isolation　are　overpowering；　and　it　is　enough　to　produce　madness　to
  be　shut　in　for　ever　with　the　thunder　of　the　everlasting　surf；　which
  compels　one　to　raise　one's　voice　in　order　to　be　heard。　　In　the
  wood；　half　a　mile　from　the　sea；　there　is　an　Aino　village　of　thirty
  houses；　and　the　appearance　of　a　few　of　the　savages　gliding
  noiselessly　over　the　beach　in　the　twilight　added　to　the　ghastliness
  and　loneliness　of　the　scene。　　The　horses　were　unloaded　by　the　time
  I　arrived；　and　several　courteous　Ainos　showed　me　to　my　room；
  opening　on　a　small　courtyard　with　a　heavy　gate。　　The　room　was
  musty；　and；　being　rarely　used；　swarmed　with　spiders。　　A　saucer　of
  fish…oil　and　a　wick　rendered　darkness　visible；　and　showed　faintly
  the　dark；　pathetic　faces　of　a　row　of　Ainos　in　the　verandah；　who
  retired　noiselessly　with　their　graceful　salutation　when　I　bade　them
  good…night。　　Food　was　hardly　to　be　expected；　yet　they　gave　me　rice；
  potatoes；　and　black　beans　boiled　in　equal　parts　of　brine　and　syrup；
  which　are　very　palatable。　　The　cuts　and　bruises　of　yesterday　became
  so　very　painful　with　the　cold　of　the　early　morning　that　I　have　been
  obliged　to　remain　here。
  I。　L。　B。
  LETTER　XLI
  A　Group　of　FathersThe　Lebunge　AinosThe　Salisburia　adiantifolia…
  …A　Family　GroupThe　Missing　LinkOshamambeDisorderly　Horses
  The　River　YurapuThe　SeasideAino　CanoesThe　Last　Morning
  Dodging　Europeans。
  HAKODATE；　September　12。
  Lebunge　is　a　most　fascinating　place　in　its　awful　isolation。　　The
  house…master　was　a　friendly　man；　and　much　attached　to　the　Ainos。
  If　other　officials　entrusted　with　Aino　concerns　treat　the　Ainos　as
  fraternally　as　those　of　Usu　and　Lebunge；　there　is　not　much　to
  lament。　　This　man　also　gave　them　a　high　character　for　honesty　and
  harmlessness；　and　asked　if　they　might　come　and　see　me　before　I
  left；　so　twenty　men；　mostly　carrying　very　pretty　children；　came
  into　the　yard　with　the　horses。　　They　had　never　seen　a　foreigner；
  but；　either　from　apathy　or　politeness；　they　neither　stare　nor　press
  upon　one　as　the　Japanese　do；　and　always　make　a　courteous
  recognition。　　The　bear…skin　housing　of　my　saddle　pleased　them　very
  much；　and　my　boots　of　unblacked　leather；　which　they　compare　to　the
  deer…hide　moccasins　which　they　wear　for　winter　hunting。　　Their
  voices　were　the　lowest　and　most　musical　that　I　have　heard；
  incongruous　sounds　to　proceed　from　such　hairy；　powerful…looking
  men。　　Their　love　for　their　children　was　most　marked。　　They　caressed
  them　tenderly；　and　held　them　aloft　for　notice；　and　when　the　house…
  master　told　them　how　much　I　admired　the　brown；　dark…eyed；　winsome
  creatures；　their　faces　lighted　with　pleasure；　and　they　saluted　me
  over　and　over　again。　　These；　like　other　Ainos；　utter　a　short
  screeching　sound　when　they　are　not　pleased；　and　then　one　recognises
  the　savage。
  These　Lebunge　Ainos　differ　considerably　from　those　of　the　eastern
  villages；　and　I　have　again　to　notice　the　decided　sound　or　click　of
  the　ts　at　the　beginning　of　many　words。　　Their　skins　are　as　swarthy
  as　those　of　Bedaween；　their　foreheads　comparatively　low；　their　eyes
