ough there is little doubt but that many parts of this peninsula would
admit of such cultivation as might contribute considerably to the comfort
of the inhabitants, yet its real riches must always consist in the number
of wild animals it produces; and no labour, can ever be turned to so good
account as what is employed upon their furrieries. The animals therefore
which supply these come next to be considered; and these are, the common
fox, the stoat, or ermine, the zibeline, or sable, the isatis, or arctic
fox, the varying hare, the mountain rat, or earless marmot, the weasel, the
glutton, or wolverene, the argali, or wild sheep, rein-deer, bears, wolves,
dogs.

The fox[56] is the most general object of the chase; and they are found in
great numbers, and of variety of colours. The most common is the same in
species with the European, with this variation, that the colours are more
bright and shining; some are of a dark chesnut, others are striped with
dark-coloured bars, others have the belly black, and the rest of the body
of a light chesnut. Some again are of a very dark brown, some black, others
of a stone colour; and there are a few quite white, but these last are very
scarce. Their fur is exceedingly thick and fine, and of a quality much
superior to those either of Siberia or America. A variety of artifices are
made use of by the hunters to catch this animal, which in all climates seem
to preserve the same character of craftiness and cunning. Traps of
different sorts, some calculated to fall upon them, others to catch them by
the feet, others by the head, are amongst the most common; to which may be
added, several ingenious contrivances for taking them in nets. Poisoned
baits are likewise in use; and the _nux vomica_ is the drug principally
employed for this purpose. Before their knowledge of the Russians, by which
they became acquainted with fire-arms, they also carried bows and arrows to
the chase. But since that period, almost every Kamtschadale is provided
with a rifle-barrel gun; and, though far from being dexterous in the use of
it, its superiority over the former instruments he is ready to acknowledge.

The sables[57] of Kamtschatka are said to be considerably larger than those
of Siberia, and their fur much thicker and brighter, though not of so good
a black as those in the neighbourhood of the Olekma and the Vitime,[58] a
circumstance which depreciates their value much more than their superiority
in other re