THE SABLE. 327 



forty pieces, which are sold at from one to two 

 pounds a-bundle. The tails are sold by the hun«- 

 dred, at from four to eight pounds. 



The manner in which the natives of Kamtschatka 

 take these animals, is very simple. They follow 

 the track of the Sable, in snow-siioes, till they have 

 detected his covert, which is generally a burrow in 

 the earth. As soon as the little creature is aware 

 of his pursuers, he escapes into some hollow tree ; 

 which the hunters surround w^ith a net, and then 

 either cut it entirely down, or force the animal 

 by fire and smoke to abandon his retreat, when he 

 falls into the net and is killed. They sometimes 

 surround the tree in which a Sable is lodged, with 

 Dogs trained for the purpose ; and then, making a 

 running noose on a pretty strong cord, find means 

 to get the creature's head into the snare, and thus 

 haul him down an easy prey *. 



In other parts, where these animals are less com- 

 mon, the contriv'ances to take theai are more arti- 

 ficial. Of this kind is the Sable-trap of" the Vo- 

 gules, which is used in several parts of Siberia : — A 

 place is found where two young trees stand not far 

 asunder. These are immediatelv stripped of their 

 branches about the bottom; and near one of thcni 

 a post is stuck into the ground, on which a beam is 

 placed horizontally, so fastened to both trees, that 

 one end of it lies between the post and the tree. 

 Over this beam another is laid, as a trap-fall ; at the 

 end of which a thin support is put, which, when the 



♦ Lcssep, i. 35, 

 Y4 