  far　more　deeply　set　their　stature　lower；　their　hair　yet　more
  abundant；　the　look　of　wistful　melancholy　more　marked；　and　two；　who
  were　unclothed　for　hard　work　in　fashioning　a　canoe；　were　almost
  entirely　covered　with　short；　black　hair；　specially　thick　on　the
  shoulders　and　back；　and　so　completely　concealing　the　skin　as　to
  reconcile　one　to　the　lack　of　clothing。　　I　noticed　an　enormous
  breadth　of　chest；　and　a　great　development　of　the　muscles　of　the
  arms　and　legs。　　All　these　Ainos　shave　their　hair　off　for　two　inches
  above　their　brows；　only　allowing　it　there　to　attain　the　length　of
  an　inch。　　Among　the　well…clothed　Ainos　in　the　yard　there　was　one
  smooth…faced；　smooth…skinned；　concave…chested；　spindle…limbed；
  yellow　Japanese；　with　no　other　clothing　than　the　decorated　bark…
  cloth　apron　which　the　Ainos　wear　in　addition　to　their　coats　and
  leggings。　　Escorted　by　these　gentle；　friendly　savages；　I　visited
  their　lodges；　which　are　very　small　and　poor；　and　in　every　way
  inferior　to　those　of　the　mountain　Ainos。　　The　women　are　short　and
  thick…set；　and　most　uncomely。
  From　their　village　I　started　for　the　longest；　and　by　reputation　the
  worst；　stage　of　my　journey；　seventeen　miles；　the　first　ten　of　which
  are　over　mountains。　　So　solitary　and　disused　is　this　track　that　on
  a　four　days'　journey　we　have　not　met　a　human　being。　　In　the　Lebunge
  valley；　which　is　densely　forested；　and　abounds　with　fordable
  streams　and　treacherous　ground；　I　came　upon　a　grand　specimen　of　the
  Salisburia　adiantifolia；　which；　at　a　height　of　three　feet　from　the
  ground；　divides　into　eight　lofty　stems；　none　of　them　less　than　2
  feet　5　inches　in　diameter。　　This　tree；　which　grows　rapidly；　is　so
  well　adapted　to　our　climate　that　I　wonder　it　has　not　been
  introduced　on　a　large　scale；　as　it　may　be　seen　by　everybody　in　Kew
  Gardens。　　There　is　another　tree　with　orbicular　leaves　in　pairs；
  which　grows　to　an　immense　size。
  From　this　valley　a　worn…out；　stony　bridle…track　ascends　the　western
  side　of　Lebungetoge；　climbing　through　a　dense　forest　of　trees　and
  trailers　to　a　height　of　about　2000　feet；　where；　contented　with　its
  efforts；　it　reposes；　and；　with　only　slight　ups　and　downs；　continues
  along　the　top　of　a　narrow　ridge　within　the　seaward　mountains；
  between　high　walls　of　dense　bamboo；　which；　for　much　of　that　day's
  journey；　is　the　undergrowth　alike　of　mountain　and　valley；　ragged
  peak；　and　rugged　ravine。　　The　scenery　was　as　magnificent　as　on　the
  previous　day。　　A　guide　was　absolutely　needed；　as　the　track　ceased
  altogether　in　one　place；　and　for　some　time　the　horses　had　to
  blunder　their　way　along　a　bright；　rushing　river；　swirling　rapidly
  downwards；　heavily　bordered　with　bamboo；　full　of　deep　holes；　and
  made　difficult　by　trees　which　have　fallen　across　it。　　There　Ito；
  whose　horse　could　not　keep　up　with　the　others；　was　lost；　or　rather
  lost　himself；　which　led　to　a　delay　of　two　hours。　　I　have　never　seen
  grander　forest　than　on　that　two　days'　ride。
  At　last　the　track；　barely　passable　after　its　recovery；　dips　over　a
  precipitous　bluff；　and　descends　close　to　the　sea；　which　has
  evidently　receded　considerably。　　Thence　it　runs　for　six　miles　on　a
