THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. 101 



work, so we set the hands to cut up the blubber 

 of the bear and the nine walruses last killed. The 

 skin of the polar bear is very thin, and it is conse- 

 quently very difficult to divide it from the fat with- 

 out slicing or injuring the skin : the fat or blubber 

 lies in a layer precisely like that of the seal and the 

 walrus ; it is about intermediate in quality between 

 the two latter, and is put into the casks among the 

 rest. This bear was neither very large nor very 

 fat, and only yielded about one hundred pounds 

 of blubber ; but an old male bear in high condi- 

 tion sometimes affords upward of four times that 

 quantity. 



I believe the fat of Ursus maritimus is not suit- 

 able for the manufacture of "bears' grease ;" prob- 

 ably it has a tendency to turn the hair white. 



A heavy fall of snow commenced in the evening, 

 and continued during the night. 



20th. Gale a good deal moderated and clear. 

 Got out both boats and coasted about the lee sides 

 of the islands ; landed on several, but saw nothing 

 except one or two seals in the water ; gathered a 

 lot of excellent drift-wood for fuel. Thirteen years 

 ago four Norwegian sailors had to winter on this 

 island, their vessel having been driven away by a 

 storm and ice ; they constructed a hut (the remains 

 of which still exist) of mud, moss, and drift-wood, 

 and three of the four contrived to survive the win- 

 ter ; the fourth died. 



This cluster of islands is exactly of the same for- 



