236 
IN FORBIDDEN SEAS 
three otters, one of which I killed. At daylight it 
was still calm, with a high swell, so I put out boats 
again and pulled to the southward; then in towards 
the coast, where we saw about forty otters, nearly 
all of which took to the heavy surf and amongst 
the rocks and reefs, where it was impossible to get 
at them. However, I captured four, and one of 
my hunters one. This promised well for the reef. 
A light breeze beginning to come off the land, 
I signalled my boats to return to the schooner, and 
we all started for her. I was inshore boat, the 
other two being several hundred yards outside me. 
I was standing in the bow of my boat, with my 
rifle pointed upward, the butt resting on the small 
decked-over space in front of me. Suddenly two 
shots were heard, and two bullets struck the water 
close to the boat. I looked round in the direction 
of my other boats, thinking they had both fired at 
something in my direction, and that the shots had 
come unpleasantly near. The next moment another 
shot rang out, and a bullet cut the skin on the edge 
of my hand near the little finger, splitting the fore¬ 
stock of my rifle and flattening against the barrel, 
which was a heavy octagon-shaped one. Half an 
inch or so on one side or the other, and this bullet 
must have gone through my body. I now realized 
we were being fired at from the shore, but could not 
locate our assailants. Laying down my rifle, I gave 
orders to slue the boat round and get away out of 
range as hard as the men could pull. Aregular fusillade 
was now opened on us, the bullets falling about us 
like hailstones. First one man was hit, then another, 
until there were but two of us in the boat left able 
to do anything. My boat-steerer was shot through 
