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den. A pleasant contrast to the wilderness of sand hills and scrub that surround the village. Here there is a very good salmon river.
The Aino village consists of three lines of huts with each a store which is erected on stilts, each hut with its store being placed about thirty or forty yards from its neighbours.
The Government have given the Ainos equal rights with Japanese and have marked out the site for a regular village which the Ainos are expected to build, and then vacate their old huts and move into the village: there are no signs of commencing this work at present.
The interiors of the Aino huts were much more comfortable than was to be expected from their outside appearance. They are divided into two parts by a reed and wattle partition. The large room is occupied by the family; in it they eat, drink and sleep. In the centre is the hearth, pothooks, &c. depending from the roof; raised benches occupy two sides of the room affording sitting and sleeping accommodation. On the end wall are hung numerous fishing and hunting implements, and skulls of animals, &c. killed in the chase. The ground was floored with rough boards, and small pieces of matting were used when sitting à la Japonaise.
The women manufacture cloth from bark fibre. It is woven in a very primitive way, but is strong and lasting, and is very cheap.
Rope of all sizes is made of bark fibre, beautifully laid, a 9-inch hawser 42 fathoms in length costing equal to £3 sterling.
Each Aino canoe is fashioned out of one log of timber, generally elm; two men will fashion one out in five days: these are canoes for river work; those used on the sea coast have the bottom dug out, the sides laced on, and the prow and stern laced together with bark fibre.
The river canoes are most skilfully managed with either pole or puddle by the Ainos. The Japanese caunot manage a canoe properly.
Urap’ to Oshamambei, distance fifteen miles. Crossed
