SAB 
SAB 
SABELLA. A genus of the teftaceous 
worms, of which Linnseus enumerates feven 
fpecies. Tfie enclofed animal is a nereis. The 
covering is tubular, and formed of fand and 
broken fliells cohering by a glutinous cement. 
SABLE; the Muftella Ribellina of L linnseus. 
This animal refembles the miarten both in lhape 
and fize, and the weafel in the number of it's 
teeth; the marten having thirty-eight teeth, and 
the weafel but thirty-four: therefore, in this re- 
ipe(5l, the Sable feems to form the fliade between 
thefe two animals. It has long whiflcers, rounded 
tars, large feet, white clavs's, and a long bufhy 
tail. 
The fl<.in of the Sable is held in the higheft efti- 
mation of any furs belonging to this tribe of ani- 
mals: it is of a brownilh black hue; and the dark - 
eft is the moft valuable, a (ingle fkin being fre- 
quently fold for ten or fifteen pounds. But the 
fur to which fancy has given fuch a value is not 
always the fame: fome of thefe fpecies are of a 
dark brown colour ail over the body, except the 
cars and throat, where the hair is yellowifh ; and 
there are even inllances of their being of a fnowy 
Vvhitenefs. 
Sables refemble the reft of the v/eafel kind in 
vivacity and agility; in fleeping by day, and 
hunting their prey by night; and in the difagree- 
able fmell by which that race is chiefly chara6Ver- 
ized. They inhabit Siberia and Kamtfchatka; 
and a few of them are found in Lapland. They 
ufually live in lioles of the earth, or beneath the 
roots of trees ; and fometinies, like the marten, 
thev form their nefts in the boughs of trees, fkip- 
ping from one branch to another with amazing 
agility. The females bring forth about the end 
of March or beginning of April; and produce 
from three to five at a time, which they fuckle for 
a month or five weeks. 
Thefe animals are hunted in the winter for 
their fkins, as they are then only in feafon. In 
Siberia, the hunting of the Sable ufed to fall to 
the lot of condemned criminals, who were ba- 
nifhed from RuiTia into thofe dreary and inhofpi- 
table forefts; and thus the luxuries and ornaments 
of the vain were obtained through the miferies of 
the wretched, Thefe criminals were obliged to 
furnifh a certain number of Hvins annually, or re- 
ceive a punifliment proportioned to the defi- 
ciency. Sables, however, are now more fre- 
quently killed by the Ruffian foldiers, who are 
fent into Siberia for that purpofe: like thefe of- 
fenders, they are taxed in a certain number of 
fldns annually; but, by way of encouragement, 
are pemiitted to fhare the furplus of the (Idns 
which they thus procure. 
At prefent, the Sable-hunters form themfelves 
into troops, from five to forty each: the laft fub- 
divide into Icffer parties ; and each chufes a leader, 
but there is one perfon who direfts the whole 
party. A fmall covered boat is prepared for 
each divifion, laden with provifions, a dog and a 
net, for every two men, and a vefTel to bake their 
bread in. Each party is alfo provided with an in- 
terpreter for every country into which they pene- 
trate^ They then fet forward in whatever courfe 
their leader chufes to prefcribe; proceed againft 
the current of the rivers; and drag their boats 
along till they arrive in the hunting-country, 
where they build themfelves huts, and wait till the 
froft fets in. 
Before they begin the chace, their leader afiem- 
bles them together; and, after preferring a prayer 
to the Almighty for fuccefs, they feparate. The 
firft animal they take is called God's Sable, and 
religioufly dedicated to the Church. As they pe- 
netrate into the woods, they fet marks on the 
trees, that they may the more eafily find their 
way back. In their hunting-quarters, they form 
huts of trees, and bank up the fnow round them: 
near thefe they lay their traps ; and then advanc- 
ing farther, they fet more, ftill building new hutst 
in every quarter, and returning luccefTively to 
every old one, to vifit the traps; from which they 
take the game in order to fkin it, an office which 
none but their chief is fufiered to perform. 
In the mean time the hunters are fupplied with 
provifions by perfons employed to bring them ori 
fledges from certain places on the road, where they 
are obliged to form magazines, becaufe of the 
impracticability of carrying quantities through 
the rugged country they are forced to pafs. 
Their traps are a fort of pitfalls, with looie 
boards placed over them, baited with fifh or flefh: 
but when Sables grow fcarce, the hunters trace 
them to their holes through the new-fallen fnow, 
place their nets at their entrances, and frequently 
watch two or three days for the appearance of the 
animals. And it has fometimes happened that 
thefe wretched people, through a failure of provi- 
fions, have been fo feverely pinched with hunger, 
that, to prevent the cravings of appetite, they have 
taken two of their boards, one of which they have 
applied to the pit of the ftomach, and the other 
to the back, drawing them tight together by 
means of cords placed at their extremities. Such 
are the hardfhips experienced by the humble to 
gratify the wanton finery of the proud! 
The hunting feafon being ended, the parties 
re-aiTemble; report to their leaders the number of 
Sables each has taken ; prefer complaints of of- 
fenders againft their regulations; punifh delin- 
quents; fliare the booty; and then continue at the 
head-quarters till the rivers are clear of ice, when 
they return home, and deliver up the votive furs 
to the Church. 
The value of one of thefe fl<ins has been already 
noticed ; but they are of all prices, from one to 
ten or fifteen pounds. Fine and middling Sable- 
fkins are fold without bellies, and the coarfe ones 
with them. The very fineft are vended in pairs, 
perfeftly fimilar; and are more valued than fingle 
ones of the fame quality. The blackeft are re- 
puted the beft. They are in feafon from Novem- 
ber to February ; for thofe caught at any other 
period are fhort-haired. The more long hair 
any flcin is poffefTed of, and the blacker it is, the 
more valuable is the fur, The beft of all have 
none 
