TAKEN IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. 355 



in a very unfriendly manner, and on one occasion set them in tlie side 

 of the canoe. This act was the only false movement the seal had made 

 since the fight began, and it imid the penalty with its life; a rifle ball 

 was put through its body and a club landed on its head at the same 

 time. Upon examination, after being hauled into the boat, we found 

 that the spear-head had passed through its right flipper, which accounted 

 for the long fight, as it could use its other flippers to good advantage. 



Prosperity has the same effect upon Indians as upon white men, and 

 soon sail was made and a sharp lookout kept for others. .Two more 

 were observed during the afternoon, one of which was captured very 

 easily. The other was awake and came up a short distance away with 

 a red rockfish in its mouth. This fact indicates that there are shallow 

 spots in this vicinity (Lat. 58° 58' north; Long. 141° peediug grounds 

 7' west) where seals feed. Indeed, it may be one of the 

 favorite feeding grounds when in northern waters, for it has long been 

 reported that many fishing banks exist on the Fairweather grounds. 

 This was the last seal seen during the day by us. A fresh breeze 

 sprang up, accompanied by a short, choppy sea, and in consequence 

 we were obliged to return to the ship, where we arrived about p. m. 



In hunting seals the white men use an otter boat manned by three 

 men — the hunter, boat-puller, and steerer. The favor- 

 ite weapon is the shotgun, and rifles are but little used. au^we-™s''™*'*^°'^ 

 The No. 10 Parker gun is preferred, and the usual 

 charge is 5 drams of powder and twenty-one No. 2 buckshot. The 

 seals are shot under any conditions in which they may be found, pro- 

 vidv'd they are in range. 



No discrimination is or can be used; evjerything is game that comes 

 within range of the hunter's weapon. From their _ ,. . . ^ , .,, 



,,.,.,,*' , , ■, 1 1 ^ / , . „ Indiscriminate kill- 



habits m the water the seals are known as "jumpers" ing. 

 or "breachers"when they are moving through the water, 

 "rollers" when the}^ are lying idle on the surface and ||Jumpers."^^ 

 moved by every wave, "finners" when they are resting "RoUot^!"^" 

 and "finning" themselves with their fins, and "sleep- [[^1'^'^'''^^", 

 ers" when they are asleep on the smooth water and can eepers. 

 be approached to within close range. 



In sleeping, the seal's head is to leeward and the steerer will endeavor 

 to work the boat so as to approach from that direction and give the 

 hunter an opportunity to shoot the seal in the back of the neck. When 

 so shot they take longer to sink than when shot in the face; that is, if 

 a seal bobs up in the water, its body being in a submerged and horizontal 

 position, and if it be instantly killed by the shot it will at once sink. 

 It is then that the 8 or 10 foot gaff is used to recover it. It has been 

 my observation that the rapidity with which seals sink is influenced by 

 several conditions. A pregnant female will sink less smkino-seds 

 quickly than a male of equal size. If a seal be shot at '^ ^"^ ^^'' ^' 

 a time when the air is well exhausted in the lungs it will sink more 

 quickly than if killed when the lungs are inflated. If a seal is asleep 

 and shot in the back of the head it will float for several minutes, thus 

 enabling the hunter to secure it. 



I have noticed that the stomachs of the majority of seals captured, 

 provided they were young females or immature males, were empty. 

 While the stomaclis of the old bulls were well filled as though prepar- 

 ing themselves for the demand of the breeding grounds. ^^^^ 

 Their diet was made up of salmon, red rockfish, and 

 squid. 



