:o6 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ing upon a sum that was very high for them, but fairly reason- 

 able for us. 



In a third house half a dozen women were cutting up sword- 

 fish and preparing strips for smoking, by stretching them with 

 pieces of stick into a regular V-diamond pattern. Several men 

 sat round smoking and giving orders, but loftily refusing to do 

 anything to assist their wives. The men apologized for the dirty 

 appearance of the j)lace, and truly an apology was in order, for a 

 dirtier, more malodorous house I never entered ! They said we 

 would not care to sit down, nor did we. A hasty glance was 

 enough to show us that, in all essentials, this was quite similar to 

 the others. 



I paid a visit to the village chief, who lives in a large house, a 

 part of which is occupied by a Japanese Christian, who is trying 

 to do missionary work among the people. The chief, a very old 



man, received me sit- 



ting in front of his 

 cabinet of Japanese 

 curios. He bowed, ex- 

 tended both his hands 

 with the palms up, 

 waved them toward 

 himself, and stroked 

 his long gray beard. 

 These actions were re- 

 peated twice, and were 

 accompanied by a low, 

 murmured greeting, 

 which was translated 

 to me as meaning that 

 he deemed himself 

 highly honored by my 

 call, and hoped I would 

 enjoy myself during 

 my stay in his village. 

 The Ainu, he said, were 

 too poor and too igno- 

 rant of the manners 

 of honorable foreign- 

 ers to do anything to 

 entertain me ; and a lot of compliments and pleasant things. His 

 quiet dignity of manner, and his low, musical voice impressed me 

 very favorably ; and, although he was dirty and clad in rags, he 

 looked the chief. 



One of my guides brought something in his hand and asked, 

 in rather a mysterious way, if I wished to see an Ainu musical 



Fig. 5.— Ainu Patriarch. 



