THE AINOS OF YEZO, JAPAN. 



457 



Aaiios 



Rice being an article easily obtained from the Japanese, the 

 make oblong- rice bowls by dig- 

 giug out thick pieces of wood. 

 These differ somewhat in form in 

 different parts of the island. 

 (See Fig. 69, p. 441.) 

 . For preparing grain, such as 

 millet, which is cultivated here 

 and there, they have a wooden 

 mortar and pestle, the former 

 standing perhaps 2 feet high, 

 and m ade of a solid block of wood. 



In every Aino house there inay 

 befouud some treasured articles 

 made by the Japanese. Some- 

 times these articles are very old, 

 having been handed down from 

 father to son, and they are then 

 valued as precious relics. Of 

 these, Japanese swords are most 

 highly prized, after which come 

 lacquered cups (Fig. 77), which 

 they use for drinking. The lat- 

 ter, together with other small 

 articles, are kept in Japauese 

 round, lacquered cases, one or 

 more of which are to be seen in 

 every house. 



A considerable variety of ani- 

 mal food is to be obtained in 

 Yezo, for the Ainos are good 

 hunters with their rude bows and 

 arrows. 



The bear is much sought after 

 for its flesh, as well as for its 

 skin, which is used for clothing; 

 and set- bows are arranged in 

 the woods with poisoned arrows, 

 which are released when a bear 

 comes in contact with a cord in 

 his path. The fox and wolf also 

 abound, the former being caught 

 in an ingenious bow-trap. At 

 some seasons fresh fish abound, 

 and they dry and half smoke Fisr 76 



great quantities of it for winter carved kn-ife-cases. 



use. In the National Museum there is a specimen of salmon cut into 



