CLXXXVIIL 
Hupson’s Bay. 
‘if UD STOIN? s HRaae 
appetite. They boil their fifh with water and rye-meal : and this conftitutes their 
diet during winter. In the fummer they live chiefly on fowls, or their eggs; but 
in general they forbear flefh, as the fafts prefcribed by their religion are fo nu- 
merous. They are dreffed in the fkins of the animals they kill, which they ufe 
with the fur fide next to their bodies: their bedding is likewife compofed of fkins, 
chiefly of thofe of the Bear or Rein Deer. The fkin of the Fox is the moft va- 
luable; but thefe are preferved as articles of commerce in their own country. 
Theyscatch the Beluga, or white Whale, in ‘nets, being converfant in this {pecies 
of fithery ; but are ignorant of that of the great Whale. They were very folicitous 
to get information on that fubjecét ; which I endeavoured to inftru&t them in, in 
return for the information they fo readily gave me. They are moft excellent 
markfmen ; but, what is peculiar, in prefenting their piece, they do not raife it 
to their fhoulder, but place the butt-end between their arm and their fide, fixing 
thei: ve on the object toward which they dire€t the barrel. I faw a Bear receive 
a confiderable fhot : it aftonifhed me greatly to fee the animal apply great quan- 
tities of fnow to the part (which was bleeding freely) as if confcious of its ftyptic 
‘powers. It retreated with much flownefs ; but at fhort intervals looked behind, 
and, with much art, threw abundance of fnow with its hind-paws into the wound. 
Few of the Ru/ffians die from the feverity of the cold, but are often froft-bitten, 
fo as to lofe their toes or fingers; for they are fo hardy as to hunt in all weathers. 
TI naturally afked them, Had they a furgeon? They replied, ‘ No! no! Curist 
is our doétor !’ They quit the ifland in September, and are privileged to leave the 
place by the 22d of that month, whether they are relieved by a frefh party from 
Ruffia or not.”’—Let me remark, that the great exercife ufed by thefe volunteer 
adventurers ; their quantity of vegetable food; their frefhening their falt provi- 
fion, by boiling it in water, and mixing it with flour; their beverage of whey ; 
and their total abftinence from fpirituous liquors—are the happy prefervatives 
from the feurvy, which brought all the preceding adventurers, who perifhed, to 
their miferable end *. 
We now proceed through a namelefs ftreight, between the main land and the 
two great iflands on the eaft; and, after doubling Cape Southampton, enter into 
Hudfon’s Bay, in the gulph called the Welcome. This bay was difcovered in 1610, 
by that able feaman Henry Hudfon, from whom it takes its name. His view, in 
the voyage he made, was the difcovery of a paflage to the Ea/? Indies. ‘The 
® See this fubject amply treated by Doctor Aikim, in a Treatife on the fuccefs, with refpect to the 
health, of fome attempts to pafs the winter in high northern latitudes. 
trial 
