SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 131 
p.m. our hunters returned bringing 85 seals, 28 males and 57 females. 
All of the females were exceptionally large; the males were all young: 
bachelors, from 4 to 5 years old. A careful examination was made of 
the stomachs, only 6 of which contained food. In one stomach was: 
found small pieces of squid, in the others small bones and pieces of 
fish. The catch to-day was not very evenly distributed among the 
boats, the highest bringing in 14, and four 1 each. . 
On August 18 the wind was from the southeast by south to south- 
southwest, decreasing from a stiff to a gentle breeze. The sea was 
choppy in the morning, and a long rolling swell prevailed in the after- 
noon. The weather was foggy and variable, all of which conditions were 
unfavorable for sealing. At noon there were signs of clearing up, and 
shortly after that the canoes were lowered in latitude 55° 51’ north,- 
longitude 168° 32’ west. The Indians had no great desire to go out, 
and probably would not have ventured had it not been that the schooner 
Willard Ainsworth was a short distance away and had already low- 
ered her boats. Five other vessels were also in sight. At the end of 
three hours the hunters returned, having secured only 2 seals—1 male 
and | female. Very few seals had been seen, the only “sleepers” being 
the 2 that were captured. The others were traveling in various 
directions. 
The next day, August 19, rain prevented seals from sleeping. At 8 
a.m. the canoes were lowered, but the weather did not give promise of 
satisfactory results, even in case seals were plentiful. The canoes 
remained out only two hours, returning with 2 males and 2 females. 
Their stomachs, like those of yesterday, were empty. The mate of our 
vessel while absent had boarded the schooner Florence M. Smith, and 
learned that she had taken 546 seals. On the 15th she secured 160 
seals; her position on that day having been not far from where we 
hunted—latitude 55° 08/ north, longitude 167° 40’ west. He was also 
told that our canoe which went astray on the 15th had taken 12 seals, 
making our total catch for that day 111 skins. 
Shortly after the boats returned a sleeping seal was observed close 
aboard, and although it was raining hard it slept on, wholly unmindful 
of the weather. Such an occurrence is very unusual, for it is seldom 
that seals rest well while it is raining, unless they have become 
thoroughly exhausted by a long spell of rough weather. Later in the 
afternoon a few traveling seals were seen; they frequently changed their 
course, but the general direction of their movements was northwesterly. 
We had been in discolored water all day, but late in the afternoon we 
suddenly jogged out of it into clear water. The noon observation, lati- 
tude 54° 56’ north, longitude 168° west, indicated that we were in a 
strong south-southwest current. 
On August 20 a very satisfactory catch was made, the wind being a 
light breeze from the westward, and the sea smooth. <A light fog hung 
low over the water at times, occasionally clearing for the space of half 
to three-quarters of an hour, which enabled the hunters to keep track 
of the vessel. The boats were lowered at 4.30 a. m., at which time 
seven other sealing vessels were in sight. During the afternoon we fre- 
quently saw canoes lower their sails, indicating that they were among 
seals. We could not tell to which vessel they belonged, as both boats 
and vessels were well mixed up together. 
One canoe returned early in the afternoon with 11 skins, and by 7 
p. m. 111 seals had been landed on deck, 44 being males and 67 females. 
Sixty-two of the latter were nursing females. All the males were from 
4 to 5 years old except 2, which were about 6 years old. Squid and 
