9° 
CAPTURE. 
Fur. 
SEAS OF TER: 
eyes, to gaze, as men do their hands to fee more clearly in a funny 
day; for they are very dull-fighted, but remarkably quick-fcented. 
They are fond of thofe parts of the fea which abound moft with 
weeds, where they feed on fifh, fepiz:, lobfters, and fhell-fith, which 
they comminute with their flat grinders. 
They are taken different ways: in the fummer, by placing nets 
among the fea-plants, where thefe animals retire in the frequent ftorms 
of this tempeftuous coaft. 
They are killed with clubs or fpears, either while they lie afleep 
on the rocks, or in the fea floating on their backs. 
Thirdly, they are purfued by two boats till they are tired, for 
they cannot endure to be long at a time under water. 
During winter they are brought in great numbers to the Kurilian 
iflands, by the eaftern winds, from the 4merican fhore. 
The hunter goes with a dog, who points them. He knocks it on 
the head, and flays it, while the dog is beating about for another. 
They are called in the Kamt/chatkan tongue Kalan, in the plural 
Kalani. 
Their flefh is preferred to that of Seals by the natives; but the 
unfortunate crew who were fhipwrecked in the expedition in 1741, 
under Captain Bering, found it to be infipid, hard, and tough as 
leather; fo that they were obliged to cut it in fmall pieces before 
they could eat it. Others pretend, that the fleth of the young is very 
delicate, and fcarcely to be diftinguifhed from young lamb. 
But the valuable part of them is their fkin. Few are brought into 
Europe; but great quantities are fold to the Chine/e, at vaft prices, from 
feventy to a hundred rubles apiece, or 14 or 251. fterling each. 
What a profitable trade might not a colony carry on, was it poffible 
to penetrate to thefe parts of North America by means of the rivers 
and lakes! The accefs to Pekin.would be then eafy, by failing up 
the gulph of Petcheli. At prefent, thefe valuable furs are carried by 
land above three thoufand miles to the frontiers of China, where they 
are delivered to the merchants. 
q Thefe 
