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the Urap’ river by ferry boat and followed the beach, observed an old embankment about three miles long and parallel to the sea, inside was a large, flat stretch of land intersected by several artificial drains; this place had the appearance of having been at one time under cultivation.
Five miles from Urap’ reached the Aino village of Kumai; here the bluffs retire from the beach, and the land seems to be gaining upon the sea, from this to Oshamambei the hills gradually become small and the plain is intersected by many small streams. Some small garden patches were under cultivation.
The sand hills that fringe the bay are covered with dwarf rose bushes, the flower, large single damask, and very highly scented. The natives eat the seeds of which they collect large quantities.
Near Oshamambei two or three Aino families were observed hauling a seine, men, women and children all assisted. The take consisted of young mackerel, sprats, halibut and plaice. Some of the latter bad orange colored bellies and dark rough backs. We took some of the fish and had great difficulty in inducing the Ainos to accept payment.
The boats employed in the herring fisheries are large and well built, some of them pull as many as twenty oars.
Oshamambei is a good-sized but straggling village. A lagoon divides it from the fishing station, where are situated the store houses, look out station and the Aino settlement. The lagoon is fordable and is formed by the bar of a river that here flows into the bay.
Oshamambei via Kura Matsunai to Ota-shutz situated on the west coast of Yeso, distance 25 miles.
A very bad bridle path leads in a N. W. direction through the forest with partial clearings, the path here winds up and down the sides of a succession of straggling hills. Seven miles from Oshamambei and at an elevation of 110 feet, crossed a rapid stream also a ridge (elevation 275 feet) and reached the top of the pass, (elevation 360 feet) from thence over very hilly country with a gradual descent to Kuro Matsunai, situated in a narrow valley
