296 A V O Y A G E T O 



'77?- that fubftance ; and both in that colour and ftate the fea- 

 ^" otters Item to remain, till they have attained their full 

 growth. After that, they lofe the black colour, and afTurac 

 a deep brown or footy colour ; but have then a greater 

 quantity of very fine fur, and fcarccly any long hairs. 

 Others, which we fufpecSted to be flill older, were of a 

 chefnut brown ; and a few fkins were feen that had even 

 acquired a perfedly ycllov^r colour. The fur of thefe ani- 

 mals, as mentioned in the Ruffian accounts, is certainly 

 fofter and finer than that of any others we know of ; and, 

 therefore, the difcovery of this part of the continent of 

 North America, where fo valuable an article of commerce 

 may be met with, cannot be a matter of indillerence *. 



Birds, in general, are not only rare as to the diflTerent 

 fpecics, but very fcarce as to numbers ; and thefe few are 

 fo fliy, that, in all probability, they are continually ha- 

 rafTed by the natives; perhaps to eat them as food, certainly 

 to get pofiTcfTion of their feathers, which they ufe as orna- 

 ments. Thofe which frequent the woods, are crows and 

 ravens, not at all different from our Englitli ones ; a blueifli 

 jay or magpie ; common wrens, which are the only fing- 

 ing bird that we heard ; the Canadian, or migrating thrufli ; 

 and a confiderable number of brown eagles, with white 

 heads and tails ; which, though they feem principally to 

 frequent the coafl, come into the Sound in bad weather, 

 and fomctimcs perch upon the trees. Amongft fome other 

 birds, of which the natives cither brought fragn^ents, or 

 dried fkins, we could diftinguifli a fmall fpecics of hawk ; 

 a heron J and the alcyon, or large-creftcd American king- 



• Mr. Coxc, on the authority of Mr. Pallas, informs us, that the old and middle- 

 aged fca-otters fkins arc fold, at Kiachta, by the Ruffians, to the Chincfe, from 80 to 

 joo rubles a (kin j that is, from 16I. to 20 1. each. See Coxes RuJJian Difcovcrles^ p. 1 3. 



fifher. 



