FOX* 
187 
one coming at a distance, the whole troop would 
combine at once, and begin digging all together in 
the sand, till even a beaver, or sea-bear, in their pos- 
session, would be so completely buried under the 
surface that not a trace of it could be seen. In the 
night-time, when we slept in the field, they came 
and pulled off our night-caps, and stole our gloves 
from under our heads, with the bear coverings and 
the skins that we lay upon. In consequence of this 
we always slept with our clubs in our hands, that if 
they awoke us we might drive them away, or knock 
them down. 
“ When we made a halt to rest by the way, they 
gathered around us, and played a thousand tricks in 
our view ; and when we sat still, they approached 
us so near that they gnawed the thongs of our 
shoes. If we lay down as if intending to sleep, 
they came and smelt at our noses, to find whether 
we were dead or alive. On our first arrival, they 
bit off the noses, fingers, and toes of our dead, while 
we were preparing the grave ; and thronged in such 
a manner about the infirm and sick, that it was with 
difficulty we could keep them off. 
“ Every morning we saw these audacious animals 
patrolling about among the sea-lions and sea-bears 
lying on the strand ; smelling at such as were asleep, 
to discover whether some of them might not be 
dead : if that hapjjened to be the case, they pro- 
ceeded to dissect him immediately, and soon af- 
terwards all were at work in dragging the parts 
away. Because the sea-lions in their sleep some- 
