THE BADGER. 391 



virtue of necessity, and hospitably rows him to 

 shore. 



As this animal lives chiefly upon fish, seals, and 

 dead whales, it seldom removes far from the shore. 

 When forced by hunger, it often ventures into 

 the deep, swims after seals, and devours whatever 

 it can seize : it is however but a bad swimmer, 

 and it is often hunted in this manner by boats, 

 till it is fatigued, and at last destroyed. It often 

 happens that a battle ensues between a bear and 

 a morse, or a whale ; but as the latter are more 

 expert in their own element, they generally prove 

 victorious. However, when the bear can find a 

 young whale, it repays him for the danger he in- 

 curs of meeting with the parent. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



THE BADGER. 



THE Badger's legs are so short, that its belly 

 seems to touch the ground ; this however is but 

 a deceitful appearance, as it is caused by the 

 length of the hair, which is very long all over the 

 body, and makes it seem much more bulky than 

 it really is. It is a solitary stupid animal, that 

 finds refuge remote from man, and digs itself a 

 deep hole with great assiduity. It seems to avoid 

 the light, and seldom quits its retreat by day, 

 only stealing out at night to find subsistence. It 



