fued, they take refuge ; and the bricks are heated, and put
into the cavities, in order to fmoke them out.
I muft refer the Reader for an account o f the ifatis *, or
ardlic fox, to Mr. Pennant’s Ardtic Zoology*, as I never
faw either the animal or the ikin, which I undefftand
the y fet no value upon. The va ryin g hare -j- is alfo
hegledfed on the fame account. T h e y are in great abundance
; and, as is always the cafe with this fpecies, turn
quite white during the winter. Our ihooting parties faw
feveral o f this colour the beginning o f May, but found them
fo ih y , that they were not able to get within gun-fhot.
T h e mountain-rat, or earlefs marmot J, is a beautiful little
animal, confiderably fmaller than a fquirrel, and, like it,
feeds upon roots, berries, the cedar-apple, &c. which it
eats fitting upon its hind-legs, and holding them up to its
mouth with the paws. Its ikin is much valued by the Kam o
fchadales, is both warm and light, and o f a bright Ihining
colour, forming, lik e the plumage o f fome birds, various
-colours when viewed in different lights.
T h e float, or ermine is here held in no eftimation, and,
confequently, never engages the attention o f the hunters,
becaufe, as I have heard, its fu r is o f an ordinary kind. I
faw many o f thefe little animals runn in g a b o u t; and we
bought feveral o f their ikins, which were o f a bad white,
and o f a dirty ye llow toward the belly. T h e common
weafel || is alfo neglefted, and for the fame reafon.
On the contrary, the ikin o f the glutton, or ■wolverene f ,
is here in the higheft r e p u te ; infomuch, that a Kamtfcha-
* Cams cafipus. . " + Ltpus timidus. f Mas ciullus.
$ Mujltla erminia. . ( Muflcla nivalis. V Ur/us hfius.
dale
dale looks upon h im fe lf as moft richly attired, when a
fmall quantity o f this fu r is feen upon him. T he women '— »—
adorn their hair w ith its pats, w hich are white, and con*
fidered as an extraordinary piece o f finery ; and they have
a fuperftitious opinion, that the angels are clad with the
Ikins o f thofe animals. It is faid, that this creature is eafily
tamed, and taught a number o f pleafant tricks *.
Having already had occafion to fpeak as fu lly as my own
knowledge enables me o f the bears, and the method o f
k illin g them, I ihall only here obferve, that all thofe I faw
w ere o f a dun brown co lo u r; tha t they are generally feen in
companies o f four or five together that the time they are
moft abroad is during the feafon that the fiih (which is their
principal food) are puihin g up from the fea into the rivers,
and that they are feldom vifible in the winter months f . .
T h e ir ikins are exceedingly u fe fu l. T h e y make both
excellent warm matrafies, and coverings for their beds ;,
comfortable bonnets and gloves, and good collars for the dogs
harnefs. T h e ir fleih, and particularly the fat, is confidered
as great delicacies.
T h e wolves are only feen in the winter; at which feafon
they prowl about, as I was told, in large companies, in
fearch o f prey.
* Kraichenimcoff relates^,. that this fmall animal frequently deiiroys deer, .and the
wild mountain-flieep, in the following w a y : they icatter at the bottom of trees bark
and mofs, which thofe animals are fond o fj and whilft they are picking it up, drop
fuddenly upon them,, and: fattening behind the head, fuck, out their eyes-.,
f The Koriacks make ufe of a ver.y limple method of catching bears.. They fuf-
pend, between the forks of a tree, a running noofe,. within which they fatten a bait,
which the animal, endeavouring to pull away, is caught fometimOS by the neck, and
fometimes by the paw.
6 There