THE SEA OTTER 215 



the Utes85 and Bolshaya Laida^^ (Large Cliff). In March and 

 April, when the sea otters were driven entirely away from the 

 north side about our quarters, we went overland to the south 

 side and brought the otters by carrying them 12, 20, 30, to 40 

 versts. The chase of these animals by us took place in the 

 following manner: These animals at all seasons of the year, more, 

 however, during the winter than in summer, leave the sea for 

 the shore in order to sleep, rest, and play all sorts of games 

 with each other. At low tide they lie on the rocks and the 

 uncovered beaches, at high water on land in the grass or on the 

 snow a half 8^ or even a whole verst from shore, though mostly 

 near the shore. In Kamchatka and on the Kurile Islands they 

 never, or at least very rarely, go ashore; so that from this also 

 it is evident that on this island they had never been disturbed 

 by man in their quiet and play.^^ Usually in the evening or at 

 night,^^ in groups of two, three, or four persons provided with 

 long and strong poles of birch wood, we went quietly along the 

 beaches as much as possible against the wind, looking diligently 

 about everywhere. When a sea otter was seen lying asleep one 

 [of us] went quietly towards him, even creeping when near by. 

 The others in the meantime cut off his passage to the sea. As 

 soon as he had been approached so closely that it was thought 

 he could be reached in a few jumps, the man sprang up suddenly 

 and tried to beat him to death with repeated strokes on the head. 



85 Probably either Ne Obkhodimyi Utes (above, p. 192, footnote 8) 

 or Bobrovoe Utes (above, footnote 10) is meant. 



86 Probably the same as Bobrovoe Utes. 



87 In the MS this is preceded by "a quarter." 



88 In the MS the two parts of this sentence are in reversed order, and 

 what is here the second part is there stated more fully as follows: "Since 

 they have never seen a human being on this uninhabited island nor been 

 frightened by any, they are quite secure, play their mating game on 

 shore, and bring forth their young there." The equivalent of what is 

 here the first part then follows, beginning with the words: " — different 

 from [what they do] in Kamchatka and the Kurile Islands, where they 

 never" etc. 



89 Instead of "at night" the MS has "at night when the moon was 

 shining." 



