My
Room Is On The Village Street, And, As It Is Too Warm To Close The
Shoji, The Aborigines Stand Looking In At The Lattice Hour After
Hour.
A short time ago Mr. Von Siebold and Count Diesbach galloped up on
their return from Biratori, the Aino village to which I am going;
and Count D., throwing himself from his horse, rushed up to me with
the exclamation, Les puces!
Les puces! They have brought down with
them the chief, Benri, a superb but dissipated-looking savage. Mr.
Von Siebold called on me this evening, and I envied him his fresh,
clean clothing as much as he envied me my stretcher and mosquito-
net. They have suffered terribly from fleas, mosquitoes, and
general discomfort, and are much exhausted; but Mr. Von S. thinks
that, in spite of all, a visit to the mountain Ainos is worth a
long journey. As I expected, they have completely failed in their
explorations, and have been deserted by Lieutenant Kreitner. I
asked Mr. Von S. to speak to Ito in Japanese about the importance
of being kind and courteous to the Ainos whose hospitality I shall
receive; and Ito is very indignant at this. "Treat Ainos
politely!" he says; "they're just dogs, not men;" and since he has
regaled me with all the scandal concerning them which he has been
able to rake together in the village.
We have to take not only food for both Ito and myself, but cooking
utensils. I have been introduced to Benri, the chief; and, though
he does not return for a day or two, he will send a message along
with us which will ensure me hospitality.
I. L. B.
LETTER XXXVI
Savage Life - A Forest Track - Cleanly Villages - A Hospitable
Reception - The Chief's Mother - The Evening Meal - A Savage Seance -
Libations to the Gods - Nocturnal Silence - Aino Courtesy - The
Chief's Wife.
AINO HUT, BIRATORI, August 23.
I am in the lonely Aino land, and I think that the most interesting
of my travelling experiences has been the living for three days and
two nights in an Aino hut, and seeing and sharing the daily life of
complete savages, who go on with their ordinary occupations just as
if I were not among them. I found yesterday a most fatiguing and
over-exciting day, as everything was new and interesting, even the
extracting from men who have few if any ideas in common with me all
I could extract concerning their religion and customs, and that
through an interpreter. I got up at six this morning to write out
my notes, and have been writing for five hours, and there is
shortly the prospect of another savage seance. The distractions,
as you can imagine, are many. At this moment a savage is taking a
cup of sake by the fire in the centre of the floor. He salutes me
by extending his hands and waving them towards his face, and then
dips a rod in the sake, and makes six libations to the god - an
upright piece of wood with a fringe of shavings planted in the
floor of the room.
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