286 
IN FORBIDDEN SEAS 
is in Japanese records of about that date, when the 
feudal Baron of Matsumaye, Kakizaki Yoshihito, 
presented three skins to the great Taiko Sama. 
Again, in 1615 the chief of the Ainu of Eastern 
Yezo came to the castle of Matsumaye and presented 
three white otter-skins to the Daimyo. In the fol¬ 
lowing year this noble presented two otter-skins 
7 feet long to the reigning Shogun, Tokugawa 
Hidedata. After that skins were often presented 
to the reigning Shogun by the Lords of Matsumaye. 
“ From Yezo, operations were soon pushed on 
into the adjoining Kuril Islands. In 1633 four or 
five Ainu families from Akkishi migrated to Shibe- 
toro, in Yetorup, and engaged in the hunting of sea- 
otter, bear, and eagles, whose skins they brought each 
year to Akkishi to barter for rice and rice-beer, etc. 
“ Henceforward emigration of Ainu to the Kurils 
continued to increase, small settlements being formed 
in the larger southern islands of the group, chiefly 
for the hunting of the otter and other marine animals. 
It was in 1765 that these Ainu people of Yetorup, 
whilst hunting near Horomushiri, Niishiri, a,nd Urup, 
and elsewhere in the sea, first came into collision 
with the Russians. After the fight that then took 
place, the Russians came not again for about ten 
years. In 1778 the Ainu of Yetorup prevented the 
Russians from hunting, as they wished, at Urup and 
other places near. The Russians, however, used 
guns for fighting as well as for hunting, whilst the 
Ainu had only the bow and the spear. Later on the 
Russians came in greater numbers, and hunted at 
their pleasure. Soon after the Ainu had to leave 
Yetorup altogether, and all the Kurils became 
virtually Russian territory. 
