As the season of the year was unfavourable to our gaining much knowledge of the vegetable productions of this country, so our own situation while there, put it out of our power to learn much about its animals; for as the want of water made it necessary that we should enter the Sound at first, the unforeseen accidents which happened afterward, though they lengthened our stay, were rather unfavourable to our obtaining any knowledge of this kind. The emergency of the case required that every person should be constantly employed in the necessary business of the ships, which was the capital object, as the season was advancing very fast, and the success of the voyage depended upon their diligence and alacrity in expediting the various tasks assigned to them. Hence it happened that excursions of every kind, either on the land or by water, were never attempted. And as we lay in a cove on an island, no other animals were ever seen alive in the woods there, than two or three racoons, martins, and squirrels. Besides these, some of our people who, one day, landed on the continent near the south-east side of the entrance of the Sound, observed the prints of a bear’s feet near the shore. The account, therefore, that we can give of the quadrupeds is taken from the skins which the natives brought to sell; and these were often so mutilated, with respect to the distinguishing parts, such as the paws, tails, and heads, that it was impossible even to guess at the animals to whom they belonged; though others were so perfect, or, at least, so well known, that they left no room to doubt about them.