THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 343 



dale looks upon himfelf as mod richly attired, when a qH^ 

 fmall quantity of this fur is feen upon him. The women ^~v~ . j 

 adorn their hair with its pats, which are white, and con- 

 sidered as an extraordinary piece of finery ; and they have 

 a fuperftitious opinion, that the angels are clad with the 

 fkins of thofe animals. It is faid, that this creature is eafily 

 tamed, and taught a number of pleafant tricks *. 



Having already had occalion to fpeak as fully as my own 

 knowledge enables me of the bears, and the method of 

 killing them, I mall only here obferve, that all thofe I faw 

 were of a dun brown colour ; that they are generally feen in 

 companies of four or five together ; that the time they arc 

 moft abroad is during the feafon that the fifh (which is their" 

 principal food) are puihing up from the fca into the rivers, 

 and that they are feldom viable in the winter months f. 



Their fkins are exceedingly ufeful. They make both- 

 excellent warm matrafTes, and coverings for their beds ; 

 comfortable bonnets and gloves, and good collars for the dogs 

 harnefs. Their flefli, and particularly the fat, is confidered 

 as great delicacies. 



The wolves are only feen in the winter; at which fea- 

 fon they prowl about, as I was told, in large companies, in 

 fearch of prey. 



* Krafcheninicoff relates, that this fmall animal frequently deftroys ileer, and the 

 wild mountain-fheep, in the following way : they fcatter at the bottom of trees bark 

 and mofs, which thofe animals are fond of } and whilft they are picking it up, drop 

 fuddenly upon them, and fattening behind the head, fuck out their eyes. 



t The Koriacks make ufe of a very fimple method of catching bears. They fuf- 

 pend, between the forks of a tree, a running noofe, within which they fallen a bait, 

 which the animal, endeavouring to pull away, is caught fometimes by the neck, and 

 fometimes by the paw. 



6 There 