  level；　sandy　strip；　covered　near　the　sea　with　a　dwarf　bamboo　about
  five　inches　high；　and　farther　inland　with　red　roses　and　blue
  campanula。
  At　the　foot　of　the　bluff　there　is　a　ruinous　Japanese　house；　where
  an　Aino　family　has　been　placed　to　give　shelter　and　rest　to　any　who
  may　be　crossing　the　pass。　　I　opened　my　bento　bako　of　red　lacquer；
  and　found　that　it　contained　some　cold；　waxy　potatoes；　on　which　I
  dined；　with　the　addition　of　some　tea；　and　then　waited　wearily　for
  Ito；　for　whom　the　guide　went　in　search。　　The　house　and　its　inmates
  were　a　study。　　The　ceiling　was　gone；　and　all　kinds　of　things；　for
  which　I　could　not　imagine　any　possible　use；　hung　from　the　blackened
  rafters。　　Everything　was　broken　and　decayed；　and　the　dirt　was
  appalling。　　A　very　ugly　Aino　woman；　hardly　human　in　her　ugliness；
  was　splitting　bark　fibre。　　There　were　several　irori；　Japanese
  fashion；　and　at　one　of　them　a　grand…looking　old　man　was　seated
  apathetically　contemplating　the　boiling　of　a　pot。　　Old；　and　sitting
  among　ruins；　he　represented　the　fate　of　a　race　which；　living；　has
  no　history；　and　perishing　leaves　no　monument。　　By　the　other　irori
  sat；　or　rather　crouched；　the　〃MISSING　LINK。〃　　I　was　startled　when　I
  first　saw　it。　　It　wasshall　I　say？a　man；　and　the　mate；　I　cannot
  write　the　husband；　of　the　ugly　woman。　　It　was　about　fifty。　　The
  lofty　Aino　brow　had　been　made　still　loftier　by　shaving　the　head　for
  three　inches　above　it。　　The　hair　hung；　not　in　shocks；　but　in　snaky
  wisps；　mingling　with　a　beard　which　was　grey　and　matted。　　The　eyes
  were　dark　but　vacant；　and　the　face　had　no　other　expression　than
  that　look　of　apathetic　melancholy　which　one　sometimes　sees　on　the
  faces　of　captive　beasts。　　The　arms　and　legs　were　unnaturally　long
  and　thin；　and　the　creature　sat　with　the　knees　tucked　into　the
  armpits。　　The　limbs　and　body；　with　the　exception　of　a　patch　on　each
  side；　were　thinly　covered　with　fine　black　hair；　more　than　an　inch
  long；　which　was　slightly　curly　on　the　shoulders。　　It　showed　no
  other　sign　of　intelligence　than　that　evidenced　by　boiling　water　for
  my　tea。　　When　Ito　arrived　he　looked　at　it　with　disgust；　exclaiming；
  〃The　Ainos　are　just　dogs；　they　had　a　dog　for　their　father；〃　in
  allusion　to　their　own　legend　of　their　origin。
  The　level　was　pleasant　after　the　mountains；　and　a　canter　took　us
  pleasantly　to　Oshamambe；　where　we　struck　the　old　road　from　Mori　to
  Satsuporo；　and　where　I　halted　for　a　day　to　rest　my　spine；　from
  which　I　was　suffering　much。　　Oshamambe　looks　dismal　even　in　the
  sunshine；　decayed　and　dissipated；　with　many　people　lounging　about
  in　it　doing　nothing；　with　the　dazed　look　which　over…indulgence　in
  sake　gives　to　the　eyes。　　The　sun　was　scorching　hot；　and　I　was　glad
  to　find　refuge　from　it　in　a　crowded　and　dilapidated　yadoya；　where
  there　were　no　black　beans；　and　the　use　of　eggs　did　not　appear　to　be
  recognised。　　My　room　was　only　enclosed　by　shoji；　and　there　were
  scarcely　five　minutes　of　the　day　in　which　eyes　were　not　applied　to
  the　finger…holes　with　which　they　were　liberally　riddled；　and　during
  the　n