THE ATNOS OF YEZO, JAPAN. 



459 



Sake is taken with much ceremony. One evening I visited the Ainos 

 at Shari, a bottle of sake in my pocket and a paper lantern in my hand. 

 I wandered along the shore in the darkness and slowly made my way 

 to the Aiuo village. In spite of the howling and barking of many 

 dogs, the people were taken by surprise. The men were sprawling 

 about on the dirty board floor around the rectangular fireplace. When 

 they recognized their uninvited and late visitor, they got up, spread a 

 clean mat for me, and signified their welcome by stroking the beard. 

 When I handed them the sake there was more beard stroking. Then 

 they got some sake cups and a tray of mustache-sticks, finer than any 

 I had seen, and began the ceremony of drinking. A sake cup with its 

 stand, such as is represented in Fig. 77, is placed in front of the chief 



S&D69f /So 699 



/S0693 



Fig. 77. 

 Sake Cup and Stand, and Moustache Sticks. 



man, sitting on the floor before the fire, who places one of the sticks 

 across the top, t.s shown in the same figure 77. Then, stroking the beard, 

 he lifts the stand and cup with both hands, and bows the head, immedi- 

 ately replacing them. Sake" is then poured in, and he begins to recite a 

 long formula, which continues iu a low voice during the succeeding op- 

 erations. Taking the stick iu the right hand, precisely as one would 

 hold a spoon, the end is dipped into the sake and gracefully moved for- 



