A Point Scored.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 426, 16 June 1904, Page 3

A Point Scored.

A Sound Lesson from Other People's Experience. Umiaeeef fifire. & LE&I0& {St AH OUMRtBbVOKHS.) Many people with troops of friends get at Christmas time more present* than th«y care for. A perfect avalanche of turkeys and other good things descends on them, and they grumble at these, at the worry of haying everything come together without knowing how to use them all. But there are gifts which prove serviceable all the year, round, such a one being bestowed upon our readers by Mrs. Cecilia Lemon, 61 Gisborne-street, South Dunedia, who said to an enquiring pressman : " "I was living its Mornington six years ago, and for soma time before leaving that locality I was not at all well. My system seemed to be broken down, and I could not get along with my work.- My trouble was indigestion." " Are you quite sure," said the reporter, " that you have not made a mistake about your complaint V " Yes; I know it was indigestion, because I had been to a doctor, and no was treating me for that ailment. Altogether I suffered a good many years, and it seemed so painfully strange to me that the doctor's medicines could never do me any good; After so much ineffective treatment, I began to think I would never be oured, and I thought I would rather anything happen than I would live continually in such misery. It wee so long since I had been able to sit. down and eat a good, meat that I had almost forgotten what it was like to have an appetite 5 but my great misfortune was that the little I 'did eat had no strengthening effect upon me, and, besides, it gave, me such an immense amount of pain. The oppression in my chest after the taking of nourishment was almost unbearable. Everything seemed to lie like a great weight and step up the passages through which I breathed, and the pains not only affected my ohtssi, but also Went right through into my shoulders." It was quite a oommon thing for me, when I was doing a little dusting or othor light duties in the house, to be taken with sudden fits of giddiness, which affected me so badly that I would have to put aside whatever I was doing, and rest until the attack had gone away." The daily decrease in my vitality brought further disaster to me in the form of nervousness, as I could not bear- to hear any noise, and if_ I got startled by any manner of means my nerves trembled to great excess. Such adversities as these were bad enough to endure during the day, but when, through. sleeplessness, I had to put Up with them again at night, it was really terrible After lying awake for hours it was usual for me to fall into a slumber that did not do me much good, for I was dreaming all the time, and I awoke feeling as tired as ever. I was troubled greatly with flatulence, and although I was considerably weakened right throughout, yet it was in my back that I felt the weakness most, and the aches across my loins were very troublesome. That wearying sickness brought my weight down a good deal, but now, I am thankful to say, I am as stout aud hearty as ever I was, and it is all due to the cure which I managed to obtain through the use of Clements Tonic." "Were you. advised to use that remedy V " No. I read a testimonial about it, and the case was just like the one I was complaining of, so I thought Clements Tonic might do me good, too, even though the doctor's medicines were of no avail; and it was a blessing that I did get some, for I picked up my health with remarkable rapidity, Clements Tonic acted well upon my whole system, giving me an appetite and such freedom from pains, giddiness, and nervousness that in a short space of time I scarcely knew myself. I could not realise that the complaint which for several years.had held out defiantly against all previous treatment was really being conquered at last, but' the fact became patent to me later on. Headaches, sleeplessness, flatulence, aud the other tortures of indigestion were gone, and I always'slept soundly, and awoke feeling fit for the day's work. Believe me, it was a happy release, and I shall never forget Clements Tonic for it." " How are others to know your experience V •?* You can publish my story in any way you please.'* f- : ; \" : : '±"~" "."

The Hairy Men of Japan "• ~.;■. . •:',., ov -,. .'— . .. When the present 1 Japanese nu mjj tered the;isla;nde Which are* now known !?.?.!. iM -Empire of, Japan, they found living there a race of primitive men a»d women whom they conquered and drove northward. They were the Ainus, a remarkable race 0! hairy people who now inhabit the island of Yeezo, the extreme northern island of Japan, Ti,, y have no written record* of any kind aud very little is known about them. A few foreign investigators, owing to their somewhat white colour of skin, class them ai decendants of. a white European race. The men are noted for their strange physical appearance, short and rugged stature, and their faces, which are„n.early white are covered with a long growth of hair, while they have extraordinarily long beards. The hair upon their bodies often resembles a thick coat, black and curly, extending to the extremities of the upper and lower limbs. Both sexes wear odd garments woven out of the back of- a tree. The women,- and especially the young ones, are much better looking than the men, and are often sought after by the Japanese for wives. They have imitation moustaches, tatooed on the tipper lip. The tattooing is done by degrees, and it requires several months to complete. It is accomplished as follow*: —A pile of birch bark is burned under a kettle until the bottom is well blackened and coated with soot. The women, with knives, then make inois* ions on the part to be tattoos, after wltich they take some of the :: * - ipon their fingers and rub it v>* ■ i the slashes which have been made. The garments, which, as we have.said, are m>!'le out of bark, are made by the women, but a few of the better class Ainus wear Japanese clothes. In V\ inter, skins are thrown over the bark garments for greater warmth. The women appear to be very fond of their husbands, and decorate their garment* in showy patterns. The most sacred belonging to the Ainu is his prayer stick, a piece of carved wood which is hungup in the home, or near tie river, or wells, or in his storehouse. Whenever a hunter goes ant, a prayer stick is made to ensure success, and when out on the sea, if a storm should blow up, they make another prayer stick and throw it overboard as a petition to the sea-god for protection. • The Ainu bear hunter can put t< sbiime the best modern sportsman. His method is thrilling and dangerous. The bears spend their winter in eaves and holes. Long poles are pushed inside, and if one comes out he falles an ea>y victim to the poisoned arrow—ofton they are smoked out. When Bi uin is first shot, being full of pain, he is savage, and furiously attacks his enemy. BeiDg now at close quartern, the Ainu discards his bow and arrow and prepares to make a final onslaught upon the creature. The wounded and enraged beast rises upright on his haunches, ready to pounce upon his assailant. The Ainu hunter watohes his chance to make the fatal thrust. At the right time he rushes point blank into the animal's embrace and plunges his knife into his body, but does net always escape without a reminder of his encounter. He is almost sure to get severely scratched, frequently scalped, and sometimes killed. Besides being the hairiestand nearly the most primitive people in existence, the Ainus are likewise ene of the greatest puzzles to anthropologists, as their, origin is absolutely shrouded in obscurity. As we have said, they have no written records of any kind, nor have the Japanese any data throwing light on their past ancestry. sequently, there is a great diversity of opinion among; the leading scholars as to their exact origin. They are sub*" jects of Japan, hut have novokt rathe government, being simply lei to shift v ,. wo ambitions, and have not mtrrouced any of the arts and progressive ideas of their Japanese neighbours into their life. The Ainus number about 16,000, whioh is only the remnant of a once powerful race.- ■■ ..-' ~~; - -,, ,■;,•'■;;■■