havetakeninfinitetroubletolearnfromthemselveswhattheirreligiousnotionsare，andShinonditellsmethattheyhavetoldmealltheyknow，andthewholesumisafewvaguefearsandhopes，andasuspicionthattherearethingsoutsidethemselvesmorepowerfulthanthemselves，whosegoodinfluencesmaybeobtained，orwhoseevilinfluencesmaybeaverted，bylibationsofsake。
Thewordworshipisinitselfmisleading。WhenIuseitofthesesavagesitsimplymeanslibationsofsake，wavingbowlsandwavinghands，withoutanyspiritualactofdeprecationorsupplication。
Insuchasenseandsuchalonetheyworshipthesunandmoonbutnotthestars，theforest，andthesea。Thewolf，theblacksnake，theowl，andseveralotherbeastsandbirdshavethewordkamoi，god，attachedtothem，asthewolfisthe“howlinggod，“theowl“thebirdofthegods，“ablacksnakethe“ravengod；“butnoneofthesethingsarenow“worshipped，“wolf-worshiphavingquitelatelydiedout。Thunder，“thevoiceofthegods，“inspiressomefear。Thesun，theysay，istheirbestgod，andthefiretheirnextbest，obviouslythedivinitiesfromwhomtheirgreatestbenefitsarereceived。Someideaofgratitudepervadestheirrudenotions，asinthecaseofthe“worship“paidtoYoshitsune，anditappearsinoneoftheruderecitationschantedattheSaturnaliawhichinseveralplacesconcludethehuntingandfishingseasons:-
“Totheseawhichnourishesus，totheforestwhichprotectsus，wepresentourgratefulthanks。Youaretwomothersthatnourishthesamechild；donotbeangryifweleaveonetogototheother。
“TheAinoswillalwaysbetheprideoftheforestandofthesea。“
Thesolitaryactofsacrificewhichtheyperformistheplacingofaworthless，deadbird，somethinglikeasparrow，nearoneoftheirpeeledwands，whereitislefttillitreachesanadvancedstageofputrefaction。“Todrinkforthegod“isthechiefactof“worship，“andthusdrunkennessandreligionareinseparablyconnected，asthemoresaketheAinosdrinkthemoredevouttheyare，andthebetterpleasedarethegods。Itdoesnotappearthatanythingbutsakeisofsufficientvaluetopleasethegods。Thelibationstothefireandthepeeledpostareneveromitted，andarealwaysaccompaniedbytheinwardwavingofthesakebowls。
Thepeculiaritywhichdistinguishesthisrudemythologyisthe“worship“ofthebear，theYezobearbeingoneofthefinestofhisspecies；butitisimpossibletounderstandthefeelingsbywhichitisprompted，fortheyworshipitaftertheirfashion，andsetupitsheadintheirvillages，yettheytrapit，killit，eatit，andsellitsskin。Thereisnodoubtthatthiswildbeastinspiresmoreofthefeelingwhichpromptsworshipthantheinanimateforcesofnature，andtheAinosmaybedistinguishedasbear-worshippers，andtheirgreatestreligiousfestivalorSaturnaliaastheFestivaloftheBear。Gentleandpeaceableastheyare，theyhaveagreatadmirationforfiercenessandcourage；andthebear，whichisthestrongest，fiercest，andmostcourageousanimalknowntothem，hasprobablyinallagesinspiredthemwithveneration。Someoftheirrudechantsareinpraiseofthebear，andtheirhighesteulogyonamanistocomparehimtoabear。ThusShinondisaidofBenri，thechief，“Heisasstrongasabear，“andtheoldFatepraisingPipicharicalledhim“Theyoungbear。“
InallAinovillages，speciallynearthechief’shouse，thereareseveraltallpoleswiththefleshlessskullofabearonthetopofeach，andinmostthereisalsoalargecage，madegrid-ironfashion，ofstouttimbers，andraisedtwoorthreefeetfromtheground。Atthepresenttimesuchcagescontainyoungbutwell-
