76 MODI* OF CATCHING THE 



ary of Siberia, nor to Kamchatka : and although it is met 

 with on the north coast of America and in Hudson's Bay, 

 it does not inhabit the islands between America and Siberia. 

 They resort to Spitzbergen in great numbers, and sometimes 

 are transported on the ice to the coasts of Iceland and Nor- 

 way; but the inhabitants of these places destroy them as 

 soon as they are detected. The part of Siberia where they 

 are found to be most numerous is at the mouths of the rivers 

 Lena and Janissea. 



The females go with young six or seven months, and are 

 supposed to bring forth in the month of March. The num- 

 ber of their young is generally two, which follow their dam 

 everywhere, subsisting on her milk until the winter that suc- 

 ceeds their birth. It is said that the mother carries them on 

 her back when she swims from iceberg to iceberg. Nothing 

 precisely is known of the longevity of the polar bear. It is 

 hunted principally for its hide and fur, which from the soft- 

 ness of its texture is more esteemed than that of the brown 

 bear. 



BARON HUMBOLDT S DESCRIPTION OF THE MODE OF CATCH- 

 ING THE GYMNOTUS, OR ELECTRICAL EEL. 



While traversing the immense plains of the province of 

 Caraccas, in order to embark at St. Fernando de Apure, and 

 commence our voyage on the Orinoco, we stayed five days 

 atCalabozo, a small town situated, according to my observa- 

 tions, in 8° 56' 56" north latitude. The object of this visit 

 was to study the electric eels (Gymnoti), an innumerable 

 quantity of which are found in the neighbourhood. Indeed I 

 was assured, that near Urituca a road, once much frequented, 

 had been entirely abandoned on account of these electric fishes; 

 travellers being obliged to ford a stream in which a number 

 of mules were annually drowned, stunned by the shocks they 

 received from the Gymnoti. 



In order to perform our experiments with more precision, 

 we were desirous of having the electric eels in the house which 

 we inhabited at Calabozo. Our host took all possible pains 

 to gratify our desires. He sent Indians on horseback to fish 

 in the pools. It was easy enough to procure plenty of dead 

 Gymnoti ; but an almost puerile fear prevented the natives 

 from bringing them alive. We were afterwards, it is true, con- 

 vinced of the difficulty of handling this fish whilst it still 

 retained all its powers : but the dread of the common people 



