132 REAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



pollock made up the bulk of the food found in their stoiDachs, a few 

 beiiij? gorged with it. In i)roi)oition to the number of seals taken, 

 however, oidy a few contained food. The squid nnd polhx^k were in a 

 comi)aratively fresh state. Fiom the stomach of one male an eelpout 

 was taken. 



It is a fact worth mentioning that all the seals taken by us to day 

 "were found in "streaks" of discolored water from 1 to 3 miles wide, 

 and extending nearly in a north and south directiou. The character of 

 the water could hardly be accounted for by our close proximity to the 

 bank, for if such had been the case it would have been the same all 

 over. It had i)revi(msly been noticed that these discolored bands ran 

 ])arallel to each other in nortlieast and southwest or northwest and 

 southeast directions. Water in this condition would not ordinarily be 

 noticed from the declc of a steamer unless on the lookout for it. The 

 mate reported seeing an abundance of Alaskan pollock jumping and 

 many traveling seals in pursuit of them. 



Most of the seals taken today were captured asleep, only four hav- 

 ing been awake when speaied. The latter weie "mooching." 



In and about the neck of a male seal were found several shot wounds, 

 with blood oozing from them. Another seal had a bullet hole close to 

 its right forward Hipper. 



On the morning of August 21 there was every indication of favorable 

 sealing weather. The sky was dark and cloudy, but the wind was light 

 and the sea smooth. The Indians went out at an early hour. Not 

 long after their (!ei)arture we spoke the schooner Af/ves McDonald, 

 which had picked nj) our hunters who went astray on the 15th. The 

 McDonald reported having iKM) skins. Iler white and Indian hunters 

 were ecjually divided as to numbers, and the lorn)er had taken between 

 40 and 50 more seals than the hitter. 



The Indians of the Northwest Coast have always been of the opinion 

 that white men could never become ex])ert in the use of the spear, and 

 this SDring they ridiculed the idea when told that white hunters were 

 to be employed on a few vessels. If white men will oidy exercise the 

 same patience when hunting with spears as with shotguns, they will 

 soon become as proficient in its use as the Indians. Such a result 

 would be greatly to the advantage of captains and vessel owners, as 

 the Indians have had the opportunity heretofoie of dictating their 

 own teiins. 



At noon a heavy fog settled down, causing the boats to return; but 

 fairly good results were obtained, 69 seals being taken — 12 mares and 

 57 females The males were small, ranging in age from 2 to 4 years. 

 Forty-eight of the females were excei)tioiially large, 4 medium in size, 

 and 2 ab(mt 2 years old. The first mentioned were all with milk, the 

 others without. An examination of theii- stomachs showed that they 

 had been feeding largely on squid, Alaskan i)ollock, and salmon, a con- 

 siderable amount of which could not have been in their stomachs more 

 than a short time, as it was very fresli in appearance. 



The mate rei)orted seeing, while hunting, a small schcol of squid, 

 but observed no seals among them. The other white hunters noticed 

 numerous small fish jumi)ing, and liequently seals in ]mrsuit of them. 

 The fish could not be approached near enough to determine their 

 species. 



At the time of lowering the canoes a dead whale Avas seen to wind- 

 ward, about li miles distant. We kept in sight of it all day. In the 

 evening, after the work of skinning had been finished, a party of 

 Indians went to it and brought back a quantity of blubber. The head 



