FIRST EXPERIENCES 
67 
company soon got ahead of me, with the exception of 
the official in charge of ns, whom we styled the 44 Cap¬ 
tain ”; he walked his horse near me, and every now 
and then would utter a series of loud yells, intended, 
as he said, to frighten away the bears, in which he 
certainly succeeded, for we saw none. That night I 
arrived very tired some hour or two after the others, 
who had had a bath and their 44 chow,” and were 
enjoying a comfortable smoke. I began to think 
walking the distance was a thankless task, and 
resolved on the morrow to ride like the rest. 
At Hamanaka I had some shooting, getting a few 
ducks, teal, golden plover, and several other kinds of 
birds, including two spoonbill sandpipers (Eurino- 
rJiynchus pygmceus) ; all these went into the pot, and 
I learned after I got to Hakodate what an expensive 
morsel I had eaten in the shape of these two 
sandpipers. Captain Blakiston, R.A., the chief 
authority and collector of the birds of Japan, who 
was then living in Hakodate, told me they were 
very rare, and had not been found in Japan 
before; as specimens they were worth about £5 
apiece. 
Our next stage was Akis, situated in what was then 
named on the charts 44 Good Hope Bay ” ; thence we 
followed the coast-road, having fine weather most 
of the time. Twice we were stopped by the rivers 
being in flood, and had to lie over a day. These 
occasions gave me a chance to get some deer-hunting 
with the Ainu hunters. These men were wonder¬ 
fully skilful in 44 picking up ” deer a long way off. 
Although I had excellent sight, I had much difficulty 
in distinguishing the animals when their exact loca¬ 
tion was pointed out to me. Beer at that time were 
