294 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



Ou the raoruiug of August 21 there was every iudicatioii of favorable sealing 

 weather. The sky was dark and cloudy, but the wind was light and the sea smooth. 

 The ludiaus went out at an early hour. Not long after their departure we spoke the 

 schooner Agnes McDonald, which had picked \\\} our liunters who went astray on the 

 15th, The McDonald reported having 900 skins. Her white and Indian hunters were 

 equally divided as to numbers, and the former had taken between 40 and 50 more 

 seals than the latter. 



The Indians of the Northwest coast have always been of the opinion that white 

 men could never become expert in the use of the si)ear, and this spring they ridiculed 

 the idea when told that white hunters were to be employed on a few vessels. If white 

 men will only exercise the same patience when hunting with spears as with shotguns, 

 they will soon become as proficient in its use as the Indians. Such a result would be 

 greatly to the advantage of captains and vessel owners, as the In(^lians have had the 

 opportunity heretofore of dictating their own terms. 



At noon a heavy fog settled down, causing the boats to return; but fairly good 

 results were obtained. (i9 seals being taken — 12 males and 57 females. Tlie males were 

 small, ranging in age from 2 to 4 years. Forty -eight of the females were exceptionally 

 large, 4 medium in size, and 2 about 2 years old. The first mentioned were all with 

 milk, the others without. An examination of their stomach showed that they had 

 been feedmg largely on squid, Alaskan pollock, and salmon, a considerable amount of 

 which could not have been in their stomachs more than a short time, as it was very 

 fresh in appearance. 



The mate reported seeing, while hunting, a small school of siiuid, but observed no 

 seals among them. The other white hunters noticed numerous small fish jumping, and 

 frequently seals in pursuit of them. The fish could not be approached near enough 

 to determine their species. 



At the time of lowering the canoes a dead whale was seen to windward, about 1^ 

 miles distant. We kept in sight of it all day. In the evening, after the work of skin- 

 ning had been finislied, a party of Indians went to it and brought back a quantity of 

 l)inbl)er. The head had been cut off. Numerous birds were hovering over the carcass 

 and many were feeding on it, but no seals were noticed near at hand. 



On August 22 the boats were lowered at an early hour, the weather being simihir 

 to that of the day before, with light and gentle winds from the westward. At the 

 time of lowering four other vessels were in sight, directly to windward. This, of 

 course, placed our boats in a bad position, as a windward berth is superior to all 

 others. When following in the wake of other boats only poor results are to be 

 expected, as the windward hunters disturb the sleeping seals. 



At noon a hunter on the Afjncs McDonald, who came on board, reported his vessel 

 as having 920 skins, the highest catch for one day having been 253, and the next 

 highest 180. The 253 seals were taken on the 15th, and not far from our position on 

 that date. The hunter informed the writer that on the day before he speared a large 

 male just as it came to the surface with a red rock-fish in its mouth. The fish was 

 alive, and as it was not at all mutilated it was taken on board and cooked. lie also 

 stated that he speared a sleeping seal close to the floating carcass of a dead one. 

 Indians claim that seals will not remain where carcasses are floating, but this is not 

 always true, for ou several occasions we had noticed seals among such objects. 



