I.AEGE CATCH OF SEALS. 295 



At 4 p. m. a heavy fog set in, putting an end to further hunting for the day. 

 Forty-four seals composed the catch, 12 being males and 32 females. The males were 

 all young bachelors and all the females were in milk except 2. The stomachs of 33 

 were empty, 11 contained pieces of squid, salmon, pollock, and numerous flsh bones. 



In the evening we shaped our course to north-northeast, and during the iiight ran 

 25 miles in order to get near our position of the 21st. In the morning the weather 

 was unfit for sealing, and as the day advanced the chances grew less favorable. 



At 10 a. m. we sounded in 90 fathoms, the' first time we had been on soundings 

 since leaving Unalaska. At 4 p. m. our longitude by observation was 168° 05' west, 

 latitude at noon 55° 28' north, near where the 69 seals had been taken on the 21st. 

 In the evening we were boarded by ofBcers from the revenue cutter Bush. 



On August 24 the weather was too variable to entertain hopes of success at hunt- 

 ing. A heavy, wet fog in the morning, combined with a moderate breeze and choppy 

 sea, prevented an early start. At 7.30 a. m. a slight clearing caused the canoes to be 

 lowered. The signal gun was kept firing at short intervals until 10 o'clock, when the 

 fog entirely cleared. The spell of good weather was of short duration, however, for 

 at noon a squall from the north brought all the hunters back. In the short time that 

 the boats were out 21 seals were taken. This was encouiaging, for it indicated that 

 we were on good sealing ground. Most of the seals captured were restless, few being 

 sound asleep, or, in sealers' parlance, they did not "lay up" well. The mate came 

 across two seals sleeping side by side, one of which was speared. Instead of the 

 other one becoming alarmed and diving, as is usually the case, it remained near its 

 struggling companion until the latter was hauled into the boat. The food found in 

 the stomachs of the seals to-day did not vary much from that recorded in those pre- 

 viously examined in this locality, namely, squid, squid beaks, salmon, pollock, and 

 fish bones. The males were comparatively large; the females were all adults and 

 with milk. 



During the night we stood to the westward 50 miles, and then hove to. 



The weather on August 25 prevented sealing, being cold with a fresh breeze from 

 north to north by east, accompanied by a rough sea. The vessel was hove to under 

 sealing canvass. Excellent observations were taken, it being the first time the sun 

 had remained out for any length of time since the cruise began. All day birds 

 had been numerous, and occasionally a sleeping seal was observed; sometimes two 

 and three were seen together. This, combined with the great number of birds, 

 assured us that we were on good ground. We frequently wore ship in order to hold 

 our position. In the evening rain squalls passed over. 



On the morning of August 26, the wind and sea having subsided, the canoes were 

 lowered in latitude 55° 15' north, longitude 170° 53' west. The weather was pleasant 

 but cool, the air being 2 degrees colder than the water. This difference, according to 

 the theory of many sealers, would cause seals to "lay low," or, to put it in clearer 

 terms, they would sleep with less of their body exposed. 



In view of the number of seals observed before the boats went out, a large catch 

 was anticipated, nor were we disappointed, for in the evening when the last canoe had 

 returned there were 157 seals on deck. 



The opinions advanced to the effect that seals are more plentiful where birds occur 

 seem to be entitled to consideration, and it is very probable that had we not heeded 



