94 LETTER XXXII. 



stance which would be incredible, were it not attested 

 by writers, who possessed every means of information 

 on the subject. The fur of the sable possesses this 

 peculiarity, that whatever way it is stroked it lies 

 equally smooth, whereas all others when stroked con- 

 trary to the grain, give a sensation of roughness : its 

 colour is a blackish brown, and the darkest are the most 

 admired. 



The sable, resembles the martin in form, and nearly 

 in size. It seems to be particularly fond of the shade, 

 and inhabits the most impervious woods, where it 

 lives in holes in the earth by the banks of rivers, or 

 under the roots of trees: it possesses great agility, 

 and bounds with velocity from tree to tree. From 

 the singular closeness of its fur, *vhich is extremely 

 well calculated for resisting the water; and from being 

 frequently found in small islands, it is supposed by 

 many naturalists to be amphibious. 



This small but valuable quadruped, is a native of 

 Siberia, Kamtschatka, and the islands which lie be- 

 tween that country and Japan ; but scarcely any are 

 found in European Russia, and still fewer in Lapland. 

 Siberia, however, is the. country where it most 

 abounds, and which furnishes the greatest part of 

 those valuable furs which constitute so lucrative a 

 branch of Russian commerce. It is therefore in the 

 immense forests of those desolate regions that the bu- 

 siness of sable hunting is chiefly carried on. .This is 

 the employment of soldiers sent thither from Russia 

 for that purpose, as well as of criminals sent into 

 exile. Both are obliged to furnish annually a cer- 

 tain quantity of furs, and for their encouragement 

 they are allowed to share among them all the skins 

 they can procure above the specified number, which, 

 in a fortunate hunting season, amount to a consider- 

 able value. 



The hunters generally form themselves into small 

 troops, each being directed by a leader of their own 

 chusjng. They shoot with a single ball, in order to 

 injure the skin as little as possible; and frequently 

 take them in traps, or kill them with blunt arrows. 



