HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. \ \ \ 



It blew hard from the S.E. all night and next day, when 

 it shifted to the south, bringing up with it a wet mist that 

 increased to a dense fog in the afternoon. All the morning 

 we had been busy repairing the jaws of the main gaff, which 

 had sprung, but in the afternoon we got out the boats and 

 went ashore to get water and wash clothes. As I thought 

 it probable that there might be some trout in the stream we 

 were making for, I took a small fly rod in the boat with me, 

 and was so far successful that in an hour's time I had 

 landed thirty small trout or parr ; the greater number were 

 undoubtedly the latter, the produce of large shoals of 

 salmon, known among the otter hunters as " bull trout," 

 which during September frequent the coast for the purpose 

 of spawning in the small streams which flow from the 

 mountains. 



The wind went down towards evening, but next day the 

 sea was still too rough for hunting, so we all went ashore 

 again. I took my rod, by special request, the fried fish at 

 breakfast having been pronounced excellent, and was 

 rewarded with forty-two fish in a very short time. 



While thus busy, we were interrupted by the presence of 

 two Yakonins, officials from the settlement on the other 

 side of the island. They examined the men, putting many 

 questions, but were very friendly. They were both young 

 men, and at our invitation accompanied us on board the 

 schooner, where they partook largely of port wine, a 

 beverage evidently much to their taste, judging by the 

 manner in which they smacked their lips. The wine, 

 brought for such occasions as the present, had naturally 

 been subjected to an amount of shaking up which imparted 

 a good body to it, but this seemed to detract nothing from 

 its virtues in the eyes of our guests. The great object of 

 wonder, however, was a large mirror, placed at one end of 

 the cabin ; they were never tired of admiring themselves 

 in it. I remember being much amused in a similar 

 way when aboard a large vessel off the coast of Borneo. 

 While we were at breakfast one morning a European 



