THE SEA OTTERS. 11 
Gray’s Harbor and Point Granville, a belt of low coast lying 
between the parallels of 46° and 48° north latitude. 
e white hunter builds his two log cabins, one near the 
southern limits of his beat and the other at its northern 
terminus near Point Granville. During the prevalence of 
southerly winter gales he takes up his quarters at the last 
named station, as the game is found there more frequently ; 
but when the summer winds sweep down from the north he 
changes his habitation and pursues the animals about the 
breakers of Gray's Harbor. From early dawn, till the sun 
sinks below the horizon, the hunter with rifle in hand and 
ammunition slung across his shoulder,* walks the beach on 
the lookout for a shot; the instant one is seen, crack goes 
the rifle, but it is seldom that the animal is secured by one 
fire. A sea otter's head bobbing about in the restless swell 
is a very uncertain mark; and if instantly killed the reced- 
ing tide or adverse wind might drift the animal seaward, so 
that even if it eventually drifts to shore it may be far out of 
sight from the hunter by day, or is thrown on the rocks by 
the surge during the night, and is picked up by some one of 
the strolling Indians, who “run the beach" in quest of any 
dead seal, or otter, that may come in their way. 
It is estimated that the best shooters average at least 
twenty-five shots to every otter killed; and only about one- 
half the number shot are secured by the rightful owners. 
But when once in his possession, it is quickly fleeced of its 
valuable skin, and stretched on the wall of the cabin to dry. 
It is no unusual occurrence for the hunter to pass a week 
travelling up and down the beach, and he may shoot sixty or 
more rounds, perhaps kill several, but owing to bad luck, not 
one is secured, all either drifting to sea, or to shore, possibly 
am informed by Mr. Ford, a resident near the hunting grounds, that the hunters 
now use à kind of a ladder, or it might be termed two ladders joined near the head 
ends by a hinge, opening at me lower ends. It is made of y very DEON 
be easily carried by hand; 
and mounted by the areae when an elevation is desired, which is 8 considered a great 
advantage under some cireu 
