120 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



Avest and blowing a gale, followed by a Leavy sea. On tlie morning of 

 tlie 23d sighted the lower part of Akatan Island, the top of which was 

 enveloped in a heavy fog. All through the day seals were plentiful, 

 and many of them asleep. During the past few days enough seals 

 had been seen to induce a vessel to lay by and wait until the weather 

 should moderate, but the captain thought bad weather had set in for 

 the fall, and accordingly had made u^) his nund to go home. He made 

 a mistake in so deciding, for after we had left and were on our way 

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



At G 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 i'OO miles off shore salmon were noticed 

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

 Wljales were also plentiful. For the first two or three days after leav- 

 ing Bering Sea the weather was pleasant, but during the greater part 

 of the voyage home heavy gales from the westward prevailed. On the 

 evening of September (I we arrived at Victoria, having been twelve 

 days on the voyage home. 



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

 of the Olsen, wlio did everything in their power to forward liis inquiries. 

 Had the Olsen encountered the favoiablecomlitions which many of the 

 vessels did, much more extensive and importarit observations could 

 have been made. It was subsequently learned that daring the time we 

 were ha\ing exceedingly stormy weather, often hove to in a gale, many 

 vessels of the fleet operating several degrees farther south were hav- 

 ing pleasant weather and making good catches every day. 



SYNOPSIS OF THE SEALING CRUISE OF THE LOUIS OLSEN 

 ON THE JAPAN COAST IN 1894. 



The schooner Louis Olsen, of Astoria,* sailed on a sealing voyage, 

 bound for the coast of Japan, January 1, 18!)4. Like the majority of 

 sealers intending to hunt on that coast, she nuide a southern passage, 

 going to the southward of the Sandwich Islands and close to the Jionin 

 Islands. Sealers frequently call at the latter group for water and make 

 such repairs as may be needed. These islands are situated not far from 

 the sealing ground where seals are taken early in the spring. 



The boats were lowered for the first time on March V2. The next day 

 and the following one 74 seals were taken. On the Kith a heavy gale 

 from the southeast came on, but subsided on the 17th, when hunting 

 was resumed. 



On March 2.;, in latitude 37° W north, longitude 111° 02' east, a 

 schooner Avas sighted bottom up, which ])roved to be the sealing schooner 

 Mascot. She was afterwards seen by other vessels, and attemi)ts were 

 made to cut through her side and secure the skins, of which, it was 

 understood, there were al)out aOO in her hold, but without success. 



It had been noticed that the current was very strong and very irregu- 

 lar, making it difficult to trace the vessel's track by dead reckoning. 

 On the 2r)th a clear sky afforded the oi)portunity for a good observation, 

 and it was found that the current had carried the vessel 75 miles to the 

 north-northeast, although she had been headed southwest by south. 

 An irregularity in the currents was subsequently noticed on all parts 

 of the coast visited. 



