298 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



males and 10 females was all that was in suitable condition to identify, and consisted 

 chiefly of squid; although pollock and what looked like cod made up a portion of the 

 food preserved. Taking into consideration the amount of surface life observed from 

 day to day, it has appeared remarkable that so few seals should have food in their 

 stomachs. 



To-day both Indian and white hunters reported numerous seals, finning, rolling, 

 and asleep. In the early part of the day they were inclined to be restless, but in the 

 afternoon the warm sun caused them to sleep soundly, and so plentiful were they 

 that sometimes it was a hard matter to decide which one to spear fiirst. Of course, 

 where seals sleep so near together, those in close proximity to the one speared are 

 liable to be disturbed, but there were enough others in the near vicinity to keep the 

 hunters busy without paying much attention to the disturbed ones. They were 

 reported as lying about like logs, as far as the eye could reach. The hunters claimed 

 that in all their experience they had never before beheld anything like the sight 

 presented. Small schools of squid, pollock, and other fish were plentiful. One of 

 the white hunters reported seeing several Atka mackerel, and from the description 

 given it is possible he was correct. The day had been a perfect one for sealing, and 

 no other vessels were on the ground. 



During the night we jogged to the southwest 14 miles. In the morning , of 

 September 2 the hunters were out at an early hour, weather being clear and pleasant, 

 the sea smooth, and the wind light from northeast by north. At 10 a. m. two of 

 the canoes returned, the hunters claiming that the air was too raw and chilly for 

 the seals to sleep well, there being 2 degrees difference between the air and water. 

 Only a few scattering seals had been seen, and they were rolling and finning. It was 

 not long before all the canoes returned, bringing altogether 10 seals — 6 males and 4 

 females. Three of the latter were nursing females. Their stomachs were compara- 

 tively empty, what little food they contained being of the same character as on the 

 previous day, namely, squid. 



At 4 p. m. an observation of the sun placed us in latitude 55°22' north-, longitude 

 170° 36' west. At this time we saw several patches of seaweed in which seals were 

 finning and playing. We spoke the schooner Enterprise and learned that she had 

 captured 236 seals on the 1st, about 12 miles south of our position. We were also 

 informed that a number of other vessels had been very successful, which would 

 indicate that the seals covered a considerable area on that day and were not wholly 

 confined to our immediate vicinity. 



September 3 was cold and cloudy, the wind being northeast and fresh, the sea 

 short and choppy. A few "mooching" and finning seals were occasionally seen; no 

 travelers were observed. At 5 p. m. we spoke the schooner AinoTco, which had taken 

 750 skins. For the past week she had been cruising in the vicinity of Akutan Pass, 

 but had not found seals abundant enough to remain on that ground. Last season 

 good catches were made there. She was now bound to the westward in search of a 

 large body of seals which had been reported a few days previous by the revenue cutter 

 GroMt. 



We continued to jog to the northward for about 20 miles and then hove to. All the 

 afternoon scattering seals had been observed, most of them in our wake. They would 

 follow the vessel for a half hour at a time, seemingly through curiosity. At times 

 during the night seals could be heard playing around us. In the morning several 

 bunches were noticed close by, a few playing, but the majority going in a northwest- 



