yg -HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 



and every prospect of a dirty night. Very soon the wind 

 shifted to the north-east, and when at seven o'clock we 

 picked up our old moorings, it was blowing a stiff gale, 

 -\voollying with a noise like thunder down the mountain 

 -gorges. 



When we awoke next morning the wind had moderated 

 considerably, but the short seas still showed their white 

 teeth ominously. However, we made an attempt to hunt at 

 ten o'clock, but only succeeded in getting drenched with 

 spray ; so we had to return, and sent the boats ashore to get 

 wood and water instead. This was accomplished by the 

 afternoon, when the anchor was hove up, and we were soon 

 scudding down the coast for Sandy Bay. At six o'clock the 

 wind died away, and, as we had been keeping well out to 

 get the full benefit of it, it was with much vexation that we 

 returned towards our anchorage, only to be tossed about all 

 night at the mercy of a chopping tide-rip. 



Morning brought forgetfulness of our discomforts and, 

 before the cabin clock stood at six, the boats were lowered 

 and manned, and we were speeding over a glassy sea, lightly 

 fanned by a breeze too soft to ruffle its mirror-like surface. 

 It was certainly a magnificent hunting day; and, before 

 proceeding far, we fell in with a cow otter and pup which 

 were soon deposited in one of the boats. As the day 

 advanced, four more were secured, each one taking us 

 farther and farther down the coast. In considering the 

 matter a few hours afterwards, under somewhat unpleasant 

 circumstances, we concluded that every otter encountered 

 that day had exhibited a malignant desire to entice us as 

 far from the ship as possible. That they had been hunted 

 and disturbed lately was evident ; they took to breaching so 

 much in preference to their diving-back tactics. The last otter, 

 a large bull, was killed at six o'clock, after giving a great 

 deal of trouble and narrowly escaping being lost in a dense 

 fog. This settled down upon us, enveloping land and sea in 

 a damp, dark pall which grew blacker as the night advanced, 

 chilling us to the bone. We groped our way along the 



