12 HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 



prudence Thompson, after waiting for them a considerable 

 time, had determined to dispense with them altogether, or 

 the expedition would have been delayed an indefinite time ; 

 indeed, entirely abandoned. 



A raised poop, about two feet six inches high, extending 

 aft from the mainmast, gave good head room to the cabin 

 and, stopping short at the cabin scuttle, left a large cockpit, 

 in which were the wheel and binnacle. Taken altogether, 

 she was a strong, roomy little craft; her principal weakness, 

 we soon discovered, was a decided tendency to make leeway, 

 consequent on her great beam and light draught; and, though 

 the latter on more than one occasion saved a scrape on the 

 rocks, the uncomfortable fact was always present that, 

 should it come to clawing off a lee shore, our position would 

 be anything but agreeable, and our chances of the smallest. 



The difficulties attending the design of a vessel especially 

 adapted for the purposes of sea-otter hunting were, almost 

 of necessity, very great, and will be appreciated when it 

 is remembered how many essential points have to be 

 considered. 



Room on deck was required for four boats, three for 

 hunting, and one for such rough work as getting wood and 

 water; these had all to be lashed on deck when not in use ; 

 below, storage for eight or ten months' provisions fora large 

 crew, water for all purposes for a month, wood for the store, 

 galley, cabins and magazine, and yet the craft to be 

 sufficiently small to be worked in all kinds of weather by two 

 men and a boy, only one of whom, the ship-keeper, would 

 be a sailor. The crew consisted of nine men supposed to 

 be sailors, a cook, and a cabin boy. All of them were 

 natives, and occupied the fo'castle, the after part of which 

 formed the galley. The hold, with its two large wooden 

 water tanks, spare sails, and stores of all kinds, came next, 

 and was divided from our mess cabin by a sliding door, 

 through which the boy brought our meals. Right aft was 

 Snow's cabin, which was also the magazine, and as he was 

 the only non-smoker of the party he had the distinction of 



