unbeaten tracks in japan-第62章

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they　have　nothing　fit　for　a　sick　person's　food；　and　though　I　have
made　a　bowl　of　beef…tea　with　the　remains　of　my　stock；　it　can　only
last　one　day。

I　was　so　tired　with　these　nocturnal　expeditions　and　anxieties　that
on　lying　down　I　fell　asleep；　and　on　waking　found　more　than　the
usual　assemblage　in　the　room；　and　the　men　were　obviously　agog　about
something。　　They　have　a　singular；　and　I　hope　an　unreasonable；　fear
of　the　Japanese　Government。　　Mr。　Von　Siebold　thinks　that　the
officials　threaten　and　knock　them　about；　and　this　is　possible；　but
I　really　think　that　the　Kaitaikushi　Department　means　well　by　them；
and；　besides　removing　the　oppressive　restrictions　by　which；　as　a
conquered　race；　they　were　fettered；　treats　them　far　more　humanely
and　equitably　than　the　U。S。　Government；　for　instance；　treats　the
North　American　Indians。　　However；　they　are　ignorant；　and　one　of　the
men；　who　had　been　most　grateful　because　I　said　I　would　get　Dr。
Hepburn　to　send　some　medicine　for　his　child；　came　this　morning　and
begged　me　not　to　do　so；　as；　he　said；　〃the　Japanese　Government　would
be　angry。〃　　After　this　they　again　prayed　me　not　to　tell　the
Japanese　Government　that　they　had　told　me　their　customs　and　then
they　began　to　talk　earnestly　together。

The　sub…chief　then　spoke；　and　said　that　I　had　been　kind　to　their
sick　people；　and　they　would　like　to　show　me　their　temple；　which　had
never　been　seen　by　any　foreigner；　but　they　were　very　much　afraid　of
doing　so；　and　they　asked　me　many　times　〃not　to　tell　the　Japanese
Government　that　they　showed　it　to　me；　lest　some　great　harm　should
happen　to　them。〃　　The　sub…chief　put　on　a　sleeveless　Japanese　war…
cloak　to　go　up；　and　he；　Shinondi；　Pipichari；　and　two　others
accompanied　me。　　It　was　a　beautiful　but　very　steep　walk；　or　rather
climb；　to　the　top　of　an　abrupt　acclivity　beyond　the　village；　on
which　the　temple　or　shrine　stands。　　It　would　be　impossible　to　get
up　were　it　not　for　the　remains　of　a　wooden　staircase；　not　of　Aino
construction。　　Forest　and　mountain　surround　Biratori；　and　the　only
breaks　in　the　dense　greenery　are　glints　of　the　shining　waters　of
the　Sarufutogawa；　and　the　tawny　roofs　of　the　Aino　lodges。　　It　is　a
lonely　and　a　silent　land；　fitter　for　the　HIDING　place　than　the
DWELLING　place　of　men。

When　the　splendid　young　savage；　Pipichari；　saw　that　I　found　it
difficult　to　get　up；　he　took　my　hand　and　helped　me　up；　as　gently　as
an　English　gentleman　would　have　done；　and　when　he　saw　that　I　had
greater　difficulty　in　getting　down；　he　all　but　insisted　on　my
riding　down　on　his　back；　and　certainly　would　have　carried　me　had
not　Benri；　the　chief；　who　arrived　while　we　were　at　the　shrine；　made
an　end　of　it　by　taking　my　hand　and　helping　me　down　himself。　　Their
instinct　of　helpfulness　to　a　foreign　woman　strikes　me　as　so　odd；
because　they　never　show　any　courtesy　to　their　own　women；　whom　they
treat　（though　to　a　less　extent　than　is　usual　among　savages）　as
inferior　beings。

On　the　very　edge　of　the　cliff；　at　the　top　of　the　zigzag；　stands　a
wooden　temple　or　shrine；　such　as　one　sees　in　any　grove；　or　on　any
high　place　on　the　main　island；　obviously　of　Japanese　construction；
but　concerning　which　Aino　tradition　is　silent。　　No　European　had
ever　stood　where　I　stood；　and　there　was　a　solemnity　in　the
knowledge。　　The　sub…chief　drew　back　the　sliding　doors；　and　all
bowed　with　much　reverence；　It　was　a　simple　shrine　of　unlacquered
wood；　with　a　broad　shelf　at　the　back；　on　which　there　was　a　small
shrine　containing　a　figure　of　the　historical　hero　Yoshitsune；　in　a
suit　of　inlaid　brass　armour；　some　metal　gohei；　a　pair　of　tarnished
brass　candle…sticks；　and　a　coloured　Chinese　picture　representing　a
junk。　　Here；　then；　I　was　introduced　to　the　great　god　of　the
mountain　Ainos。　　There　is　something　very　pathetic　in　these　people
keeping　alive　the　memory　of　Yoshitsune；　not　on　account　of　his
martial　exploits；　but　simply　because　their　tradition　tells　them
that　he　was　kind　to　them。　　They　pulled　the　bell　three　times　to
attract　his　attention；　bowed　three　times；　and　made　six　libations　of
sake；　without　which　ceremony　he　cannot　be　approached。　　They　asked
me　to　worship　their　god；　but　when　I　declined　on　the　ground　that　I
could　only　worship　my　own　God；　the　Lord　of　Earth　and　Heaven；　of　the
dead　and　of　the　living；　they　were　too　courteous　to　press　their
request。　　As　to　Ito；　it　did　not　signify　to　him　whether　or　not　he
added　another　god　to　his　already　crowded　Pantheon；　and　he
〃worshipped；〃　i。e。　bowed　down；　most　willingly　before　the　great　hero
of　his　own；　the　conquering　race。

