SEAL LIFE ON THE PRII5IL0F ISLANDS. 131 



p. 111. our Imuters retuvued bringing 8.") seals, 28 males and 57 females. 

 All of the females were exceptionally large; the males wore all young 

 bachelors, from 4 to 5 years old. A careful examination was made oi' 

 the stomachs, only (> of which contained food. In one stomach was 

 found small i)ieces of s(]ui(l, in the others small bones and pieces of 

 tish. The catch to-day was not very evenly distributed among the 

 boats, the highest bringing in 14, and four 1 each. 



On August 18 the wind was from the southeast by south to soutk- 

 southwest, decreasing from a stiff to a gentle breeze. The sea was 

 choppy in the morning, and a long rolling swell prevailed in the after- 

 noon. The weather was foggy and variable, all of which conditions were 

 unfavorable for sealing. At noon there were signs of clearing" up, and 

 shortly after that tlie canoes were lowered in latitude ~t~P 51' north, 

 longitude 108° 3l" west. The Indians had no great desire to go out, 

 and probably would not have veutnred had it not been that the schooner 

 WUlard Ainsiportlt was a short distance away and had already low- 

 ered her boats. Five other vessels were also in sight. At the end of 

 three hours the hunters returned, having secured onlj^ 2 seals — 1 male 

 and 1 female. Very few seals had been seen, the only "sleepers" being 

 the 2 that were captured. The others were traveling in various 

 directions. 



The next day, August 19, rain prevented seals from sleeping. At 8 

 a. m. the canoes were lowered, but the weather did not give promise of 

 satisfactory results, even in case seals were i»lentiful. The canoes 

 remained out only two hours, returning witli 2 males and 2 females. 

 Their stomachs, like tliose of yesterday, were empty. The mate of our 

 vessel while absent had boarded the schoonev Flore mw M. iSinith, and 

 learned that she had taken 54(1 seals. On the 15th she secured 100 

 seals; her i)Osition on that day having been not far fiom where we 

 hunted — latitude 55^ 08' north, longitude 107° 40' west. He was also 

 told that our canoe which went astray on the 15th had taken 12 seals, 

 making our total catch for that day 111 skins. 



Shortly after the boats returned a sleeping seal was observed close 

 aboard, and although it was raining hard it slept on, wholly unmindful 

 of the weather. Such an occurrence is very unusual, for it is seldom 

 that seals rest well while it is raining, unless they have become 

 thoroughly exhausted by a long spell of rough weather. Later in the 

 afternoon a few traveling seals were seen ; they frequently changed their 

 course, but the general direction of their movements was northwesterly. 

 We had been in discolored water all day, but late in the afternoon we 

 suddenly jogged out of it into clear water. The noon observation, lati- 

 tude 54° 5()' north, longitude 108° west, indicated that we were in a 

 strong south-southwest current. 



On August 20 a very satisfactory catch was made, the wind being a 

 light breeze from the westward, and the sea smooth. A light fog hung 

 low over the water at times, (occasionally clearing for the space of half 

 to three-quarters of an hour, wliich enabled the hunters to keep track 

 of the vessel. The boats were lowered at 4,30 a. m,, at which time 

 seven other sealing vessels were in sight. During the afternoon we fre- 

 quently saw canoes lower their sails, indicating that they were among 

 seals. We could not tell to wlii(;h vessel they belonged, as both boats 

 and vessels were well mixed up together. 



One canoe returned early in the afternoon with 11 skins, and by 7 

 p. m. 11 1 seals had been landed on deck, 44 being males and 67 females. 

 Sixty-two of the latter were nursing females. All the males were from 

 4 to 5 years old except 2, which were about 6 years old. Squid and 



