Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 12, 2025
"The rain continued through the night, November 23, and the morning was calm and cloudy. The hunters were sent out, and killed three deer, four brant, and three ducks. Towards evening seven Clatsops came over in a canoe, with two skins of the sea-otter.
Nine hundred or more sea-otter whose pelts afterward brought a fortune to the crew were killed for food by Steller and his companions; but two sea-cows provided the castaways with food for six weeks. On November 22d died the old mate, who had weathered northern seas for fifty years.
One only stood a little apart; he was particularly decorated with ermine-skins and feathers, and beat time for the dancing with a staff ornamented with the teeth of the sea-otter. He appeared to be the director of all the movements.
She was repaired as far as possible, some time being spent in these necessary operations, as also in exchanging civilities between the officers of the Russian garrison and the English. The ships sailed on the 9th of October, and steered a course for Macao. While in Behring's Straits sea-otter and other skins had been obtained; these realised altogether upwards of two thousand pounds.
The person he addressed, a tall, strong mountaineer, who seemed to act as MacGregor's lieutenant, brought from some place of safety a large leathern pouch, such as Highlanders of rank wear before them when in full dress, made of the skin of the sea-otter, richly garnished with silver ornaments and studs.
"Wouldn't you like to go over to Kadiak just once?" said John. "A big bear-skin or two, and maybe a sea-otter we could cash in our fur for enough to buy a mining claim, like enough! My uncle Dick's due to go over there, too, before long," he ruminated. "You know he's employed on the government survey, and they're making soundings on that part of the coast." Rob drew a long breath.
Astor's traders in New York, the Scottish and English merchants of the North-West Company in Montreal, the Spanish traders of the South-West, even the directors of the sleepy old Hudson's Bay Company all turned longing eyes to that Pacific north-west coast whence came sea-otter skins in trade, each for a few pennies' worth of beads, powder, or old iron.
This slate was still covered with legible writing, and I soon had the whole party around me, eager to learn the contents. The melancholy record was in these precise words: viz. "The American brig Sea-Otter, John Squires, master, coaxed into this bay, June 9th, 1797, and seized by savages, on the morning of the 11th. Master, second-mate, and seven of the people killed on the spot.
The Chinese merchants looked hard; then nodded knowingly to each other, and came furtively down amid the groups along the shore front and timidly fingered the matted pelts worn by the half-naked men. It was incredible. Each penniless castaway was wearing the fur of the sea-otter, or what the Russians called the sea-beaver, more valuable than seal, and, even at that day, rarer than silver fox.
"The ebb is nearly done they'll never be able to get the ship up on the shelving rock where they had the Sea-Otter, until the water rises ten or twelve feet." "Thank God for that! I was afraid they might get her on that accursed bed, and break her back at once." "Is it of any importance to us, Mr. Marble? What hope can we have of doing anything against such odds, and in our circumstances?"
Word Of The Day
Others Looking