526 HISTORY OF 



often on ice-floats, several leagues at sea. They are often trans- 

 ported in tliis manner to the very shores of Iceland, where they 

 no sooner land, but all the natives are in arms to receive them. 

 It often happens, that when a Greenlander and his wife are pad 

 dling out at sea, by coming too near an ice-float, a white beat", 

 unexpectedly jumps into their boat, and if he does not overset it, 

 sits calmly where he first came down, and, like a passenger, suf- 

 fers himself to be rowed along. It is probable the poor little 

 (Jreenlander is not very fond of his new guest; however, he 

 makes a 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 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. How- 

 ever, when the bear can find a young whale, it repays him for the 

 danger he incurs of meeting with the parent. 



CHAP. X. 



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 

 ■s 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 burrows in the ground very 

 easily, its legs being short and strong, and its claws stiff and 

 horny. As it continues to bury itself, it throws the earth be- 

 hind it to a great distance, and thus forms to itself a winding 

 hole, at the bottom of which it remains in safety. As the fox 

 is not so expert at digging into the earth, it often takes posses- 



