364 
A JOURNEY TO THE 
| caught in greater or lefs numbers at Churchill ; | 
and I have known that for three years running, _ 
not lefs than from two hundred to four hundred — 
have been caught each year within thirty miles — 
of the Fort. They always come from the North 
along the coaft, and generally make their appear- 
ance at Churchill about the middle of O&ober, 
but their fkins are feldom in feafon till Novem- 
ber; during that time they are never molefted, 
but permitted to feed round the Fort, till by de- 
grees they become almoft domeftic. The great 
numbers of thofe animals that vifit Churchill Ri- 
ver in fome years do not all come in a body, as 
it would be impoflible for the fourth part of them 
to find fubfiftence by the way; but when they 
come near the Fort, the carcafles of dead whales 
lying along the fhores, and the fkin and other 
offal, after boiling the oil, afford them a plentiful - 
repaft, and prove the means of keeping them 
about the Fort till, by frequent reinforcements 
from the Northward, their numbers are fo far in- 
creafed as almoft to exceeded credibility. 
When their fkins are in feafon, a number of 
traps and guns are fet, and the greateft part of 
them are caught in one month, though fome few 
are found during the whole Winter. I have fre- 
quently known near forty killed in one night 
within half a mile of Prince of Wales’s Fort; but 
this feldom happens after the firft or fecond night. | 
When Churchill River is frozen over near the 
mouth, the greateft part of the furviving white 
Foxes. 
