CHAPTER III 



ON KODIAK ISLAND 



(By the Leader of the Expedition) 



Such a worthy leader, wanting aid 



King Henry VI 



Thou hast astonished me with thy high terms 



King Henry VI 



As we imagined, our arrival in Kodiak caused no 

 small stir in that peaceful settlement, and on the news 

 spreading that the whole party, including the ladies, 

 were "mighty hunters before the Lord" we were 

 soon inspected by most of the residents. Having 

 regard to the fact that the weather was comparatively 

 mild for the time of year, and everything pointed to 

 an early spring, we were anxious to make a move as 

 soon as possible in quest of bears, and although con- 

 fident that they were more numerous on the mainland 

 of the Alaska Peninsula than on Kodiak Island, we 

 felt that our trip would not be complete unless at 

 least one specimen of the Kodiak bear (Ursus mid- 

 dendorffi) figured in the bag, since these beasts are 

 the largest specimens of the bear tribe now living on 

 the earth. 



The chief thing which we required to procure from 

 Kodiak was the services of some good native hunters, 

 with a knowledge of the surrounding country and the 



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