526 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
immediately repaired to the ship, to inform Commander Ross 
of the circumstance. As some expectations of good sport were 
entertained, Commander Ross, with four men, set off for the 
burrow, and after an hour’s hard digging, they came to a young 
family of six cubs, all of them of a dark brown colour. The 
sport, however, which the old foxes gave to the men, would have 
been greatly relished, even by an English hunter; for the place 
where they had established their burrow, was so full of holes, 
that they were no sooner driven out of one, than they took re¬ 
fuge in another. It was the wish of the men, to take the old 
ones alive : for having got possession of their progeny, it was 
expected, that it would not be a difficult task to tame them, 
and ultimately to transport them to England. After hunting and 
dodging them for nearly two hours, Reynard always contrived 
to escape from the snares, that were laid for him; and, therefore, 
as no immediate prospect presented itself of taking them alive, 
it was determined to shoot them, which was ultimately accom¬ 
plished, although, not without some difficulty. On examining 
the burrow, there were found in it, the remains of the skins of 
hares, weasels, mice, birds and even fish. The men carried 
their booty to the ship in triumph ; but they afterwards found, 
that in attempting to^rear the cubs, they had imposed upon them¬ 
selves, a task of no common difficulty, and, which, even when 
accomplished, was not attended with any profit or advantage. 
The live stock of the Victory now consisted of the six fox-cubs, 
two hares, and one mouse! all most valuable specimens of the 
quadrupeds of the country, and worthy the trouble of being 
conveyed to England, where they would be found not to differ, 
in the slightest degree, from the indigenous species. 
The carpenter was employed during the whole of the 8th, 
in making a salmon spear, similar to the one used by the natives. 
It greatly resembles the spear used in England for striking eels, 
with the exception, that the Esquimaux spear has only one prong, 
which is made of bone; the shaft or handle being made of seven 
or eight small pieces of wood, lashed together. The spear made j 
by the carpenter, was all in one piece, and the prong made of , 
iron. When it was shown to the Esquimaux, they were so * 
