10S 



OLAFSEN AN I) POVELSEN's 



in the air, and take him for one of their own species, When 

 the fox gets to them, he seizes those that are nearest, and the 

 others fly off. 



These animals sometimes quit the main land -to proceed to the 

 isles, particularly those near Breedefiord. They also get upon the 

 masses of ice, in order to be conveyed to such isles as are more 

 distant ; though this method does not always produce the desired 

 effect ; for it often happens that the ice does not stop near the 

 isles, but carries the foxes out to sea. We were ocular w itnesses, 

 of such a circumstance ; for we one day saw four foxes sitting 

 on a rock of ice, one behind the other, the current carrying 

 them rapidly out to sea. When a fox succeeds in gaining an 

 island, he commits considerable ravages there, and obliges the 

 birds to desert it. As soon as the inhabitants find he has landed, 

 they collect in the neighbouring isles in canoes (taking advantage 

 of the spring, before the birds have arrived) and hunt the fox 

 till they either catch him or force him to take to the sea. When 

 this animal swims, he keeps his tail in the air as long as possible; 

 and as soon as he lets it trail in the water, it may be known that 

 he is fatigued. We were assured that they sometimes hunt him 

 from hole to hole, till he has been found on the shore motionless 

 and apparently dead ; and that after taking him into the canoe 

 and landing him on the opposite shore with a view to profit by 

 his skin, he has got up and run away. 



FARTHER PARTICULARS OF THE SEAL, OR SEA-DOG. 



The principal species of this animal are those which the inha- 

 bitants distinguish by the names of Landseins and U tseler ; and 

 the advantages which they derive from it are too important to be 

 passed over. 



At Patrickflord they are accustomed to kill it with the gun: 

 but the animal in consequence becomes timid and difficult to 

 approach ; besides which, they thus frighten the birds, and oblige 

 them to abandon the country. Some of the inhabitants of Ise~ 

 fiord have therefore resumed the ancient method of killing the 

 seals with javelin's or harpoons. They sell at the following prices : 

 An U tseler costs four Danish marks when it can swim a little and 

 is tolerably fat ; but this price is given principally for the skin. 

 The young sea-dogs or seals are sold by weight, principally for 

 their fat ; and the price is about five marks for SOlbs., after taking 

 out the intestines. An old U tseler is about two ells and a 

 half in length. They are savage, and it is dangerous to irri- 

 tate them. With the exception of the lard, the remainder of 

 the body of all the seals has no fixed price ; but the young Land- 

 selurs, after having cast their first hair, and acquired sufficient 

 strength tQ swim and feed themselves,, cost a mark. The skins,. 



