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；　water；
  and　I　know　not　what；　they　are　uncivilisable　and　altogether
  irreclaimable　savages；　yet　they　are　attractive；　and　in　some　ways
  fascinating；　and　I　hope　I　shall　never　forget　the　music　of　their
  low；　sweet　voices；　the　soft　light　of　their　mild；　brown　eyes；　and
  the　wonderful　sweetness　of　their　smile。
  After　the　yellow　skins；　the　stiff　horse　hair；　the　feeble　eyelids；
  the　elongated　eyes；　the　sloping　eyebrows；　the　flat　noses；　the
  sunken　chests；　the　Mongolian　features；　the　puny　physique；　the　shaky
  walk　of　the　men；　the　restricted　totter　of　the　women；　and　the
  general　impression　of　degeneracy　conveyed　by　the　appearance　of　the
  Japanese；　the　Ainos　make　a　very　singular　impression。　　All　but　two
  or　three　that　I　have　seen　are　the　most　ferocious…looking　of
  savages；　with　a　physique　vigorous　enough　for　carrying　out　the　most
  ferocious　intentions；　but　as　soon　as　they　speak　the　countenance
  brightens　into　a　smile　as　gentle　as　that　of　a　woman；　something
  which　can　never　be　forgotten。
  The　men　are　about　the　middle　height；　broad…chested；　broad…
  shouldered；　〃thick　set；〃　very　strongly　built；　the　arms　and　legs
  short；　thick；　and　muscular；　the　hands　and　feet　large。　　The　bodies；
  and　specially　the　limbs；　of　many　are　covered　with　short　bristly
  hair。　　I　have　seen　two　boys　whose　backs　are　covered　with　fur　as
  fine　and　soft　as　that　of　a　cat。　　The　heads　and　faces　are　very
  striking。　　The　foreheads　are　very　high；　broad；　and　prominent；　and
  at　first　sight　give　one　the　impression　of　an　unusual　capacity　for
  intellectual　development；　the　ears　are　small　and　set　low；　the　noses
  are　straight　but　short；　and　broad　at　the　nostrils；　the　mouths　are
  wide　but　well　formed；　and　the　lips　rarely　show　a　tendency　to
  fulness。　　The　neck　is　short；　the　cranium　rounded；　the　cheek…bones
  low；　and　the　lower　part　of　the　face　is　small　as　compared　with　the
  upper；　the　peculiarity　called　a　〃jowl〃　being　unknown。　　The　eyebrows
  are　full；　and　form　a　straight　line　nearly　across　the　face。　　The
  eyes　are　large；　tolerably　deeply　set；　and　very　beautiful；　the
  colour　a　rich　liquid　brown；　the　expression　singularly　soft；　and　the
  eyelashes　long；　silky；　and　abundant。　　The　skin　has　the　Italian
  olive　tint；　but　in　most　cases　is　thin；　and　light　enough　to　show　the
  changes　of　colour　in　the　cheek。　　The　teeth　are　small；　regular；　and
  very　white；　the　incisors　and　〃eye　teeth〃　are　not　disproportionately
  large；　as　is　usually　the　case　among　the　Japanese；　there　is　no
  tendency　towards　prognathism；　and　the　fold　of　integument　which
  conceals　the　upper　eyelids　of　the　Japanese　is　never　to　be　met　with。
  The　features；　expression；　and　aspect；　are　European　rather　than
  Asiatic。
  The　〃ferocious　savagery〃　of　the　appearance　of　the　men　is　produced
  by　a　profusion　of　thick；　soft；　black　hair；　divided　in　the　middle；
  and　falling　in　heavy　masses　nearly　to　the　shoulders。　　Out　of　doors
  it　is　kept　from　falling　over　the　face　by　a　fillet　round　the　brow。
  The　beards　are　equally　profuse；　quite　magnificent；　and　generally
  wavy；　and　in　the　case　of　the　old　men　they　give　a　truly　patriarchal
  and　venerable　aspect；　in　spite　of　the　yellow　tinge　produced　by
  smoke　and　want　of　cleanliness。　　The　savage　look　produced　by　the
  masses　of　hair　and　beard；　and　the　thick　eyebrows；　is　mitigated　by
  the　softness　in　the　dreamy　brown　eyes；　and　is　altogether
  obliterated　by　the　exceeding　sweetness　of　the　smile；　which　belongs
  in　greater　or　less　degree　to　all　the　rougher　sex。
  I　have　measured　the　height　of　thirty　of　the　adult　men　of　this
  village；　and　it　ranges　from　5　feet　4　inches　to　5　feet　6。5　inches。
  The　circumference　of　the　heads　averages　22。1　inches；　and　the　arc；
  from　ear　to　ear；　13　inches。　　According　to　Mr。　Davies；　the　average
  weight　of　the　Aino　adult　masculine　brain；　ascertained　by
  measurement　of　Aino　skulls；　is　45。90　ounces　avoirdupois；　a　brain
  weight　said　to　exceed　that　of　all　the　races；　Hindoo　and　Mussulman；
  on　the　Indian　plains；　and　that　of　the　aboriginal　races　of　India　and
  Ceylon；　and　is　only　paralleled　by　that　of　the　races　of　the
  Himalayas；　the　Siamese；　and　the　Chinese　Burmese。　　Mr。　Davies　says；
