SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 135 



the females were much larger. Seventy-fonr of the latter were in milk; 

 those that were not were from 2 to .J years old. 



On the morning of August 2S the weather looked favorable for a 

 repetition of the previous day's work. Tlio hunters were well clear of 

 tlie vessel at 5.30 o'clock, at which time another vessel and tlie smoke 

 of a steamer coukl be seen low on the horizon. In the middle of the 

 day a canoe bek)nging to the schooner JameK (}. Siran came alongside 

 and reported that vessel as having 8(!(> skins. During the latter part 

 of the day the weather became threatening. The barometer had been 

 falling rapidly since noon, the wind ])a<l shifted fioin southwest to south- 

 east, aud no seals had been observed from the vessel. At p. m. the 

 Imnters returned, bringing 57 seals. Two of the males were large, the 

 others were all small. 



As soon as the canoes and boats were hoisted in and secured for the 

 night, a siugle reef was put in the foresail and a reefed trysail set, and 

 preparations made for stormy weather. At dark the wind began to 

 increase in for(;e, and by midnight it was blowing a moderate gale, 

 which continued until the following noon. Occasional heavy rain 

 squalls passed over, which kept the sea down somewhat. In the even- 

 ing two sleeping seals were noticed, which was unusual under the 

 circumstances. 



In the morning of August .'50 the wind had again incieased to a mod- 

 erate gale, and since midnight had changed - points to the southward. 

 The sea was \ery rough; weather clear ami sunny. 



At 10 a. m. wore ship and lay to on the starboard under close reefed 

 sails. Both in the forenoon and afternoon we saw scattering seals. 

 They were seemingly not bound in any jiarticular direction, aud most 

 of them were playing. One was observed asleep. 



We had been in comjjaratively <"lear water all day, but late in the 

 afternoon suddenly Jogged into discolored water. At 5.30 p. m. the 

 jib was set, and we stood on a southeast by south course, so as to give 

 the 00-mile limit a wide berth, the wind and sea for the ])ast twenty- 

 four hours having carried us towaid it. We worked to the south and 

 west all night. In the morning of August 31 the wind aud sea had 

 gone down considerably, and one vessel was in sight. At nocm we 

 were in latitude 55° 11' north; longitude 170^ 05' west. We spoke 

 the schooner A'/i^er^jrisp, of Victoria, with 1,387 skins on board. She 

 reported the schooner Lihbic, with 1,040 skins, and the G<(rh>1i(t Cox, 

 with (iOO. The last-named vessel carried only (*> boats, and white hunt- 

 ers, which speaks well in their favor as seal hunters with spears. 



Shortly after meridian we ])assed sevei'al sleeping seals, but the con- 

 dition of the weather prevented the hunters from going out. About 

 two hours later several more were seen, and at 4 p. m. we came across 

 a bunch of " sleepers." At this time the weather showed signs of clear- 

 ing, and 7 canoes were lowered, but they were out o.nly a short time 

 when the weather again be(;ame threatening. Eleven seals was the 

 result of this short trial, 5 being males and females. They were all 

 very sn)all and only one contained food. Four of the females were 

 without milk. 



Through the day we had been in markedly discolored water, and the 

 other indications were favorable to the presence of a considerable body 

 of seals on this ground, which turned out to be the fact, as i)roved by 

 the results of the hunting on the following day. 



The wind had been moderate all through the night, and in the morn- 

 ing of September 1 a light air was moving from tlie southwest, the sea 

 being smooth. The sky was cloudy and the air cool, but as the day 



