The daily morning Alaskan., 1900-05-09
THE WILLY SEA OTTER
ITS FELT IS HIGHLY FREED AND HARD
 TO OBTAIN.


 Dead-Its Capture Is Attended With Great Dangers and Hnrdships.
 Fifty pounds sterling, or $250, per skin is not an unusually high average price to pay for the fur of the sea otter, and at fur sales in London a much higher price has often been asked and received Much, of course, in the mat ter of price depends upon the condition and size of the skin. The animal when it is alive and wearing 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.
 Ever since Boring, sailing from Rus. sia, discovered Alaska and found it's na- tives clad in otter skin this fur has been the prime object of the pelt hunt CTS desire Sable, marten, mink and even ermine can be trapped or shot without extraordinary trouble. Seals are driven inland like fools to be slaugh- tered and skinned at their captors' lei sure. But the sea otter must be sought diligently as the diamond, for three centuries of experience hays made him wise.
 Upon the map of North America may be seen jutting from the southern cor ner of Alaska, which is tho northwest corner of the continent, Alaska, pe- ninsula, which breaks off into chain of islands called the Aleutians. Just where the peninsula ends and the is lands 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 Saa. nak island to the southwest the bulk ol the sea otters are taken
 Thoroughly impressed with the val ue 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 sea washed reef exposed to the full fu.y of the north Pacific.
 At the slightest sign of the approach of man he dives deep, and stays below for 20 minutes at time.
 Sometimes stray otter may be shot from the land as he plays in the surf, but the chief methods of his capture are "the surround" and clubbing. In the former case a party of Aleutian is flanders are conveyed to Saanak, therd to encamp for two or three months.
 Woe to the hunters if the wind be of the shore, for then no fire may be lit to make the beloved tea, no pipe of tobac.. co ssnoked, 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 canoes. keeping an eager eye upon the rolling surf for sign of the prey A hunter sees an otter and makes a quiet signal to his mates. Like flash the quarry has dived. Raising his oar aloft, the man who found the otter remains as a buoy above the place of the animaPs s disappearance, while his mates form in huge circle with him in the center.
 In 20 minutes, at most, the otter "omes up again in sight of some of the canoe men. 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 inflated that he cannot sink and falls prey to the lucky hunter whose spear first pierces that 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 re suit of his three months catch
 To be a successful hunter requires 0 Spartan scorn of comfort, huge pa tience, keenness of vision and readiness of resource, as well as great dexterity in the handling of risky craft and an Intimate knowledge of your quarry's habits which it requires 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 a bowling gale from doing anything save sleep or smoke. Cne UT two of the men, knowing, seemingly by instinct, that the gale has almost blown itself out. prepare for clubbing expedition.
 Should they in the dark and turmoil miss the islands some score of miles away they are carried out into the ocean and certain death If, on the oth- ar hand, they make their haven, they land and creep, club in hand, over the rocky coast to the ocean swelled rect where the otters sleep.
 The roar of the gale drowns the sound of their approach, and the poor otter is a mere "pelt" before he knows of his danger. Scores of otters have been killed in one night by clubman or two. But otter clubbing is not a means of liveli' hood likely to become generally popular --Chambers' Journal.