes，cameupfromthecoast，wherehehadbeenworkingatthefishing。HesalutedtheoldwomanandBenri’swifeonentering，andpresentedtheformerwithagourdofsake，bringingagreedylightintohereyesasshetookalongdraught，afterwhich，salutingme，hethrewhimselfdownintheplaceofhonourbythefire，withtheeasygraceofastaghound，asavageallover。HisnameisPipichari，andheisthechief’sadoptedson。Hehadcuthisfootbadlywitharoot，andaskedmetocureit，andIstipulatedthatitshouldbebathedforsometimeinwarmwaterbeforeanythingmorewasdone，afterwhichIbandageditwithlint。Hesaid“hedidnotlikemetotouchhisfoot，itwasnotcleanenough，myhandsweretoowhite，“etc。；butwhenI
haddressedit，andthepainwasmuchrelieved，hebowedverylowandthenkissedmyhand！Hewastheonlyoneamongthemallwhoshowedtheslightestcuriosityregardingmythings。Helookedatmyscissors，touchedmyboots，andwatchedme，asIwrote，withthesimplecuriosityofachild。HecouldspeakalittleJapanese，buthesaidhewas“tooyoungtotellmeanything，theoldermenwouldknow。“Heisa“totalabstainer“fromsake，andhesaysthattherearefoursuchbesideshimselfamongthelargenumberofAinoswhoarejustnowatthefishingatMombets，andthattheotherskeepseparatefromthem，becausetheythinkthatthegodswillbeangrywiththemfornotdrinking。
Several“patients，“mostlychildren，werebroughtinduringtheafternoon。Itowasmuchdisgustedbymyinterestinthesepeople，who，herepeated，“arejustdogs，“referringtotheirlegendaryorigin，ofwhichtheyarenotashamed。HisassertionthattheyhavelearnedpolitenessfromtheJapaneseissimplybaseless。
Theirpoliteness，thoughofquiteanotherandmoremanlystamp，issavage，notcivilised。Themencamebackatdark，themealwasprepared，andwesatroundthefireasbefore；buttherewasnosake，exceptinthepossessionoftheoldwoman；andagaintheheartsofthesavagesweresad。Icouldmultiplyinstancesoftheirpoliteness。Asweweretalking，Pipichari，whoisavery“untutored“savage，droppedhiscoatfromoneshoulder，andatonceShinondisignedtohimtoputitonagain。Again，awomanwassenttoadistantvillageforsomeoilassoonastheyheardthatI
usuallyburnedalightallnight。Littleactsofcourtesywereconstantlybeingperformed；butIreallyappreciatednothingmorethanthequietwayinwhichtheywentonwiththeroutineoftheirordinarylives。
DuringtheeveningamancametoaskifIwouldgoandseeawomanwhocouldhardlybreathe；andIfoundherveryillofbronchitis，accompaniedwithmuchfever。Shewaslyinginacoatofskins，tossingonthehardboardsofherbed，withamatting-coveredrollunderherhead，andherhusbandwastryingtomakeherswallowsomesalt-fish。Itookherdry，hothand——suchasmallhand，tattooedallovertheback——anditgavemeastrangethrill。Theroomwasfullofpeople，andtheyallseemedverysorry。Amedicalmissionarywouldbeoflittleusehere；butamedically-trainednurse，whowouldgivemedicinesandproperfood，withpropernursing，wouldsavemanylivesandmuchsuffering。Itisofnousetotellthesepeopletodoanythingwhichrequirestobedonemorethanonce:theyarejustlikechildren。Igavehersomechlorodyne，whichsheswallowedwithdifficulty，andleftanotherdosereadymixed，togiveherinafewhours；butaboutmidnighttheycametotellmethatshewasworse；andongoingIfoundherverycoldandweak，andbreathingveryhard，movingherheadwearilyfromsidetoside。Ithoughtshecouldnotliveformanyhours，andwasmuchafraidthattheywouldthinkthatIhadkilledher。ItoldthemthatIthoughtshewoulddie；buttheyurgedmetodosomethingmoreforher，andasalasthopeIgavehersomebrandy，withtwenty-fivedropsofchlorodyne，andafewspoonfulsofverystrongbeef-tea。Shewasunable，ormoreprobablyunwilling，tomaketheefforttoswallowit，andIpoureditdownherthroatbythewildglareofstripsofbirchbark。Anhourlatertheycamebacktotellmethatshefeltasifshewereverydrunk；but，goingbacktoherhouse，Ifoundthatshewassleepingquietly，andbreathingmoreeasily；and，creepingbackjustatdawn，Ifoundherstillsleeping，andwithherpulsestrongerandcalmer。Sheisnowdecidedlybetterandquitesensible，andherhusband，thesub-chief，ismuchdelighted。Itseemssosadthattheyhavenothingfitforasickperson’sfood；andthoughIhavemadeabowlofbeef-teawiththeremainsofmystock，itcanonlylastoneday。
