18 HUNTERS AND HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



formerly the Austrians used for their magnetic 

 observations. One of them contained casks 

 of provisions they had left behind. The casks 

 had never been broached. Close to the station 

 a kennel had been built for living foxes. It 

 contained three which had recently been cap- 

 tured. They were extremely savage, and from 

 their kennel there exuded an indescribable 

 stench. After having inspected the foxes, we 

 were shown the pelts gathered during the long 

 winter. There were more than a hundred of 

 them, of both white and blue foxes, several of 

 which were remarkably beautiful. When the 

 trappers had come to the island in July, the 

 foxes, grey and mangy as they are during the 

 summer, were of no value. In order to tame 

 them and so render them easy of capture in the 

 winter, the hunters had fed them on birds they 

 had killed and flung near the station. After a 

 short time as many as thirty foxes had appeared 

 daily, and waited until they were fed. Traps 

 were set in order that the foxes might 

 inspect them and learn not to fear them. 

 Several foxes were captured and released. By 

 these means the confidence of the animals was 

 gained, and then, when the winter came and the 

 skins were in good condition, the hunters went 

 seriously to work. 



