132 HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 



as we were borne aloft on the crest of an immense roller. 

 Every minute the wind grew more violent ; with sail close 

 reefed we scudded before it for a time, but were soon 

 compelled to keep head to the heavy sea. Presently the 

 wind increased to half a gale, swept off the foaming ridges 

 of a multitude of waves that crested the giant surges, and 

 whelmed us in flying spume. Deep down in the watery 

 valleys, it was a wonderful sight to look upwards from the 

 frail boat that rode so merrily between the dark blue masses 

 that shut us in on either side. There all was calm, but in 

 a moment we rose again aloft upon a sea of troubled waters, 

 to face the gale amidst clouds of spindrift like life itself 

 from cradle to grave ; a rapid alternation of calm and 

 storm, peace and trouble. It was a couple of hours before 

 the schooner beat up to us; and glad enough we were to get 

 on board, change our clothes, hoist and lash the boats, and 

 make everything snug for whatever might come. In the 

 meantime the schooner continued to beat down coast. 

 Towards evening the weather moderated, and we anchored 

 for the night in twelve fathoms off Snowdrop Bay, some 

 distance to the south of Hitokatpu Bay. 



It blew hard all next day, so we up anchor at eight 

 o'clock and continued in the same direction for two days, 

 temperature and wind varying, till we felt in our bunks 

 that it was blowing from the north, by a sudden fall of the 

 thermometer from summer warmth to wintry crispness, 

 sharp and invigorating. From this quarter it blew great 

 guns for a whole day, and lightly as the little vessel rose 

 and fell amidst the great seas, the deck was fogged with 

 froth and spray, caught up in blinding clouds by the 

 furious blast. Seaward, as seen between the angry gusts, 

 an ocean lashed into foam, whilst under our lee huge surges 

 dashed in sheets of spray over the black rocks, or rolling 

 into snow, broke in sullen thunder on the strand. When 

 the moon rose the wind began to moderate, and the sea fell 

 as rapidly ; so that, by the time we turned in for the night, 

 the wild shriek of the tempest had dwindled to a lullaby as 



