HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 141 



been under the strong excitement of the chase ; then r 

 again, we had scarcely recovered from the hunger and 

 exposure of the few preceding days. But the satisfaction 

 of success atoned for all, and, with anticipations of a good 

 time of it, we turned into our bunks, not in vain, to seek 

 " Nature's sweet restorer," a dreamless sleep. 



With such a record day the week ended brightly, in 

 more senses than one, for not only had we done well, but 

 at last the promise of summer was with us and surely this 

 was a foretaste of the sport we might confidently expect. 

 Such were our thoughts, that seemed to find their echo in 

 the soothing lap and gurgling ripple of water which, raised 

 by the night breeze, warbled against the outside timbers of 

 our bunks, ere the drowsy god translated us to the land of 

 rest, where neither sun could scorch nor cold winds chill. 

 Such anticipations, alas, how often are they cheated of 

 fruition ! Solomon was not the first who had experienced 

 the uncertainty of to-morrow. The promise of the eve 

 was belied by the dirty weather that hung around us as we 

 performed the by-no-means pleasant but necessary duty of 

 preparing skins. And, when this was over, the skipper and 

 I set off in one of the boats to Otter Island, in the hope of 

 getting gulls' eggs ; leaving Snow hard at work in the cabin 

 fitting a new sight to one of his rifles. By keeping touch 

 of the shore, with the peculiarities of which we were by 

 this time well acquainted, we groped our way through the 

 fog to our destination, which lay about a couple of miles 

 due south of our anchorage. 



Otter Island, standing about half a mile from the shore, 

 is composed of a mass of Plutonic rocks, rising to a height 

 of nearly one hundred feet sheer out of the sea. Judging 

 by the lines of fracture (originally one), the action of 

 water, or more probably, considering the abundant evidence 

 of volcanic agency in these parts and the burnt appearance 

 presented, some seismic disturbance had first rent and then 

 removed two large masses from the parent rock on the 

 south and east sides, leaving narrow channels strewn here 



