A NEW FUR-SEAL ROOKERY 
155 
Here I found all the Dido's crew, some Ainu and 
Japanese, and all who were left of the Eliza's people. 
They informed me the Eliza had drifted ashore 
during a thick fog on Thursday, the 24th. Her 
boats were out hunting ; she had only inexperienced 
men on board, who had never been in these parts 
before, and consequently knew nothing of the tides, 
currents, coasts, or, in fact, anything else. When 
the boats returned, they found her ashore. Since 
then they had been making preparations to try 
and get her off. Anchors had been carried out and 
buoyed, and to these had been attached chains and 
hawsers, which were then connected with the wind¬ 
lass on board the vessel. To do this, lines had to 
be got from the vessel through the breakers to 
the ends of the chains. Owing to the heavy surf 
and strong undertow, much difficulty was experi¬ 
enced in making the connection, and finally one 
boat, in which were three hunters, was capsized. 
They were all good swimmers, and tried to reach 
the beach, but could not, owing to the undertow. 
They then hung on to the capsized boat until they 
got chilled through, and dropped off one by one and 
were drowned in sight and within a few yards of those 
on shore. The second boat, apparently, could render 
them no assistance, and after the drowning of the 
others it was pulled round to the place where I had 
just landed, and there it also capsized in the surf, 
all but one of its crew being drowned. One of the 
poor fellows had been my second hunter during the 
two previous seasons, another my third hunter on 
my first trip. On the 29th and 30th we got some 
hunting, and secured four otters, making seven only 
for the whole of the month of April. We had lowered 
