THE AINOS OF YEZO, JAPAN. 



By Romyn Hitchcock. 



The island of Yezo is situated nearly norbh of the main island of Japan, 

 stretching northeasterly, forming the end of the "silkworm," to which, 

 owing to its shape, the Japanese writers have fancifully compared their 

 country. It is comprised between the parallels of 41° 30' and 45° 30' 

 of north latitude, and embraces about six degrees of longitude from 

 the extreme western limit to the longitude of Nemuro. Nemuro is a 

 large and important town situated near the extremity of the most east- 

 ern peninsula. Jt has a good harbor for small vessels, but the entrance 

 is not very safe in bad weather. Looking north, the island of Kunashiri 

 is clearly seen, its snow-capped mountains rising high and gleaming in 

 the August sun. Further to the north and east are Yeterof, or Iturup, 

 and the chain of the Kuriles stretching beyond to Kamtscbatka. The 

 Kuriles are, or have been, partly iuhabited by a few migratory people 

 who constructed a kind of underground dwellings which are of great 

 interest in connection with the early inhabitants of Yezo. 



Almost directly south of the eastern end of Kunashiri, about 50 nau- 

 tical miles from Nemuro, is the small, almost unknown island Shikotau, 

 in latitude about 33° 45' north. On this island there is a small colony 

 of the Kurile islauders established there by the Japanese Government. 

 This was visited by the writer of this paper, whose observations there 

 made are the subject of a separate report. 



The northwest extremity of Yezo is separated by only about 20 nau- 

 tical miles from Saghalien. The island is very irregular in shape. 

 Geologically it is composed very largely of volcanic and metamorphic 

 rocks, with here aud there limited tracts of alluvium iu river valleys 

 and along the coast. The largest of these and by fur the most favor- 

 ably situated for agricultural purposes is in the Ishikari Valley. The 

 Government agricultural college at Sapporo occupies some of the finest 

 and most productive land, and has the advantage of a less rigorous 

 climate than prevails in Yezo generally. At this place grain, vegeta- 

 bles and even fruits of fine quality are abundantly produced. Never- 

 theless, my observations do not enable me to speak favorably of Yezo 

 as an agricultural country. The climate is too severe, and the soil is not 

 generally suitable, or, where suitable, it is too limited in extent. The 

 total production of rice in 1880 amounted to 10,595 koku (about 85,000 



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