Journey of the sloop Good Intent to explore the Asiatic and American shores of Bering Strait, 1819 to 1822. Part one

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ivory with a serrated and pointed flint instead of iron; the other end is feathered. It is thrown from a small board one third as long as the arrow. Approaching closely, he follows all the movements of the whale. Always keeping it on his right side, he waits until its left fin comes out of the water. Then he throws the arrow with the usual marksmanship, and plunges it into the heart of the animal. Receiving the blow, the whale generally leaps out of the water in a frenzy, and striking its tail on the surface, plunges to the bottom. This is the most dangerous moment for the hunter. The baidars of the Aleuts are extremely unsteady, and if the hunter does not succeed in rowing out of the way immediately after the blow, the sudden waves will swamp him or a blow with the tail will smash a clumsy one. Generally, the Aleut is satisfied with his booty if he kills one whale, although he might have killed a few more that are found on the surface on a warm sunny day.

Sea lions and sea otters are also killed with arrows, but only in their dens. This kind of arrow is much longer and thicker than those of the whales, and are used like spears. They do not go alone for this pursuit, but all adult Aleuts, together. Coming to the place where these animals are lying, they all step out suddenly on shore and with clubs try to stun them, and straightaway plunge their spears into their open jaws. Sivuch, or sea lion, is an awkwardly large animal, resembling a seal, but only of a more dirty yellow color with

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short hair. On the shore, as was already mentioned, it is very dangerous to approach directly from the front, because, having unusual strength in its fins and spine, it can suddenly move forward ten or more paces and grab with its awful jaws. Knowing that, the Aleuts usually attempt to approach it suddenly and from the side in order to stun him with a blow on the forehead with a thick, heavy club, as said. In June and July terrible fights arise among the males, who often bite each other to death while the females remain quiet spectators. Each male has 20 or more females. Another member of this group, not as rich, endeavors to attack, and that starts the described fghts. The vanquished either remains on the spot or runs back into the water and goes in search of a weaker opponent. The conqueror remains complete master of his group of females, drives them into the sea or on the shore as it suits him, and they willingly obey him.

For hunting the precious sea otter, erroneously called beaver by us, only the rare Aleut sets out, the same as for the whale hunt, not because it is fraught with huge dangers, but because it requires special training and skill, first, to search for, and second, to kill it. These animals, strongly pursued, left these regions for farther south, and appear in great numbers now in California. Those remaining are so cautious and apprehensive that they let one approach them only when lying on their backs sleeping on the surface of the sea. The small arrows that strike them are of a different construct-

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tion, but of the same size and appearance as those used for the whales. When they penetrate the body their bony end separates from the shaft to the middle of which is attached a bladder, and from which extends a line braided from seal sinews or sea lion guts to the front part of the arrow. The animal receiving the wound sinks into the depths. The shaft, separating and floating on the surface, shows the place where the otter is fighting death. The Aleuts wait quietly until it rises to the surface, and then if there is more than one baidar, join them together and skin it right then, throwing the meat back into the sea. If there is only one Aleut, he tows the animal to the nearest shore and there performs this operation.

The skill and daring of the Aleuts in sailing their baidars are almost unbelievable. They venture in them not only from island to island, but sail to Kadiak and even to Sitka, keeping as much as possible near shore, but if they are overtaken in an open place by a sudden storm they join five, six, or more baidars together with their oars, which they thrust through loops of thong, made for this purpose, on the decks.

Having finished repairs and taken on fresh water, we weighed anchor on the 29th, but because of the ensuing calm could not go farther and dropped it again near the end of Amaknak Island. Only on the 30th, with a slight SE breeze, could we leave the harbor, taking a course through the pass between Unimak and Ugamak islands. On the 31st we passed

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through it and entered the Pacific Ocean. In the pass, the surf, influenced by the struggle of the wind and the current called "sula," was so great that it inundated the sloop. From here we had frequent strong winds and fog, which on September 6th separated us from the "Discovery." On the tenth came in sight a conically-shaped mountain, Edgecumbe, lying on the north shore of the entrance to Norfolk Sound [Sitka Sound] in the deep of which lies the fortress, Novo-Arkhangelsk, the main seat of administration for the [Russian—] American Company in the colonies. The next day we approached it but could not enter because the wind shifted to the SSE and we had to maneuver until the 21st [September], holding in the offing in sight of the quiet port for three days. The "Discovery," having approached the sound more from the south on the fifteenth, entered on the same day.