io8 HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 



while two slept, the third steered with one half his body out 

 of the scuttle which answered also for cockpit. 



Although splendid shots, their measure of success could 

 not but be of the smallest, being only supplied with one 

 small dinghy. Poor fellows, they were very sanguine, for 

 they fully expected to be able to shoot otters from the rocks, 

 either by waiting for or stalking them; a very delusive hope, 

 as such opportunities, apart from pelagic habits of the sea 

 otter, were rendered almost impossible on account of the 

 bold and unindented nature of the coast. Their fate was a 

 sad one, though scarcely to be wondered at, for only a short 

 time afterwards the Dolphin was found bottom upmost, 

 capsized in some sudden squall. With their bodies immured 

 in the little cabin, the nether limbs of two of the hardy old 

 backwoodsmen could be seen beneath swaying to and fro in 

 the clear water. 



In the evening both wind and sea went down, so the 

 skipper and I put off to pay a visit to the Flying Mist, 

 making a detour on our way on the chance of getting some 

 eggs on Gull Island, in which we were fairly successful. 



The wind, which for the last two days had swung us 

 clear of the reef frequented by the cod and made all our 

 fishing abortive, had, as we found, quite a contrary effect 

 upon our neighbours, although anchored so near, for they 

 had been having grand sport all day. 



We spent an agreeable couple of hours aboard, as the 

 captain and hunters were fine, manly fellows, and gave us 

 much interesting information concerning the sealing on the 

 Island of St. Paul, an occupation in which all at different 

 times had taken part. 



The gist of the information received from them has 

 already been given in the more condensed form copied 

 from the U.S. Government Report on the Fur Seal. 



With a blue sky overhead and a bright sun shining, the 

 mist still hung tenaciously to the surface of the water, 

 making the air cold and raw as we hove up the anchor, 

 and, under the influence of a gentle breeze, we turned 