While　we　were　crowded　there　on　the　narrow　ledge　of　the　cliff；
Benri；　the　chief；　arriveda　square…built；　broad…shouldered；
elderly　man；　strong　as　an　ox；　and　very　handsome；　but　his　expression
is　not　pleasing；　and　his　eyes　are　bloodshot　with　drinking。　　The
others　saluted　him　very　respectfully；　but　I　noticed　then　and　since
that　his　manner　is　very　arbitrary；　and　that　a　blow　not　infrequently
follows　a　word。　　He　had　sent　a　message　to　his　people　by　Ito　that
they　were　not　to　answer　any　questions　till　he　returned；　but　Ito
very　tactfully　neither　gave　it　nor　told　me　of　it；　and　he　was
displeased　with　the　young　men　for　having　talked　to　me　so　much。　　His
mother　had　evidently　〃peached。〃　　I　like　him　less　than　any　of　his
tribe。　　He　has　some　fine　qualities；　truthfulness　among　others；　but
he　has　been　contaminated　by　the　four　or　five　foreigners　that　he　has
seen；　and　is　a　brute　and　a　sot。　　The　hearts　of　his　people　are　no
longer　sad；　for　there　is　sake　in　every　house　to…night。

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XXXVII



Barrenness　of　Savage　LifeIrreclaimable　SavagesThe　Aino
PhysiqueFemale　Comeliness…　Torture　and　OrnamentChild　Life
Docility　and　Obedience。

BIRATORI；　YEZO；　August　24。

I　expected　to　have　written　out　my　notes　on　the　Ainos　in　the
comparative　quiet　and　comfort　of　Sarufuto；　but　the　delay　in　Benri's
return；　and　the　non…arrival　of　the　horses；　have　compelled　me　to
accept　Aino　hospitality　for　another　night；　which　involves　living　on
tea　and　potatoes；　for　my　stock　of　food　is　exhausted。　　In　some
respects　I　am　glad　to　remain　longer；　as　it　enables　me　to　go　over　my
stock　of　words；　as　well　as　my　notes；　with　the　chief；　who　is
intelligent　and　it　is　a　pleasure　to　find　that　his　statements
confirm　those　which　have　been　made　by　the　young　men。　　The　glamour
which　at　first　disguises　the　inherent　barrenness　of　savage　life　has
had　time　to　pass　away；　and　I　see　it　in　all　its　nakedness　as　a　life
not　much　raised　above　the　necessities　of　animal　existence；　timid；
monotonous；　barren　of　good；　dark；　dull；　〃without　hope；　and　without
God　in　the　world；〃　though　at　its　lowest　and　worst　considerably
higher　and　better　than　that　of　many　other　aboriginal　races；　and
must　I　say　it？considerably　higher　and　better　than　that　of
thousands　of　the　lapsed　masses　of　our　own　great　cities　who　are
baptized　into　Christ's　name；　and　are　laid　at　last　in　holy　ground；
inasmuch　as　the　Ainos　are　truthful；　and；　on　the　whole；　chaste；
hospitable；　honest；　reverent；　and　kind　to　the　aged。　　Drinking；
their　great　vice；　is　not；　as　among　us；　in　antagonism　to　their
religion；　but　is　actually　a　part　of　it；　and　as　such　would　be
exceptionally　difficult　to　eradicate。

The　early　darkness　has　once　again　come　on；　and　once　again　the
elders　have　assembled　round　the　fire　in　two　long　lines；　with　the
younger　men　at　the　ends；　Pipichari；　who　yesterday　sat　in　the　place
of　honour　and　was　helped　to　food　first　as　the　newest　arrival；
taking　his　place　as　the　youngest　at　the　end　of　the　right…hand　row。
The　birch…bark　chips　beam　with　fitful　glare；　the　evening　sake　bowls
are　filled；　the　fire…god　and　the　garlanded　god　receive　their
libations；　the　ancient　woman；　still　sitting　like　a　Fate；　splits
bark；　and　the　younger　women　knot　it；　and　the　log…fire　lights　up　as
magnificent　a　set　of　venerable　heads　as　painter　or　sculptor　would
desire　to　see；heads；　full　ofwhat？　　They　have　no　history；　their
traditions　are　scarcely　worthy　the　name；　they　claim　descent　from　a
dog；　their　houses　and　persons　swarm　with　vermin；　they　are　sunk　in
the　grossest　ignorance；　they　have　no　letters　or　any　numbers　above　a
thousand；　they　are　clothed　in　the　bark　of　trees　and　the　untanned
skins　of　beasts；　they　worship　the　bear；　the　sun；　moon；　fire；