Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-06-06
4 STRANGE HUMAN RACE
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PEOPL Z
ON THE YEZO ISLAND.

The Amos and tho Pit Dwel1ers Who
Preceded Them-Curious Habits of tho
Orientals-Resu.ts of Professor Hitch
| cocks Explorations.
Standing in the midst of collection in
big glass case recently set up in the Ma
tional museum at Washington is the figure
OF a man little below the average height
of the Caucasian. This is a typical Aino,
modelled by the clever artists attached to
the museum; flesh tints, eyes, beard, hair
and all reproduced exactly as they appear
in life and clad in garments woven by
Amos. Around him are household nipple
ments, shuttles for weaving, fishing spears
and tackle, bows and arrows and the other
rude furnishings that represent all that the
arts of this primitive people have produced
to raise them above absolute savagery. An
interesting part of the collection is an Aino
house reproduced in miniature, with it's
storehouse and other appurtenances.
The Aino in the center of the case has a
great shock of gray hair, huge gray beard
and shaggy eyebrows. His complexion is
of a light coppery hue, his cheek bones
high and his nose straight, but broad at
the base. On his head is triangular
shaped head dress. A long gown grdled
at the waist and ornamented with designs
embroidered in white on dark blue base
reaches from his shoulders below his knees.
His legs down to his ankles are protected
by leggings and his feet are bare. Over one
shoulder is slung by light strap a haver-
sack woven of rushes. In his belt or girdle
at his left side is supported a wooden culver
filled with arrows, and behind in his girdle
is thrust carved stick, to which is at
tached the little basket or pouch in which
the Aino carries his supply of smoking to-
bacco.
LIFE OF THE INHABITANT.
The modern explorer carries. camera
strapped over his shoulder or secured upon
his saddle. When he gets home if any one
questions his statements he can produce
the irrefutable evidence of a Photographic
record. Professor Romyn Hitchcock, of
the National museum, when he Travelled
recently in the island of Yezo, Japan, and
the islands known as the Kurilcs, stretch
ing in IL long chain northward from Yezo
almost to Kamchatka, collected not only
complete series of specimens illustrative
of the life of the inhabitants of these al
most unknown lands, but also secured
large number of photographs that in them
selves make Il graphic and interesting rec
ord of his journey. The case in which the
model of the Aino stands is filled with the
specimens collected by Professor Hitch
cock The Aino figure was modelled on
photographs and measurements taken by
him from these far away shores.
1t has been only recently that anything
has been known of any part of Yezo, ex-
cept certain districts lying on the coast
The first extensive exploration of the isl
and was made by an American, r. w
Blakiston, in 1872. Mr.. Blakiston, how
ever, confined his observations chiefly to
the birds and plants and contributed vastly
to the knowledge of the botany and or
anthology of the region. No one explored
the country to any extent with view to
studying it's human inhabitants until Mr.
Hitchcock made his journey in 1883. Such
information as had been printed concern
ing the Amos was gathered by travellers
who visited the coast settlements in the
vicinity of Hakodate and Nemoro. In
some of these settlements the native Gus
toms of the Amos have been corrupted by
contact with the Japanese, and their phys
ical characteristics have been obliterated
or modified by intermarriage with the Jap
anese.
Even among the Japanese who are found
at Hakodate such ignorance exists as to
the inhabitants of the island that Professor
Hitchcock was assured he would find no
Amos in the northern part of the island
whittier he intended journeying, and he
was almost led by the positiveness CT the
assurances to change his route and content
himself with skirting along the coast to
Nemoro. At Nemoro, however, he was en-
70, bo Il,
travels coastwise to a point on the northern
side of the island, and then turning inland
made journey on horseback of 800 miles
through the mountainous interior of the
island.
THE PIT JEWELLERS.
When asked by reporter about the re-
suits of his explorations, Mr.. Hitchcock
spoke first of evidences he had found relat-
ing to the inhabitants of the island preced-
ing the Aino occupation. These evidences
were in the form of pits, generally rectar-
gular in shape and found in groups on the
coast indicating that the island was once
inhabited by pit jewellers. When, in 1885,
the Japanese government coded the big
island of Saghalien to Russia it received in
return from Russia quit claim to the
Kurile Islands. The few Inhabitants of
these islands were collected together and
moved to Shikotan, small island just off
the coast of Yezo where they could be nearer
the Japanese. These people lived chiefly
by fishing and emigrated constantly from
one island to another. Now, under the
changed conditions in which they live in
Shikotan, they are dying off rapidly.
Professor Hitchcock when he visited
them found that the remnant of the tribe
still existing numbered only about seventy
five people, many of whom were enfeebled
by consumption. Their dress resembled
that of Europeans and indicated the effects
of Russian influence. Their features and
hair are much like those of the Esquimaux
The special point of interest in them dis
covered by Professor Hitchcock was the
character of their dwellings. They build
up walls or mounds of earth, which they
thatch over. The floors are a foot or two
below the ground outside. These novels
when they collapse form, in the course of
time, pits like those discovered on the
coast of Yezo. This fact is taken by Pro
fessor Hitchcock as evidence that this peo-
pie, now represented by handful of men,
women and children. less in number than
the inmates of an ordinary tenement house,
once inhabited the great island of Yezo.
The Japanese conduct the business of the
island and are settled in considerable num-
bers at Hakodate, Nemoro and other ports,
where the products of the Yezo fisheries
and of the few industries of the island are
shipped. The Amos dwell, as rule, on
the coast, as they subsist chiefly by fishing.
In the journey through the interior Pro
fessor Hitchcock, who had a japanese
companion, found few inhabitants. At one
place he found community of Amos en-
gagged in mining for sulphur on the side of
an active volcano.
Professor Hitchcock described the Amos
to the reporter as the dirtiest of men
They never wash, and their hair and beard,
which are of most luxuriant growth, hang
about their heads in matted mass. Ow-
ing to their lack Of cleanliness it is quite
difficult to make out what their real COM
pleXion is.-Washington Star
Long Ago.
Allusions to the flight of time often pro-
duce strained relations, even between the
dearest friends. II always liked those
flowers" said one lady, admiringly regard
ing the bonnet worn by another ''They
ALWAYS ramipd mo of our fret ,,,oo+;,,r 80.