unbeaten tracks in japan-第68章

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of　it　in　Biratori；　and　the　men　say　that　they　prefer　to　have　one
wife；　as　two　quarrel。

Widows　are　allowed　to　marry　again　with　the　chief's　consent；　but
among　these　mountain　Ainos　a　woman　must　remain　absolutely　secluded
within　the　house　of　her　late　husband　for　a　period　varying　from　six
to　twelve　months；　only　going　to　the　door　at　intervals　to　throw　sake
to　the　right　and　left。　　A　man　secludes　himself　similarly　for　thirty
days。　　＇So　greatly　do　the　customs　vary；　that　round　Volcano　Bay　I
found　that　the　period　of　seclusion　for　a　widow　is　only　thirty　days；
and　for　a　man　twenty…five；　but　that　after　a　father's　death　the
house　in　which　he　has　lived　is　burned　down　after　the　thirty　days　of
seclusion；　and　the　widow　and　her　children　go　to　a　friend's　house
for　three　years；　after　which　the　house　is　rebuilt　on　its　former
site。＇

If　a　man　does　not　like　his　wife；　by　obtaining　the　chief's　consent
he　can　divorce　her；　but　he　must　send　her　back　to　her　parents　with
plenty　of　good　clothes；　but　divorce　is　impracticable　where　there
are　children；　and　is　rarely　if　ever　practised。　　Conjugal　fidelity
is　a　virtue　among　Aino　women；　but　〃custom〃　provides　that；　in　case
of　unfaithfulness；　the　injured　husband　may　bestow　his　wife　upon　her
paramour；　if　he　be　an　unmarried　man；　in　which　case　the　chief　fixes
the　amount　of　damages　which　the　paramour　must　pay；　and　these　are
usually　valuable　Japanese　curios。

The　old　and　blind　people　are　entirely　supported　by　their　children；
and　receive　until　their　dying　day　filial　reverence　and　obedience。

If　one　man　steals　from　another　he　must　return　what　he　has　taken；
and　give　the　injured　man　a　present　besides；　the　value　of　which　is
fixed　by　the　chief。

Their　mode　of　living　you　already　know；　as　I　have　shared　it；　and　am
still　receiving　their　hospitality。　　〃Custom〃　enjoins　the　exercise
of　hospitality　on　every　Aino。　　They　receive　all　strangers　as　they
received　me；　giving　them　of　their　best；　placing　them　in　the　most
honourable　place；　bestowing　gifts　upon　them；　and；　when　they　depart；
furnishing　them　with　cakes　of　boiled　millet。

They　have　few　amusements；　except　certain　feasts。　　Their　dance；
which　they　have　just　given　in　my　honour；　is　slow　and　mournful；　and
their　songs　are　chants　or　recitative。　　They　have　a　musical
instrument；　something　like　a　guitar；　with　three；　five；　or　six
strings；　which　are　made　from　sinews　of　whales　cast　up　on　the　shore。
They　have　another；　which　is　believed　to　be　peculiar　to　themselves；
consisting　of　a　thin　piece　of　wood；　about　five　inches　long　and　two
and　a　half　inches　broad；　with　a　pointed　wooden　tongue；　about　two
lines　in　breadth　and　sixteen　in　length；　fixed　in　the　middle；　and
grooved　on　three　sides。　　The　wood　is　held　before　the　mouth；　and　the
tongue　is　set　in　motion　by　the　vibration　of　the　breath　in　singing。
Its　sound；　though　less　penetrating；　is　as　discordant　as　that　of　a
Jew's　harp；　which　it　somewhat　resembles。　　One　of　the　men　used　it　as
an　accompaniment　of　a　song；　but　they　are　unwilling　to　part　with
them；　as　they　say　that　it　is　very　seldom　that　they　can　find　a　piece
of　wood　which　will　bear　the　fine　splitting　necessary　for　the
tongue。

They　are　a　most　courteous　people　among　each　other。　　The　salutations
are　frequenton　entering　a　house；　on　leaving　it；　on　meeting　on　the
road；　on　receiving　anything　from　the　hand　of　another；　and　on
receiving　a　kind　or　complimentary　speech。　　They　do　not　make　any
acknowledgments　of　this　kind　to　the　women；　however。　　The　common
salutation　consists　in　extending　the　hands　and　waving　them　inwards；
once　or　oftener；　and　stroking　the　beard；　the　formal　one　in　raising
the　hands　with　an　inward　curve　to　the　level　of　the　head　two　or
three　times；　lowering　them；　and　rubbing　them　together；　the　ceremony
concluding　with　stroking　the　beard　several　times。　　The　latter　and
more　formal　mode　of　salutation　is　offered　to　the　chief；　and　by　the
young　to　the　old　men。　　The　women　have　no　〃manners！〃

