nO\y THEY ACCEPT PRESENTS. 
303 
They were both longing to be presented with a glass ; but, 
when one was held out to eacli, both shrank back in well- 
feigned alarm, and, holding up the right thumb, gave 
us to understand that to accept was as much as their 
heads were worth; and yet in less than ten seconds after 
this they both liad their glasses stowed away under their 
garments. This they accomplished by concealing them, 
in apparently a hurried manner, Avhile their heads were 
alternately turned away; and that this turning away of 
the head was “Nipon custom” there is no doubt: in fact, 
they told us as much. Shortly after this successful feat 
they took their departure, but again returned shortly 
after midnight, and yet again upon the following morn- 
ing in company with the headman of the village. On 
this latter occasion one of the cruets disappeared from 
the captain’s stand, though unfortunately the discovery 
was not made until too late to expose the thief. The re- 
sult of this was an order to let no more Japanese boats 
come alongside unless upon business. That was the first 
and only case of theft that we experienced while among 
them. 
We were surprised to find here immense droves of 
deer in the immediate vicinity of the town ; and the 
doctor with his Kentucky rifle, and the purser with 
everlasting “old bust-proof,” went on shore the morn- 
ing after our arrival to try to bring some on board. 
They had seen some of the skins stretched against the 
sides of the houses, undergoing the process of drying; 
and the people had made signs to them that the dense 
cane-brake which backed the town was full of them, 
aud that they were at liberty to shoot as many as they 
