X.] .4 HEAVY BAG. 217 



there appeared to be enormous numbers. But as we intended to 

 try for bear at the head of the bay we left them in peace. The 

 wind, however, sprang up and blew directly inland, and all chance 

 of sport being under these cu'cumstances reduced to a minimum, 

 we reluctantly returned. That bear w^ere very abundant in the 

 neighbourhood was evident from the numberless fresh tracks, and 

 from the fact that we saw seven in two days, but owing to their 

 shyness and the dense undergrowth they frequent, they are not easy 

 to shoot. We had therefore to turn our attention to the seals, 

 whose skins Jacof seemed anxious to obtain. They were the 

 ordinary FJioca vitulina of our own coasts, or a very closely-allied 

 species. 



Landing on the natural breakwater on our way back, we w^ere 

 astonished to find a spring of fresh water close to its extremity. 

 The pools formed by it were covered with teal and other duck, and 

 with these and a stray golden plover or two we had good sport. 

 The place seemed to be a favourite resort of bears, who had formed 

 numerous paths to tlie spring ; but ill-fortune once more attended 

 us, and we had to be content with a distant view of one of these 

 animals, who made off at full speed. We returned to the Marchesa 

 to find that considerable additions had been made to the bag by 

 the other party. Four more Ovis nivicola and a walrus had been 

 killed, the latter carrying very fine tusks, nearly two feet in length. 

 Hunting these creatures is after all but a sorry business. In order 

 to afford sport an animal should either fight or run away. The 

 poor walrus does neither — at least to any purpose — and having once 

 killed one, no sportsman would care to repeat the performance. 



I have been led to describe the events of our two days' 

 visit to Betchevinskaya Bay as an illustration of the abmidant 

 sport to be obtained in Kamschatka. Our total bag consisted of 

 one walrus, fourteen bighorn (one, falling in an inaccessible place, 

 was not brought in), and some seals, besides teal, duck, and golden 

 plover. Had we been ordinarily fortunate we should also have 

 obtained two bears, which, though badly hit, managed, owing to the 



