The principal furs and skins procured from the peninsula of Kamtchatka and the New Discovered Islands are sea-otters, foxes, sables, ermines, wolves, bears, &c. These furs are transported to Ochotsk by sea, and from thence carried to Kiachta upon the frontiers of Siberia, where the greatest part of them are sold to the Chinese at a very considerable profit.

Of all these furs the skins of the sea-otters are the richest and most valuable. Those animals resort in great numbers to the Aleutian and Fox Islands; they are called by the Russians Bobry Morski or sea-beavers, and sometimes Kamtchadal beavers, on account of the resemblance of their fur to that of the common beaver. From these circumstances several authors have been led into a mistake, and have supposed that this animal is of the beaver species, whereas it is the true sea-otter.

The females are called Matka or dams; and the cubs, till five months old, Madviedki or little bears, because their coat resembles that of a bear; they lose that coat after five months, and then are called Koschloki.

The fur of the finest sort is thick and long, of a dark colour, and a fine glossy hue. They are taken four ways; struck with darts as they are sleeping upon their backs in the sea, followed in boats and hunted down till they are tired, surprised in caverns, and taken in nets.

Their skins fetch different prices, according to their quality.