the　chief；　〃He　is　as　strong　as　a　bear；〃　and　the　old　Fate　praising
  Pipichari　called　him　〃The　young　bear。〃
  In　all　Aino　villages；　specially　near　the　chief's　house；　there　are
  several　tall　poles　with　the　fleshless　skull　of　a　bear　on　the　top　of
  each；　and　in　most　there　is　also　a　large　cage；　made　grid…iron
  fashion；　of　stout　timbers；　and　raised　two　or　three　feet　from　the
  ground。　　At　the　present　time　such　cages　contain　young　but　well…
  grown　bears；　captured　when　quite　small　in　the　early　spring。　　After
  the　capture　the　bear　cub　is　introduced　into　a　dwelling…house；
  generally　that　of　the　chief；　or　sub…chief；　where　it　is　suckled　by　a
  woman；　and　played　with　by　the　children；　till　it　grows　too　big　and
  rough　for　domestic　ways；　and　is　placed　in　a　strong　cage；　in　which
  it　is　fed　and　cared　for；　as　I　understand；　till　the　autumn　of　the
  following　year；　when；　being　strong　and　well…grown；　the　Festival　of
  the　Bear　is　celebrated。　　The　customs　of　this　festival　vary
  considerably；　and　the　manner　of　the　bear's　death　differs　among　the
  mountain　and　coast　Ainos；　but　everywhere　there　is　a　general
  gathering　of　the　people；　and　it　is　the　occasion　of　a　great　feast；
  accompanied　with　much　sake　and　a　curious　dance；　in　which　men　alone
  take　part。
  Yells　and　shouts　are　used　to　excite　the　bear；　and　when　he　becomes
  much　agitated　a　chief　shoots　him　with　an　arrow；　inflicting　a　slight
  wound　which　maddens　him；　on　which　the　bars　of　the　cage　are　raised；
  and　he　springs　forth；　very　furious。　　At　this　stage　the　Ainos　run
  upon　him　with　various　weapons；　each　one　striving　to　inflict　a
  wound；　as　it　brings　good　luck　to　draw　his　blood。　　As　soon　as　he
  falls　down　exhausted；　his　head　is　cut　off；　and　the　weapons　with
  which　he　has　been　wounded　are　offered　to　it；　and　he　is　asked　to
  avenge　himself　upon　them。　　Afterwards　the　carcass；　amidst　a
  frenzied　uproar；　is　distributed　among　the　people；　and　amidst
  feasting　and　riot　the　head；　placed　upon　a　pole；　is　worshipped；　i。e。
  it　receives　libations　of　sake；　and　the　festival　closes　with　general
  intoxication。　　In　some　villages　it　is　customary　for　the　foster…
  mother　of　the　bear　to　utter　piercing　wails　while　he　is　delivered　to
  his　murderers；　and　after　he　is　slain　to　beat　each　one　of　them　with
  a　branch　of　a　tree。　　＇Afterwards　at　Usu；　on　Volcano　Bay；　the　old
  men　told　me　that　at　their　festival　they　despatch　the　bear　after　a
  different　manner。　　On　letting　it　loose　from　the　cage　two　men　seize
  it　by　the　ears；　and　others　simultaneously　place　a　long；　stout　pole
  across　the　nape　of　its　neck；　upon　which　a　number　of　Ainos　mount；
  and　after　a　prolonged　struggle　the　neck　is　broken。　　As　the　bear　is
  seen　to　approach　his　end；　they　shout　in　chorus；　〃We　kill　you；　O
  bear！　come　back　soon　into　an　Aino。〃＇　　When　a　bear　is　trapped　or
  wounded　by　an　arrow；　the　hunters　go　through　an　apologetic　or
  propitiatory　ceremony。　　They　appear　to　have　certain　rude　ideas　of
  metempsychosis；　as　is　evidenced　by　the　Usu　prayer　to　the　bear　and
  certain　rude　traditions；　but　whether　these　are　indigenous；　or　have
  arisen　by　contact　with　Buddhism　at　a　later　period；　it　is　impossible
  to　say。
  They　have　no　definite　ideas　concerning　a　future　state；　and　the
  subject　is　evidently　not　a　pleasing　one　to　them。　　Such　notions　as
  they　have　are　few　and　confused。　　Some　think　that　the　spirits　of
  their　friends　go　into　wolves　and　snakes；　others；　that　they　wander
  about　the　forests；　and　they　are　much　afraid　of　ghosts。　　A　few　think
  that　they　go　to　〃a　good　or　bad　place；〃　according　to　their　deeds；
  but　Shinondi　said；　and　there　was　an　infinite　pathos　in　his　words；
  〃How　can　we　know？　　No　one　ever　came　back　to　tell　us！〃　　On　asking
  him　what　were　bad　deeds；　he　said；　〃Being　bad　to　parents；　stealing；
  and　telling　lies。〃　　The　future；　however；　does　not　occupy　any　place
  in　their　thoughts；　and　they　can　hardly　be　said　to　believe　in　the
  immortality　of　the　soul；　though　their　fear　of　ghosts　shows　that
  they　recognise　a　distinction　between　body　and　spirit。
  Their　social　customs　are　very　simple。　　Girls　never　marry　before　the
  age　of　seventeen；　or　men　before　twenty…one。　　When　a　man　wishes　to
  marry　he　thinks　of　some　particular　girl；　and　asks　the　chief　if　he
  may　ask　for　her。　　If　leave　is　given；　either　through　a　〃go…between〃
  or　personally；　he　asks　her　father　for　her；　and　if　he　consents　the
  bridegroom　gives　him　a　present；　usually　a　Japanese　〃curio。〃　　This
  constitutes　betrothal；　and　the　marriage；　which　immediately　follows；
  is　celebrated　by　carousals　and　the　drinking　of　much　sake。　　The
  bride　receives　as　her　dowry　her　earrings　and　a　highly　ornamented
  kimono。　　It　is　an　essential　that　the　husband　provides　a　house　to
  which　to　take　his　wife。　　Each　couple　lives　separately；　and　even　the
  eldest　son　does　not　take　his　bride　to　his　father's　house。　　Polygamy
  is　only　allowed　in　two　cases。　　The　chief　may　have　three　wives；　but
  each　must　have　her　separate　house。　　Benri　has　two　wives；　but　it
  appears　that　he　took　the　second　because　the　first　was　childless。
  ＇The　Usu　Ainos　told　me　that　among　the　tribes　of　Volcano　Bay
  polygamy　is　not　practised；　even　by　the　chiefs。＇　　It　is　also
  permitted　in　the　case　of　a　childless　wife；　but　there　is　no　instance
  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
  thei