AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE 
219 
stant south-west wind had driven north-eastwards 
against the “ Oyashiwo,” the cold current setting to 
the south-west along the Kuril Islands. We had 
been just a fortnight sailing from Yokohama to Kam¬ 
chatka, had called in at four islands on the way, 
and secured five otters. This was a good beginning. 
Owing to the ice off Cape Lepatka, we had to run 
back to the vicinity of Little Kuril Strait. Next 
morning we again stood to the north-east, and, 
picking our way through lanes which had opened 
out in the icefield, reached the coast, and anchored 
about six miles above Cape Lepatka. Here we saw 
several large bears on the beach, but, being after 
more valuable game, did not molest them. We 
lowered boats and saw several otters, but failed to 
get any that evening ; next day we had three, eight 
the day after, four the day after that, and one the 
day following. This last one was lying asleep on a 
large cake of ice. The water kept beautifully 
smooth, as the icefields were outside of us. 
On May 1 it came on to snow, with easterly winds ; 
so, to avoid the chance of the ice setting in on us, 
we decided to run down to Little Kuril Strait, and 
fill up with wood and water. In getting under way 
we lost an anchor and some chain which parted, 
the anchor being foul of the rocks. On the 6th we 
succeeded in getting three more otters off Shumshir. 
On the 10th we returned to the Kamchatka coast, 
and recovered our anchor, which had been buoyed. 
During the next two days we added four more otters 
to our bag. Our luck was too good to last, and on 
May 16, when attempting to get under way in a high 
swell, both paul-boxes of our windlass broke, our 
anchor again becoming wedged in the rocks. The 
