THE SEA OTTER 217 



otters were nevertheless killed by us, eaten, and their skins 

 taken along to Kamchatka as tokens. However, as they were 

 often clubbed needlessly and only for the sake of the skin or 

 even frequently left lying about with pelt and flesh when they 

 were not black enough, matters came to such a pass through our 

 wicked persecution of these animals^^ that we nearly lost hope of 

 being able to build a vessel. For in spring, when the stock of 

 provisions had been consumed and the work was to begin, these 

 animals had been driven away for 50 versts on either side 

 of our dwellings. We would gladly have been satisfied with 

 seals, 95 but these were too crafty to venture farther inland, so 

 that it was great luck when we could steal upon a seal. 



The sea otter, which, because of the nature of its fur,^^ has 

 been erroneously regarded" as a beaver and therefore called 

 Kamchatka hohr, is a real otter and differs from the river otter 

 only in this, that the former lives in the sea, is almost one half 

 larger, and in the beauty of the fur is more like a beaver than 

 an otter. It is indisputably an American sea animal, occurring 

 in Asia only as a guest and newcomer which lives in the so-called 

 Beaver Sea^^ (Bobrovoe More) from [latitude] 56° to 50°, where 

 America is nearest and both continents are possibly ^^ separated 

 by a channel* only 50 miles wide,i°° which, moreover, is filled 

 with many islands, making the transit of these animals to 

 Kamchatka possible in this region, as otherwise they are not able 



94 "through our wicked persecution of these animals" is not in the 

 MS. 



95 The MS reads instead "we got along with seals." 



96 "because of the nature of its fur" is not in the MS. 



97 The MS has in addition "by the Russians." 



98 On the Beaver Sea, see also what Steller says in the journal (above, 

 p. 31) and Krasheninnikov's definition (Histoire et description du Kamt- 

 chatka, 1770, Vol. i, p. 238). 



99 "possibly" is not in the MS. 



* This is based on the assumption, to which Steller greatly inclined, 

 that most of the coasts seen on Bering's voyage were parts of the main- 

 land of America. — P. [On this point see, above, footnote 149; asterisk 

 footnote between footnotes 163 and 164; and footnote 260.] 



100 Instead of "only 50 miles wide" the MS has "40 to 50 miles wide." 



