136 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 
advanced it grew warmer. Whales could be heard blowing through 
the night, and at daylight a number were seen close by; also immense 
flocks of birds. At 5.30 a.m.the hunters started under very favorable 
conditions, the sea being smooth and nothing in the atmosphere indica- 
tive of a change. The wind being very light, the vessel remained in 
one position most of the day. Numerous seals were observed, both 
awake and asleep. The former were moving only slowly, seldom going 
over 100 yards, and spending most of the time in finning, rolling, and 
scratching themselves. In the afternoon we were boarded by the 
revenue cutter Rush. At 5.30 p.m. the canoes began to return, each 
one bringing a good catch, the largest amounting to 25 seals, the 
smallest to 11. The total catch was 336. This was a phenomenal day’s 
work, affording the greatest number of seals ever taken in Bering Sea 
in one day, except that the schooner Sapphire in 1894 captured about 
400 in the same length of time. 
There were 120 males and 216 females. The stomachs of those opened 
showed a remarkable scarcity of food. The material from 8 males 
and 10 females was all that was in suitable condition to identify, and 
consisted chiefly of squid, although pollock and what looked like cod 
made up a portion of the food preserved. Taking into consideration 
the amount of surface life observed from day to day, it has appeared 
remarkable that so few seals should have food in their stomachs. 
To-day both Indian and white hunters reported numerous seals, fin- 
ning, rolling, and asleep. In the early part of the day they were inclined 
to be restless, but in the afternoon the warm sun caused them to sleep 
soundly, and so plentiful were they that sometimes it was a hard matter 
to decide which one to spear first. Of course, where seals sleep so near 
together, those in close proximity to the one speared are liable to be 
disturbed, but there were enough others in the near vicinity to keep the 
hunters busy without paying much attention to the disturbed ones. 
They were reported as lying about like logs, as far as the eye could reach. 
The hunters claimed that in all their experience they had never before 
beheld anything like the sight presented. Small schools of squid, pol- 
lock, and other fish were plentiful. One of the white hunters reported 
seeing several Atka mackerel, and from the description given it is pos- 
sible he was correct. The day had been a perfect one for sealing, and 
no other vessels were on the ground. 
During the night we jogged to the southwest 14 miles. In the morn- 
ing of September 2 the hunters were out at an early hour, weather being 
clear and pleasant, the sea smooth, and the wind light from northeast 
by north. At 10 a.m. two of the canoes returned, the hunters claiming 
that the air was too raw and chilly for seals to sleep well, there being 
2 degrees difference between the air and water. Only a few seattering 
seals had been seen, and they were rolling and finning. It was not long 
before all the canoes returned, bringing altogether 10 seals—6 males and 
4 females. Three of the latter were nursing females. Their stomachs 
were comparatively empty, what little food they contained being of the 
same character as on the previous day, namely, squid. 
At 4 p.m.an observation of the sun placed us in latitude 55° 22/ 
north, longitude 170° 36/ west. At this time we saw several patches of 
sea weed in which seals were finning and playing. We spoke the 
schooner Hnterprise and learned that she had captured 236 seals on the 
Ist, about 12 miles south of our position. We were also informed that 
a number of other vessels had been very successful, which would indi- 
cate that the seals covered a considerable area on that day and were 
not wholly confined to our immediate vicinity. 
