290 THE FUR SEALS OP THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



concerning the direction in which seals were traveling was obtained from the white 

 hunters. Indians, as a rule, pay but little attention to traveling seals, generally 

 attempting to capture only those that are asleep, but sometimes they will endeavor 

 to spear them when rolling and finning. 



In two of the seals taken shot were found, the wounds being comparatively 

 fresh — not more than a week old. 



On August 11 the canoes and boats went out at 5' o'clock, light wind and cloudy 

 weather prevailing all day. In the afternoon sleeping seals, two and three in a bunch, 

 were frequently observed from the vessel. Whales were plentiful from sunrisejiutil 

 dark. The smoke of a revenue cutter could be noticed to the southwest all the 

 morning, the sight of which caused our canoes to hover much nearer the vessel than 

 usual, the Indians having a dread of all Government vessels. At 10 a. m. a canoe 

 belonging to the schooner Triumph came alongside with 5 seals. Our canoes began 

 to return at 5.30 p. m. and continued to come in until 7 o'clock, when the last one 

 arrived. The largest catch was 10 skins, and one canoe obtained nothing. Sleeping 

 seals were reported in small bunches from 1 to 2 miles apart. The hunters who 

 happened to be near these bunches did fairly well, but a few miles to the southwest 

 only few seals were found. Traveling seals were also plentiful among the bunches. 

 Considering the fine weather prevailing and the number of seals observed from the 

 vessel, the catch was comparatively small, only 89 having been taken — 10 males and 

 79 females. Sixty-five of this number were examined. The stomachs in 49 were 

 empty, 13 contained liquid matter, and 7 material which it would be possible to 

 identify; the latter was preserved. A large number of canoes hunting on the same 

 ground tends to destroy the chances of a good catch by any of them. Canoes from 

 other vessels were in close proximity to ours and none of them did well. This day's 

 catch was made 12 miles north and 9 miles west from that of the day before. 



On August 12 the hunters made an early start, the weather being cloudy and 

 cool, the wind from the westward and light; sea smooth; temperature of air and 

 water the same. Later in the forenoon a heavy fog bank threatene(J to envelop us, 

 and shortly after noon it came in thick, causing all the canoes to return, having 

 obtained only 15 seals. 



On August 13 the weather was unsuitable for sealing, being cloudy and threaten- 

 ing; the wind fresh from the southwest and west- southwest. In the morning we were 

 in company with the schooners Triumph and Sapphire, of Victoria, the former having 

 taken 500 skins and the latter 450 skins. Captain Siewerd and the writer went on 

 board of the Sapphire. It had been noticed that the water about us was very dark 

 in color, much darker than usual, and it had also been observed that in localities 

 where we had taken the most seals the water had been the most discolored. Captain 

 Siewerd had on more than one occasion noticed that seals frequent water of this 

 character in coasiderable numbers, and had noted the fact in his log. Captain Cox, 

 of the Triumph, stated that when in Bering Sea last year he got most of his catch in 

 this locality, namely, latitude 54° 56' north, longitude 168° 15' west. He found seals 

 at the commencement of the voyage in water very much discolored, and he endeavored 

 to keep in such water as much as possible. This experiment resulted in his averaging 

 126 seals for each time the canoes were lowered during the month of August, 1894. 

 On the strength of meeting with such good success, he has been cruising this season on 

 the same ground, and is now more convinced than ever that seal life is more abundant 



