HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 139 



Between this heavy repast and turning in for the night 

 there was no long interval. Wind and sea were both 

 dropping fast; but it is doubtful whether all the accumulated 

 noises of a labouring vessel, with its creaking bulkheads and 

 straining timbers, would have prevented us enjoying that 

 dreamless, health-giving sleep of the weary. 



Morning dawned on a magnificent hunting day, with blue 

 sky and warm, clear air. The whole prospect looked more 

 hopeful and settled than we had been hitherto accustomed 

 to expect, and it seemed at last possible to anticipate that 

 summer, real summer, was upon us, to vary with its warmth 

 the never-ending fog and storm that had been our invariable 

 lot that is, if ever there was summer on this inhospitable 

 coast a matter on which we had become rather sceptical. 



A gentle rolling swell moved over the oily-looking sea 

 which already flashed and sparkled under a glowing sun. 



We left the Snowdrop very early, and, keeping pretty 

 well inshore, pulled steadily up the coast. A hoisted paddle 

 in one of the boats soon gladdened our eyes. With every- 

 thing in our favour the otter had but a poor chance, and was 

 soon lying at the bottom of the boat. Off the mouth of a 

 small shallow bay, dotted with rocky islets, we observed 

 on one of them the remains of a hut, evidently used by the 

 natives of Hitokatpu Bay during the salmon-fishing. Here 

 we came across several otters together. This was rather 

 an unusual occurrence, for, except when a " school," con- 

 sisting of fifty or more, is met with, they are generally 

 found singly. Our own experience led to the conclusion 

 that the sea otter is strictly solitary in its habits. Even 

 the " schools " are always found in the beds of kelp, 

 immediately following or during the prevalence of very 

 thick or stormy weather. The long, ribbon-like fronds of 

 this species of the algae act like oil on the troubled waters, 

 and afford the only shelter on this rugged and tempestuous 

 coast. To infer gregarious habits from the fact of finding 

 several together, even during fine weather, would be as 

 unfair as to assign a like habit to the woodcock because a 



