212 OFFICIAL REPORTS. 



August 10 commences with light airs and fogs; sea moderating; 

 during the morning watch quite a number of seals were seen, mostly 

 traveling and playing. At 8 a. m. shaped course for St. Paul. At 8:45, 

 lat. 50-32 N., loug. 170-10 W. seeing sleeping seals, stopped and sent out 



otter boat and dingy. At 11 picked up boats with four 

 cx S imined aught and seals u\ otter boat and one seal in dingy, all females 



with milk (Ca:. Nos. 18 to 22, inclusive). Nos. 18, 19, 

 and 21 each had its stomach filled with codfish ; the contents of stomach 

 of No. 22 consisted of fish bones only. The uterus of each was saved 

 in alcohol and the skin prepared for mounting. At 4 p. m. arrived at 

 St. Paul and came to anchor off the village cove (SW. side). Com- 

 municated with Special Agent J. Stanley-Brown. I found the breed- 

 ing rookeries thinning out very rapidly, the females being away in 

 search of food. At 4:30 the British steamer Melpomene arrived from a 

 cruise and landed the British Commissioner Macoun. At 5:30 got 

 under way and steamed up alongside the west side of the island. At 

 G:30, two miles of W. cape, shaped course WNW., took in all sail 

 and ordered 8-knot speed. 



August 11, seals scattering during the forenoon. At meridian, being 

 about 150 miles WNW. of St. Paul Island and but two seals having 

 been seen since 9 :45 a. m., it was thought that we were beyond the 

 limit of seals in this direction. Changed course to NE. by N. At 2 p. 

 m., seals appearing more numerous, stopped and lowered the boats. 



Sent the hunter out in the otter boat, and Quarter- 

 examiued caugbt a " d master Busse in the dingy. At 4 p. m. called boats 



alongside; each had taken two seals, all females 

 with milk (Cat. 23 to 26, inclusive). The stomachs of 23, 24, 

 and 25 were filled with codfish, the bones of which were saved. 

 The stomach of 26 was entirely empty. One seal shot from the 

 otter boat escaped. The skin of each was prepared for mounting. 

 After taking up the boats we steamed ahead on a WNW. course, occa- 

 sional seals being seen until 7 p. in., after which we saw no more. At 

 10:30 p. m., being 200 miles from St. Paul, and no seals having- been 

 seen for several hours, and believing ourselves to be beyond the limit 

 of seals in this direction, shaped course NE. by N. 



August 12th occasional fog banks, wind light and sea smooth. At 

 5:30, St. Paul being southeast distant 200 miles, shaped course for it; 

 seals scarce during the day. At 4 p. m., lat. 58-35 N., loug. 172-05 W., 

 having seen a few sleepers, sent the boat out. At 5 :30 called the boats 



alongside. The otter boat had one seal, a cow with 

 same subject. mi]k ^ 0at ^ Q 2g ^ th& stomacll con taining a small quan- 



tity of fish nearly digested. The dingy had taken nothing, but just as 

 the boats were being hoisted a seal put his head out of the water near 

 the vessel and was shot and secured. This proved to be a three or four 

 year old male (Cat. No. 27) with its stomach empty. Both skins were 

 prepared for mounting. After taking up the boats a course was shaped 

 for St. Paul Island. At 8 p. m. ordered 6-knot speed for the night; 

 wind moderated and sea smooth. August 18th, at 6:30 a. m., lat. 57-32 

 N. long. 170-45 W. stopped engine and sent out boats for an hour. 

 The dingy got one seal, a female with milk, and the otter boat none. 

 Seals were numerous, but the weather was so calm and the sea so smooth 

 that it was impossible to get near them ; on account of long continued 

 mild weather they were sleeping very lightly. 



Atlla.m. arrived and came to anchoratNortheastPoint St. Paul Island. 

 A seal which came up near the vessel was shot and proved to be a three- 



