SLEEPING AND TRAVELING SEALS. 291 



in discolored water than in clear water. Captain Cox attributed the poor catch of 

 seals on August 11 to the great number of canoes roaming over a comparatively small 

 area. On the day mentioned the Sapphire took only 68 seals and the Triumph 73. 

 A few days before a large bull seal was captured by the Sapphire with two spears 

 embedded in its body. 



On the forenoon of the next day (August 14) the weather did not bid fair for sealing, 

 the sea being choppy and the wind fresh from the west-south Avest. ISTo seal life was 

 observed until the middle of the day, when one seal was noticed asleep not far from 

 the vessel, and so soundly that the flapping of the canvas did not disturb it. It was 

 captured. Its stomach was empty. 



At 12.15 p. m. the weather began to show signs of moderating, and soon after- 

 wards the canoes were lowered in latitude 55^ 3' north, longitude 167° 45' west, where 

 a number of seals were observed playing. The good weather was of short duration, 

 however, the canoes returning by 3.15 p. m,, a heavy fog having settled over the 

 water. The white hunters did not come in until nearly dark, thus showing the dif- 

 ference between the two classes. The fog lifted in about an hour after the Indians 

 returned, but they could not be induced to go out again. In several instances where 

 Indians have become discouraged and wanted to return home, they have, in order to 

 accomplish their purpose, broken their spears and smashed their canoes, thereby break- 

 ing up the voyage. Previous to about two years ago there was no law in British 

 Columbia regulating the conduct of Indian hunters on sealing vessels, and the result 

 was that every possible advantage was taken of the situation. Under the law recently 

 passed Indians are now held accountable as much as white men for the success of the 

 voyage. 



The boats containing the white hunters brought back 4 seals, making the total 

 number for the day 30, of which 14 were males and 16 females. The females were all 

 adults, and Avith milk ; the males were small, from 3 to 4 years old. Only three stomachs 

 contained food. In one young male's stomach was found a number of squid beaks; in 

 the stomach of a female, a piece of squid; and in another, material resembling partly 

 digested crustaceans. 



The water through which we had passed was considerably discolored, and the 

 few seals taken were captured where crustaceans were the most abundant. In the 

 evening large flocks of guillemots, petrels, and auks were noticed, apparently feeding. 

 No small fish being noticed, it was supposed that the birds were feeding on minute 

 surface life. 



On August 15 the weather was very pleasant, only light airs disturbing the water, 

 and a finer day for sealing could not be desired. By 5 a. m. all the boats had left the 

 vessel, not returning until about the same hour in the evening. A considerable num- 

 ber of sleeping and traveling seals were in sight most of the day. Those that were 

 traveling were not, so far as was observed, going in any one direction. Sometimes a 

 bunch of two or three would suddenly start toward the southeast, swim rapidly for a 

 few minutes, stop, and go in an opposite direction. Frequently four or five would 

 make a complete circle around the vessel at a distance of a quarter of a mile. In a 

 few instances young seals came and i)layed about, diving and swimming, etc. 



An abundance of seals was seen from the vessel, but, as they occur in bands more 

 or less widely separated, it was not certain that the canoes and small boats would get 

 among them. All through the day whales and birds were numerous and the water 



