216 OFFICIAL REPORTS. 



Sent an officer on shore to communicate with Acting Special Agent 

 Ainsworth, who reported everything in a satisfactory condition. 



Sunday morning, August 28, got under way at 4:30 a.m., and ran off- 

 shore on a NW. x 1ST. line. Scattering seals were seen during the day 

 until towards evening, when they disappeared entirely. At 8 p. m. 

 changed course to E. x N, 1 1ST. At midnight St. Paul bearing S. x E. 

 distant 120 miles, shaped course for it. 



August 29, wind SE. increasing to a fresh gale with a heavy cross 

 sea, vessel under double reefs, engine stopped, saw a whaling bark to 

 the northeast, saw no seals until 8 :15 a. m. when 70 miles distant from 

 St. Paul, and only scattering individuals during the day; towards mid- 

 night wind moderating and hauling to the southward. 



August 30, at 1 a. m. steamed ahead under slow-bell on account of 

 the old SE. sea, which has not yet gone down. Course SE. x E. At 

 10:30 passed west end of St. Paul inside of Otter Island; no flag up at 

 either anchorage to indicate that a landing could be made, steamed 

 ahead for St. George. At 4 p. m. arrived and communicated with Spe- 

 cial Agent Lavender. At 5:30 got under way from St. George and 

 shaped course for TJnalaska. Saw the Mush steaming in towards the 

 anchorage as we steamed away from the island. At 6 p. m. passed 

 east end of St. George, light SW. wind, sea smooth, weather clear and 

 pleasant; made all sail and ordered fall speed in order, if possible, to 

 reach Unalaska before a change in the weather, the vessel having less 

 than two days' steaming coal on board. 



During the time the Coricin has been engaged upon the unfinished 

 work of the Albatross, carrying on investigations in 

 cruise C0V nivestigr- regard to pelagic sealing, she has steamed 4,623 miles, 

 tions, how carried on. carr yi n g out, as nearly as wind and weather would 

 permit, the plan indicated in Department instructions, that of running 

 radial lines from the seal islands corresponding to each point of the 

 compass. These lines were extended to a distance of 200 miles, or 

 until no seals were seen. The track of the vessel while pursuing these 

 investigations, with the positions in which seals were taken or seen, 

 and all data collected pertaining thereto, will be found on the accom- 

 panying chart and tabulated statement. The line run in a west by 

 north direction was extended as indicated on the chart in a westerly, 

 southwesterly, southerly, and southeasterly direction, crossing the lat- 

 itude of the seal islands at a distance of about 300 miles, and crossing 

 a line connecting the Pribilof and Commander groups of islands at 

 about the same distance from the former group, nearly midway. 



During the run of 400 miles from Lat. 58° 22' N., Long. 177° 42' W., 

 to Lat. 55° 38' N., Long. 174° 23' W., no seals were observed, although a 

 careful lookout for them was kept at all times. 



Numerous seals having been found in these latitudes at a distance 



^ of 300 miles, I infer that the western limit of the range 



AiaslfaTseai™ 1 ° of the Pribilof herd of seals is between two and three 



xi^AeA*^ ■ i hundred miles from the islands and that the herds 



Herds do not mingle. ■■■»-» .-i ■-, n <• *-• t ,. • -i -i n 



from the Pribilof and Commander groups of islands do 

 not mingle, but that between the limits of the farthest range of the 

 two herds there is a zone which is unoccupied by seals, except possibly 

 a few stray individuals. Seals were taken at all distances from the 

 islands when sea and weather permitted. Forty one 

 (41) in all were taken. Dividing that part of the sea 

 over which the Corwin cruised into zones of 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, 150 and 200 



