I have already observed, that the dogs of this country are, in shape and mien, exceedingly like the Pomeranian, with this difference, that they are a great deal larger, and the hair somewhat coarser. They are of a variety of colours; but the most general is a light dun, or dirty cream colour. Toward the end of May they are all turned loose, and left to provide for themselves through the summer, being sure to return to their respective homes when the snow begins to fall. Their food in the winter consists entirely of the head, entrails, and back bones of salmon, which are put aside, and dried for that purpose; and with this diet they are fed but sparingly. The number of dogs must needs be very great, since five are yoked to a sledge, and a sledge carries but one person; so that, on our journey to Bolcheretsk, we required no fewer than an hundred and thirty-nine, at the two stages of Karatchin and Natchikin. It is also to be remarked, that they never make use of bitches for the draft, nor dogs but those that are cut. The whelps are trained to this business, by being tied to stakes with light leathern thongs, which are made to stretch, and having their victuals placed at a proper distance out of their reach; so that, by constantly pulling and labouring, in order to come at their food, they acquire both the strength of limbs and the habit of drawing, that are necessary for their future destination. The coast and bays of this country are frequented by almost every kind of northern sea-fowl; and amongst the rest are the sea-eagles, but not, as at Oonalashka, in great numbers. The rivers inland (if I may judge from what I saw in our journey to Bolcheretsk), are stored with numerous flocks of wild-ducks, of various species, one kind of which, in particular, has a most beautiful plumage, and is called by the natives _a-an-gitche_, a word intended to express its cry, which is not less singular than agreeable, consisting of three distinct notes, rising at equal intervals above each other.[51] There is another species called the mountain-duck[52], which, Steller says, is peculiar to Kamtschatka. The drake is covered with plumage of extraordinary beauty. Besides these, we observed a variety of other water-fowl, which from their size seemed to be of the wild-goose kind. In the woods through which we passed, were seen several eagles of a prodigious size, but of what species they were I cannot pretend to determine. These are said to be of three different sorts; the black eagle, with a white head, tail, and legs[53], of which the eaglets are as white as snow; the white eagle, so called, though in fact it is of a light grey; and the lead, or stone-coloured eagle[54], which is the most common; and probably those I saw were of this sort. Of the hawk, falcon, and bustard kind, there are great numbers.