of the Rod or Ice Fox. 403 



accompanied us in whatever we were about to do. If the 

 fea threw up an animal of any kind, they devoured it ere a 

 man of us could come up, to our great difadvantage ; and if 

 they could not confume it all at once, they trailed it away 

 in portions to the mountains, where they buried it under 

 ftones before our eyes ; running to and fro as long- as any 

 thing remained to be conveyed away. While this was doing, 

 others flood on the guard, and watched us. If they faw any 

 one comino- at a diftance, the wholfe troop combined at once 

 and began digging all together in the fand, till they had fo 

 fairly put a beaver or a fea-bear under the furface that not 

 a trace of it was to be feen. In the night-time, when we 

 flept in the field, they came and pulled off our night- caps, 

 and ftole our gloves from under our heads, with the beaver- 

 coverings, &c. In confequence of which we always flept 

 with clubs in our hands, that, if they fliould wake us, we 

 might drive them away, or knock them down. 



When we made a halt to reft by the way, they gathered 

 around us and played a thoufand tricks in our view ; and 

 when we fat flill, they approached us fo near that they 

 gnawed the thongs of our flioes. If we lay down, as if in- 

 tending to fleep, they came and fmelled our nofes to try 

 whether we were dead or alive ; if we held our breath, they 

 gave fuch a tug to the nofe as if they would bite it off. On 

 our firft arrival they bit off" the nofes, fingers, and toes of our 

 dead while we were preparing the grave 5 and thronged in 

 fuch manner about the infirm and fick, that it was witii 

 difficulty we could keep them off. Every morning we faw 

 thefc audacious animals patrolling about among fea-lions 

 and fea-bears lying on the flrand, fmelling at fuch as were 

 afleep to difcover whether fome of them might not be dead ; 

 if that happened to be the cafe, they proceeded to difleit 

 him immediately, and prefcntly after all were at work in 

 dragging the parts away. Becaufe the fea-lions at night, in 

 their fleej), frequently overlay their young, they examine, ai 

 if confcious of that circuniltancc, every morning, the whole 

 D d a herd 



