48 HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 



drawing, and to sheath without blooding was always 

 considered a disgrace. 



However, "All's well that ends well," and we were 

 not further interfered with. The irate trio took themselves 

 off in high dudgeon, leaving the coolies, who, no longer 

 awed by the presence of their superiors, allowed their faces 

 to relax into a comfortable grin, showing they rather 

 enjoyed than otherwise the official discomfiture. Mean- 

 while, the boats plied backwards and forwards, and before 

 evening we had everything aboard, with only one hitch. 

 This occurred in getting off the heavy anchor. The dingy 

 in which it was stowed just managed to get alongside of 

 the schooner, almost gunwale under, when a few larger 

 waves than the rest completed what the slight ripple had 

 endeavoured to accomplish all the way out, and down it 

 went, depositing the crew in the water and the anchor at 

 the bottom in three-and-a-half fathoms. The lead was at 

 once dropped over the place. As we were slewing about 

 somewhat, the wind coming in eddies round the rocks, the 

 men in the water were soon picked up. Divers were at 

 once called for, and a couple of dollars being offered as a 

 stimulus, a volunteer stepped forward, but -he had no sooner 

 reached the water than he clambered back, with the remark 

 that it was "taisoo samui " (very cold). Things looked 

 bad, none of us could dive, and though we all knew that 

 Japanese sailors are, as a rule, good swimmers and divers, 

 we did not appear to have one on board. Presently old 

 " Junky," as we called him (from being an old junk sailor), 

 a dried-up specimen of humanity, but looked up to with 

 considerable veneration by the rest of the crew, probably 

 on account of the dangers he had not gone through for 

 he was remarkably careful of himself doffed his long 

 gown, pulled off his blue tights, and, taking the manilla 

 line to reeve through the anchor ring, disappeared down 

 the lead-line. In half a minute he was on deck with the 

 rope, and in half an hour the anchor was safely hauled up. 

 This opportune service of old Junky's was not overlooked. 



