SEALS FOUND IN DISCOLORED WATER. 293 



The next day, August 19, rain prevented seals from sleeping. At 8 a. m. the 

 canoes were lowered, but the weather did not give promise of satisfactory results, even 

 in case seals were plentiful. The canoes remained out only two houi;s, returning with 

 2 males and 2 females. Their stomachs, like those of yesterday, were empty. The 

 mate of our vessel while absent had boarded the schooner Florence M. Smith, and 

 learned that she had taken 546 seals. On the 15th she secured IGO seals; her position 

 on that day having been not far from where we hunted — latitude 55° 08' north, longi- 

 tude 167° 40' west. He was also told that our canoe which went astray on the 15th 

 had taken 12 seals, making our total catch for that day 11 1 skins. 



Shortly after the boats returned a sleeping seal was observed close aboard, and 

 although it was raining hard it slept on, wholly unmindful of the weather. Such an 

 occurrence is very unusual, for it is seldom that seals rest well while it is raining, 

 unless they have become thoroughly exhausted by a long spell of rough weather. 

 Later in the afternoon a few traveling seals were seen; they frequently changed their 

 course, but the general direction of their movements was northwesterly. We had 

 been in discolored water all day, but late in the afternoon we suddenly jogged out of 

 it into clear water. The noon observation, latitude 54° 56' north, longitude 168° west, 

 indicated that we were in a strong south-southwest current. 



On August 20 a very satisfactory catch was made, the wind being a light breeze 

 from the westward, and the «ea smooth, A light fog hung low over the water at 

 times, occasionally clearing for the space of half to three-quarters of an hour, which 

 enabled the hunters to keep track of the vessel. The boats were lowered at 4.30 a. m., 

 at which time seven other sealing vessels were in sight. During the afternoon we 

 frequently saw canoes lower their sails, indicating that they were among seals. We 

 could not tell to which vessel they belonged, as both boats and vessels were well 

 mixed up together. 



One canoe returned early in the afternoon with 11 skins, and by 7 p. m. Ill seals 

 had been landed on deck, 44 being males and 67 females. Sixty-two of the latter were 

 nursing females. All the males were from 4 to 5 years old except 2, which were about 

 6 years old. Squid and pollock made up the bulk of the food found in their stomachs, 

 a few being gorged with it. In proportion to the number of seals taken, however, 

 only a few contained food. The squid and pollock were in a comparatively fresh state. 

 From the stomach of one male an eelpout was taken. 



It is a fact worth mentioning that all the seals taken by us to-day were found in 

 "streaks" of discolored water from 1 to 3 miles wide, and extending nearly in a north 

 and south direction. The character of the water could hardly be accounted for by our 

 close proximity to the bank, for if such had been the case it would have been the same 

 all over. It had previously been noticed that these discolored bands ran parallel to 

 each other in northeast and southwest or northwest and southeast directions. Water 

 in this condition would not ordinarily be noticed from the deck of a steamer unless on 

 the lookout for it. The mate reported seeing an abundance of Alaskan pollock jump- 

 ing and many traveling seals in pursuit of them. 



Most of the seals taken to day were captured asleep, only four having been awake 

 when speared. The latter were " mooching." 



In and about the neck of a male seal were found several shot wounds, with blood 

 oozing from them. Another seal had a bullet hole close to its rigat forward flipper. 



