212 IN FORBIDDEN SEAS 
to get a chance to land, but the wind and seas were 
too heavy. 
Disappointed at not being able to get at the seals 
on Raikoke, I decided to visit Robben Island. After 
a good run over, we arrived on the morning of 
November 3, went on shore, and found thousands of 
carcasses lying about, quite a number being un¬ 
skinned, as if those engaged in the work had had to 
leave in a hurry. The unskinned seals were spoiled ; 
no seals were hauled up, and there were but few in the 
water. Here was another disappointment. I now 
put it to my hunters as to what we should do—go 
back to Raikoke, or start for Yokohama. The 
answer was: “ Do as you think best.” “ Then, 
back we go to Raikoke,” said I. Then came mur¬ 
murs and objections : “ It was little use going back 
there ”; “ Heavy snow had fallen, and the seals 
would all have left ”; “ So late in the season the 
weather would be too bad ”—and so on. However, 
I was going there anyhow. We had a splendid run 
back, doing from 9 to 10J knots all the way ; and 
on November 5 we were off the Raikoke rookery 
again, on which there appeared to be more seals than 
before hauled up. The wind and sea continued as 
bad as ever ; it was not possible to land on the island 
at all, except amongst some rugged rocks on the 
side opposite to that on which the seals were to be 
found. I decided to land there, and go over the 
mountain to the other side, make a drive of seals, and 
trust to getting the skins off by hauling them through 
the surf with lines from the boats. To do this, they 
would have to be carried some distance into a corner 
formed by a cliff, off which was a big rock which 
afforded some little protection from the heavy seas. 
