" It would be presuming too much to enter into any de tail upon the form of government and the religion of the Ainos, as our stay here was much too circumscribed for us to have instituted any inquiries into these subjects ; but, with their limited population, it is not easy to imagine any other than a patriarchal constitution. During our visit to one of their houses in Romanzoff hay, we observed in the family, which consisted of ten persons, the happiest state of harmony, or rather a perfect equality. We continued there some hours, and were scarcely able to distinguish the head of the family, so little assuming were even the oldest to ward sits youngest members. Accordingly, in dividing a few presents among them, I preserved a most perfect equality, which they all appeared pleased with no one, not even the oldest, remarking that I had given him too little in propor tion to the others ; on the contrary, they called my attention to a little girl, about eight years old, whom 1 had over looked, and who now obtained her share. This unanimity and the silence which reigns among them, awake the most favourable feelings towards them. Here was no loud talk ing, no immoderate laughter, and still less any disputing. The satisfaction that appeared in all their countenances as they spread the mats round the hearth for us ; their readi ness, when we were going away, to launch their canoes and carry us across the shallows to our boat, when they perceived that our boatmen were stripping themselves for this purpose : but, still more than all this, their modesty never to demand any thing, and even to accept with hesita tion whatever was offered to them, wherein they differ very much from the inhabitants of the west of Sachalin, whose diffidence La Perouse could not speak of with praise ; all these uncommon qualities, for which they are not indebt ed to any polished education, but which are merely the marks of their natural character, make me consider the Ainos as the best of all the people that I have hitherto been acquainted with.
" I have already mentioned their inconsiderable num bers, particularly in Jesso. the north of this island we counted only eight dwelling-houses, and if we admit ten as the number of each family, this makes that of the inhabitants of this district only eighty. Farther inland they probably have no establishments ; for as their whole nour ishment consists of fish, they only settle on the sea shores. In Salmon Bay, and Ternary Aniwa, the Ainos probably amount to three hundred ; but we were there at the time of the fishery, and it is chiefly from hence that the Japanese procure this article, for which they are obliged to have re course to the inhabitants of the neighbouring bays, who set tle here at such times, in order to prepare so large a quan tity. Not only the recently built houses of the Ainos in the vicinity of the Japanese factory is a proof of this, but also the number of houses provided with furniture but des titute of inhabitants in Mordwinoff Bay, where Lieut. Go lowatscheff, who visited that part, found but a few persons, and these not merely to guard the property, for they seemed to consider it as their own.
" According to the most ancient accounts we have of this island, its inhabitants 'arc said to be covered with hair. The Chinese describe it as a large country full of wild people, whose whole body is covered with hair, am. with suchenormous beards, that they are forced to raise them up in order to drink. The Dutch in the well known expedi tion in 1643, under the command of Captain Vries, and the Russians under Spanberg in 1739, confirmed this decrip tion. Although so many concurring accounts seem to testify the fact of the natives of Jesso being overgrown with hair, nevertheless I am disposed, from our experience, to declare this report to be fabulous. The Jesuit Hierony mus de Angelis, the first European who, in 1620, visited Jesso, merely mentions their bushy beards, but says not a word of their hairy bodies ; and as he resided for some time amongst them, he certainly had a better opportunity of examining their personal qualities than could be found in the short visits of the Dutch, the Russians, or the Chinese, and he would not have failed to make known so striking a circumstance. On the north of Jesso we examined some people, but found that, except their bushy beard and the hair on their faces, there was not the least thing to give pro bability to such a story. In Aniwa I got several of them to uncover their breasts, arms, and legs, and we were here convinced;to a certainty, that the greater part of the Ainos have no more hair upon their bodies than is to be found upon those of many Europeans. Lieut. Golowatscheff found indeed in Mordwinoff Bay a child of eight years old whose body was entirely covered with hair ; but he imme diately examined its parents and several other grown up persons, and found them all in that respect like Europeans. I will not flatly contradict the report of older and modern navigators, whose credibility I do not argue against ; but I believe that they have exaggerated this story respecting the Ainos, or, what is the same thing, the natives of the southern Kuriles ; at least it is not equally true with regard to all. Perhaps the impression which the Dutch received from their bushy heard, hairy bee, and lank locks, added to the uncleanliness of their persons, left an idea that their bo dies must be as much covered as their faces ; and as they did not wait to examine whether this were really the case, this gave rise to a story, which has been ever since repeated as a fact." The following notices respecting Japan, communicated in a discouse to the Literary and Scientific Socity at Java by the Honourable Govenor Raffles, and drawn from the in formation of Dr Ainslie, who had resided four months in Nangasaky, may be considered as the most recent intelli gence on the subject of this article.
