VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
61 
the fingers, which are somewhat longer. Seals are 
covered with coarse short hair, varying much in 
different individuals of the species ; among those 
I first saw, was one perfectly white, whilst others 
were beautifully marked with spots of black, red, 
and liver colour, of greater or less magnitude. This 
animal is gregarious, and feeds on fish : its length 
is about five feet. Seals are found in the greatest 
abundance on the ice, in the vicinity of the island of 
Jan Mayne, early in the spring ; when, in fine wea- 
ther, they prefer lying on the ice to being in the 
water. They are extremely watchful ; for, as al^ 
ready observed when a number are collected to- 
gether, some are always on the alert, to give the 
alarm in case of danger. It is presumed that they 
adopt this precaution, to guard them against their 
grand enemy, the polar bear, on whose approach, 
the greatest dread is apparent, by the confusion in 
which they hurry to escape into the water. The 
seal-fishing in Greenland was formerly a consider- 
able branch of commerce to foreign nations; but 
the British regard it as of little importance, be- 
cause, at the season of the year when these animals 
congregate, the exposed situations where they 
abound, are liable to sudden and violent storms : 
the following melancholy narrative of an event, that 
occurred in the year 1774, is recorded by a pilot, 
who was an eye-witness of the fact. 
“ Fifty-four ships, chiefly Hamburghers, were 
that year fitted out from foreign ports, for the seal- 
fishing alone : most of these, with several English 
