210 OFFICIAL REPORTS. 



July 31, at daylight, lat. 57-07 N., long. 172-09 W., seals quite nu- 

 merous, but not sleeping. Sent otter boat out, but she returned at 

 breakfast time with nothing. After breakfast sent otter boat out, Nat- 

 uralist Townsend volunteering to act as hunter in iflace of the Aleut 

 hunter, who on account of inflammation of one eye could not shoot. 

 Also sent dingy with quartermaster to act as hunter. 



examined 13211 * and Each got one seal, a three-year-old male (Cat. No. 2), 

 and a female of the same age with milk (Cat. No. 3). 

 The latter was sleeping near the vessel and was easily approached and 

 shot. Several shots were fired at playing seals and a few at sleepers, but 

 only the two were taken. At 1 p. m., after taking up the boats, shaped 

 a course for St. Paul Island. Wind moderate, thick fog shut down. 

 About 4 p. m., lat. 57-07 N., long. 171-46 W., a three-year-old male 

 seal which came up near the vessel was shot and killed (Cat. No. 4). 

 The three seals taken this day were prepared for mounting, and the 

 uterus and udder of the female preserved in alcohol. The stomach of 

 No. 2 was entirely empty; that of No. 3 containing the bones of some 

 small fish. In the stomach of No. 4 was found only two small shells, 

 each containing a tiny hermit crab. 



At 7:30 p. m., calm and thick, came to with a kedge in 40 fathoms of 

 water in order to maintain our position during the night. Found a 

 slight easterly current. August 1 commences with light easterly airs 

 and thick fog. At 7 :30 a. m. hove up kedge and steamed in slowly 

 toward Otter Island, which by account bore ENE., distant 10 miles. 

 At 8 :30 Otter Island, by account bearing ENE. 4 miles distant, lead 

 indicating that we were somewhat nearer; fog very dense with no in- 

 dication of clearing, shaped course WSW. and steamed ahead. Saw 

 seals more or less numerous during the day, but fog too thick to attempt 

 hunting. Some came near enough to shoot from the vessel. Day ended 

 with thick fog. 



August 2 on WSW. course. Toward morning fog thinned out a little. 

 At 8 a. m., lat. 56-43 N., long. 175-46 W., calm and overcast. Seals 

 numerous. Stopped engine and sent out boats. The otter boat in charge 

 of a quartermaster, and dingy in charge of Naturalist Townsend, who 

 volunteered to go, the Aleut hunter being still troubled with an in- 

 flamed eye. 



At meridian picked up boats, the dingy having two seals — one two- 

 year-old female (Cat. No. 5) and a three-year-old male 



e X a e ruine C d augllt and (Cat. No. 6). Two seals were shot and killed from the 

 dingy and sank immediately. The uterus of No. 5 was 

 preserved in alcohol ; the stomach contained codfish. The stomach of 

 No. 6 contained fish scales and a squidbeak. The skin of each was 

 prepared for mounting. Mr. Townsend in the otter boat had suc- 

 ceeded in taking 3 seals, one cow with milk (Cat. No. 7), a two-year-old 

 male (Cat. No. 8), and a full-grown male, probably five or six years old 

 (Cat. No. 9). Pour seals escaped after being shot and wounded. The 

 uterus of the cow (No. 7) was preserved in alcohol and the skin of each 

 prepared for mounting. The stomach of No. 7 was empty. The 

 stomach of No. 8 contained squid and that of No. 9 squid and codfish. 



After running to the westward about two hours, lat. 56-45 N., loug. 

 175-58 W., the boats were again sent out hunting and returned about 

 5 :30, the dingy with one seal, a cow with milk (Cat. No. 10) with its 

 stomach filled with codfish and squid. Two seals shot and killed from 



same subect ^^SY sank immediately. The otter boat brought four 



seals, two virgin females with empty stomachs (Cat. 



11 and 12), and two females with milk (Cat. 13 and 14). The stomach 



