CHAPTER VIII. 



SOON after our departure we had the satisfaction of 

 seeing the Capron Maru weigh her anchor also and steer 

 towards the south, on her homeward journey. Part of the 

 night was spent in discussing the events of the day and in 

 considering what our future proceedings were to be. How- 

 ever doubtful the issue might be, there remained no middle 

 course, either we could remain on the coast and, trusting to 

 vigilance and good fortune, take our chance, or go farther 

 north where there would be less to fear from molestation. 

 The latter course was open to objections of a more serious 

 character than we were willing to risk, for bad as was the 

 reputation of Yetorup for storms and fogs that of Urup, 

 the next island to which we might have gone was in- 

 finitely worse ; for what with volcanic heat on land and the 

 varying temperature of the waters that washed its shores, 

 Urup seldom doffed its misty mantle ; it could rarely be 

 seen otherwise than as through a glass darkly, and it could 

 only be approached at the peril of our safety. Otters 

 abounded, but nature had supplied them with a protection 

 more baffling to the hunter than deepest water or stormy 

 sea. Local storms of terrific violence swept down the 

 mountain gorges, churning the sea into foam, and were by 

 no means uncommon ; so that, however numerous the otters 

 might be, the chances of hunting them would be few and 

 far between. Our only course, then, was to remain where 

 we were, and upon this we decided. We were pretty 

 certain that to confiscate a vessel which was hunting or 

 whaling out at sea, but might happen by calms, currents, or 

 stress of weather to be found within a few miles of the shore, 



