Chap. III. CAPTAIN DAVID BUCHAN. 71 



would stand three or four shots rather than desert 

 its fallen companion." " This compassionate con- 

 duct," continues Beechey, " it is needless to say, 

 doubled our chance of success ; though I must con- 

 fess, it was obtained in violation of our better 

 feelings." These animals are said to take to the 

 water freely, and swim from one island to another. 

 The boats of the Trent took four, which they wished 

 to retain alive ; but they were so wild, that they 

 broke their slender limbs, and inflicted other serious 

 wounds, so that it became necessary to put an end 

 to their sufferings by killing them. 



At one of the islets near Vogel Sang were also 

 the King Eider ducks, in such numbers, that it was 

 impossible almost to walk without treading on their 

 nests, which they defended with determined reso- 

 lution. If driven off by foxes or other large animals, 

 they hastily draw the down of the nest over the 

 eggs, and glue it with a yellow fluid, not only to 

 preserve the warmth of the eggs, but that, being of 

 so offensive a nature, the foxes would not touch the 

 eo-gs tainted with it. Foxes and bears are eve^- 

 where found on the shore and on the ice ; and the 

 sea about Spitzbergen is as much alive as the land, 

 from the multitude of burgermesters, strontj aggers, 

 malmouks, kittiwakes, and the rest of the gull 

 tribe ; while the amphibious animals and the fish 

 enliven both the ice and the water, from the huge 

 whale to the minute clio on which it feeds, swal- 

 lowing perhaps a million at a mouthful. In this 



