526 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1907. 
recorded by history they were driven from the northern half of the 
main island toward the north, till they remained as a pure race only 
in the island of Yezo. Therefore the Aino type is met more and more 
frequently in the north of the main island as we approach Yezo, 
but even in the center of the island scattered remnants are still found. 
I have been repeatedly surprised at the number of individuals of the 
pure Aino type that dwell in the barely accessible mountains of the 
three provinces of Kodzuke, Shinano, and Etchigo. Apparently the 
uncivilized Ainos, pressed hard by the advancing Japanese, fled hither 
from all the surrounding territory. In the famous watering place 
Kusatsu, lying in this region, where the same families have persisted 
for many centuries without new infusion of blood from the outside, 
I have seen examples of the most pronounced Aino type. 
According to my hypothesis those of the inhabitants of Kiushiu 
and the Liukiu Islands who are characterized by their thickset build, 
more or less European cast of countenance, and heavy growth of hair, 
are also to be classed as the remnants of this or a cognate primitive 
people. These are the groups designated as Kumaso and Hayabito 
in the Japanese legends and the oldest historical records. 
The intruding Mongolian conquerors first took possession of the 
plains and the fertile coast region, forcing the aborigines toward the 
north and toward the wild southeastern region into Kiushiu and the 
Liukiu Islands, or perhaps sparing them only in these regions. For 
only in these last-mentioned districts do we find this type at all fre- 
quent. It is generally admitted to-day that the Aino is not Mon- 
golian, but is closely related to the Caucasian race. It is difficult to 
understand how anyone who has seen a large number of pure Ainos 
could beheve them Mongolians. 
They now number about 17,000 on the island of Yezo. On Sakhalin 
they are still fewer. They will soon disappear as a race, not, however, 
because they will be stamped out by the encroaching civilization, but 
because they will be gradually absorbed by the Japanese. Intermar- 
riage is now of almost daily occurrence, and the opinion of Mr. B. H. 
Chamberlain that such marriages are barren is not borne out by the 
facts. I have myself seen many offspring from such unions. The 
Japanese type generally prevails amongst these half-breeds. 
From what land the Ainos came to Japan we have no idea. We 
are much more at sea than with those people of antiquity about whom 
Schiller could say, ‘“‘ Wiirde die Geschichte davon schweigen, Tausend 
Steine wtirden redend zeugen, die man aus dem Schoss der Erde 
graibt;” for the Ainos have neither any art nor a written language. 
The common hypothesis is that they came by way of Sakhalin, 
which at a recent period, geologically speaking, was continuous with 
the mainland and had probably a much milder climate before the 
formation of Bering Straits. But it is not necessary to go as far as 
