Characteristics of the Ainos. 121 



My own experience, extending over four years of inti- 

 mate acquaintance with these people, hundreds of whom 

 were brought under observation, shows that while all these 

 views express a measure of truth, they do not accurately 

 represent the time facts. With reference to the baldness 

 spoken of by Mr. Lyman, it should be pointed out that, 

 while it is a very common occurrence, it is by no means a 

 true physical characteristic, since it arises, in large part at 

 least, from the great prevalence of scalp diseases among the 

 children and youth. 



As to the hairiness of the body and limbs, one remarks 

 the most extreme variations. During one of my own expe- 

 ditions, eighteen Ainos were employed as boatmen. Of 

 these, twelve were exceedingly hairy, more so than I had 

 ever before observed man to be. Of the others, three, 

 formerly students at Tokio, and studied by Mr. Griffis, were 

 quite smooth, and one had a very fair skin. It has repeat- 

 edly been brought to my notice that the Yezoines are not 

 more hairy than Europeans, while in many more cases I 

 have observed the exact reverse to be conspicuously true. 

 The conclusion appears justifiable that, the Yezoine in gen- 

 eral, is to be regarded as possessing a more than ordinarily 

 hairy body, enough so at least, to make him deserving of 

 the epithet of "Hairy Kurile." 



A stranger gains his first impression of the great hairi- 

 ness oJ these people from their exceedingly bushy hair and 

 beards. The latter are a general feature of the men, their 

 absence being rather exceptional ; but their very bushy 

 growth is doubtless due as much to the fact that the men 

 never shave and seem rarely even to clip their beards, as to 

 any natural excess of growth. 



The hair of the head is straight, black and rather coarse. 

 It is never brushed, but is allowed to fall naturally, usually 

 to the base of the neck, being trimmed uniformly to this 

 length all round. There is also a frequent tendency in the 

 hair to stand straight out from the head. The effect of all 

 this upon the stranger is to impress him at once with the 

 uncouth aspect and great hairiness of the people. 



"We shall see, however, that the Saghalien Ainos present 



