32 HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 



After passing over a mile of frozen sea, which separated 

 the exploring party from the land, they reached the 

 unfortunate settlers, who were found in a most deplorable 

 condition. There was scarcely one of them who had not 

 suffered more or less severely from frost bite, many having 

 lost both feet and hands. The Russians now claim the 

 entire island, and would probably annex the Kuriles if a 

 pretext occurred. 



The Einos, though looked down upon by the Japanese, 

 are much hardier than they, and hunt the deer in the deep 

 snow, killing large numbers with their primitive bows and 

 bone-tipped arrows. The flesh of these animals forms their 

 principal winter diet ; the skins are converted into robes 

 and the horns are exported to be ground up for a medicine, 

 in the efficiency of which both Japanese and Chinese place 

 great faith. 



Our progress still continued to be miserably slow, the 

 wind being both light and unsteady, never more than 

 sufficient to keep the mainsail from flapping. In the 

 afternoon, however, we had an unlocked for diversion, 

 for what had been hitherto considered as the indication 

 of a fire lit by some Einos on the coast proved to be 

 the smoke of a steamer which, rounding the point at 

 that moment, bore down upon us. She was at once 

 recognised by Baker as the Kuroda, a screw-boat 

 belonging to the Japanese Government, in which he had 

 served as mate before joining us at Hakodati, and in 

 which he had assisted to convey the settlers from the 

 island of Saghalien. Being anxious to hear if there 

 was anything stirring up North, we at once lowered a 

 boat into which Baker descended, and as the Kuroda, 

 in common with most of the Japanese steamers at that 

 time, was officered and engineered by Englishmen, they 

 quickly recognised their old shipmate, and as soon as 

 they were abreast of us the engines were stopped and 

 we remained for a quarter-of-an-hour almost within hailing 

 distance. 



