C H A P . III..
Furs and Jkins procured front Kamtcjiatka the Mem
Difcovered I/landt..
brougtaffrom’ ^ ^ ' 'HE principal furs and ffkins procured from the
Kamtchatka r~ J r • ' - , » , ,v ,/ and the New ' ^ Pemrifula o f Kamtohatka arid theJ New Ihfcovered
Difcovered .. _ r . 7*.,,. . . .. :r . r
iflamis. IflandS are fea-otters, foxes,, fables, ermines, wolves, bears,
8cc.— Thefe furs are tranfported to Ochot-fk by fca, and
from thence carried to ^Kiadita upon the frontiers of
Siberia; where the greateft part of them are fold to
the Chinefe at a very confiderable profits
Sea-otters. ' Of all thefe furs the fkins of the fea-otters are the:
richeft and moft valuable. Thofe animals refort in great,
numbers to the Aleutian and Fox I Hands: they are.
called by the Ruffians Bobry Morfki or fea-beavers, and:
fometimes Kamtchadal beavers, on account of the re-
femblance of their fur to that, of the common beaver.
From thefe circumftances feveral authors have been led
into a miftake, and have fuppofed that this animal is
of the beaver fpecies ; whereas it is the true fea-otter t.
* See Part II. Chap. III.
f S .R .G . III. p. 530.
The
The female are called Matka or dams ; and the cubs
tillfive months old Med.viedki o r little bears, becaufe their
coat refembles that of a bear ; /they lofe that coat after
five months, and then are called Kofchloki. j
The fur o f the fineft fort is thick and long, of a dark
colour, and a fine gloffy hue. They are taken four
:wa.ys; ftruck with darts as they are fleeping upon their
backs in the foa, followed in boats and hunted down
till they are tired, furprifed in caverns, and taken in
nets.
Their fki'ns fetch different prices according to their
quality.
At Kamtchatka* the beft felf for
per fkin from - - -
Middle fort
Word fort
30 to 40 Roubles.
20 to 30
1 S t° 25
At Kiachta t the old and middle-
aged fea-otter fkins are fold
to the Chinefe per Ikin from So to 100
The worft fort 30 to 40
* journal St. Peteriburg.
-jr Pallas Reife. Part; III, p. 137.