138 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 
this the fog lifted for a short time and an observation of the sun was 
taken, placing us in latitude 56° 32’ north, longitude 172° 45’ west. 
The next morning we had made 50 miles in a southeast direction; the 
weather was pleasant, the sea smooth, and the sky periodically clear. 
A few seals were noticed early in the day. At 9 a. m. the presence of 
3 seals, supposed to be sleeping, prompted two bunters to launch 
their canoes, but they dived just as the spears were being thrown. The 
appearance of seals, however, acted as an incentive for all the canoes 
to go out, but they soon retur ned in consequence of fog. Nine seals 
only were obtained, 4 being males and 5 females. Although fish were 
reported jumping, nothing was found in the stomachs of these 
specimens. . 
In the night we had worked to the east-southeast, and in the morning 
we were in ‘latitude 55° 50’ north, longitude 171° 49’ west. AtS ama 
sleeping seal was speared close to the ‘vessel : its stomach was well filled 
with food, consisting apparently of Alaskan’ pollock. At this hour the 
weather Ww as very foggy and the Indians were not inclined to start. 
Presently, however, the fog lifted somewhat and several more seals 
wereseen. <A signal gun could now be heard, indicating that a sealing 
vessel was near and that her boats were out. This circumstance stim- 
ulated the hunters to action, and in a short time the canoes were 
hoisted out. As the fog cleared birds, whales, and porpoises conld be 
seen to the northwest, and also flocks of petrel on the water close by. 
The season being now well advanced, the hunters were expected to take 
advantage of every opportunity, and, moreover, on the strength of 
their previous good success, they were quite eager to add a few more 
skins to the number on board. The weather could no longer be trusted 
for any length of time,and that proved to be the case on this day. At 
11 a. mn. the fog became so dense that the captain was as anxious to get 
the hunters back as they were to return. Seventeen seals composed 
the catch, 5 being males and 12 females. Eleven of the females were 
nursing cows, and the males were all young. One canoe obtained 5 of 
the number, all of which were asleep and separated just far enough so 
the noise made in capturing one did not disturb the others. A consid- 
erable number of “rollers” and “ finners” was noticed, but the damp 
fog seemed to prevent them from sleeping. Had the day been warm it 
is probable that a good catch would have been secured. 
In proportion to the number of seals taken, a greater amount of food 
was found in their stomachs than on any previous occasion. Squid 
and pollock mixed with crustaceans composed the greater part of the 
material identified. Squid beaks were very conspicuous in every 
stomach in which food was found. As in previous cases the stomachs 
of the females were much better filled than those of the males. 
The second mate while out hunting had boarded the schooner 
Triumph, whose gun had been heard earlier in the day. She reported 
having 1,800 skins. The day before she took 20 skins 30 miles to the 
eastward of our present position. For the past few days she had been 
gradually working to the westward, but only a few scattered seals had 
been noticed. To-day her hunters brought in 42 skins. Captain Cox 
expressed the opinion that if good weather should prevail for a few 
days encouraging results would follow, as there was every indication 
that seals were plentiful on this ground. The elements were against 
us, however, and for the next four days the weather was rough and 
boisterous. 
On September 11 the wind blew a very fresh breeze, varying in 
direction from south by east to southwest, accompanied by a rough 
sea. No seals were seen, but many birds were about. During the 
