128 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



have done, having lost patience and become discouraged. Tliey lack 

 the persistence and judgment of the white hunters, and will give up 

 the chase on the slightest i^retext. The latter, on the contrary, will 

 remain out as long as a chance remains of adding another skin to their 

 catch. One hunter, however, had secured 14 seals, the largest catch of 

 any one canoe since entering the sea. The total number of seals in the 

 day's catch was 73, 18 being males, and oo females. Their stomachs, 

 like those previously examined, contained but little food; only a few 

 pieces of tish and fish bones were found. In one of the canoes 3 female 

 seals had been skinned; of those brought on board 3 were without 

 milk. When asked if the seals skinned in the canoe were in milk, the 

 Indians said they had not noticed. If the condition of the seals had 

 been observed the same answer would have been given, for as soon as 

 these Indians learn that certain information is wanted they are very 

 reticent, and but little dependence can be placed in what they do say. 

 Seemingly they have been taught to look with suspicion on every 

 person in search of stealing data. 



The canoes that went to the northwest of the vessel were more suc- 

 cessful than those that went in other directions, and the one that 

 brought in tlie 14 seals hunted about G miles to the northwest of all the 

 other canoes in that locality. A great many traveling seals were 

 observed, all bound to the northward. Nearly all information concern- 

 ing the direction in which seals were traveling was obtained from the 

 white hunters. Indians, as a rule, pay but little attention to traveling 

 seals, generally attempting to capture only those that are asleep, but 

 sometimes they will endeavor to spear them when rolling and tinning. 



In two of the seals taken shot were found, the wounds being com- 

 paratively fresh — not more than a week old. 



On August 11 the canoes and boats went out at 5 o'clock, light 

 wind and cloudy weather prevailing all day. In the afternoon sleeping 

 seals, two and three in a bunch, were frequently observed from the 

 vessel. Whales were plentiful from sunrise until dark. The smoke of 

 a revenue cutter could be noticed to the southwest all the morning, 

 the sight of which caused our canoes to hover much nearer the vessel 

 than usual, the Indians having a dread of all trovernraent vessels. At 

 10 a. m. a canoe belonging to the schooner Triumph came alongside 

 with 5 seals. Our canoes began to return at 5.30 p. m. and continued 

 to come in until 7 o'clock, when the last one arrived. The largest catch 

 was 10 skins and one canoe obtained nothing. Sleeping seals were 

 reported in snmll bunches from 1 to 2 miles apart. The hunters who 

 happened to be near these bunches did fairly well, but a few miles to 

 the southwest only few seals were found. Traveling seals were also 

 plentiful among the bunches. Considering the fine weather prevailing 

 and the number of seals observed from the vessel the catch was com- 

 paratively small, only 89 having been taken — 10 males and 71) females. 

 Sixty-five of this number were examined. The stonmchs in 49 were 

 empty, 13 contained liquid matter, and 7 material which it would be 

 liossible to identify; the latter was preserved. A large number of 

 canoes hunting on the same ground tends to destroy the chances of a 

 good catch by any of them. Canoes from other vessels were in close 

 proximity to ours and none of them did well. This day's catch was 

 made 12 miles north ami 9 miles west from that of the day before. 



On August 12 the hunters made an early start, the weather being 

 cloudy and cool, the wind from the westward and light; sea smooth; 

 temperature of air and water the same. Later in the forenoon a heavy 



