128 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 
have done, having lost patience and become discouraged. They lack 
the persistence and judgment of the white hunters, and will give up 
the chase on the slightest pretext. The latter, on the contrary, will 
remain out as long as a chance remains of adding another skin to their 
eatch. One hunter, however, had secured 14 seals, the largest catch of 
any one canoe since entering the sea. The total number of seals in the 
day’s catch was 73, 18 being males, and 55 females. Their stomachs, 
like those previously examined, contained but little food; only a few 
pieces of fish and fish bones were found. In one of the canoes 3 female 
seals had been skinned; of those brought on board 3 were without 
milk. When asked if the seals skinned in the canoe were in milk, the 
Indians said they had not noticed. If the condition of the seals had 
been observed the same answer would have been given, for as soon as 
these Indians learn that certain information is wanted they are very 
reticent, and but little dependence can be placed in what they do say. 
Seemingly they have been taught to look with suspicion on every 
person in search of sealing data. 
The canoes that went to the northwest of the vessel were more suc- 
cessful than those that went in other directions, and the one that 
brought in the 14 seals hunted about 6 miles to the northwest of all the 
other canoes in that locality. A great many traveling seals were 
observed, all bound to the northward. Nearly all information concern- 
ing the direction in which seals were traveling was obtained from the 
white hunters. Indians, as a rule, pay but little attention to traveling 
seals, generally attempting to capture only those that are asleep, but 
sometimes they will endeavor to spear them when rolling and finning. 
In two of the seals taken shot were found, the wounds being com- 
paratively fresh—not more than a week old. 
On August 11 the canoes and boats went out at 5 o’clock, light 
wind and cloudy weather prevailing all day. In the afternoon sleeping 
seals, two and three in a bunch, were frequently observed from the 
vessel. Whales were plentiful from sunrise until dark. The smoke of 
a revenue cutter could be noticed to the southwest all the morning, 
the sight of which caused our canoes to hover much nearer the vessel 
than usual, the Indians having a dread of all Government vessels. At 
10 a. m. a canoe belonging to the schooner TVriwnph came alongside 
with 5 seals. Our canoes began to return at 5.30 p.m. and continued 
to come in until 7 o’clock, when the last one arrived. The largest catch 
was 10 skins and one canoe obtained nothing. Sleeping seals were 
reported in small bunches from 1 to 2 miles apart. The hunters who 
happened to be near these bunches did fairly well, but a few miles to 
the southwest only few seals were found. Traveling seals were also 
plentiful among the bunches. Considering the fine weather prevailing 
and the number of seals observed from the vessel the catch was com- 
paratively small, only 89 having been taken—10 males and 79 females. 
Sixty-five of this number were examined. The stomachs in 49 were 
empty, 13 contained liquid matter, and 7 material which it would be 
possible to identify; the latter was preserved. A large number of 
canoes hunting on the same ground tends to destroy the chances of a 
good catch by any of them. Canoes from other vessels were in close 
proximity to ours and none of them did well. This day’s catch was 
made 12 miles north and 9 miles west from that of the day before. 
On August 12 the hunters made an early start, the weather being 
cloudy and cool, the wind from the westward and light; sea smooth; 
temperature of air and water the same. Later in the forenoon a heavy 