IwassotiredwiththesenocturnalexpeditionsandanxietiesthatonlyingdownIfellasleep，andonwakingfoundmorethantheusualassemblageintheroom，andthemenwereobviouslyagogaboutsomething。Theyhaveasingular，andIhopeanunreasonable，fearoftheJapaneseGovernment。Mr。VonSieboldthinksthattheofficialsthreatenandknockthemabout；andthisispossible；butIreallythinkthattheKaitaikushiDepartmentmeanswellbythem，and，besidesremovingtheoppressiverestrictionsbywhich，asaconqueredrace，theywerefettered，treatsthemfarmorehumanelyandequitablythantheU。S。Government，forinstance，treatstheNorthAmericanIndians。However，theyareignorant；andoneofthemen，whohadbeenmostgratefulbecauseIsaidIwouldgetDr。
Hepburntosendsomemedicineforhischild，camethismorningandbeggedmenottodoso，as，hesaid，“theJapaneseGovernmentwouldbeangry。“AfterthistheyagainprayedmenottotelltheJapaneseGovernmentthattheyhadtoldmetheircustomsandthentheybegantotalkearnestlytogether。
Thesub-chiefthenspoke，andsaidthatIhadbeenkindtotheirsickpeople，andtheywouldliketoshowmetheirtemple，whichhadneverbeenseenbyanyforeigner；buttheywereverymuchafraidofdoingso，andtheyaskedmemanytimes“nottotelltheJapaneseGovernmentthattheyshowedittome，lestsomegreatharmshouldhappentothem。“Thesub-chiefputonasleevelessJapanesewar-
cloaktogoup，andhe，Shinondi，Pipichari，andtwoothersaccompaniedme。Itwasabeautifulbutverysteepwalk，orratherclimb，tothetopofanabruptacclivitybeyondthevillage，onwhichthetempleorshrinestands。Itwouldbeimpossibletogetupwereitnotfortheremainsofawoodenstaircase，notofAinoconstruction。ForestandmountainsurroundBiratori，andtheonlybreaksinthedensegreeneryareglintsoftheshiningwatersoftheSarufutogawa，andthetawnyroofsoftheAinolodges。Itisalonelyandasilentland，fitterfortheHIDINGplacethantheDWELLINGplaceofmen。
Whenthesplendidyoungsavage，Pipichari，sawthatIfounditdifficulttogetup，hetookmyhandandhelpedmeup，asgentlyasanEnglishgentlemanwouldhavedone；andwhenhesawthatIhadgreaterdifficultyingettingdown，heallbutinsistedonmyridingdownonhisback，andcertainlywouldhavecarriedmehadnotBenri，thechief，whoarrivedwhilewewereattheshrine，madeanendofitbytakingmyhandandhelpingmedownhimself。Theirinstinctofhelpfulnesstoaforeignwomanstrikesmeassoodd，becausetheynevershowanycourtesytotheirownwomen，whomtheytreatthoughtoalessextentthanisusualamongsavagesasinferiorbeings。
Ontheveryedgeofthecliff，atthetopofthezigzag，standsawoodentempleorshrine，suchasoneseesinanygrove，oronanyhighplaceonthemainisland，obviouslyofJapaneseconstruction，butconcerningwhichAinotraditionissilent。NoEuropeanhadeverstoodwhereIstood，andtherewasasolemnityintheknowledge。Thesub-chiefdrewbacktheslidingdoors，andallbowedwithmuchreverence，Itwasasimpleshrineofunlacqueredwood，withabroadshelfattheback，onwhichtherewasasmallshrinecontainingafigureofthehistoricalheroYoshitsune，inasuitofinlaidbrassarmour，somemetalgohei，apairoftarnishedbrasscandle-sticks，andacolouredChinesepicturerepresentingajunk。Here，then，IwasintroducedtothegreatgodofthemountainAinos。ThereissomethingverypatheticinthesepeoplekeepingalivethememoryofYoshitsune，notonaccountofhismartialexploits，butsimplybecausetheirtraditiontellsthemthathewaskindtothem。Theypulledthebellthreetimestoattracthisattention，bowedthreetimes，andmadesixlibationsofsake，withoutwhichceremonyhecannotbeapproached。Theyaskedmetoworshiptheirgod，butwhenIdeclinedonthegroundthatI