Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-02-13
A STRANGE RACE.
The Japanese AbOrigines Pictures
Of the 'AinOs."

A SIKANUE hACE.
The Japanese Aborigines-Graphic Pictures
of the Amos
In her recent work, Unbeaten Tracks
in Japan, Miss Isabella L. Bird gives
some graphic pictures Of the Amos, OF
aborigines' of the island of Yezo,
Japan. ''After the yellow skins, the
stiff horse hair, the feeble eyelids, the
elongated eyes, the slOping eyebrows,
the fiat noses, the sunken cheeks, the
monaghan features, the puny physique,
the shaky walk of the men, the
restricted totter of the women. and
the general impression Of the
degeneracy conveyed by the appear
ance of the Japanese, the Amos, she
says, make a very singular impress
sion. All but two or three that have
seen are the most Notwithstanding Of
savages, with a physique vigorous
enough for carrying out the most
ferociouS intentions, but as soon as
they speak the countenance brightens
into smile as gentle as that of wo-
man, something which can never be
forgotten. The men are about the
middle height, broad-chested, broad
shOuldered, thick-set, very strongly
built, the arms and legs short, thick
and muscular, the hands and feet large.
The bodies, and especially the limbs
of many are covered with short bristly
hair. I have seen two boys whose
backs are covered with fur as fine and
soft as that of a cat. The heads and
faces are very striking. The fore
heads are very high, broad and
prominent, and at first sight give one
the impression of an unusual capacity
for intellectual development; the ears
are small and set low; the noses are
straight, but short, and broad at the
nostrils: the mouths are wide but well
formed, and the lips rarely show a
tendency to fulness. The neck is short,
the Uranium rounded, the cheek-boneS
low, and the lower part of the face is
small as compared with the upper, the
popularity called a jOwl being I'M
known. The eyebrows are full, and
form straight line nearly across the
face. The eyes are large, tolerably
deeply set, and very beautiful, the
color a rich, liquid brown. the express
sion singularly soft, and the eyelashes
long, silky and abundant. The skin
has the Italian olive tint, but in most
cases is thin, and light enough to show
the changes of color in the cheek. The
teeth are small, regular, and very
white; the incisOrS and eye teeth are
not disproportionately large, as is usu-
ally the case among the japanese,
there is no tendency towards
prognathism, and the fold of integu-
ment which conceals the upper eye
lids of the japanese is never to be met
with. The features expression. and
aspect are European rather than
Asiatic.
1.-The ferocious savagery of the
appearance of the men is produced by
a profusion of thick, soft. black hair.
divided in the middle, and falling in
heavy masses nearly to the shoulders.
Out of doors it is kept from falling
over the face by fillet round the brow.
The boards are equally prOfuse, quite
magnificent, and generally wavy, aud
in the case of the old men they give a
truly patriarchal and venerable aspect,
in spite of the yellow tinge produced
by smoke and want of cleanliness.
The savage look produced by the mas
seS of hair and beard, and the thick
eyebrows, is mltigated by the soft
ness in the dreamy brown eyes, and is
altogether Obliterated by the exceed
ing sweetness of the smile. which be-
longs in greater OF less degree to all
the rougher sex. have measured
the height of thirty of the adult men
of this village, and it ranges from five
feet four inches to five feet six and a
half inches. The circumference of
the heads averages 22.l inches, and the
arc, from ear to ear, thirteen inches.
The average weight of the Aino adult
masculine brain, ascertained by
measurement of AinO skulls, is 1890
ounces avoirdupois. a brain weight said
to excel that of all the races. HindoO
and Mussulman, on the Indian plains.
and that of the aboriginal races Of
India and Ceylon, and is only parallel
led by that of the races Of the Hima-
layas. the Siamese and the Chinese
Burmese.