SEA-OTTER HUNTING IN THE KURILS 291 
branch office of the Kaitakushi was established at 
Yetorup is correct, but it was not for the purpose 
stated by Mr. Hall, but more particularly in con¬ 
nection with the salmon and salmon-trout fisheries 
of the island, which were of considerable importance. 
Sea-otter hunting and any other industry would no 
doubt come within its scope, but at that time no 
thought or attention was given to the sea-otter. 
There were then no regular otter-hunting stations 
established on the island, neither had any foreign 
hunting-vessels visited those waters. The settle¬ 
ments on Kunashiri and Yetorup were established, 
not for the purpose of hunting the sea-otter on those 
islands, but for exploiting their valuable fisheries. 
All the settlements on these islands are situated on 
the north-west, or Okotsk Sea, side, where there are 
no otters (the sea-otter is found almost exclusively 
on the south-east, or Pacific, side of the islands), but 
where are the chief rivers and streams up which the 
66 runs ” of salmon and salmon-trout take place. 
Having visited the island of Yetorup in 1873, and 
conversed with both Ainu and Japanese there on 
the subject, I know that at that time little or no 
attention was given to hunting the otter, nor had 
there been for many years previously. 
The long rest from molestation previous to 1872 
caused the sea-otters of Yetorup to become so 
numerous and tame that, when they were first 
hunted in that year by foreigners, instead of being 
alarmed by the approach of a hunting-boat, in very 
many instances, apparently out of curiosity, they 
actually swam towards it, and were easily secured. 
This tameness, however, did not last long. They 
rapidly became aware of their danger. The number 