Every imformation obtained by that gentleman tends to confiran the accuracy, ability, and impartiality of K xmpfer, whose account of Japan is represented as one of the most complete works of the kind that was ever produced in the same circumstances. The Japanese acknowledge that
from this.bnok they know their own country ; and their first enquiry to the English Commissioners was fora copy of Kxmpfer. In expressing the estimation in which his writings were held among them, they literally observed, that " he had drawn out their heart from them, and laid it palpitating before us, with all the movements of their go vernment, and the actions of their men !" The natives are represented by Dr Ainslie as a nervous, vigorous people, whose bodily and mental powers assimilate much nearer to those of Europe, than what arc usually attributed to Asia tics ; as possessed of masculine features pet fectly Euro pean, except the small lengthened Tartar eye, which almost universally prevails ; as perfectly finr and even blooming in their complexion; and actually exhibiting among females of the higher class more of the hue of health than is usual ly found in rurope. He describes their proficiency In the sciences, especially in metaphysics and judicial astrology, as sufficient to evince a vigorous intellect ; and thenr skill in the arts as by no means resembling the stationary medi ocrity of the Chinese, but as the effect of an ardent and pro gressive principle of improvement. Nothing, he tells us, is so offensive to the feelings of a Japanese, as to be com pared, in any one respect, with the Chinese ; and the only occasion on which he ever saw the habitual politeness of a native surprised into a burst of passion, was when, upon a similarity between the two nations being unguardedly as serted, the latter laid his band upon his sword. They have at least none of that uniformity of character which the ar tificial system of government has produced in China ; and their women, particularly, associate among themselves like the ladies of Europe. Dr Ainslie was present at frequent entertainments among the natives ; and on one of these oc casions, particularly,a lad) from the court ofJeddo perform ed the honours of the table with an ease, elegance, and ad dress, that would have graced a Parisian. The usual dress of the Japanese women, even of the middle rank, is remarka bly costly ; and its value might supply the wardrobe of an European lady of the same rank For twenty years. The Japanese, with an apparent coldness, derived from that system of espionage and principle of disunion dictated by the government, are eager for novelty, and warm in their attachments, strongly inclined to foreign intercourse. not withstanding the prohibitory political institutions of their country, and apparently ready to throw themselves into the hands of any nation of superior intelligence ; hut at the same time full of contempt for every thing below their own standard of morals and habits. The failure of the embassy from Russia in 1814, which might seem to contradict this remark, Dr Ainslie considers as attributable to particular circumstances, which however are not sufficiently detailed, but are intimated as originating in the influence of the in terested competitor at the head of the Dutch establishment. The warehouse in which the Russian mission had been lodged was pointed Out to Dr Ainslie, who observes, that, " as the rats were let out, the count and his suit were let in, where they remained for six long months with scarce room to turn, the mark of obloquy to the Japanese, and the laughing stock of the European factory." So lively was the impression of the occurrence, that the chief Japanese officer asked the English commissioner, cc if be too would condes cend to play the part of the Russian count ?"---the officer answering to his own question, " No, I trust not." Even the illiberality of the Japanese, on the subject of religion, is affirmed by no means to correspond with the representa tions hitherto made of their character ; and the annual test of trampling on crucifixes and other Catholic images, is said to be denied, and derided as a foolish story by the hative priests. Upon visiting the great temple on the hills of Nangasaky, the English commissioner was received with marked respect, and sumptuously entertained by the pa triarch of the northern provinces, a man eighty years of age; and when one of the English officerspresent heedless ly exclaimed, in surprise,Jasus Christus! the patriarch,turn ing half round with a placid smile, bowed significantly, ex pressive of a hint to avoid that subject in that place, and took leave with a hearty shake of the hand. It is mentioned as an extraordinary fact, that, for seven years past, since the visit of Captain Pellew, notwithstanding the determination of the court not to enter into foreign commerce, the En glish language has, in obedience to an edict of the Empe ror, been cultivated with considerable success by the youn ger members of the college of interpreters. who were found very eager in their inquiries after English books. While the commissioner was at Nangasaky, there arrived a large detachment of officers of rank, who had been employed nearly four years in making an actual survey of every foot of the empire and the dependent isles, one fourth part of which they had' not yet completed. The survey appeared to be conducted on a scientific principle, to be most min ute and accurate in its execution, and to have for its object the completion of a regular geographical and statistical description of the country. The Japanese, in short, arc wonderfully inquisitive in all points of science, and are anxious to receive information, without inquiring from what quarter It conies; and, in the opinion of Dr Ainslie, are a people with whom the European world might hold inter course without compromise of character. The result of all that the commisioners observed is said to be, an impres sion on the minds of those who are most competent both to judge and act in the matter, that a commercial intercourse between Great Britain and Japan might easily be opened. See K:empfer's History of Japan; Thtinberg's Travels, vols. iii. and iv. ; Krusenstern's Voyage round the World ; and the Transactions of the Literary and Scientific Society at Java.