458 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



the waves before the next one arrived. The islet on which 

 we were stranded was small, and contained scarcely any- 

 thing interesting except a few breeze -torn firs, a meagre 

 grass, and some humble flowers ; yet it was land, and it 

 was therefore very important then. In wandering about 

 it, I noticed several caverns through which the seething 

 waves dashed in masses of foam, and roared and rumbled 

 as if they were in the greatest distress. Mingled with this 

 thundering were the screaming of the wind and the cries 

 of many seals sounds which seemed to be in harmony with 

 the boisterous elements of air and sea; and on looking 

 down through an opening in the basaltic crags I saw a 

 number of the animals lying on the rocks below, but they 

 were beyond the heavy blows of the billows. Pointing 

 this out to one of the men, I told him he had evidently 

 come to a good place; but he only gravely shook his head, 

 and walked away without uttering a word. 



Toward evening the storm abated somewhat, but the 

 violence of the wind was followed by a heavy rain that 

 caused the sky to look like a black pall. To avoid this, 

 we sought shelter in a cavern ; yet that was not rain-proof 

 enough to keep us from getting a drenching. Our posi- 

 tion was made more uncomfortable by the want of food; 

 for though the Indians had some dried clams, which they 

 ate with avidity, I had nothing, as I expected to return to 

 the reservation the same day. I envied my dusky compan- 

 ions their stomachs and appetites just then, and wished I 

 had them for a short time, as I was very hungry, and I 

 kept wishing it so much that I finally tried to eat some 

 of their loathsome food ; but I had not eaten the second 

 mouthful before I was seized with nausea and its conse- 

 quence. This made me so faint that I could scarcely 

 move; and when I thought of my situation and dripping 

 garments, I wished myself back on the main-land. 



The storm having decreased in violence by midnight, it 

 was decided to re-embark, if possible ; so the canoe was 

 launched on a receding wave by two Indians, who were 

 stripped to the buff. 