grownbears，capturedwhenquitesmallintheearlyspring。Afterthecapturethebearcubisintroducedintoadwelling-house，generallythatofthechief，orsub-chief，whereitissuckledbyawoman，andplayedwithbythechildren，tillitgrowstoobigandroughfordomesticways，andisplacedinastrongcage，inwhichitisfedandcaredfor，asIunderstand，tilltheautumnofthefollowingyear，when，beingstrongandwell-grown，theFestivaloftheBeariscelebrated。Thecustomsofthisfestivalvaryconsiderably，andthemannerofthebear’sdeathdiffersamongthemountainandcoastAinos，buteverywherethereisageneralgatheringofthepeople，anditistheoccasionofagreatfeast，accompaniedwithmuchsakeandacuriousdance，inwhichmenalonetakepart。
Yellsandshoutsareusedtoexcitethebear，andwhenhebecomesmuchagitatedachiefshootshimwithanarrow，inflictingaslightwoundwhichmaddenshim，onwhichthebarsofthecageareraised，andhespringsforth，veryfurious。AtthisstagetheAinosrunuponhimwithvariousweapons，eachonestrivingtoinflictawound，asitbringsgoodlucktodrawhisblood。Assoonashefallsdownexhausted，hisheadiscutoff，andtheweaponswithwhichhehasbeenwoundedareofferedtoit，andheisaskedtoavengehimselfuponthem。Afterwardsthecarcass，amidstafrenzieduproar，isdistributedamongthepeople，andamidstfeastingandriotthehead，placeduponapole，isworshipped，i。e。
itreceiveslibationsofsake，andthefestivalcloseswithgeneralintoxication。Insomevillagesitiscustomaryforthefoster-
motherofthebeartoutterpiercingwailswhileheisdeliveredtohismurderers，andafterheisslaintobeateachoneofthemwithabranchofatree。[AfterwardsatUsu，onVolcanoBay，theoldmentoldmethatattheirfestivaltheydespatchthebearafteradifferentmanner。Onlettingitloosefromthecagetwomenseizeitbytheears，andotherssimultaneouslyplacealong，stoutpoleacrossthenapeofitsneck，uponwhichanumberofAinosmount，andafteraprolongedstruggletheneckisbroken。Asthebearisseentoapproachhisend，theyshoutinchorus，“Wekillyou，O
bear！comebacksoonintoanAino。“]Whenabearistrappedorwoundedbyanarrow，thehuntersgothroughanapologeticorpropitiatoryceremony。Theyappeartohavecertainrudeideasofmetempsychosis，asisevidencedbytheUsuprayertothebearandcertainrudetraditions；butwhethertheseareindigenous，orhavearisenbycontactwithBuddhismatalaterperiod，itisimpossibletosay。
Theyhavenodefiniteideasconcerningafuturestate，andthesubjectisevidentlynotapleasingonetothem。Suchnotionsastheyhavearefewandconfused。Somethinkthatthespiritsoftheirfriendsgointowolvesandsnakes；others，thattheywanderabouttheforests；andtheyaremuchafraidofghosts。Afewthinkthattheygoto“agoodorbadplace，“accordingtotheirdeeds；
butShinondisaid，andtherewasaninfinitepathosinhiswords，“Howcanweknow？Nooneevercamebacktotellus！“Onaskinghimwhatwerebaddeeds，hesaid，“Beingbadtoparents，stealing，andtellinglies。“Thefuture，however，doesnotoccupyanyplaceintheirthoughts，andtheycanhardlybesaidtobelieveintheimmortalityofthesoul，thoughtheirfearofghostsshowsthattheyrecogniseadistinctionbetweenbodyandspirit。
Theirsocialcustomsareverysimple。Girlsnevermarrybeforetheageofseventeen，ormenbeforetwenty-one。Whenamanwishestomarryhethinksofsomeparticulargirl，andasksthechiefifhemayaskforher。Ifleaveisgiven，eitherthrougha“go-between“
