Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-05-01
WOODBURY., n. J.. THURSDAY. NAY |, 1884,

They are then skinned and cooked, and
a scene of reVeIry and wild orgies en-
sues. The skins and skulls, which are
regarded as great prize, are retained by
the man who captured the cubs and
reared them. The skulls he impales on
the ends of long poles planted in front
Of his hut, and night and morning he
offers up his benisons to them.
1t is common sight, when riding
through an Aino village, to see before a
number of the huts bears skulls bleached
to ghastIy whiteness by exposure to the
weather. The possessor Of such a skull
is an object of envy to his less success
full neighbors.
The weapons of the Aino consist Of a
rude bow and arrow, the latter tipped
with fnely-pointed bamboo, spear with
a bamboo head of dangerous sharpness,
and primitive sort Of hatchet and
knife. They do not seem to use metal
for their arrow or spear-heads, although
numerous specimens Of such heads, made
of copper, have been unearthed from
time to time. They poison their arrow
heads with the juice of herbs-aconite
forming principal ingredient.
Their method Of salutation is some
what odd. When one Aino meets another,
friend or stranger, he stops, and if he
wears a head-ge (which he generally
does not), he removes it; then raising
both hands to the face, with the palms
inward, he slowly strokes the beard down
three times, each time inclining the body.
After this ceremony, which he performs
slowly and deliberately, he utters his
words of greeting or inquiry.
They have also curious drinking Gus
tom. After the bowl or cup is filed and
placed before the drinker, there is laid
across it a mustache lifter-for the mus
tache is so long and thick that it forms a
complete veil to the mouth. and in either
eating or drinking the mustache litter is
invariably used. This litter consists of
piece Of wood, very thin, several inches
in length and about an inch wide, and
generally decorated with carved figures
cut in the wood or some fantastic arrange
ment of curves and lines. When the
drinker raises the cup he takes his mus
tache litter in his left hand, dips one end
of it in the sake and throws to his right
the drops that adhere to it, and repeats
the performance, throwing the drops to
the left, meanwhile muttering in low
monotone prayer or invocation to his
favorite god, after which he raises his
mustache with his litter, puts the cup to
his lips, and, whether it be large or small,
drains it to the dregs. No matter how
often he drinks, each time he goes through
this formula.
The Amos navigate the rivers and
along the coast in canoes roughly hol-
lowed out of the trunks Of trees. These
canoes are painted at either end, the
smaller ones beng padded by one man
in the stern, while the larger ones are pro-
PEELED and guided by two men, one in
the bow and another in the stern. They
resemble somewhat the perianguas of the
Louisiana bayous, and, of course, are
easily upset Great skill is displayed in
their management, and serious accident
is of rare occurrence.
AS horsemen the Amos are expert and
fearless, rivaiing the most sAilltul Amer
lean Indians in this respect.
At one time it was said that this race
was rapidly Disappearing before the on
ward march of the higher civilization Of
the Japanese, but later statistics show
that this is not the case.
The women have custom of tattooing
themselves, initiating on the upper lip
the mustache of man, and dis6guring
their arms and lower limbs with curious
figures and odd designs The upper
lip tattooing is especially consid-
cred by them as great personal adorn-
ment