The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-22
Otter. OF THE NORTH PACIFIC
Great vaIuc or Their Sks"s-sa""
They are Caught.
From The San Francisco Examil

They are Caught.
From the SAN Francisco ESaminerI
The sea-otter Is an inhabifant OF tue
North Pacific ocean, and Il found nowhere
ejse In the world. Formerly they were
abundant along the coast from Lower taii-
fornja northward, as we'll among the Aleu-
fan Islands, and from Kamschatka TO the
Kurile islands. Their fur is OF most eNqui,
site fineness and richness In bot1 coior anu
texture. The best skins are oil SHINING u.
black, and their elegance OF surface anu VI
body is not perhaps surpassed ny tiiat .,
any other fur known. The majority OF
the skins show very rich dark.Drowh,
those OF poorer quality, especially those
from young ANIMALS, becoming lighter. IL
Il somewhat remarkable that this fllr mas
never become fashionable in our cltles.
The richest and most expensive seaishih
sacque ever seen cannot sustain any con-.
harrison whatever in elegance with WHAT
the same garment would have been II niaue
from prime skins OF the sea otter. Ana YET
this charming fur is allowed to go almost
exclusively TO the Chinese market.
The skins OF scarcely any other fur-Dear-
ing animal bring so high a price indi-
vidually as do those OF the sea-otter. a
cargo OF them was brought into san Fran
cisco. OF which not one was worth less
than s75. and they ranged from that TO- Sl20.
Those. however, were Of uncommon eX-
cellence. They usually bring from $40 to
$40. and il would probably be fair TO
average them at $50. When the Pry-
biloy islands were first discovered two
sailors alone, named Lukannon and knie-
kov. killed i'm the first year 5000 sea-otters;
the first party which reached Cooks Inlet
obtained 1000 skins; the first visit OF the
Russians TO the Gulf OF Gahkulat. in lI94.
Welded 1000. The skins were then worth
as much rs they are now, so that the sea-
sons work OF those two sailors ilrst men,
toned on the Island OF st. Paul Zone OF the
Prybilous) amounted to no less a sum GER
tainly than S250.J00.
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. Pau's island, and
have not reappeared there since. All along
the coast similar history is noticeable, and
the sea-otter bids fair TO become so nearly
exterminated that they will cease to afford
a profit to the hunter. Singular as IL may
appear, the offers 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 il 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, vet 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 Wash
ington Territory, between Port Granville
and Gray's IIarbOr. and scarcely anywhere
else at present. From morning till night
the hunter walks the beach, ready for
shot; but even when he sees his game, the
chance that he will secure il is not Darilcu-
hrIy flattering. The first difficulty Is that
Of putting bullet through it at perhaps
300 TO COO yards, or even more. 1t Is not a
CreedmoOr target, but little black spot
i'm the midst Of the dark, leaden-cOlOrcd
sea. and is not more than four inches across.
Yet he often hits it. though generally after
many failures. The very best marksmen
average al least twenty-five shots for every
otter killed. Then he must wait for II To
drift in. and there is another chance against
him-thc Indians may have been watching
him-and if nightfal arrives before the
dead otter drifts in the man who owns il
by right OF conquest will scarcely hold his
own. and the chances are the Indians will
get il.
The AIeuts OF Alaska both spear and
club the otter. They attack only at night.
Several canoes. with three to paddle and
one TO spear i'm each, advance as quietly a.
may be to Il spot where offers have been
seen during the day. The first who dis
covers an otter darts his spear, and gene
rally with successful aim. The animal
dives. and all the boats at once form a
circle sufficiently large to be sure that they
have surrounded him and that he must
rise within, and then they wait paiicnt-
". The otter remains under water
from fifteen to twenty minutes il he Is not
wounded; if he is dragging the spear-pOle
behind him, he must come up much sooner.
Even in the darkness the keen eye OF some
Indian detects his head the instant it is
above water. If within reach, another
spear is thrown; if out Of reach, great
and splashing OF paddles is kept
up to compel the timid animal to dive
again without delay. This is continued
time after time, until, worn out and eX-
hausted, he rises where some one can give
him fatal blow.
The clubbing" is equally characteristic
OF these strange people, and may only be
done by those who have As little fear OF the
rough sea as have the sea-otters them
selves. II is done only in the winter, and
at the end OF the terrible gales which
sweep that coast. Two men I'm bajdal-
ka 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-otters are lying there with
their heads thrust into the kelp to escape
the fury OF the wind. The noise OF the wind
and Of the sea enables the hunters To ap-
proach unheard. Each is armed with short,
heavy club, and blow comes down after
blow as fast rs their strong arms can swing
them. Each blow leaves an otter dead,
and in the crash of the gale, before the
offers could take the alarm and escape, two
Aleuts were known to kill seycnty-cight in
a single onslaught.
The Peels.
An the Year Ronnd.l