XL] KILLING A POLAR BEAR. 199 



down into the gully by which we had ascended, and leaping 

 on from stone to stone, to the infinite danger of our limbs 

 and necks, rolled rather than ran down the hill. On 

 rounding the lower wall of the curve which hitherto had 

 hid what was passing from our eyes, the first I observed was 

 Wilson breasting up the hill, evidently in a state of the 

 greatest agitation. As soon as he thought himself within 

 earshot, he stopped dead short, and, making a speaking- 

 trumpet with his hands, shrieked, rather than shouted, " If 

 you please, my Lord ! " — (as I have already said, Wilson 

 never forgot les convenances) — " If you please, my Lord, 

 there's a b-e-a-a-a-a-r!" prolonging the last word into a poly- 

 syllable of fearful import. Concluding by the enthusiasm 

 he was exhibiting, that the animal in question was at his 

 heels, — hidden from us probably by the inequality of the 

 ground, — I cocked my rifle, and prepared to roll him over 

 the moment he should appear in sight. But what was my 

 disappointment, when, on looking towards the schooner, my 

 eye caught sight of our three boats fastened in a row, and 

 towing behind them a white floating object, which my glass 

 only too surely resolved the next minute into the dead bear ! 

 On descending to the shore, I learned the whole story. 

 As Mr. Wyse was pacing the deck, his attention was sud- 

 denly attracted by a white speck in the water, swimming 

 across from Prince Charles's Foreland, — the long island which 

 lies over against English Bay. When first observed, the 

 creature, whatever it might be, was about a mile and a half 

 off, — the width of the channel between the island and the 

 main being about five miles. Some said it was a bird, others 

 a whale, and the cook suggested a mermaid. When the fact 

 was ascertained that it was a bona fide bear, a gun was fired 

 as a signal for us to return; but it was evident that unless at 

 once intercepted, Bruin would get ashore. Mr. Wyse, there- 

 fore, very properly determined to make sure of him. This 

 was a matter of no difficulty : the poor beast showed very 

 little fight. His first impulse was to swim away from the 

 boat ; and even after he had been wounded, he only turned 



