

SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 203 



i,ter in the day all the boats went out, but returned at the end of 

 three hours with only one seal. The sea was smooth and but little 

 wind stirring, but the air grew suddenly chilly and the sky very cloudy, 

 which practically put an end to the chances of seals sleeping for the 

 day. On this particular occasion the hunters were very much dis- 

 gusted on account of not having shotguns. They claimed that with 

 guns the day's catch at the least calculation would have been between 

 00 and 70 seals, instead of the small number of two. On a day like 

 this, when seals showed no inclination to sleep, shotguns in the hands 

 of skillful hunters would have done very destructive work to the seal 

 herd, for experienced hunters kill nearly if not quite as many traveling 

 seals during the course of a season as sleeping ones. In the early his- 

 tory of pelagic sealing hunters sought sleeping seals only, but they 

 have learned the movements of the seal so thoroughly that traveling 

 and finning seals are almost as desirable as sleeping ones. 



Hand-line fishing was carried on from the vessel in 60 fathoms of 

 water. In one hour 10 cod were caught, their average weight being 

 about 9 pounds. It was estimated that the largest would weigh 30 

 pounds, the smallest 4 pounds. In their stomachs were found small 

 starfish, prawns, squid, medusae, and a quantity of decomposed fish, 

 all of which was saved. 



Unfortunately this was our last day's hunt. From this time on we 

 had stormy weather and heavy gales. Eighty-four seals had been taken, 

 16 males and 68 females. All the females were nursing cows, except 

 one, which was a yearling. The last seal caught by the Olsen was taken 

 in latitude 56 05' north, longitude 172 17' west. 



Early in the morning of the 19th the weather was pleasant, with indi- 

 cations of its being a suitable day for sealing, but shortly after the wind 

 began to freshen from the southeast, gradually increasing in force and 

 hauling to the westward. Lay to under a double-reefed foresail; heavy 

 squalls at times. Xoon position, latitude 55 39' north, longitude 172 

 12' west. 



August 20: Heavy gale from the northwest; very high sea running.. 

 Kan before the wind for three hours, hoping to run out of the heaviest 

 part of the gale, but no perceptible difference was felt. Lay hove to 

 until 10 p. m., at which time again kept off before the wind and ran 

 until 10 a. m. the next day. About this time saw several seals, and 

 soon after ran close to a bunch of seals, five in number, all huddled 

 together. It was evident that they were well tired out, or else they 

 would not have been asleep in such weather. Position, latitude 54 

 38' north, longitude 168 01' west. In the afternoon sighted several 

 vessels. 



On the 22d bore away for Uniinak Pass; wind north-northwest and 

 blowing a gale, followed by a heavy sea. On the morning of the 23d 

 sighted the lower part of Akutan Island, the top of it being enveloped 

 in a heavy fog. All through the day seals were plentiful, many of which 

 were asleep. During the past few days enough seals had been seen to 

 cause a vessel to lay by and wait until the weather should moderate. 

 The captain thought that bad weather had set in for the fall, and 

 accordingly had made up his mind to go home. A mistake was made 

 in this decision, for after we had left the sea and were on our way home 

 good catches were being made by all the vessels that remained. 



At 6 o'clock in the evening we had left Unimak Pass behind us, and 

 were standing on an east by south course. The next day, when about 

 75 miles from the pass, saw a sleeping seal, and 10 miles farther on saw- 

 two more. When about 200 miles offshore salmon were noticed Jump- 



