564 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



bear, to whom he often proves 

 too hard with his mighty tusks, 

 and often kills him, or at least 

 does not give over till they both 

 expire. 



The seals are of diflPerent sorts 

 and sizes, though in their shape 

 they all agree, excepting the clap- 

 myss, so called from a sort of a 

 cap he has on his head, with 

 which he covers it when he fears 

 a stroke. The paws of a seal 

 have five claws, joined together 

 with a thick skin, like that of a 

 goose or a water fowl : his head 

 resembles a dog's with cropped 

 ears, from whence he has got the 

 name of sea dog ; his snout is 

 bearded like that of a cat : his 

 eyes are large and clear with hair 

 about them : the skin is covered 

 with a short hair of divers colours, 

 and spotted ; some white and 



black, others yellowish, others 

 again reddish, and some of a 

 mouse colour ; his teeth are very 

 sharp and pointed. Although he 

 seems lamish behind, yet he 

 makes nothing of getting up upon 

 the ice hills, where he loves to 

 sleep and to bask himself in the 

 sun. The largest seals are from 

 five to eight feet in length ; their 

 fat yields better train oil than 

 that of any other fish. This is 

 the most common of all the sea 

 animals in Greenland; and con- 

 tributes the most to the subsisting 

 and maintaining of the inhabitants, 

 who feed upon the flesh of it, 

 and clothe themselves with the 

 skin, which likewise serves them 

 for the covering of their boats 

 and tents : the fat is their fuel, 

 which they burn in their lamps, 

 and also boil their victuals with. 



NATURAL 



