Physical Characteristics of the are of medium size, with strong bones; darker than the Japanese; the men not ugly; the eyes slender, the iris not very dark (light brown); the nose small and broad; the mouth somewhat turned up. On the whole, they are not unlike the Japanese. The women are tattooed on the hands and upper lip, so that they look as though they wore a moustache twisted up. This is the mark of a woman of rank. They are not over-cleanly. Plate 66 (fig. 4) represents in full costume a Gilyak, of a tribe of the Ainos settled on the mainland.
The full beard is found among the Ainos, of whose hairy bodies so much has been said. The most trustworthy observers assure us that except in a few isolated cases the hairiness is not greater than in Euro peans, but that it is always to be seen on the breast and legs—a fact that ranks as a curiosity among Mongolians. But it is not to be forgotten that the inhabitants of the Lin-Kin Islands have also heavy beards 6o, fig. 4). The hair of the head, which is shorn away from over the brows, is luxuriant, wavy, and somewhat woolly in character. The beard hangs in thick, soft tufts, often to the middle of the breast (fil. 66, figs. 2).
Public and Domestic Life of the clothes are made of tree hark, often ornamented with dark-blue figures; dog- and fish skins are also used. Their dwellings are huts or roofs built over a hole in the ground; they have vessels, pots, fish-hooks, nets, and mats (pl. 66, fig. i); their food is fish, sea-weed, game, and a kind of millet. Spirits and tobacco— the pipe being an unfailing companion (pi. 66, fig. 0—are now much used; in earlier times their only drink in winter was snow-water. Their provisions are kept in little houses standing on piles (pl. 66, fig. i, at the left in the background).
They are skilled fishermen and sailors, having really good boats (pi. 65, figs. 4, 5) and knowing how to sail on the sea. Their weapons are bow and arrows, Japanese swords and clubs, which are secured at the waist (pl. 66, fig. The last-named illustration also shows how they carry loads by a band passing over the brow and hanging down the back. Plate 65 (fig. 7) gives an idea of their artistic tastes; they are also not without skill in music, and possess a simple instrument with several strings like a guitar (p. 65, fig. 6).
They are monogamous, but polygamy is allowed; they generally select their wives from distant families. Family life is strict, and upon it rests what little of government they possess. The dwelling of a dead man is pulled down; the corpse itself is either burned or dried, and then laid in the grave, which has a roof like a house (p1. 66, Jig. 3). Posts from
the demolished house are set up in a sort of doorway-like arrangement in memory of the dead.
Religion of the pray to the sun, moon, sea, etc., but they also believe in an invisible God in the heavens, as also in an evil principle; they have rough idols, and sacrifice to them. Bears are holy animals; in most of the houses they keep one half tamed which has been nursed at the breast by the woman of the house. The story that the people ride on them is untrue; but they bring bears' heads into their houses and to holy places, and pay them honors. At the time of their feast Omsia, which is celebrated yearly, bears' heads and flesh play an important part (p1. 66, Jig. 2.) Dress of The apparel varies according to circumstances and to rank. The middle classes wear a cotton shirt and undershirt, wide trousers, and over the whole a caftan with wide sleeves (p1. 63,11g. 6); the women wear over the underclothing an overskirt with wide sleeves and very broad below, secured with a sash (Jig. 4). We cannot describe all the styles of ornament in the clothing [seep/. 62,fig. 5; p1. 63, fig. I; 64, fig. 9, and notice on the lady on pl. 62, fig. 5, the large fold of the sash in the front, a mark that she is married—unmarried girls wear the loops behind (p1. 4)—also the high shoes, quite like those of the priest (p1. 63, fig. Jo), and the shoes of the farmer (p1. 63, fig. 7), the latter finding them useful for wading through deep mud]. Ordinarily, straw shoes are worn (p1. 63,Jig. 6), which are open behind, and are laid aside on coining into a room. The poor content themselves with sandals (p1. 63, figs. 2, 8). In the case of the Japanese coolie (p1. 63, fig. 9) the dress is merely a breech-cloth and foot-bands.
The court-dress is voluminous (p1. 62, figs. 6, 8, 9). The noble Japan ese (kr. 6) wears extremely wide trousers, and over them a still fuller caf tan with very long and wide sleeves, all in silk and ornamented with beau tiful devices. In common life black or blue clothes are generally worn, each article of which has the name of the owner upon it (p1. 63, fig. the two round marks in front, the square figures on the sleeves, fig. 4; comp. Jigs. 3, 6). To complete the dress of the Japanese, we must mention also the large waterproof hat woven out of straw or bamboo in varied forms, as \yell as the parasol (p1. 63, Jigs. 2, 7). For the use of travellers parasols are prepared which are illustrated with maps and contain the names of the hotels and their scale of prices marked upon them.