IN THE FAR WEST. 391 



islands for the purpose of cubbing-. If the hunters are suc- 

 cessful in making- a good haul, a feast and a dance is the 

 result ; but if not, they think that the spirit of ill-luck has 

 worked against them, and, to appease that, they frequently 

 indulge in barbaric ceremonies and incantations to allay its 

 anger. 



The animal was formerly shot with bows and arrows, but 

 since the introduction of fire-arms many of the red men have 

 discarded their own primitive weapons for the latter ; yet it is 

 doubtful if they are any more successful, as they are apt to 

 fire at too great a distance, so that if they even kill the otter 

 it is liable to sink and be lost before they can reach it. 



Some are recovered, however, by diving for them, as they 

 do not go down like a stone as the seal does. Rifles are also 

 likely to frighten the animals by their noise, and thus make 

 them scatter more quickly than if the silent spear or arrow 

 were used. Several of the more northern tribes are skilful 

 otter-hunters, and it is really an inspiriting sight to behold a 

 fleet of their canoes riding the boisterous waves, as they ply 

 spear and arrow, or use the more destructive fire-arms in 

 pursuit of their game. 



The Makahs of Washington Territory are the best otter- 

 hunters that I saw on the northern coast, south of Alaska; but 

 in the latter country the Aleuts, who make capital sailors, were 

 acknowledged to be the chiefs. I accompanied the former a 

 few times on a hunt after the otter and fur seals, but our luck, 

 on the whole, was only moderate, as the sea was often very 

 rough, hence we could not land on some of the islets in Fuca 

 Straits. Their mode of capturing their quarries was to 

 spread out in every direction and beat about, and whenever a 

 seal or otter was discovered it was chased immediately, and was 

 kept diving and swimming until its lungs became so full of 

 air that it could not dive again ; it was then promptly speared 

 or shot. The otter sometimes rose to the surface very near a 

 canoe, and the moment its head appeared, a spear, to which was 

 attached a large bladder, was driven into its body; and if it 

 was not then killed, and attempted to dive, the spear-point 

 and bladder came oil' the handle, and the creature had to try and 



