SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIHILOF ISLANDS. 129 



fog bank threatened to envelop us, and sLortly after noon it came ia 

 thick, causing all the canoes to return, having obtained only 15 seals. 



On August 13 the weather was unsuitable for sealing, being cloudy 

 and threatening; the wind fresh from the southwest and west southwest.. 

 In the morning we were in company with the schooners Triumph and! 

 Sapphire, of Victoria, the former having taken 500 skins and the latter 

 450 skins. Captain Siewerd and the writer went on board of tlie Sap- 

 phire. It had been noticed that the water about us was very dark in 

 color, much darker than usual, and it had also been observed that in. 

 localities where we had taken the most seals the water had been the most 

 discolored. Captain Siewerd had on more than one occasion noticed 

 that seals frequent water of this character in considerable numbers, and 

 had noted the fact in his log. Captain ( "ox, of the Triumph, stated that 

 when in Bering Sea last year he got most of his catcli in this locality, 

 namely, latitude 54° 50' north, longitude 108° 15' west, lie found seals 

 at the commencement of the voyage in water very much discolored, and 

 he endeavored to keep in such water as much as possible. This experi- 

 ment resulted in his averaging lliO seals for each time the canoes were 

 lowered during the month of August, 1894. On the strength of meet- 

 ing with such good success, he lias been cruising this season on the' 

 same ground, and is now more convinced than ever that seal life is. 

 more abundant in discolored water than in clear water. Captain Cox 

 attributed the poor catch of seals on August 11 to the great nund)er of 

 canoes roaming over a comparatively small area. On the day mentioned 

 the Sapphire took only 08 seals and the Triumph 73. A few days before 

 a large bull seal was captured by the Sapphire with two spears embedded 

 in its body. 



On the forenoon of the next day (August 14) the weather did not bid 

 fair for sealing, the sea being choppy and the wind fresh from the west- 

 southwest. No seal life was observed until the middle of the day, when 

 one seal was noticed asleep not far from the vessel, and so soundly that 

 the Happing of the canvas did not disturb it. It was captured. Its 

 stomach was empty. 



At 12.15 p. m. the weather began to show signs of moderating, and 

 soon afterwards the canoes were lowered in latitude 55° 3' north, longi- 

 tude 107° 45' west, where a number of seals were observed playing. 

 The good weather was of short duration, however, the canoes returning 

 by 3.15 p. m., a heavy fog having settled over the water. The white 

 hunters did not come in until nearly dark, thus showing the difference 

 between the two classes. The fog lifted in about an hour after the 

 Indians returned, but they could not be induced to go out again. In 

 several instances where Indians have become discouraged and wanted 

 to return home they have, in order to accomplish their purpose, broken 

 their spears and smashed their canoes, thereby breaking up the voyage. 

 Previous to about two years ago there was no law in British Columbia 

 regulating the conduct of Indian hunters on sealing vessels, and the 

 result was that every possible advantage was taken of the situation. 

 Under the law recently passed Indians are noAv held accountable as 

 much as white men for the success of the voyage. 



The boats containing the white hunters brought back 4 seals, making 

 the total number for the day 30, of which 14 were males and 16 females. 

 The females were all adults, and with milk; the males were small, from 

 3 to 4 years old. Only three stomachs contained food. In one young 

 male's stomach was found a number of squid beaks; in the stomach of 

 S. Doc. 137, pt. 2 9 



