SHIPWRECKED ON YETORUP 
105 
change from boiled rice at every meal. A barrel of 
biscuit, in reserve at Onebetsu, we found had been 
broached, and the contents stolen. 
Water-fowl were now becoming more plentiful, and 
we succeeded in getting some mallard and teal; also 
some fresh trout, frozen into the ice. The natives 
say that when the ice melts in the streams these 
fish are still alive, and appear none the worse for 
having been frozen up. Swans were to be found on 
the lakes, in the patches of open water where streams 
ran into them. I tried to secure some, but failed to 
get a shot; some ducks, however, were a welcome 
addition to our meagre larder. Rears were reported 
to be out; two or three had been seen, and some 
tracks were observed close to the village. The Ainu 
succeeded in shooting one and capturing a cub. 
They sent us some of the meat, which proved 
excellent eating. 
On March 21 we heard that the Japanese had 
found some foreigners near the south-western end 
of the island, who had landed for the purpose of 
hunting. The Governor appeared annoyed to find 
we had been told this. He left next day for the 
place, and refused my request to be allowed to go 
with him, nor would he take a letter. We learned 
that nearly 300 sea-otters had been taken during 
the winter, chiefly on the ice when it set in on the 
coast of the south-east side of the island. On the 
Governor’s return he told us there were five 
Europeans and two Japanese in the party landed, 
which originally consisted of nine, but two Europeans 
belonging to the schooner Jupiter had been drowned 
by the capsizing of their boat. They had killed five 
sea-lions and two foxes, but no otters. They were 
