Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-08-18
North Pacific Offers.

where else in the world. Formerly
they were abundant along the coast
! from Lower California northward, as
well as among the Aleutian Islands,
and from Kamschatka to the Kurtle
| Islands. Their furis of a most exquisite
t%ineness and richness in both color and
texture. The best skins are of a shining
let black, and their elegance of surface
and of body is not perhaps surpassed
| by that of any other fur known. The
| majority of the skins show a very rich
dark brown, those of 81 poorer quality,
especially those from young animals,
| becoming lighter. 1t is somewhat re-
markable that this fur has n~everbccome
| fashionable in our cities. The richest
and most expensive sacque ever seen
can not sustain any comparison what
ever in elegance with what the same
garment would have been if made from
prime skins of the sea otter. and yet
this charming fur is allowed to go al
most exclusively to the Chinese market.
The skins of scarcely any other fur
bearing animal brings so high a price
individually as do those of the sea otter.
A cargo of them was brought into San
Francisco, of which not one was worth
less than $50, and they ranged from
That to S120. Those, however, were of
uncommon excellence; they usually
bring from $40 t. $40, and it would
probably be fair to average them at $50.
When the Prybilov Islands were first
discovered two sailors alone, named
Lukannon and Kalekov, killed in the
first year 5000 sea offers; the first party
which reached Cooks Inlet obtained
5000 skins; the first visit of the Rus
slams to the Gulf Of Gankulat, in 1894,
yielded 1000. The skins were then
worth as much as they are now, so that
the seasons work of those two sailors
first mentioned on the island of st. Paul
Gone of the Prybilovs) amounted to no
less q sum certainly than $780, 600.
Such a wholesale slaughter could not
continue, and the following year they
got less than 1000. A few years later
the sea offers abandoned St. Paul's
island, and have not r%eappeared there
since. All along the coast Il similarhis-
tory is noticeable, and the sea otter bids
fair to become so nearly eNterminated
that they will cease to afford a profit to
the hunter. Singular as it may appear,
the otter's skin is too large for him.
Take hold Of any part Of his body to lift
him and the skin comes up loose in the
hand as it does on the neck Of a dog.
The consequence is that, although the
entire length of the animal, from the
nose to the root of the tail. is commonly
but little over three feet, yet when the
skin is removed and stretched in drying
it often measures five feet, and in some
cases nearly six.
The hunting of the otter has greatly
changed in the last twenty-five years.
Boats were formerly used from which to
shoot them, but it no longer pays. Now
men shoot them from the beach, using
no boats. This is done on the coast Of
Washington Territory, between Port
Granville and Gray's Harbor, and
%lcarcely anywhere else at present. From
morning till night the hunter walks the
beach, ready for a shot, but even when
he sees his game the chance that he will
ecure it is not particularly flattering.
The first difficulty is that OF putting a
bullet through it at perhaps three to six
hundred yards or even more. 1t is not
a Creedmore target, but & black spot in
the midst of the dark, leaden-colored
sea, and is not more than four inches
across. Yet he often hits it, though
generally after many failures. The
very best marksmen average at least
twenty-five shots for every otter killed.
Then he must wait for it to drift in, and
there is another chance against him
the Indians may have been watching
him-and if nightfall arrives before the
dead otter drifts in the nan who owns
it by right of conquest will scarcely hold
his own, and the chances are the In
dams will get it.
The Aleuts of Alaska both club and
spear the otter. They attack only a,
night. Several canoes, with three to
paddle and one to spear in each, ad.
vance as quietly as may be to a spot
where offers have been seen during the
day. The first who discovers an otter
darts his spear. and generally with sue.
cessful aim. The animal dives, and all
the boats at once form q circle sufficient.
ly large to be sure that they have sur.
rounded him and that he must rise
within, and then they wait patiently.
The otter remains under water from fiji
teen to thirty minutes if he is not
wounded; if he is dragging the spear.
pole behind him he must come up much
N Even in the darkness the keen
eye of some Indian detects his head the
instant it is above water. II within
reach, another spear is thrown; if out
of reach, a great shouting and splash
ing of paddles is kept up to compel the
timid animal to dive again without de-
lay. This is continued time after time
until worn out and exhausted, he rises
, where some one can give him a fatal blow.
The clubbing" is equally character.
istic of these strange people, and may
only be done by those who have as little
. fear Of the rough sea as the sea offers
themselves. 1t is done only in the win.
ter. and at the end Of one of the terrible
gales which sweep that coast. Two men
! in a baidaika paddle out on the very
tail OF the gale to the low, rocky islets,
which are only Just high enough to be
out of water. The sea offers are LAYING
: there with their heads thrust into the
kelp to escape the fury of the
t wind. The noise of the wind and of the
sea enables the hunters to approach un.
herd. Each is armed with u short,
l heavy club, and blow comes down after
: blow as fast as their strong arms car