SCARCITY OF SEALS. 287 



Through the night the weather continued foggy. Early the next morning, August 

 3, a sharp lookout was kept for the missing boat, and also for seals. No attempt had 

 been made to lower the canoes although the sea was comparatively smooth. The 

 light fog which hung over the water, in connection with the fact of the missing boat, 

 caused the Indians to hang back. At 7 a. m. a sleeping seal was observed under our 

 lee close aboard, but not in a position to detect us by the sense of smell. A canoe 

 was soon launched and started in pursuit, but the short choppy sea made it somewhat 

 dififlcnlt to capture it. In calm weather, or at times when there is only a light wind 

 stirring, a canoe in approaching a seal is generally paddled directly from the leeward, 

 but in a choppy sea, such as prevailed on this occasion, an Indian always approaches 

 side to the wind, which brings the canoe in the trough of the sea and prevents it from 

 making any noise that would disturb the "sleeper." 



About noon the missing boat returned, bringing the skins of 2 seals, 1 male alnd 

 1 female. 



At 1 p. m. another sleeping seal was observed close under our lee. In ninety- 

 nine cases out of a hundred a sleeping seal will awaken when a vessel is close to it to 

 windward, but not so with this individual, for it slept on wholly unconscious of 

 danger and was easily captured. At this time the weather showed signs of clearing, 

 and soon afterwards the canoes were lowered. The vessel continued jogging to the 

 westward under sealing canvas. One vessel was in sight. Three hours later the 

 canoes began to return, the wind having increased in force, accompanied by a choppy 

 sea, which prevented seals from sleeping. They were reported scarce, and the few taken 

 bore out this statement. The day's hunt amounted to only 13 skins, 6 males and 7 

 females. Four of the females were with milk. Two of the males were quite large, 

 about 5 years of age or over, the others from 3 to 4 years. Very few seals had been 

 observed from the canoes, and those noticed awake were traveling to the southwest. 



In the morning of August 4 the weather was foggy and the wind northwest and 

 moderate. White hunters would not have hesitated about going out in this kind of 

 weather, but the Indians indulged in considerable unnecessary talk and paid no atten- 

 tion to a few scattering, sleeping seals that were observed among patches of seaweed. 

 It was only when an occasional glimpse of the sky was seen through the clouds and 

 fog and indications of good weather were plainly visible that the Indians showed a 

 disposition to hunt. At 10 o'clock all the boats went out. At the time of lowering 

 two other sealing vessels were in sight. During the absence of the canoes no seals 

 were observed from the vessel, although floating seaweed was plentiful. 



The canoes returned early in the afternoon, on account of a heavy fog bank which 

 suddenly shut down. Only 16 seals had been taken, 8 males and 8 females. Their 

 stomachs were entirely empty, which would seem to indicate a scarcity of surface fish 

 in this locality. One of the hunters spoke the schooner Annie G. Moore, which 

 reported having taken 65 seals, a comparatively poor catch, considering that the 

 weather had been fairly good. 



The following day (August 5) the weather was not suitable for sealing, owing to 

 fog and mist most of the time. The wind was from the west-southwest to east-south- 

 east, gradually increasing from a gentle to a fresh breeze, accompanied by a sea suffi- 

 ciently choppy to prevent seals from sleeping. One "sleeper," however, was observed 

 from the vessel and captured. 



