NORTHERN OCEAN. 
_ their being capable of braving the fevereft cold. 
They are very flow in their pace, but their won- 
derful fagacity, ftrength, and acute fent, make 
ample amends for that defect; for they are {el- 
dom killed at any feafon when they do not prove 
very fat: a great proof of their being excellent 
providers. With refpect to the fiercenefs of this 
animal which fome affert, I can fay little, but I 
I know them to be beafts of great courage and 
refolution, for | once faw one of them take pof- 
feflion of a deer that an Indian had killed, and 
though the Indian advanced within twenty yards, 
he would not relinquifh his claim to it, but fuf- 
fered himfelf to be fhot ftanding on the deer. I 
once faw a fimilar inftance of a lynx, or wild cat, 
which alfo fuffered itfelf, to be killed before it 
would relinquifh the prize. The wolverenes 
have alfo frequently been feen to take a deer 
from a wolf before the latter had time to begin 
his repaft after killing it. Indeed their amazing 
ftrength, and the length and fharpnefs of their 
- claws, render them capable of making a ftrong 
refiftance again{ft any other animal in thofe parts, 
the Bear not excepted. As a proof of their 
amazing itrength, there was one at Churchill 
fome years fince, that overfet the greateft part of 
a large pile of wood, (containing a whole Win- 
ter’s firing, that meafured upwards of feventy 
yards round,) to get at fome provifions that had 
been hid there by the Company’s fervants, when 
going to the Factory to fpend the Chriftmas holi- 
days. 
373 
