I50 BIG GAME SHOOTING IN ALASKA chap. 



the cannery. Here I hoped to find walruses and obtain 

 a specimen. The natives on the coast seemed to think that 

 owing to the late summer it was full early to expect walrus 

 on these islands. However, as this was one of the great 

 inducements which led me to cross the peninsula, we deter- 

 mined to make the attempt. Next morning, bidding adieu 

 to Mr. Barstow and other friends, we set out to sea, the two 

 natives going in the bidarki, whilst Schultze and I went in 

 the dory, accompanied by a Russian Finn named Andrew, 

 who lived in a solitary hut some twelve miles along the coast 

 in the direction that we were going. He undertook to pilot 

 us as far as his place, and very glad we were of his assistance, 

 since neither Schultze nor I classed ourselves very high as 

 mariners, and it was not long after hoisting the sail of the 

 dory that it came on to blow great guns. Fortunately the 

 wind was dead astern, and we ran before it with a big swell 

 following us, which soon kicked up a nasty sea and made such 

 a big surf on the shore that it was out of the question to run 

 the dory on the beach, where we should certainly have been 

 swamped. There was nothing to do, under the circum- 

 stances, except to sit tight and run for the shelter of a sand- 

 spit some miles ahead. The way in which the man Andrew 

 handled the dory, with nothing save an oar to steer her, was 

 a treat to see. I doubt whether Schultze and I alone would 

 ever have reached land in safety. As it was, we repeatedly 

 shipped big seas, and several times were within an ace of 

 being swamped ; but all the while Andrew steadily held on 

 his course, only giving way to an occasional smile at our 

 evident distrust of the situation. Although the dory seemed 

 to be racing through the water, we had not gone three miles 

 before the two natives and the bidarki were clean out of sight, 

 and hidden from view by the big sea which was now running. 



