126 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



considerable unnecessary talk and paid no attention to a few scattering 

 sleeping seals that were observed among patches of seaweed. It was 

 only when an occasional glimpse of the sky was seen through the 

 clouds and fog, and indications of good weatlier were ])lainly visible, 

 that the Indians showed a disposition to hunt. At 10 o'clock all the 

 boats went out. At the time of lowering two other sealing vessels were 

 in sight. During the absence of the canoes no seals were observed from 

 the vessel, although floating seaweed was plentiful. 



The canoes returned early in the afternoon, on account of a heavy 

 fog bank which suddenly shut down. Only 10 seals had been taken, 8 

 males and 8 females. Their stomachs were entirely empty, which would 

 seem to indicate a scarcity of surface fish in this locality. One of the 

 hunters spoke the schooner Annie C. Moore, which reported having 

 taken 6o seals, a comparatively poor catch, considering that the weather 

 had been fairly good. 



The following day (August 5) the weatlier was not suitable for seal- 

 ing, owing to fog and mist most of the time. The wind was from the 

 west-soutliwest to east-southeast, gradually increasing from a gentle 

 to a fresh breeze, accompanied by a sea sufliciently choppy to prevent 

 seals from sleeping. One "sleeper," however, was observed from the 

 vessel and captured. 



On stormy days a lookout is kept by the hunters, and the one who 

 first sees a seal is entitled to stand in the bow of the canoe as spears- 

 man. At such times three men go in a canoe, the weather usually being 

 too rough for one man to manage it. No selection of canoe is made, 

 the most handy one being used, and also the first spear that can be 

 gotten hold of. 



In the afternoon we stood to the east-southeast 18 miles, and during 

 the night to the south by west 17 miles, sighting Unalaska Island on 

 the morning of the 0th. The weather was stormy and blowing a mod- 

 erate gale from southeast, with falling barometer. The noon observa- 

 tion placed us in latitude 5r>o 01' north, longitude 108° 07' west, which 

 showed that we had been in a strong southerly current for the past 

 twenty-four hours. Later in the day we ran 19 miles on a northwest 

 course and hove to on the port tack under a two-reefed foresail and 

 fore-staysail and trysail. In the evening we passed close to the 

 schooner iSan Jose. During the night the wind hauled to the south- 

 west and decreased in force to a very fresh breeze. At times during 

 the following day the sea was very rough, not wholly due to the wind, 

 but caused by a strong current running to the southward. At noon 

 the fog and clouds cleared enough to enable us to get an observation — 

 latitude 54° 5<)' north, longitude 107° 21' west. In the afternoon we 

 stood to the northward at a rate sufficient to offset the effect of the 

 current. Late in the day we .spoke the schooner Walter L. Bieh, which 

 had taken only 65 seals. She had been cruising to the westward of our 

 present position, near the 00-mile zone, and while in that region had 

 seen but few seals. 



Toward evening two young seals i)layed about the vessel for some 

 time. They were enticed quite near by whistling, but not close enough 

 to spear. It is only rarely that seals are si)eared from the deck of a 

 vessel. The young will often ai)proach very near and play about, some- 

 times for an hour or more, but keeping out of reach. Occasionally, 

 however, their curiosity overcomes their customary i)rudeuce, and at 

 such times they are generally captured. 



In the morinng of August 8 there were indications of clearing weather, 

 with rising barometer and an occasional clear spot in the sky. A dozen 



