A PRISONER IN RUSSIAN HANDS 175 
mense fur-seal rookery, there being tens of thousands 
hauled up. On pulling closer, we made out a 
crowd of natives on the shore, armed with clubs and 
rifles, and, their actions not appearing to be of a 
friendly nature, we pulled back on board our vessel. 
Our men had a great scare, fearing we should be 
fired upon. Later on I learnt that the topmasts 
of the schooner, which had been seen above the 
fog, informed the natives of our presence in the 
vicinity. 
The weather continued foggy. On the 12th 
there was a southerly breeze, with passing fog- 
banks. We lowered boats and pulled along the 
coast, prospecting, and landed about a mile or 
so from the rookery. Leaving my boat’s crew, 
I went along the beach in the direction of the 
village. Ascending a bluff which formed a point, I 
saw spread beneath me the immense rookery of 
seals, with the native village behind it, and below, 
on the near side from the main rookery (our side 
of the point), I saw about a thousand bachelor seals 
hauled up. This looked like our chance, so, hurry¬ 
ing back, I got the boats afloat and pulled towards 
this place, hugging the beach so as to keep out of 
sight. We soon got to work and killed nearly 600 
seals, and proceeded to skin them. It was about 
four in the afternoon when we landed. Our three 
boats had been left amongst some low rocks, 
100 yards or so from where we had made our 
“ drive ” of seals, and, the skinning being nearly 
finished, I ordered two boats to be brought nearer, 
so that the skins could be put into them. 
We were congratulating ourselves on our success, 
when suddenly, about half-past eight, just as it 
