HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 107 



sheltered as we were, the wind yet seized the crests of the 

 waves and scattered them in fine spindrift upon the deck. 

 To go below was impossible, as the least shift of wind to 

 the southward w r ould have left no option but to put to sea; 

 so, resigning ourselves to oilskins and our fate, we prepared 

 to pass an uncomfortable night. 



The table subjoined gives the meteorological readings 

 during that night and part of the next day : 



Hours. Barometer. Thermometer. Wind. 



10 P.M. ... 29-86 ... 50 ... E. by N. 



12 ... 29-83 ... 50 ... E. 



1 A.M. ... 29-78 ... 50 ... E. 



2 ... 29-77 - 50 -. E. 



3 ... 29-76 ... 49 E. 



4 ... 29-74 ..- 48 ... E. 

 8 ... 29-69 ... 47 E. 



10 ,, ... 29-66 ... 46 ... E. 



11 ... 29-62 ... 46 ... E. 



12 ,, ... 29-62 ... 47 E. 



At seven o'clock next morning, while still blowing as 

 hard as ever, and accompanied now with heavy rain, the 

 Flying Mist, less fortunate than ourselves in having been 

 compelled to put to sea on the commencement of the gale, 

 ran in and anchored abreast of us. As evening drew near, 

 the wind moderated somewhat, but still steadily from the 

 east, continued blowing all night. Towards morning it 

 shifted suddenly to the north, rapidly rising to a gale, 

 followed by a heavy fall of temperature ; the rain changed 

 to a dense mist, and so cold did it become that our hands 

 were soon half numbed. 



In the afternoon a little sloop called the Dolphin ran in 

 and anchored alongside of us. This little craft, only thirty 

 feet in length and nine feet beam, had made an adventurous 

 voyage across the Pacific from San Francisco to Honolulu, 

 and thence up the Japanese coast to her present anchorage. 

 Three rough, grizzled old backwoodsmen comprised her 

 crew, and so small was the accommodation on board, that, 



