AINU FAMILY-LIFE AND RELIGION. 91 



festival of killing and eating the bear, wliicli has been kept in 

 a cage since its capture when a cub, is a sort of religious affair, 

 and is made the occasion for much safce-drinking, and that a 

 curious dance is performed, in which men alone take part. The 

 feast is held in February or March (I do not make this statement 

 in absolute contradiction of what Miss Bird says, but admit that 

 custom may vary the time in different villages). Among the 

 northeastern Ainu, Kusuri, and Nemuro, the women, who are offi- 

 ciating as cooks and attendants, provide large vessels of wild 

 strawberries (which must be kept over from the preceding sum- 

 mer), mix the juice with water, and smear the faces of all the 

 people who are present, even to the alien guests. All must sub- 

 mit, as a token of friendliness This is a strange custom, and is 

 possibly done to indicate that the bear-feast resembles something 

 of a bloody sacrifice, for the Ainu say that the strawberry is used 

 because the color of its juice approaches that of blood. 



I will close my rambling notes on these people by an account 

 of what I saw in one or two of their villages on the day of the 

 eclipse of the sun (August 19, 1887). First let me say that they 

 think an eclij)se is the effect of great sickness, which causes the 

 sun's face to become black, as does a human being's (sometimes) 

 when in a fit or on fainting away. I left the village of Horobetsu, 

 on the south coast of Yezo, at about two o'clock. It was evident 

 that the Ainu had been told of the impending disaster, for many 

 of them were standing outside of their huts, glancing anxiously 

 at the sun from time to time, and talking together in low, earnest 

 tones which betrayed their apprehension. When we reached the 

 next village, Washibetsu, the shadow of the moon had covered a 

 good-sized segment of the sun, and the people were greatly excited. 

 Many men were looking at the sun and moving their lips as if 

 praying, while some had brought dishes of water, and were throw- 

 ing the water toward the sun with their mustache-lifters and inao, 

 just as we would dash it in the face of a person who had fainted 

 away, to revive him. By the time we arrived at Mororan, the next 

 village, the eclipse was all over ; the excitement had pretty nearly 

 subsided, although a few persons were watching the sun rather 

 closely, as if afraid that he might have a relapse and require to be 

 revived again. 



As I have tried not to go over ground which has been well 

 worked by previous observers, I have omitted many details of the 

 Ainu manners and customs, and it seems proper for me to give a 

 list of books and publications, which may be referred to by those 

 whose interest will have been sufficiently aroused to make them 

 anxious to know more of the " Hairy People of Japan " : 



" Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan." In many num- 

 bers there are articles of more or less interest. Special attention 



