18 NOTES ON TEE KURIL ISLANDS. 



It contained several rooms, and was heated by a Russian brick 

 oven built in the middle of the house. There was an upper 

 storey with a verandah in front, on which a flagstaff was set up. 

 This was evidently the official residence in the prosperous days 

 of the place. 



The most important settlements on the northern Kurils were at 

 Port Tavano, Urup ; Uratman, in Broughton Bay, Simushir ; and the 

 above-mentioned Mairuppo, on Shumshir. At each of these, besides 

 the score or so of half-underground dwellings, there was a church 

 and a substantial wooden building, used as a store and residence by 

 the agents of the fur company in former years. Nearly all traces 

 of these wooden buildings have now disappeared, and a visitor to 

 day would never imagine that such had once existed. 



For some years previous to 1878, the northern natives depended 

 for their scanty supply of luxuries and necessaries, such as guns, 

 }iowder, lead, caps, tobacco, knives, etc., on the yearly visit of a 

 trading vessel, which touched at certain of the islands during the 

 summer, and traded for the skins of the sea-otters and foxes 

 captured during the winter. Those living on Shumshir, the nearest 

 island to Kamchatka, would occasionally visit Petropaulovski, 

 making the voyage, a distance of about 170 miles, in their boats 

 during the fine summer weather. There they could supply their 

 wants by bartering away their peltries. 



From 1878, when the northern islands began to be visited by 

 otter-hunting craft, the natives fared somewhat better. From these 

 vessels they were able to procure many little luxuries unattainable 

 by them before — rifles, cartridges, tobacco, biscuit, tea, coffee, 

 sugar, clothes, etc., and even soap. The women always begged for 

 the latter, but I must say I never saw it used. 



Some of these northern Kurilsky were similar in appearance to 

 the Ainu of Yetorup and Yezo, but not so good looking ; others 

 were evidently of mixed blood, probably with Kamchatdales and 

 Aleuts. They were less hairy, had smaller eyes, and the open lips 

 and " blubbery " appearance of some of the Kamchatkan tribes. 



Besides their uncleanliness, their fondness for strong drink, and 

 their language, they had few things in common with their brethren 

 of the south. I never saw amongst these people the carved wooden 

 knife-sheaths and household utensils, and the peculiar salmon spear 

 or gaff, as used by the southern Ainu ; nor did I ever witness any 



