REPORT OF CAPT. HOOPER, DATED NOVEMBER 21, 1892. 231 



from the pas3 when seen. On October 22nd two more seals were seen 

 as before, an adult and a pup in the South end of False Pass, commonly 

 called Morzhovoi Straits, just entering the Pacific. On the same day 

 some hours later a single adult seal was seen near Amagat Island a 

 few miles east of False Pass. It had doubtless come through the Pass. 



On November 3rd while cruising in the vicinity of Four Mountain 

 and Unimak passes, under favorable conditions, a northwest wind and 

 moderate sea, a few seals were observed; in each case only single 

 individuals were seen and these seemed to be equally divided between 

 adults, yearlings, and pups. No seals were taken by the native hunters 

 at Kashega, Makushin, or Akutan this year during October. The first 

 taken at Makushin was on November 3rd, a yearling male. The Cher- 

 nofski natives, who hunt in the bays adjacent to Umnak Pass, took 

 their first seal this year, a pup, on October 28th. 



The first seal seen in Unalaska Bay this year was on October 21st, 

 and but five had been seen in the bay up to the end of October. A 

 record kept at Unalaska for the past twelve years shows the average 

 date of the first appearance of seals in the bay to be October 24th, 

 and the average date of the last appearance to be January 1st, the 

 earliest and latest dates, respectively, being October 18th and January 

 4th. 



During strong gales the pups come into the bays in the vicinity of 

 the passes for temporary shelter. This fact doubtless gave rise to the 

 belief that the pups and adults travel separately when leaving Bering 

 Sea: a belief that has no foundation in fact. 



The season during which the seals use the passes west of Unalaska 

 (Four Mountain and Umnak) ends about December 1st, one month ear- 

 lier than in the passes to the east of Unalaska Island. This undoubt- 

 edly is due to cold westerly and northwest gales which occur during 

 December and the seals' dislike to traveling against wind and sea, as 

 shown by the testimony of all natives. They can go from the Pribi- 

 lof Islands to the passes east of Unalaska Island (Akutan, Unimak, 

 and False) with a fair wind, while to reach the passes to the westward 

 of Unalaska Island they have almost continual strong head winds and 

 seas to contend with after the end of November. 



About the end of December, or a little more than two months from 

 the time the first seals appear in the passes going from 

 Bering Sea into the Pacific, the main body of the herd ^$3^° gel rd is 

 may be considered out of Bering Sea, although some 

 seasons seals are seen in the passes as late as the 12th of January. 

 The closing of the migrating season varies a few days from year to 

 year, according to the condition of the weather, an early approach of 

 winter causing an early southward movement of the seal herd and the 

 contrary. 



In about the same time that the main body of the herd has occupied 

 in going through the passes and before the last of it is 

 fairly through, the first part of the herd has made its ^* of herd on 

 appearance upon the coasts of California and Oregon, coas * 

 having traveled during that time a distance of more than two thousand 

 miles — more than double the distance made on any other part of the 

 route in the same time. 



In view of the circumstances — the stormy condition of the sea, the 

 prevalence in the Pacific of heavy easterly gales, the seals dislike to 

 swimming against the wind and sea, the delay necessarily caused in 

 obtaining food, the fact that a portion of the migrating herd consists of 

 pups not yet six months of age, and considering furthei the rate of 



