828 On the Fur Trade, and Fur-bearing Animals. 
» The discovery of the South Shetlands, S. lat. 63°, in 1818, ad- 
ded surprisingly to the trade in fur seals) The number taken from 
the South Shetlands in 1821 and 1822, amounted to three hundred 
and twenty thousand. This valuable animal, is now almost extinct 
in all these islands, owing to the exterminating system adopted by the 
hunters. They are still taken on the Lobos islands, where the prov- 
ident government of Monte Video restrict the fishery, or hunting, 
within certain limits, which insures an annual return of the seals. 
At certain seasons these amphibia, for the purpose of renewing their 
coat, come up on the dark frowning rocks and precipices, where 
there is not a trace of vegetation. In the middle of January, the 
islands are partially cleared of snow, where a few. patches of short 
straggling grass spring up in favorable situations; but the seals do 
not resort to it for food. ‘They remain on the rocks not less than 
two months, without any onanieasre when they return much emaci- 
ated to the sea.* 
Bears of various species and colors, many varieties of the fox, the 
wolf, the beaver, the otter, the marten, the racoon, the badger, the 
wolverine, the mink, the lynx, the musk-rat, the wood-chuck, the 
rabbit, the hare and the squirrel, are natives of North America. 
The beaver, otter, lynx, fisher, hare, and raccoon, are used princi- 
pally for hats, while the bears of several varieties, furnish an excel- 
lent material for sleigh linings, for cavalry caps, and other military 
equipments. ‘The fur of the black fox, is the most valuable of any 
of the American varieties, and next to that the red, which is expor- 
ted to China and Smyrna. In China the red is employed for trim- 
mings, linings, and robes, the latter being variegated, by adding the 
black fur of the paws, in spots or waves. ‘There are many other varie- 
ties of American fox, such as the grey, the white, the cross, the silver, 
and the dun colored. The silver fox is a rare animal, a native of 
the woody country below the falls of the Columbia river. It has a 
long, thick, deep lead-colored fur, intermingled with long hairs, inva- 
riably white at the top, forming a bright lustrous silver grey, esteemed 
by some more beautiful than any inter kind of fox. 
The skins of the buffalo, of the Rocky mountain shoei of vari- 
ous deer, and of the Antelope, are included in the fur trade with the 
Indians, and trappers of the north and west. 
“See Weddell’s Voyage towards the South Pole. 
t Lewis & Clark’s Travels to the Rocky mountains, &c. 
