The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-03-21

original inhabitants of the islands. These people
are characterized by dark-brown hair, dark-whlte
skim a very hairy body; in fact, they are the
hairiest people in the world | recently saw some
specimens of this race at ST. Louis. They are
absolute savages They live by hunting and fish
ing They know almost nothing of agriculture
or any civilized art and they full of superstl-
tions. They live In square one-room huts made
of sticks and grass with thatched roofs. The door
of the house always faces to the west; the window
always to the east The fireplace is in the centre
The head of the family sits on the north side
of the hearth the mother and children on the
south side and strangers on the east side
"The religion of these people is very interest
ing. They believe that the sun, MOON animals
and almost all things have spirits They offer
sacrifices and prayer to these spirits and make
charms for them. The charms consist of sticks
shaved into curls at end, resembling paper
fy-brushes These charms are called mas. Some
of them are hung up in the house to represent the
spirit that holds up the roof, some to represent
their ancestors and one to represent the spirit
that protects the house. Outside of the east
window there is piece of sacred ground about
twenty feet square where number of mao are
stuck up to represent the snrit of the sun, moon,
bear, etc.
'These people are devoted to bear hunting just
as the North American Indians devoted to
hunting the buffalo. They capture cubs, which
the women keep in pens and frequently suckle
from their breast. In the month OF March the
bears are killed. all the people shave, take bath
and have great feast.
FWell, as have said these people once oc-
cupied the whole area of these islands, but when
the japanese in from the south, the Ainu,
unwilling to give up their hunting life,
forced northward. They were treated very much
as we treated the Indians. They have been ruth
lessly killed out, and now number only about
$4,000, and are confined to the island of Zeso.
"It is not known when the Japanese invaded
the islands. 1t is believed that the Japanese are
made up of mixture of the Chinese, Koreans,
Malayans, and perhaps Paquans who have at va
rious times migrated to these islands, intermixed
and finally formed the present Japanese type
According to traditions, the present Mikado
Emperor is a direct descendant of two divini-
ties who created the land of Japan and it's people
The early religion of Japan consisted of Shinto-
ism, sort of worship of the forces of nature
and ancestor worship. The Empire was governed
by the divine Mikado who exercised absolute au-
thority.
"About the time of Christ, celebrated Empress
finger Kogo, clad in mans armour commanded
army and fleet and invaded Korea From this
event began the introduction of Chinese civiliza-
ton in Japan. The japanese adopted the Chinese
literature and art, and in many ways were FRO
foundly influenced by their yellow kinsmen
"The japanese have gone through long period
of feudalism. In the twelfth century one of the
feudal lords, through victories over his enemies.
became powerful that he was made Shotgun.
e., the military leader, whose Office was to pre-