132 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 
pollock made up the bulk of the food found in their stomachs, a few 
being gorged with it. In proportion to the number of seals taken, 
however, only a few contained food. The squid and pollock were in a 
comparatively fresh state. Krom the stomach of one male an eelpout 
was taken. 
It is a fact worth mentioning that all the seals taken by us to-day 
were found in “streaks” of discolored water from 1 to 3 miles wide, 
and extending nearly in a north and south direction. The character of 
the water could hardly be accounted for by our close proximity to the 
bank, for if such had been the case it would have been the same all 
over. It had previously been noticed that these discolored bands ran 
parallel to each other in northeast and southwest or northwest and 
southeast directions. Water in this condition would not ordinarily be 
noticed from the deck of a steamer unless on the lookout for it. The 
mate reported seeing an abundance of Alaskan pollock jumping and 
many traveling seals in pursuit of them. 
Most of the seals taken to-day were captured asleep, only four hav- 
ing been awake when speared. The latter wee ‘“ mooching.” 
In and about the neck of a male seal were found several shot wounds, 
with blood oozing from them. Another seal had a bullet hole close to 
its right forward flipper. 
On the morning of August 21 there was every indication of favorable 
sealing weather. The sky was dark and cloudy, but the wind was light 
and the sea smooth. The Indians went cut at an early hour. Not 
long after their departure we spoke the schooner Agnes McDonald, 
which had picked up our hunters who went astray on the 15th. The 
McDonald reported having 900 skins. Her white and Indian hunters 
were equally divided as to numbers, and the former had taken between 
40 and 50 more seals than the latter. 
The Indians of the Northwest Coast have always been of the opinion 
that white men could never become expert in the use of the spear, and 
this spring they ridiculed the idea when told that white hunters were 
to be employed on a few vessels. If white men will only exercise the 
same patience when hunting with spears as with shotguns, they will 
soon become as proficient in its use as the Indians. Such a result 
would be greatly to the advantage of captains and vessel owners, as 
the Indians have had the opportunity heretofore of dictating their 
own terms. 
At noon a heavy tog settled down, causing the boats to return; but 
fairly good results were obtained, 69 seals being taken—12 males and 
57 females ‘The males were small, ranging in age from 2 to 4 years. 
For bye -eight of the females were exceptionally large, 4 medium in size, 
and 2 about 2 years old. The first mentioned were all with milk, the 
others without. An examination of their stomachs showed that they 
had been feeding largely on squid, Alaskan pollock, and salmon, a con- 
siderable amount of which could not have been in their stomachs more 
than a short time, as it was very fresh in appearance. 
The mate reported seeing, while hunting, a small school of squid, 
but observed no seals among them. The other white hunters noticed 
numerous small fish jumping, and frequently seals in pursuit of them. 
The fish could not be approached near enough to determine their 
species, 
At the time of lowering the canoes a dead whale was seen to wind- 
ward, about 14 miles distant. We kept in sight of it all day. In the 
evening, after the work of skinning had been finished, a party of 
Indians went to it and brought back a quantity of blubber. The head 
