no HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 



Before long it became evident that however calm it might 

 be inshore, a good stiff gale was blowing outside, for a 

 heavy sea of huge rollers began to heave the waters into 

 great oily swells, putting an end to the surrounding silence 

 as they dashed with sullen fury on the rocks. Otters were 

 more plentiful than usual, though their chance of escape 

 was much favoured by the heavy sea. Lying in a patch of 

 kelp off the great green bluff that forms the eastern boundary 

 of Jap Bay, and just beyond the foam of the breakers, we 

 came upon a large school of about a hundred. The 

 scattering of such a number produced a great deal of 

 desultory firing ; the bullet-like heads popping up on all 

 sides presented marks difficult to resist, though, as usual 

 under such circumstances, without result. So we soon settled 

 down to the chase of a single animal ; and when, tired and 

 hungry, we boarded the schooner at ten that night, we had 

 five otters in the boat. Eighteen hours in the boats was a 

 good spell, and by the time the skinning, rifle-cleaning, and 

 dining were over it was with a feeling of no small thank- 

 fulness that we turned in for the night. 



Next morning at six we were in the boats again, beating 

 the same ground. When we started, the day was every- 

 thing to be desired, but we had not been out a couple of 

 hours when the wind began to blow strong from the south- 

 east, raising a nasty sea upon the tops and sides of the 

 immense rollers a sea within a sea a complication which 

 rendered hunting almost impossible. We stood it as long 

 as possible, until, becoming dangerous for our small boats, 

 we were forced to return early in the afternoon with only 

 one otter, which we had fortunately secured before the gale 

 came on. That same afternoon we had a narrow escape of 

 losing another man by drowning. He was stepping in to 

 hook the tackles into the last boat to be hoisted on deck, 

 when he slipped overboard, owing to a sudden sheer. 

 Fortunately, he was a good swimmer, for by the time he was 

 picked up he had been carried both by wind and tide a good 

 three hundred yards astern of the vessel. 



