172 MARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 
scent of the encampment. The morning repast over, they again embark in their 
cockle-shell boats, launch through the surf, gain the open sea, and paddle or sail 
along the shores in search of " Otter signs." But the scarcity of Otters on the old 
hunting-grounds has developed the character of these fearless hunters, who, in order 
to still maintain their game -life, have again reluctantly taken to their pigmy sea- 
craft — a small vessel of forty tons — in which they have stretched across the Pacific 
to the western Kuriles (the extreme geographical limit of the breeding- grounds), 
and now successfully pursue them around those rugged islands during summer, 
returning again to the California shores with their rich booty as winter approaches. 
Hunting from the Shore. — From San Francisco northward, as far as Juan de 
Fuca Strait, the hunting is chiefly prosecuted by shooting the animals from the 
shore ; the most noted grounds being between Gray's Harbor and Point Grenville 
— a belt of low coast, lying within the parallels of 46° and 48°, north latitude. 
The white hunter builds his two log -cabins; one, near the southern limits of 
his beat, and the other at its northern terminus near Point Grenville. During the 
prevalence of the southerly winter gales he takes up his quarters at the last-named 
station, as the game is found there more frequently ; but when the summer winds 
sweep down from the north he changes his habitation, and pursues the animals 
about the breakers of Gray's Harbor. From early dawn until the sun sinks beneath 
the horizon, the hunter, with rifle in hand and ammunition slung across his shoul- 
der, walks the beach on the lookout for "a shot." The instant one is seen, crack 
goes the rifle ; but it is seldom the animal is secured by one fire. A Sea Otter's 
head bobbing about in the restless swell is a very uncertain mark ; and if instantly 
killed, the receding tide or adverse wind might drift the animal seaward : so that, 
even if it eventually drift to shore, it may be far out of sight from the hunters 
by day, or be thrown on the rocks by the surge during the night, and picked up 
by some of the strolling Indians who run the beach in quest of any dead seal 
or Otter that may come in their way. 
The difficulty in shooting from the shore, when the marksman stands nearly on 
a level with the ever - changing swell, has always been an aggravating annoyance ; 
to avoid which, the hunters now use a sort of ladder, or, as it may be termed, 
two ladders, joined near the upper ends by a hinge, spreading at the lower ends, 
forming a triangle — when placed on the beach or in the edge of the water — on 
which the hunter climbs in order to gain elevation. The ladders are made of light 
material, so that they can be easily carried at any time, should the sea be ruffled 
by a local wind or waves from seaward. When an Otter is seen, up go the lad- 
ders, and up goes the hunter to the topmost round, and fires. The shot is repeated 
