have entered the snare, to
press his legs together, so as to inclose his prey, with which, at one
spring, he jumps on shore, where he devours them at his leisure. This
practice is much to be commended for the spirit of independence it
indicates; but not so another one, which some authors have charged
against these sagacious animals, viz. dragging the fishermen's nets
out of the water, during their absence, and then robbing them of the
fish they contained. Mr Bingley's Animal Biography, where this piece
of pilfering is mentioned, may be advantageously consulted for several
amusing notices respecting the habits and capabilities of this
creature, which are quite in unison with Captain King's account.--E.

[40] The interest of the following passage, from the account of
Krusenstern's voyage, will form the only apology necessary for the
largeness of the space it occupies. "As it was evident, upon our
arrival, that the many things necessary to be done on board, would
occupy a space of not less than four or five weeks, the officers of
the ship had formed a plan of renewing the monument which had been
erected to Captain Clerke. From Cook's and La Perouse's voyage, it is
well known that Clerke was buried in the town of Saint Peter and St
Saint Paul, under a large tree, to which a board, with an inscription,
was affixed, mentioning his death, his age and rank, and the object of
the expedition, in which he lost his life. We found the escutcheon,
painted by Webber, the draughtsman of the Resolution, and suspended by
Captain King in the church at Paratunka, in the portico of Major
Krupskoy's house, nor did any one appear to know what connection it
had with this painted board; and as there has been no church for many
years either in Paratunka or Saint Peter and Saint Paul, it was very
fortunate that the escutcheon was not entirely lost. La Perouse,
finding the board on the tree rotting very fast, had the inscription
copied on a plate of copper, adding, that it had been restored by him;
and as this inscription is not given in Cook's voyage, and every thing
relative to him and his companion must be interesting to all, I cannot
avoid transcribing it here from La Perouse's copy.

"At The Root Of This Tree Lies The Body Of
Captain Charles Clerke,
Who Succeeded To The Command Of His Britannic