12 
IN FORBIDDEN SEAS 
within a hundred yards of the beach; this, of course, 
was too close to be pleasant, so we shifted out, and 
a few hours later we had to leave, the wind haul¬ 
ing to the north-west, from which quarter it blew 
another gale. We then ran back to our first an¬ 
chorage in Roko Bay, and lay there until the gale 
abated. Our object was accomplished: we had held 
on to the land, and so could go hunting as soon as 
the wind died out. 
After a north-west gale there is almost always 
good hunting weather and smooth water. Had we 
been obliged to put to sea, the chances are we should 
not have been able to get near enough to the island 
again for many hours, and so have lost at least one 
good hunting day. I fancy that, had we met with 
an accident on such an occasion as I have described, 
and lost the vessel, no sympathy would have been 
bestowed on us by the members of a Court of Inquiry, 
who would condemn a risk which to them would 
savour almost of madness. I must confess, now 
that I am a great deal older, in looking back upon 
some of these ventures, if the same chances had to 
be taken again, I should make for the open sea and 
run the risk of losing a day’s hunting. 
The land animals found on the islands are bears, 
wolves, foxes, river-otters, martens, sables, hares, 
squirrels, rats, and lemmings. On the two southern 
islands, Kunashir and Yetorup, all the above are 
found except the lemming. They are identical with 
those found on the main island of Yezo. On the 
central islands the fox is the only land animal, so 
far as I know, though possibly the river-otter may 
exist on Urup. On the northern islands, Shumshir 
and Paramushir, there are bears, foxes, and lem- 
