90 PRODUCTS OF THE 



and in truth it is a difficult and dangerous one, to 

 which they are trained from their infancy, by which 

 they maintain themselves, make themselves agree- 

 able to others, and become beneficial members of 

 society." Concerning the Southern hemisphere, a 

 recent voyager tells us, that the inhabitants of Terra 

 del Fuego are very expert at cutting the blubber 

 from Seals, and not less so at stealing and eating 

 it. 



So much for the opinions entertained by the in- 

 habitants of the Polar regions regarding the Seals 

 as an article of food. A corresponding estimate is 

 made of the herbivorous Cete all the world over. 

 Wherever they are found, whether in the West 

 Indies or the East, in Africa or America, they are 

 considered as probably superior to any other kind 

 of animal food. The prevalence and grounds of 

 this opinion will be stated in a subsequent part of 

 this volume, 



No products of the Amphibia, however, are, 

 upon the whole, more valuable than the oil and 

 skins. The oil obtained both from the Walrus and 

 Seals is of a quality superior to that of the Common 

 Whale, and brings a higher price. It yields oil, says 

 Scoresby, speaking of the Sea-Horse, which, when 

 extracted before putrefaction has commenced, is beau- 

 tifully transparent in its appearance, free from smell, 

 and not unpleasant to the taste. Soon after Cap- 

 tain Cook's voyage, in the Resolution, in 1771, 

 he presented an official report concerning New 

 Georgia, in which he gave an account of the great 



