204 



SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



ing. They were so near that we could hardly mistake the species. 

 Whales were also plentiful. 



For the first two or three days after leaving the sea the weather was 

 pleasant, but during the greater part of the voyage home heavy gales 

 from the westward prevailed, which made the captain all the more con- 

 fident that no mistake had been made by leaving so early. 



On the evening of the 6th of September we arrived at Victoria, hav- 

 ing been twelve days on the voyage home. 



The writer was very kindly treated by the captain, officers, and crew 

 of the Olseu, every effort being made by them to lend assistance and 

 collect such material as was desired. Had the Olseu been among seals 

 under favorable circumstances, as many vessels were, the writer could, 

 with the assistance of the kindly disposed crew, have gathered consid- 

 erable material; but we were one of the unfortunate ones. It was 

 subsequently learned that during the time we were having exceedingly 

 stormy weather often hove to in a gale many vessels of the fleet that 

 were several degrees farther south were having pleasant weather and 

 getting good catches every day. 



Seals taken in the Bering Sea by the schooner Louis Olsen, 1S94. 



[Statistics compiled by H. H. Mclntyre, 1889.] 



Seal skins landed at Victoria from Bering Sea, as shown by the Victoria cnslom-house 



records. 



