20 
IN FORBIDDEN SEAS 
garments made of a cloth woven from bark fibre, 
like those used by the Yezo natives, and of moc¬ 
casins reaching to the knee, made of salmon-skins. 
The Yetorup Ainu have no treasures, like old Jap¬ 
anese lacquered bowls, trays, tubs and boxes, etc., 
such as used to be seen in many native houses in 
Yezo. These natives, like those of Yezo, are a 
broad - shouldered, thickset, well-set-up, stalwart 
race, and, if washed and combed, might be counted 
handsome. Their shaggy heads and beards give 
them a wild appearance; but all idea of ferocity 
is at once dispelled on making their acquaintance, 
when one notes the gentle expression of their large, 
soft brown eyes, and their low, musical voices. 
Many of the girls are comely and attractive, having 
clear, fair skins, full European-looking eyes, well- 
formed limbs and bodies, and voices naturally softer 
and more musical than those of the men. Not¬ 
withstanding the hard life they lead, working 
just as hard as the men, they are brimful of fun 
and merriment. 
The hairiness of the Ainu has, I think, been 
much exaggerated. As a rule the Ainu men have 
fine beards and moustaches, which they allow to 
grow to the fullest extent. They are also hairy 
about the body and limbs, but not more so than 
very many Europeans. The exaggerated idea of 
their hairiness is, no doubt, due to the contrast 
between them and the smooth-skinned, hairless 
Japanese and Chinese. As for the Ainu women, they 
are practically free from any abnormal growth of 
hair, and I have never seen amongst them any 
approach to the hirsute crop observable on the faces 
of many women of Southern Europe. 