They　have　no　〃medicine　men；〃　and；　though　they　are　aware　of　the
existence　of　healing　herbs；　they　do　not　know　their　special　virtues
or　the　manner　of　using　them。　　Dried　and　pounded　bear's　liver　is
their　specific；　and　they　place　much　reliance　on　it　in　colic　and
other　pains。　　They　are　a　healthy　race。　　In　this　village　of　300
souls；　there　are　no　chronically　ailing　people；　nothing　but　one　case
of　bronchitis；　and　some　cutaneous　maladies　among　children。　　Neither
is　there　any　case　of　deformity　in　this　and　five　other　large
villages　which　I　have　visited；　except　that　of　a　girl；　who　has　one
leg　slightly　shorter　than　the　other。

They　ferment　a　kind　of　intoxicating　liquor　from　the　root　of　a　tree；
and　also　from　their　own　millet　and　Japanese　rice；　but　Japanese　sake
is　the　one　thing　that　they　care　about。　　They　spend　all　their　gains
upon　it；　and　drink　it　in　enormous　quantities。　　It　represents　to
them　all　the　good　of　which　they　know；　or　can　conceive。　　Beastly
intoxication　is　the　highest　happiness　to　which　these　poor　savages
aspire；　and　the　condition　is　sanctified　to　them　under　the　fiction
of　〃drinking　to　the　gods。〃　　Men　and　women　alike　indulge　in　this
vice。　　A　few；　however；　like　Pipichari；　abstain　from　it　totally；
taking　the　bowl　in　their　hands；　making　the　libations　to　the　gods；
and　then　passing　it　on。　　I　asked　Pipichari　why　he　did　not　take
sake；　and　he　replied　with　a　truthful　terseness；　〃Because　it　makes
men　like　dogs。〃

Except　the　chief；　who　has　two　horses；　they　have　no　domestic　animals
except　very　large；　yellow　dogs；　which　are　used　in　hunting；　but　are
never　admitted　within　the　houses。

The　habits　of　the　people；　though　by　no　means　destitute　of　decency
and　propriety；　are　not　cleanly。　　The　women　bathe　their　hands　once　a
day；　but　any　other　washing　is　unknown。　　They　never　wash　their
clothes；　and　wear　the　same　by　day　and　night。　　I　am　afraid　to
speculate　on　the　condition　of　their　wealth　of　coal…black　hair。
They　may　be　said　to　be　very　dirtyas　dirty　fully　as　masses　of　our
people　at　home。　　Their　houses　swarm　with　fleas；　but　they　are　not
worse　in　this　respect　than　the　Japanese　yadoyas。　　The　mountain
villages　have；　however；　the　appearance　of　extreme　cleanliness；
being　devoid　of　litter；　heaps；　puddles；　and　untidiness　of　all
kinds；　and　there　are　no　unpleasant　odours　inside　or　outside　the
houses；　as　they　are　well　ventilated　and　smoked；　and　the　salt　fish
and　meat　are　kept　in　the　godowns。　　The　hair　and　beards　of　the　old
men；　instead　of　being　snowy　as　they　ought　to　be；　are　yellow　from
smoke　and　dirt。

They　have　no　mode　of　computing　time；　and　do　not　know　their　own
ages。　　To　them　the　past　is　dead；　yet；　like　other　conquered　and
despised　races；　they　cling　to　the　idea　that　in　some　far…off　age
they　were　a　great　nation。　　They　have　no　traditions　of　internecine
strife；　and　the　art　of　war　seems　to　have　been　lost　long　ago。　　I
asked　Benri　about　this　matter；　and　he　says　that　formerly　Ainos
fought　with　spears　and　knives　as　well　as　with　bows　and　arrows；　but
that　Yoshitsune；　their　hero　god；　forbade　war　for　ever；　and　since
then　the　two…edged　spear；　with　a　shaft　nine　feet　long；　has　only
been　used　in　hunting　bears。

The　Japanese　Government；　of　course；　exercises　the　same　authority
over　the　Ainos　as　over　its　other　subjects；　but　probably　it　does　not
care　to　interfere　in　domestic　or　tribal　matters；　and　within　this
outside　limit　despotic　authority　is　vested　in　the　chiefs。　　The
Ainos　live　in　village　communities；　and　each　community　has　its　own
chief；　who　is　its　lord　paramount。　　It　appears　to　me　that　this
chieftainship　is　but　an　expansion　of　the　paternal　relation；　and
that　all　the　village　families　are　ruled　as　a　unit。　　Benri；　in　whose
house　I　am；　is　the　chief　of　Biratori；　and　is　treated　by　all　with
very　great　deference　of　manner。　　The　office　is　nominally　for　life；
but　if　a　chief　becomes　blind；　or　too　infirm　to　go　about；　he
appoints　a　successor。　　If　he　has　a　〃smart〃　son；　who　he　thinks　will
command　the　respect　of　the　people；　he　appoints　him；　but　if　not；　he
chooses　the　most　suitable　man　in　the　village。　　The　people　are
called　upon　to　approve　the　choice；　but　their　ratification　is　never
refused。　　The　office　is　not　hereditary　anywhere。

Benri　appears　to　exercise　the　authority　of　a　very　strict　father。
His　manner　to　all　the　men　is　like　that　of　a　master　to　slave