SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 139 
night of the 11th and the morning of the 12th the wind increased in 
force and hauled to the westward. The sky was filled with heavy 
clouds, the air was raw and chilly. Occasionally we wore ship to hold 
our position. Scattering petrels and other sea birds were frequently 
seen, but only one seal was sighted during the day. At sundown the 
barometer began to rise. In the evening the sky cleared and the stars 
came out, but the sea continued heavy and was accompanied by a 
flying seud. 
On September 13 the wind varied in force from a light to a stiff 
breeze, with changeable weather, 1ain, mist, fog, and rough sea, occa- 
sionally clearing. Birds were plentiful, one of which was seen to dive 
close to the vessel and bring up a fish about 10 inches long. In the 
afternoon 3 seals were observed sleeping side by side, the vessel almost 
running over them before they awoke. They must have been much 
exhausted from loss of sleep in the recent gale. 
In the morning of September 14 the wind had again increased to a 
moderate gale. The weather was foggy and misty at times, with a heavy, 
rough, and tumbling sea. Two seals were observed in the forenoon. 
Near noon we ran into an area of discolored water, in latitude 55° 20’ 
north, longitude 171° 25’ west, in which were a number of seals. Not- 
withstanding the very rough condition of the sea and the moderate 
gale prevailing, several of them were asleep. Their bodies were but 
little exposed, and it was only when we were quite near them that they 
could be made out. The gale finally broke, and in the morning of 
September 15 only a light, variable air was moving. The sea had also 
gradually gone down with the wind. At 7.30 a. im. several seals were 
observed and the canoes were lowered. Two sleepers were captured a 
short distance from the vessel. At 11a m., however, a heavy fog and 
mist settled down, accompanied by a cold wind from the northwest, 
which had the effect of bringing back the hunters, all of whom were on 
board at 1.30 o’clock, having captured 24 seals, 16 males and 8 females, 
Pieces of squid were found in the stomachs of some of them. Fourteen 
of the males were very small, and 2 between 4 and 5 years old. The 
females were larger, 5 being with milk. The hunters reported seeing 
a large number of seals rolling and finning. 
Numerous birds and a great many whales were in sight all day. At 
noon we were in latitude 55° 10’ north, longitude 170° 06’ west, which 
was not far from the position where we had taken 157 seals on August 
26 and 146 on August 27. The color of the water varied but little on 
these dates, the strips of discoloration also running in the same gen- 
eral direction. It would appear as though these bands of discolored 
water were governed chiefly by the currents, being but little affected 
by the wind. Late in the day the fog gave way to occasional rain 
squalls. Birds were exceedingly abundant, and we frequently sighted 
scattered seals, the most of which were playing. In the evening sev- 
eral hail squalls passed over, after which the sky cleared. 
Preparations were made to lower the canoes on the following morn- 
ing, but the work was interrupted by the sudden breezing up of the 
wind from the westward. In the afternoon the clear weather suddenly 
changed to mist and rain, with an occasional squall. Only 2 seals 
were seen, 1 asleep and the other playing. A canoe was lowered for 
the “sleeper,” but it was lost sight of in the choppy sea. Whales and 
birds were plentiful all day, and in some places immense flocks of pet- 
rel were sitting on the water. They were evidently feeding on small 
marine organisms, for as soon as we had jogged past they would settle 
down in the same spot from where they had been frightened. 
Early in the evening a sealing vessel passed to windward with her 
