CHAPTER VI 
SHIPWRECKED ON YETORUP 
My third sea-otter hunt commenced on November 18, 
1874, when the Snowdrop, after refitting and making 
every preparation for a winter’s cruise in the cold 
and boisterous north, sailed from Yokohama. 
For a week after leaving we had very mild 
weather, and then ran into cold water, the tempera¬ 
ture dropping below freezing-point. About 2 a.m. 
on Friday, the 27th, we were between the islands of 
Shikotan and Yetorup, when the hook of the mast¬ 
head block of the main peak halliards carried away, 
and down came the sail. It was very dark and 
intensely cold, with an increasing north-west wind 
accompanied by snow and sleet, every drop of spray 
that came on board turning to ice immediately. 
We were under mainsail and jib only at the time, 
so the foresail was hoisted, and we set about getting 
another block up. The men aloft had a cold job, 
the block having finally to be fixed with a lashing 
round the mast-head. By daylight it was blowing 
a whole gale, and we had to ct heave to ” under a 
double-reefed foresail. After noon the weather 
moderated, and we reached our old anchorage in 
“ Jap Bay ” at two o’clock the next day. The 
skipper and I went on shore, and interviewed some 
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