292 VISIT or A BEAR. \June, 



Shouldering my gun, I sallied fortli across the bay, 

 prepared either for bear or ptarmigan, and visited 

 Dauntless Pile, where, after a cool walk for some hours, 

 investigating every rock of which it is composed, and 

 a fine green porphyry was amongst them, my crew re- 

 joined, and we moved on to sleep at Ptarmigan Station. 

 I was not in good spirits, for a most troublesome swell- 

 ing of my right cheek (carbuncle) worried me despe- 

 rately. One never likes to cut oneself up, particularly 

 in such cold weather ; and had I been so disposed, could 

 not see to do it. For my own part I attributed it to 

 eating pemmican ; others, to not eating enough . doctors 

 disagree. At this station we had an opportunity to sleep 

 without disturbance from the sun at noon, as it com- 

 menced blowing unpleasantly from the north-west, at- 

 tended with heavy snow. 



June 1. At seven P.M. the wind fell, and with a tem- 

 perature of 20 we recommenced our journey. Shortly 

 after midnight a bear was seen coming down full trot 

 right before the wind, the weather proving hazy withal . 

 we all lay close, both sledges in line and duly prepared, 

 my coxswain having one double-barrel, myself the other, 

 and Mr. Grove behind with his rifle. Bears arc very 

 humorous, and even funny, in their way. Suddenly he 

 seemed to think he had left something behind, or he had 

 mistaken his objects ; possibly he deemed that we were 

 too large for seals, and making an awkward bow, as I 

 thought, within forty yards, was on the retreat : five 

 barrels were discharged, dogs set on, and the hunt com- 

 menced. I remained by the sledges, leaving the younger 

 ones to tire themselves, and quietly measured the dis- 



