New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-24
A PRIMITIVE PEOPLE.
THE ADORIGINES OF TIE ISLAND Of
SAkIIALIN.
WITH TRANS-SIBERIAN SANAGES. By 900 a5
" hnucIass Howard ~ A. octave. PIP. x. 2rs
London and New-York: Longmans Green q
1893

London and New-York: Longmans, Green x
Co.; 1888.
The information in regard to the contemplated
deportation of Siberian prisoners to the remote
exile station of the Russian Government III the
North Pacific which has filtered through SiaVc
and European newspapers will have whetted curl
ositv ag to Mr. Howard's book on the island OF
Sakhalin Attentive study of this Admirably con-
densed contribution to cthnographlcal literature
will not be disappointing. Mr.. Howard describes d
group OF racial phenomena when Is unique "'iio''s
the present explored quarters of the globe ana oil
which the origin is concealed in the gloom Oh dl-
tiquity Sakhalin is an island little over o''
miles long living in the Sea of Okhotsk. OIL the
coast of Manchuria. 1t is separated from 'he
latter by the Gulf OF Tartary. Its nearest neiSh-
Dor to the south Is Japan. to which IL forhirN
belonged Eighteen years Russia obtained
possession of the island, and converted 1t into
gigantic prison. 1t lies in sub-Arcic ATTITUDES. ana
even in the southern portion has winter eight or
nine months long. during which the temperature
Is sometimes II degrees below zero. RUSSIA '''
made this island-her most eastern proVihee-lne
abode Of her worst criminals. SO rigorous Is inc
climate so severe the punishments emp''ye"
there. and slender are the chances Tor escape
that il IS spoken of as the Hell OF Sakhaln.
Into this inferno Mr.. Howard was privileged anu
had the intrepdity to enter. He went ho"e'e'' ~
study something other than the Nussla" Pi''.''
system and his book treats not OF eNie" nu' 81 Wv
be said at once that far as the origin q ""7
race is concerned Mr. Howard leaves them where
he found them. They spranc. 1t is ProDape' ""''
Aryan stock. but when and how they lelt "''
Asatic mainland. settling in Sakhaiin ana h''e' III
yezo the northernmost Of the japanese Islands
may still afford "A basis Of argument among SPeo'a'
lists The service which Mr.. Howard renders 10 ahe
latter is in giving minute pictu or the Mn" hc
and manners. The title Of his book is well ehosen'
He literally lived with the savages, alone ana mn
mately To do required courage III pte"'H."',
times the Anus are believed to have hourished'
and their present mode of life Is hardly more SO
nbisticated than Il IS likely to have been IN tho
dawn of their existence. They are a gentle even
religious people but they live In state OF aoSoiue
filth and savagery. eating raw the hesh ol uosS'
They differ from all other savages IN having
growth of hair ever the entire body. Mr.. Howard
speaks of the aged chief. whose hut he shared III
the Ainu village as muscular, bat with limbs
rather decat Fly tapering TO small hands ana iee'
His color was between copper and deep walnut
stain" Less "lordly than the Zulu. and OF less
majestic dignity than Sioux chief ne was
nevertheless says Mr.. Howard. 'for kindly dignity
Socratc physiogromy and wnsome benignity as
savage simply incompatible" The portrait OF an
Ainu woman in the Russian hospital at korSakon
is not so attractive. but 1t deserves reproduction
here for the type 1t represents Is remarkable. Inc
flesh tint - was that of pale Turkish tobacco
the frame massive, face large. stupid. blank. ex-
pressionless; forehead low and almost concealed
by mass Of hair black and shiny as highy
polished boot The eyes, which were naturally
large and black the hair and were horizon
tai had their angles extended in the latest ballet
fashion, making them quite prod.Gious; N" his
which were exceedingly full and large. were
tatooed blue black and TO add to her feminine
charms the upper lip. which was long, was tattooed
with the resemblance Of a fierce black moustache
extending to the ears the latter being heavily
weighted with pendent shells The most
~ hQ he m
body was hairy than the most hairy man
saw"
Mr. Howard succeeded in. penetrating to the
forest home Of the Anus through the iptercession
OF Russian officials and WAS received there by
the "Aiona rak garu' people who smell Of their
ancestors as q person OF distinction who had
come from place distant the moon for the
express purpose Of making their acquaintance
He seems TO have their hearts instantly
through generous tactics. and permitted to
famarze himself with their daily life. He fshed
and hunted with them. learning methods Of sport
which we'll worth reading about in the modest
account OF his adventures; he witnessed the cere-
monies by which the Anus attempt to pacify
their gods; he was made an honorary chief Of the
village; he offered a bride and new hut as
inducements to remain with them. and he was
finally initiated into OF their most jealousy
guarded secrets. the mode Of poisoning the arrows
which their only weapons save knives The
typical shelter of the Anus is wedge shaped
hut Of grass thatch with hole in the roof for
a chimney and with one window. This window
bears upon Of the most striking details OF
Ainu custom. 1t invariably faces eastward
and from the fact that the corner Of the room In
which 1t is placed is maintained the sacred
corner" of the dwelling. the spot nearest which
honored guest is always requested to reposc, 1t
is to be inferred that some religious meaning Is
attached to that side of the structure which greets
the rising Near this window Is always placed
the household Inao object of even greater
interest than the window. with its mysterious
hints of worship The Inao is a kind OF broom
made of wood and thrust In the ground with the
bristng end upward The bristes and the size
of the stick contain the principal keys to the sou-
ton the Anu religion. for in presenting points
of difference among Il number of specimens they
suggest polytheistic Interpretation OF mono
theistic symbol. The Inao, in fact is not fetish
but a variant, to say, Of three generic stages
within the limits of the Ainu theology. There Is
one supreme god the creator Of all things: there
is supreme devil, and there Is one divine
man, the original ancestor OF the Anus, who pre-
sides their Beneath this trinitarian govern
ment of the universe there operate nnumerabie
lesser spirits or gods as the divinity Of rivers,
the divinity of the sea and the divinity of fire.
Mr.. Howard relates the experience OF one blvouac
after a deer hunt thus: "As quickly as they could
several of them began running about selecting
sticks of a certain kind. eight OF which they
began to white until each of them had bunch
of undetached shavings at the top and sharp point
at the bottom. These they proceeded TO stick into
the ground IL 10 stake off what evidently
to be sleeping ground around the fire. at the
eastern side Of which they placed OF the sticks
which much longer than the rest Before this
they then made various prostrations. and with
tain utterances which sounded like nvocations they
laid a haunch OF first buck" The invocation
ran: ooh. Goddess of Fire. present this Inao unto
thee. Pray watch over us tonight and ask the
deities to grant us success when awake To
what dim stage Of Aryan development is the re-
lgion OF which this is manifestation be
traced? The Japanese have been very closely In
volved with the Anus but even in Yezo. where
these primitive folk under the direct domination
of Japan. no Buddhistic elements have been i'm
ported into their theology. Mr. Howard leans TO the