Coast Guard records, from Captain Bissett, one of the early sealers and 

 from others of his associates, 



THE FOLLO^tmiG IS QUOTED FROM CAPTAIN BISSETT'S REPORT . 



•*Seals on leaving the Bering Sea in October and Noveribcr enter the 

 North Pacific through 72 Pass and make course for an area in about lati- 

 tude 33° - 38°N and for 150 - 400 miles west of the California Coast, 

 arriving in that vicinity from early November until the middle of Dece]ift)er. 

 They remain here until the month of February. The movement ori. the return 

 migration that of the smaller cows and young bulls begins, much earlier 

 than that of the mature coTrs, In some years this part of the herd arrives 

 off the coast of Oregon and Washington and as far .north as Cape Cook on 

 Vancouver Island early in January. The south end of the herd however 

 trails as far back as the southern California Coast. The herd moves 

 rather slowly along the coast of Queen Charlotte Island, thence along 

 the Alaska coast, up to the Gulf of Alaska, arriving at the Fair VTeather 

 Grounds in April and May, On these grounds, which seem to be an ijumonse 

 feeding grounds many of the seals remain till sometime in June, At this 

 time the cows are heavy with pups and begin to arrive, formin^g the for- . 

 ward moving part of the herd but do not remain long in the vicinity 

 but move through the different passes on to the breeding grounds in July*" 



"We sealers used_to hunt them Y/hile they were feeding some 60 miles 

 offshore. We remained in the seal hunting ixntil late September and some- 

 times luitil October," 



"In my opinion all the great seal .herds, most birds and even fish 

 when migrating follow groat elliptical paths to and from their breeding 

 and spawning grounds. On the Yircst coast of North America the seal move- 

 ment is against the clock and on the coast of Japan and Russia clockvase, 

 I have hunted in both those grounds," 



"A large bank exists probably 150 - 200 miles south of Attu Island 

 extending from the meridian of Attu to the 180th. The extent of this 

 bank, north and south, is evidently Tery great. There is evidence from 

 the color of the water and the flocks of sea birds that there must be 

 soundings at no very great depth in the large area. This seemjs to be a 

 herding for young bulls principally and a few of the smaller cows, I 

 have crossed the banlc many times. The area was well knovm to most of the 

 •old scalers that vistod the Japan and Copper Island scaling grounds and 

 wo crossed it diagonally on our roturn from Copper Island to Capo Flattery, 

 It T/as the general opinion of the scaler that the herd was a part of tho 

 Copper Island herd," 



"Up until the seals leave the islands they live on their mother's 

 milk. Cows will only suckle their own pups. The pups are weaned about 

 the first of October, The bull seals arrive on the islands covered with 

 fat and for three months remain on the island to doEiineer over their 

 various households and multitudinous better halves, with little sloop and 

 with no food, Tho mother seals swim out to soa in search of squib and 

 other food, and there formerly mot doath at the hands of tho poachers. 

 As a majority of tho seals killed at soa were females, the ofi'cct of 

 tho pelagic catch was felt directly on the breeding herd, Tho forfeiture 

 of the mother's lifo meant tho forfeiture also of not oiHy thelife'-bi^ 



-. 38 .^ 



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