368 A, S. Bickmore on the Ainos of Saghalien. 
life, it is little or nothing. They have some sort of worship 
for the sun and moon as the two greatest lights ; as also some 
mountain and sea devils (spirits) ; for as they mostly support 
themselves in the sea with fishing, they hope by these means 
to catch much, and never be in want of wood for fuel or build- 
ing. They have neither bonzes, nor priests, nor temples, nor 
any place where they can come together to do anything for 
their salvation. None of them are able to read or write. 
Each one has his own lawful wife, or as some suppose, even 
two: though there are many who have concubines in the 
Chinese manner. A woman taken in adultery has the hair of 
her head shaved off, that she may thus be known; and the 
adulterer, or he with whom she has committed the crime, is 
deprived of his sword and of all his ornaments by the offended 
husband, or by his friends as often as they meet him.” 
t the present time no Aino carries a sword, and it is prob- 
able that the Japanese compelled them to deliver up all such 
weapons as tokens of their entire submission. 
ohn Saris, who visited Yedo in 1613 as ambassador from 
the English Company, heard of these people and gathered 
some accounts of them from the Japanese. Also Francoys 
Caron, chief of the Dutch trade in Japan during 1639 and 
640, gives some notices of them. 
- : ese people had their own forts, such as will proba- 
_ bly be found hereafter among the independent tribes. They 
are thus described :* 
“These forts were made as follows: on the mountain on 
which they were placed was a small road steep to climb, and 
round on the four sides palisades were placed of the height and 
length of 13 man’s length; within this stood two or three 
houses. There were large fir doors in the palisades with 
strong clamps; when they were closed, two stout bars were 
assed through the clamps and thus fastened to them. At 
two corners of these square placed palisades, a high scaffolding 
_ is made of fir planks, for a lookout ; further, the palisades are 
well fastened together with cross bars.” 
| omparison to the present poor and wretched condition of 
, under the severe rule of the Japanese, Capt. Vries 
gives us this picture of the arms worn by the natives of Aniwa 
Bay, while they were yet free. “Their arms are d 
* Siebold’s Elucidations of Capt. Vries’ Voyage, p. 115. 
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