Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-03

ments as long ago as 1000 years before the
discovery Of America by Columbus, and
mighty Tycoons clothed themselves with
its shimmering velvet
A Magnet for the Explorer.
Geographical discovery in the Northern
Pacific was originally due in great measure
to the incentive offered by the demand tor
the coat of this prosecuted creature. When
the Russians first opened up the Aleutian
Islands, and the Hudson Bay traders secured
found the natives commonly wearing sea-
otter cloaks, with which they parted for a
trife, not valuing them equally with the
hair seal or the sea lion, the flesh and skins
Of the latter being more palatable and
serviceable.
| The offers of the traders made hunting for
sea otters brisk, and more than 10, 600 per-
| sons were annually engaged in pursuit of
| the animal from 1741 until 1S45, when their
numbers were SO far reduced as to render
the industry on such scale no longer re-
munerative. Some notion may be got Of
their original plentifulness from the fact
that in the year 1904 single vessel
carried to Russia $1,000 skins, worth
then as now at least 81 SOC, 900. The work of
determination was carried on at a frightful
rate. During the year after the discovery
of the Pribylov Islands, which are the
breeding ground of the tur-seals, two sailors
killed there ., 900 sea offers The next year
they secured 1000. Six years later not a
single sea otter reappeared, and none has
been seen there since.
Spot Where Hunters Dare Not Go.
1t was recently suggested by Secretary
Langley, OF the Smithsonian Institution,
that the United States Government should
set apart certain reservations for the per-
manent protection of various marine ami
mails now threatened with extinction,
where no hunters at any season should be
permitted to pursue and kill them. Already
an attempt in that direction has been made
with regard to the fur-seals, tor which Sc
curity will probably be obtained eventually
on thePribylov Islands in Bering Sea by in
ternational agreement. The same thing
ought to be done for the sealion and the
walrus, which otherwise would soon have
vanished from the face of the earth. For
lack of such easily taken precautions, the
sea elephants, strange and huge, were ex.
terminated off-hand . few years ago, to
satisfy the rapacious greed of persons who
thought nothing Of destroying . whole
species for few hundreds OF dollars,
butchering the helpless creatures as they lay
on the shore. In like manner the Arctic sea-
COW has been caused to disappear.
In the case of the sea offers there should
the western Aleutian Islands OF Saenach
and Chernolours, where these animals re-
sort in preference to any other part of the
coast. They find there at all seasons great
supply of the crustacesns and mollusks on
which they feed, and the small areas Of
sheltered waters and outlying reefs afford
them suitable playground. Furthermore,
the shoals in that neighborhood furnish an
anchorage for immense areas of kelp on
half-submerged masses of which the crea-
lures breed. The kelp is a gigantic species
of seaweed, with stems over 800 feet long,
resembling clotheslines, which are kept
aaoat by large air vessels crowned with
punches of leaves from 80 to 30 feet in
length.
Habits Of the Beautiful Animals.
Sea otters spend most Of their lives at sea.
The mother brings forth single young one,
for the safety of which she exercises the ut
most solicitude. During infancy 1t is car
ried most Of the time on the body of its
mamma, who floats on her back, while her
offspring uses her as sort OF raft to play
about on. When frightened she takes the
pup in her mouth and dives If surprised by
the hunter on land she never thinks Of
deserting the pup, but clasps it tightly in
her arms and turns her back to receive the
spear or the bullet. In feeding, the animal
usually fetches number of shellfish to the
surface and eats them while lying on its
back in the water, laying them on its breast
and breaking and devouring them one By
one. Grabs, fishes, and the tender fronds of
seaweeds form portion of its diet, while of
sea urchins it is particularly fond, and it is
said to break them open by taking one in
ooob foro ond spoa sbi i,oo hsv 4oootb>-
The Aleuts declare that the sea otter 10
the most intelligent and clever of ell ma
rine animals, just as the bear is the wisest
of all beasts on land. Certainly, no living
creature surpasses 1t in keenness of sight
and hearing. The hunters know better
than to light fire within five miles to
windward Of its hsunts, and many an ebb-
ing and flowing tide is required to so wash
away the scent Of human footprints on the
beach as to satisfy the animal of the safety
Of landing there.
Its Costly Coat Of Fur.
The mother sea otter sleeps on the surface
of the wster with her pup clasped in her
forepaws The latter can never be reared
by hand. Attempts to bring up young ones
are often made by the Aleuts, who very
commonly capture them alive, but they in
variably refuse to eat and die of starvation.
brown and grizzled fur, which becomes
gradually darker, thicker and finer as it
grows older, so that at years of age it
Is in prime condition. At five years the
creature il full grown, and Is then little
bigger than an adult beaver, measuring
about four feet from the muxzls to the tip Of
the tail It has . white nose and white
mustache and whiskera The fur is glossy
like velvet, with white hairs scattered all
over it. 1t. legs are short, with webbed
feet and nails like dogs The hind flip
pers are powerful swimming organs, BY
means of which It can travel very rapidly in
the water, and 1t Is . famous diver
The creature is extremely playful and
will lie on its back In the water for . long
time together, tossing piece of seaweed
into the air alternately from paw TO paw
aud catching it st each toss before it falls
into the sea.
Last year only $40 sea otter skins were
secured, although rapid-Aying naphtha
launches were brought into requisition for
securing the waters, the hunters employing
explosive bullets One Of these hides Of
very unusual beauty wa. sold In New York
City for eo5o RENE BAoHA