SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 127 



or more seals, in bands of three and four, were noticed, causing con- 

 siderable commotion among the Indians. A week of the sealing season 

 liad already passed, and only a few seals Lad been captured, in conse- 

 quence of which the Indians were becoming restless. At 8 a. m., wore 

 ship and shook the reef out of the foresail, but in a short time the fog 

 again settled down, and remained so for the remainder of the day. 



In the afternoon we saw quite a large number of seals, more than at 

 any time since entering the sea. They were not moving in any par- 

 ticular direction. Orcas or killer whales were plentiful, and kept close 

 to the seals, but they did not have the effect of driving them from the 

 ground. The sealers claim that the orcas destroy large numbers of 

 seals annually, especially in and about the numerous passes through 

 the Aleutian Islands and off the coast of Japan. Many hunters say 

 that when out in their boats it is not an unfrequent occurrence to see 

 orcas devour seals. One hunter on board of the Slcirerd informed me 

 that on two occasions, oft' the Japan coast, orcas attempted to take the 

 seals that he had shot. During the afternoon we saw five other sealing 

 vessels. 



On August 9 the canoes were put over for the first time in five days. 

 The white hunters niade a start at 9 a. m., the weather having moder- 

 ated, and being promjited so to do by the sight of a sleeping seal. 

 The Indian hunters held back for a time, but several other seals being 

 observed, the remaining canoes were lowered. During most of the time 

 while the hunters were absent, numerous birds and whales and several 

 por})oises were observed about the vessel. Early in the afternoon the 

 wind began to increase in force and the canoes to return. By 4 o'clock 

 they were all on board, having secured 20 seals, of which 13 were males 

 and 7 females. The stomachs were nearly all empty, a piece of squid 

 being taken from one and a few fish bones from another. One of the 

 females had lost a hind flipper, and shot were found in two of the skins. 

 One of the seals represented by these skins had been recently wounded, 

 the other probably some time early in the spring, the shot being found 

 encysted. All of the females were in milk; the males were all young 

 bachelors. 



Two vessels, the F. M. Smith and Saucy Lass, were in sight at the 

 time the canoes returned. The captain of the former came on board 

 and reported having taken 105 skins. He also said that the schooner 

 Triumph had obtained 283; 3Iaud S., 240; CD. Rand, 100, and the 

 Saucy Lass between (JO and 70. 



On the following morning (August 10) the weather was cloudy and 

 cool. At 7 o'clock the canoes and boats started out; at the time of 

 their going the sea was long and rolling, and the temperature of the 

 water 2 degrees below that of the air. When the air is a great deal 

 colder than the water, experienced hunters do not, as a rule, expect to 

 find many sleeping seals. They state, however, that there are excep- 

 tions to this rule, but in most cases extra cold air makes them restless 

 and very diificult to approach within spearing distance; bnt with shot- 

 guns they may, when in this condition, be killed with comparative ease. 



In the middle of the forenoon two vessels were sighted. Only one 

 seal was noticed fiom the vessel. This individual was "mooching," a 

 term used by the hunters to indicate swimming at the suiface of the 

 water with only a very small portion of the body exposed, occasionally 

 thrusting the head out far enough to breathe. Seals frequently swim 

 this way on raw, cold days, when they may readily be shot with guns, 

 but are not easily approached with spears. 



At 2 p. m. the Indians began to return, much earlier than they should 



