SEAL LIFE ON THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 139 



night of the 11th and the morning of the 12th tlie wind increased in 

 force and hauled to the westward. The sky was filled with heavy 

 clouds, the air was raw and chilly. Occasionally we wore ship to hold 

 our position. Scattering petrels and other sea birds were frequently 

 seen, but only one seal was sighted during the day. At sundown the 

 barometer began to rise. In the evening the sky cleared and the stars 

 came out, but the sea continued heavy and was accompanied by a 

 flying scud. 



On September 13 the wind varied in force fiom a light to a stiff 

 breeze, with changeable weather, lain, mist, fog, and rough sea, occa- 

 sionally clearing. Birds were plentiful, one of which was seen to dive 

 close to the vessel and bring u]) a fish about 10 inches long. In the 

 afternoon 3 seals were observed sleeping side by side, the vessel almost 

 running over them before they awoke. They must have been nuich 

 exhausted fiom loss of sleep in the recent gale. 



In the morm'ng of September 14 the wind had again increased to ai' 

 moderate galf . The weather was f< ggy and misty at times, with a heavy^ 

 rough, and tumbling sea. Two seals were observed in the forenoon. 

 Ifear noon we ran into an area of discolored water, in latitude 50° 20' 

 nortli, longitude 171° 25' west, in which were a number of seals. Not-^ 

 withstanding the very rough condition of the sea and the moderate 

 gale i)revailing, several of them were asleep. Their bodies were but 

 little exposed, and it was only when we were quite near them that they 

 could be made out. The gale finally broke, and in the morning of 

 September 15 only a light, variable air was moving. The sea had alsa 

 gradually gone down with the wind. At 7.30 a. m. several seals were 

 observed and the canoes were lowered. Two sleepers were captured a 

 short distance from the vessel. At 11 a m., however, a. heavy fog and 

 mist settled down, accompanied by a cohl wind from the northwest, 

 which had the effect of bringing back the hunters, all of whom were ou 

 board at 1.30 o'clock, having captured 24 seals, 10 males and 8 females. 

 Pieces of Sijuid were found in the stomachs of some of them. Fourteen 

 of the males were very small, and 2 between 4 and 5 years old. The 

 females were larger, 5 being with milk. The hunters reported seeing 

 a large number of seals rolling and finning. 



Numerous biuls and a great nmny whales were in sight all day. At 

 noon we were in latitude 55° 10' north, longitude 170° 00' west, which 

 was not far from the position where we had taken 157 seals on August 

 26 and 140 on August 27. The color of the water varied but little on 

 these dates, the strips of discoloration also running in the same gen- 

 eral direction. It would appear as though these bands of discolored 

 water were governed chiefly by the currents, being but little aflected 

 by the wind. Late in the day the fog gave way to occasional rain 

 squalls. Birds were exceedingly abundant, and we frequently sighted 

 scattered seals, the most of which were i)laying. In the evening sev- 

 eral hail squalls passed over, after which the sky cleared. 



Pieparations were made to lower the canoes on the following morn- 

 ing, but the work was interrupted by the sudden breezing up of the 

 wind from the westward. In the afternoon the clear weather suddenly 

 changed to mist and rain, with an occasional squall. Only 2 seals 

 were seen, 1 asleep and the other playing. A canoe was lowered for 

 the "sleeper," but it was lost sight of in the choppy sea. Whales and 

 birds were plentiful all day, and in some places immense flocks of pet- 

 rel were sitting on the water. They were evidently feeding on small 

 marine organisms, for as soon as we had jogged past they would settle 

 down in the same spot from where they had been frightened. 



Early in the evening a sealing vessel passed to windward with her 



