80 VOYAGE INTO 



them swim in the water. As I was informed, some men did 

 kill fifteen or twenty of them on the Vogcl-song {Birds-sotig) , 

 the meat thereof roasted is of a very pleasant taste. We 

 killed some of them presently, at our first arrival in the 

 spring, that were very lean ; wherefore we may conclude, 

 that they remain in this barren and cold country of Sjntz- 

 hergeti all winter long, and are contented with what they 

 can get. 



2. Of the Fox.i 



Between our foxes and those of Spitzbergen there is no 

 great difference ; one of them I saw run by our ship, very 

 near it, his head was black and body white. They make 

 such a noise, as afar off it sounds as if a man laugh'd. We 

 saw them also run on the ice. Their food falls but short 

 there, they live upon birds and eggs. 



They go not at all into the water ; we were hunting one 

 of them in the South Haven, and had surrounded him with 

 twenty men, the water was on one side of him, and we 

 endeavoured to drive him into it, but he M'ould not, but 

 jumped through one man's legs and ran up into the moun- 

 tains, where we could not follow him. 



The ships crew inform'd me, that when he is hungry he 

 lies down as if he was dead, until the birds fly to him to eat 

 him, which by that trick he catches and eats. But I believe 

 that this is a fable. 



3. Of the ^Yhite Bear.^ 



These hears are quite otherwise shaped than those that are 

 seen in our country ; they have a long head like unto a dog, 

 and a long neck, and they bark like dogs that are hoarse, 

 and all their whole body is much otherways shaped than 



^ The Arctic Fox (Vulj)es Lagopiis). 



^ The Polar Bear {Thalassarctos maritimus). 



