The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1898-12-02
SKIN OF THE SEA OTTER.
4 Ear That IL -.ecOminG Very Ex.
penstve Because of Its
Scarcity.

At the recent fur sales in London
the fur of the sea otter was quoted
at an average of 6 Sc, or $3.50. per skin.
The animal, when At is alive and wear
ing the fur itself, Is from three to five
feet in length from nose to tail tip.
though the skin lying upon it in
loose folds, the actual "pelt" is of fair
size. Still, sea otter skins at $3.50,
while sealskins are worth from $15
to SO, cannot be considered econom-
ical wear.
Ever since Behring. sailing from
Russia, discovered Alaska, and found
its natives clad in otter skin, this fur
has been the prime object of the pelt
hunters desire. Sable, marten, mink
and even ermine can be trapped or
shot without extraordinary trouble;
seals are driven inland like fools to
be slaughtered and skinned at their
captors' leisure. But the sea otter
must be sought diligently as the dia
mond, for three centuries of expert
ence have made him wise
Upon the map of North America
may be seen, jutting from the south
ern corner of Alaska-which is the
northwest corner of the continent
Alaska. a peninsula which breaks off
into a chain of islands called the
Aleusians. Just where the peninsula
ends and the islands begin point may
be noticed marked Belkovsky.
This is the headquarters of the sea
otter hunters, and between here and
Chernaboor island to the south and
Saanak island to the southwest the
bulk of the sea offers are taken.
Thoroughly impressed with the
value of his own skin, the sea otter
takes care of it by living far away from
the mainland. sleeping with one eye
open upon the floating weed beds or a
sea-washed reef exposed to the full
fury of the North Pacific.
Sometimes a stray otter may be
shot from the land as he plays on the
ture are "the surround" and clubbing.
In the former case party of Aleutian
islanders are conveyed to Saanak.
there to encamp for two or three
months.
Woe to the hunters if the wind be off
the shore, for then no fire may be lit to
make the beloved tea. no pipe of to-
bacco smoked. or the hope of capture
would be vain. For the otter is all
eyes and ears and nose when alive; all
fur when dead.
Upon a calm day the hunters paddle
gently over the sea in their skin ca
noes, keeping an eager eye upon the
rolling surf for sign of the prey. A
hnnfRr NJ
quiet signal to his mates; like a flash
the quarry has divei Raising his oar
aloft, the man who found the otter
remains as a buoy above the place of
the animals disappearance, while his
mates form in huge circle, with him
in the center.
In 20 minutes, at most, the otter
comes up again in sight of some of the
canoemen. A frightful yell drives the
poor brute below again before he has
had time to fill his lungs. Shortly he
is again seen. and the process repeated,
till at length his body is so gas-infated
that he cannot sink, and falls prey
to the lucky hunter whose spear first
pierces that too, too rich coat of his.
Luck varies, and the sea otter is
yearly rarer and more shy; but, if for
tunate. each hunter may have from
two to five skins for the traders as the
result Of his three-months' catch.
To be successful hunter requires
Spartan scorn of comfort, huge pa
thence, keenness of vision and readi-
ness of resource, as we'll as great -1ex-
terity in the handling of a risky craft
and an intimate knowledge of your
quarry's habits, which it requires a
lifetime of observation under trying
conditions to gain.
"The surround" then, is no joke, but
clubbing next door to suicide. The
hunters encamped upon Saanak have
been for day or two prevented by
bowling gale from doing anything
save sleep or smoke. One or two of the
men, knowing. seemingly by instinct.
taat the gale has almost blown itself
out, prepare for a clubbing expedition.
They also know that, much dis
tressed by the weather, many sea OF
iers will be sleeping with their heads
buried in the seaweed beds about the
rocky. wind-swept islands of the Cher
naboor group. Tomorrow. the gale
over, the offers will plunge again into
the ocean.
The hunters, therefore, lash their
flowing waterproof garment to the
edge of the well of their light canoe,
and thus, like a centaur of the sea,
half man. half boat. they paddle out
from the islands shelter and are