  further；　that　it　exceeds　the　mean　brain　weight　of　Asiatic　races　in
  general。　　Yet　with　all　this　the　Ainos　are　a　stupid　people！
  Passing　travellers　who　have　seen　a　few　of　the　Aino　women　on　the
  road　to　Satsuporo　speak　of　them　as　very　ugly；　but　as　making　amends
  for　their　ugliness　by　their　industry　and　conjugal　fidelity。　　Of　the
  latter　there　is　no　doubt；　but　I　am　not　disposed　to　admit　the
  former。　　The　ugliness　is　certainly　due　to　art　and　dirt。　　The　Aino
  women　seldom　exceed　five　feet　and　half　an　inch　in　height；　but　they
  are　beautifully　formed；　straight；　lithe；　and　well…developed；　with
  small　feet　and　hands；　well…arched　insteps；　rounded　limbs；　well…
  developed　busts；　and　a　firm；　elastic　gait。　　Their　heads　and　faces
  are　small；　but　the　hair；　which　falls　in　masses　on　each　side　of　the
  face　like　that　of　the　men；　is　equally　redundant。　　They　have　superb
  teeth；　and　display　them　liberally　in　smiling。　　Their　mouths　are
  somewhat　wide；　but　well　formed；　and　they　have　a　ruddy　comeliness
  about　them　which　is　pleasing；　in　spite　of　the　disfigurement　of　the
  band　which　is　tattooed　both　above　and　below　the　mouth；　and　which；
  by　being　united　at　the　corners；　enlarges　its　apparent　size　and
  width。　　A　girl　at　Shiraoi；　who；　for　some　reason；　has　not　been
  subjected　to　this　process；　is　the　most　beautiful　creature　in
  features；　colouring；　and　natural　grace　of　form；　that　I　have　seen
  for　a　long　time。　　Their　complexions　are　lighter　than　those　of　the
  men。　　There　are　not　many　here　even　as　dark　as　our　European
  brunettes。　　A　few　unite　the　eyebrows　by　a　streak　of　tattooing；　so
  as　to　produce　a　straight　line。　　Like　the　men；　they　cut　their　hair
  short　for　two　or　three　inches　above　the　nape　of　the　neck；　but
  instead　of　using　a　fillet　they　take　two　locks　from　the　front　and
  tie　them　at　the　back。
  They　are　universally　tattooed；　not　only　with　the　broad　band　above
  and　below　the　mouth；　but　with　a　band　across　the　knuckles；　succeeded
  by　an　elaborate　pattern　on　the　back　of　the　hand；　and　a　series　of
  bracelets　extending　to　the　elbow。　　The　process　of　disfigurement
  begins　at　the　age　of　five；　when　some　of　the　sufferers　are　yet
  unweaned。　　I　saw　the　operation　performed　on　a　dear　little　bright
  girl　this　morning。　　A　woman　took　a　large　knife　with　a　sharp　edge；
  and　rapidly　cut　several　horizontal　lines　on　the　upper　lip；
  following　closely　the　curve　of　the　very　pretty　mouth；　and　before
  the　slight　bleeding　had　ceased　carefully　rubbed　in　some　of　the
  shiny　soot　which　collects　on　the　mat　above　the　fire。　　In　two　or
  three　days　the　scarred　lip　will　be　washed　with　the　decoction　of　the
  bark　of　a　tree　to　fix　the　pattern；　and　give　it　that　blue　look　which
  makes　many　people　mistake　it　for　a　daub　of　paint。　　A　child　who　had
  this　second　process　performed　yesterday　has　her　lip　fearfully
  swollen　and　inflamed。　　The　latest　victim　held　her　hands　clasped
  tightly　together　while　the　cuts　were　inflicted；　but　never　cried。
  The　pattern　on　the　lips　is　deepened　and　widened　every　year　up　to
  the　time　of　marriage；　and　the　circles　on　the　arm　are　extended　in　a
  similar　way。　　The　men　cannot　give　any　reason　for　the　universality
  of　this　custom。　　It　is　an　old　custom；　they　say；　and　part　of　their
  religion；　and　no　woman　could　marry　without　it。　　Benri　fancies　that
  the　Japanese　custom　of　blackening　the　teeth　is　equivalent　to　it；
  but　he　is　mistaken；　as　that　ceremony　usually　succeeds　marriage。
  They　begin　to　tattoo　the　arms　when　a　girl　is　five　or　six；　and　work
  from　the　elbow　downwards。　　They　expressed　themselves　as　very　much
  grieved　and　tormented　by　the　recent　prohibition　of　tattooing。　　They
  say　the　gods　will　be　angry；　and　that　the　women　can't　marry　unless
  they　are　tattooed；　and　they　implored　both　Mr。　Von　Siebold　and　me　to
  intercede　with　the　Japanese　Government　on　their　behalf　in　this
  respect。　　They　are　less　apathetic　on　this　than　on　any　subject；　and
  repeat　frequently；　〃It's　a　part　of　our　religion。〃
  The　children　are　very　pretty　and　attractive；　and　their　faces　give
  promise　of　an　intelligence　which　is　lacking　in　those　of　the　adults。
  They　are　much　loved；　and　ar