C 225 ) 



through a hole contrived for the ptirpofe. This 

 oil when frefh is good for the ufe of the kitchen, 

 but that of the young ones foon grows rank ; and 

 that of the others if kept for any confiderable time, 

 becomes too dry. In this cafe it is made ufe of to 

 burn, or in currying of leather. It keeps long 

 clear, has no fmell, fediment, or impurity what- 

 foever at the bottom of the cafk* 



In the infancy of the colony great numbers of 

 the hides of fea- wolves were made ufe of for muffs. 

 This fafhion has long been laid afide, fo that the 

 general ufe they are now put to, is the covering of 

 trunks and chefts. When tanned, they have almofT 

 the fame grain with Morocco leather ; they are not 

 quite fo fine, but are lefs liable to crack, and keep 

 longer quite frem, and look as if new. Very good 

 fhoes and boots have been made of them, which 

 let in no water. They alfo cover feats with them, 

 and the wood wears out before the leather ; they 

 tan thefe hides here with the bark of the oak, 

 and in the dye fluff with which they ufe black, is 

 mixed a powder made from a certain ftone found 

 on the banks of rivers. This is called thunder- 

 ftone, or marcafite of the mines. 



The fea-wolves couple and bring forth their 

 young on rocks, and fometimes on the ice ; their 

 common litter is two, which they often fuckle in 

 the water, but oftener on more ; when they would 

 teach them to fwim they carry them, fay they, on 

 their backs, then throw them off in the water* af- 

 terwards taking them up again, and continue this 

 fort of inftrudtion till the young ones are able to 

 fwim alone. If this is true, it is an odd fort of 

 fifli, and which nature feems not to have inftructed 

 in what moft fort of land animals do the moment 



Vol. I. P they 



