Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-09-07
AMONG THE Al eo'S
u.,,,g Sen. otter Along the s"o'''
oo,alaska Island, AiAskn'

Haunting ses-otter Along ."'
oo,a,aska Island, Alaska
m. most desirable fur obtained IN
this region, and in fact the most We, ,,a,,
able in the world, is the sea-otter' wn' 'o'
Is by law hunted a. natives only' ~
nv white men who have marriea h'''so
women. or (9) by whites who nave
taken up permanent residence III Wv. .ho
country. This law was passed ior lne
nprpose of protecting the Aleuts IN tne
sole enjoyment of hunting 'ne sen
otter which furnishes them their ohiy
means of support. 1t is however
easily evaded by unscrupuious wi,''
hunters, and it seems now as IL we
otter. which is at best one OF the snyes'
animals known. will be either eN'er-
minated or frightened away from these
islands by the greed and rapaclty Oh
these hunters. who kill old and young
male and female Unfortunately
During the last season only hve sea
otter were taken by the natives OF At
lou; and were it not that the Alaska
Commercial Company ia kes care OF
these poor people they would be utter
" without means of subsistence 10
make the matter harder for the natives
the law forbdding them the possession
of brecch- loading arms Is strictly en-
forced, and they are compelled to hunt
the otter armed only with spears OF
firearms of obsolete pattern while the
white hunters are allowed to use breech-
loading arms of the latest manufacture.
The ambition of the young Aleut Is to
become great sea-otter hunter, ana
all his energies are bent in perfectine
himself in the various arts Of his pro-
fession. Where there is no choice, 1t Is
wonderful to observe how eagerly the
Young man looks forward to the time
when his turn shall come to 90 out
with tn. hunters after the shy animals.
Every attention is paid to the details
of the equipment of the hunting party.
and when the storms of winter have
sufficiently abated to allow the party
to embark in their little t.darhaS, they
sally forth singly or in pairs to meet in
some secluded spot. far removed from
any settlement, which experience has
proved to be likely place to find theil
quarry. Arriving at their rendezvous,
the party lands and makes camp. No
fires are lighted nor any thing done in
the way of making shelter for them.
selves. which might brighten the wary
otter. The place usually selected fol
a camp is in some secluded bay of tn,
islands, and when all the boats have
arrived they cruise around the bay and
patiently watch the smooth surface o
the water for the black, glistenine
head of their game. Sometimes week
are spent in this way without sigl
of an OTTER but the Aleut has tn
knack of waiting patiently down abou
as fine as any person on earth.
When an otter is sighted the occu
pant of the boat which is nearest tn
animal holds up his paddle, the rest o
the party Immediately take their place
so as to form an immense semi-circle
with its periphery seaward and tn
shore-line forming its chord. This be
ing completed and the escape of tn
otter cut off, the hunter who first sa,
the animal cautiously approaches tn
spot where he is expected to rise, an
when near enough throws shor
spear, with IN erring aim, into its bod
the moment the animal comes in sigh.
The spear is so made that the head be
comes looseued from the staff upo1
striking an object. but is still attached
to it by long line of sinew. The otte
Immediately dives and probably take
the entire spear down ont of sight, bu
the natives by long experience kno,
the direction he will pursue and quickl
paddle to the spot. When the anime
rises for breath another spear
plunged into him. This goes on unit
loss of blood and strength compel hil
to cease his struggles. A boat is the
brought alongside and he is dispatched
taken on shore and skinned, or if to
far away from land this work is accom-
plished in the boat itself. The work {
skinning an otter in one of the sma
dtdarhaS of the Aleuts seemed to me a
absolute impo 'sihility, but lam assure
by good authority that it is often don
by the natives When the sea is roug
two boats are dashed side by side cat,
maran fashion, thus securing create
stability. Ses-otter hunting was pul
sued with success along the whole e,
tent of the Aleutian Islands in the earl
days OF the Territory, but latterly tn
area of distribution of the animals seem
gradually to lave contracted, so that
hardly pays to hunt them west {
Oonalaska Island at the present da,
The Choumaisin Islands, a group lyin
Just south OF the Alaskan peninsula
and close to the eastern extremity c
ihe Aleutian group, is the center of tn
otter-huntlng grounds. A peculiarit
OF the animal is that it seems to have n
regular breeding season. Cassi
CdntDeH. M San Francisco Chronicl,
The Atlanta Constitution sovs a.
negro Is changing in appearance an
losing some of the birthma,lxs nao,,