orpersonally，heasksherfatherforher，andifheconsentsthebridegroomgiveshimapresent，usuallyaJapanese“curio。“Thisconstitutesbetrothal，andthemarriage，whichimmediatelyfollows，iscelebratedbycarousalsandthedrinkingofmuchsake。Thebridereceivesasherdowryherearringsandahighlyornamentedkimono。Itisanessentialthatthehusbandprovidesahousetowhichtotakehiswife。Eachcouplelivesseparately，andeventheeldestsondoesnottakehisbridetohisfather’shouse。Polygamyisonlyallowedintwocases。Thechiefmayhavethreewives；buteachmusthaveherseparatehouse。Benrihastwowives；butitappearsthathetookthesecondbecausethefirstwaschildless。
[TheUsuAinostoldmethatamongthetribesofVolcanoBaypolygamyisnotpractised，evenbythechiefs。]Itisalsopermittedinthecaseofachildlesswife；butthereisnoinstanceofitinBiratori，andthemensaythattheyprefertohaveonewife，astwoquarrel。
Widowsareallowedtomarryagainwiththechief’sconsent；butamongthesemountainAinosawomanmustremainabsolutelysecludedwithinthehouseofherlatehusbandforaperiodvaryingfromsixtotwelvemonths，onlygoingtothedooratintervalstothrowsaketotherightandleft。Amansecludeshimselfsimilarlyforthirtydays。[Sogreatlydothecustomsvary，thatroundVolcanoBayI
foundthattheperiodofseclusionforawidowisonlythirtydays，andforamantwenty-five；butthatafterafather’sdeaththehouseinwhichhehaslivedisburneddownafterthethirtydaysofseclusion，andthewidowandherchildrengotoafriend’shouseforthreeyears，afterwhichthehouseisrebuiltonitsformersite。]
Ifamandoesnotlikehiswife，byobtainingthechief’sconsenthecandivorceher；buthemustsendherbacktoherparentswithplentyofgoodclothes；butdivorceisimpracticablewheretherearechildren，andisrarelyifeverpractised。ConjugalfidelityisavirtueamongAinowomen；but“custom“providesthat，incaseofunfaithfulness，theinjuredhusbandmaybestowhiswifeuponherparamour，ifhebeanunmarriedman；inwhichcasethechieffixestheamountofdamageswhichtheparamourmustpay；andtheseareusuallyvaluableJapanesecurios。
Theoldandblindpeopleareentirelysupportedbytheirchildren，andreceiveuntiltheirdyingdayfilialreverenceandobedience。
Ifonemanstealsfromanotherhemustreturnwhathehastaken，andgivetheinjuredmanapresentbesides，thevalueofwhichisfixedbythechief。
Theirmodeoflivingyoualreadyknow，asIhavesharedit，andamstillreceivingtheirhospitality。“Custom“enjoinstheexerciseofhospitalityoneveryAino。Theyreceiveallstrangersastheyreceivedme，givingthemoftheirbest，placingtheminthemosthonourableplace，bestowinggiftsuponthem，and，whentheydepart，furnishingthemwithcakesofboiledmillet。
Theyhavefewamusements，exceptcertainfeasts。Theirdance，whichtheyhavejustgiveninmyhonour，isslowandmournful，andtheirsongsarechantsorrecitative。Theyhaveamusicalinstrument，somethinglikeaguitar，withthree，five，orsixstrings，whicharemadefromsinewsofwhalescastupontheshore。
Theyhaveanother，whichisbelievedtobepeculiartothemselves，consistingofathinpieceofwood，aboutfiveincheslongandtwoandahalfinchesbroad，withapointedwoodentongue，abouttwolinesinbreadthandsixteeninlength，fixedinthemiddle，andgroovedonthreesides。Thewoodisheldbeforethemouth，andthetongueissetinmotionbythevibrationofthebreathinsinging。
Itssound，thoughlesspenetrating，isasdiscordantasthatofaJew’sharp，whichitsomewhatresembles。Oneofthemenuseditasanaccompanimentofasong；buttheyareunwillingtopartwiththem，astheysaythatitisveryseldomthattheycanfindapieceofwoodwhichwillbearthefinesplittingnecessaryforthetongue。