An account of several late voyages and discoveries

~ 14 ·, Supplement to thcy . could not cat t 1 'l till flay'd, their Skin~. bc.::ing vcry thick, tough anrl more l.O\'cr\l wirh ·fcath~rs,,~hich_alfo wcrc notcafily pluck. cd off; wh1d1 1s thc rtafon that thc Natircs clrcts tht:i1· Skius as thcy do thoí~ of Bcatrs anu Scals, and makc Garments of thcm, u~ fing them to all purpolcs likc orhcr Furrs ; with the Fcathers outward in Summcr, in• ward in W intc:r ; which is alfo obferv'd in ali other coicl Couotrics, as wcll as Groneland. All Pci fons, that have becn thcrc, gi\'c a wondcrfol and .fhangc account of a ccrtain Nor1h-liiht, as thcy call it, not eatily con· ceivcd oy thcm who have not focu ir. It appcars ufually about thc time of thc ncw Mouu, and tho' only in thc North, yec <lnth it enlightcn the w hole Coumry ; fomctimcs alío Norn,ay, lfe!and, and even thcfe Rcgions of curs, as r ·{fendru (·1.:it11 Piresk,. & exnút. , In doc1orem ., ') faith, himfelf obfcrved, and 1 at large defcribes. Nor fhould I much doubt j to affirm, that it is that which is fomctimcs fecn in Er.gland, and efpecially in the Nor· thern parts, call'd StHammg. lt is fa.id to be like a great Pillar (or lkam) ofFire, yct dart· ing out Rays and Streams every way, moving alfo from place to place, and lcaving bchind it a Mifl pr Clond ; cominuing alío cill che Sun·be; i.ll) s hidc it. . · The Country feems to be inhabit.ed by iJ¡• . yers Na~io?1s, d iffe d ng in Habit, Mannc:r~ ancl Language. Thofc . '.Vhom 1,imes H.1!! hH111d 1 ·. , ', , ·1¡11! .....