HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 9 



So the Snowdrop was commenced, and shortly after- 

 wards Snow returned to Yokohama. 



To hunt the sea otter properly three boats are required, 

 each carrying four hands ; two to row, one with a paddle, 

 to steer, and one to shoot. The first three, it was intended, 

 should be Japanese, the last necessarily a European or 

 American. Snow and myself would each take a boat, 

 therefore another comrade was required. Fortunately, a 

 young Englishman was soon found as third hunter; he 

 possessed a captain's certificate in the American mercantile 

 marine ; our new associate could thus discharge the double 

 functions of hunter and skipper, but his certificate necessi- 

 tated our sailing under the stars and stripes. This was no 

 disadvantage, for America was represented at that time by 

 a very able and energetic minister, whose recall later on 

 through the exigencies of political parties was much 

 regretted by the community, as he had so zealously watched 

 over and protected their interests and policy. Perhaps the 

 most important part of all, that of ship-keeper, so called 

 from his having to keep, or work, the vessel, as the case 

 might be, while the boats and most of the crew were away 

 hunting, was to be filled by the same man who had accom- 

 panied Snow before. In this we were exceptionally 

 fortunate, for Mr. Baker, a Jerseyman, held a first mate's 

 certificate, and was, moreover, like most 'Channel Islanders, 

 a thorough seaman, full of resources as a sailor should be, 

 sober, active, and capital company. His services from first 

 to last were invaluable. 



On Sunday, April igth, with a perfect cargo of 

 guns, rifles, ammunitions, and stores of all kinds, we em- 

 barked for Hakodate in an old P. & O. steamer which had 

 been bought and re-christened by the Japanese. Our 

 skipper soon discovered, to his disgust, that she was com- 

 pletely manned and commanded by Japanese rather an 

 unusual thing in those days, it being the rule to have at 

 least a European or American captain and engineer. As 

 he seemed much put out on this point, we proposed that he 



