island of the blue dolphins

Have you seen a red whale?

yes. Those I have seen are gray. You are young and have not seen everything that swims in the world.

A canoe! A great one, bigger than all of our canoes together. And red!

I come in peace and wish to parley.

I am the chief of galahs-at my name is chief chowig.

My name is captain orlov I have come with forty of my men, we come to hunt sea otter. we wish to camp on your island while we are hunting... you remember another hunt. I have heard of it, too. It was led by Mitriff who was a fool and is now dead. The trouble arose because your tribe did all the hunting.

We hunted, but the one you call a fool wished us to hunt from one moon to the next never ceasing.

This time you will need to do nothing, My men will hunt and we will divide the catch. One part for you, to be paid in goods, and two parts for us.

The parts must be equal

We can talk of that later when my supplies are safe ashore.

It is better to agree now

One part to you is fair since the work is ours and ours the risk. Since the sea is not yours, why do I have to give you any part?

The sea which surrounds the island of the blue dolphins belongs to us.

From here to the coast of Santa Barbara 20 leagues away?

No, only that which touches the island and where the otter live.

The parts shall be equal...........

You have fish

Only enough for my people

You have 14 fish

7 now because we ate 7

From 7 you can spare 2

There are forty in your camp, and more than that of us. Besides you have your own fish, the dried ones that you brought.

We tire of that kind

You are hunters, go and hunt your own fish if you are tired of what you are now eating. I have my people to think of.

Captain Orlov will hear that you refuse to share the fish.

Yes tell him, also why we refuse.