188 SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



this tlie fog lifted for a short time and an observation of the sun wa» 

 taken, placing us in latitude 5(5° 32' north, longitude 172° 45' west. 



The next morning we had made 50 miles in a southeast direction; the 

 weatlier was pleasant, tlie sea smooth, and the sky periodically clear. 

 A few seals were noticed early in the day. At 9 a. m. the presence of 

 3 seals, supposed to be sleeping, prompted two hunters to laurich 

 their canoes, but they dived just as the spears were being thrown. The 

 appearance of seals, however, acted as an incentive for all the canoes- 

 to go out, but they soon returned in consequence of fog. Nine seals 

 only were obtained, 4 being males and 5 females. Although Hsh were 

 reported Jumping, nothing was found in the stomachs of these 

 specimens. 



In the night we had worked to the east-southeast, and in the morning;- 

 "we Avere in latitude 55° 50' north, longitude 171° 49' west. At 5 a. m. a 

 sleeping seal was speared close to the vessel; its stomach was well tille<l 

 with food, consisting apiiarently of Alaskan pollock. At this hour the 

 weather was very foggy and the Indians were not inclined to start. 

 Presently, however, tlie fog lifted somewhat and several more seals 

 were seen. A signal gun could now be heard, indicating that a sealing- 

 vessel was near and that her boats were out. This circumstance stim- 

 ulated the hunters to action, and in a short time the canoes were 

 hoisted out. As the fog cleared birds, whales, and porpoises could be 

 seen to the northwest, and also Hocks of petrel on tlie water close by. 

 The season being now well advanced, the hunters were exi)ected to take 

 advantage of every ojiportunity, and, moreover, on the strength of 

 their previous good success, they were quite eager to add a few more 

 skins to the number on board. The weather could no longer be trusted 

 for any length of time, and that proved to be the case on this day. At 

 11 a. m. the fog became so dense that the captain was as anxious to get 

 the hunters back as they were to return. Seventeen seals composed 

 the catch, 5 being males and 12 females. Eleven of the females were 

 nursing cows, and the males were all young. One canoe obtained 5 of 

 the number, all of which were asleej) and sejiarated just far enough so 

 the noise made in capturing one did not disturb the others. A consid- 

 erable number of "rollers" and " tinners" was noticed, but the dami> 

 fog seemed to prevent them from sleeping. Had the day been warm it 

 is probable that a good catch would have been secured. 



In proportion to the number of seals taken, a greater amount of food 

 "was found in their stomachs than on any jirevious occasion. Squid 

 and i)ollock mixed with crustaceans com])osed the greater part of the 

 material identitied. Squid beaks were very conspicuous in every 

 stomach in which food was found. As in previous cases the stomachs- 

 of the females were much better filled than those of the males. 



The second mate while out hunting had boarded the schooner 

 TriunipJi, whose gun had been heard earlier in the day. She reported 

 having 1,800 skins. The dfiy before she took 20 skins 30 miles to the 

 eastward of our present position. For the past few days she had been 

 gradually working to the westward, but only a few scattered seals had 

 been noticed. To day her hunters brought in 42 skins. Captain Cox 

 expressed the opinion that if good weather should prevail for a few 

 days encouraging results would follow, as there was every indication 

 that seals were plentiful on this ground. The elements were against 

 us, however, and for the next four days the weather was rough and 

 boisterous. 



On September 11 the wind blew a very fresh breeze, varying in 

 direction from south by east to southwest, accom])anied by a rough 

 sea. No seals were seen, but many birds were about. During the 



