48 BEAR-HUNTING BY NIGHT. Chap. IV. 



natural winter clothing before the recent cold weather set in 

 — they were all allowed on board, and given a good extra 

 meal. Since then we can scarcely keep them out. One 

 calm night they made a charge, and boarded the ship so 

 suddenly that several of the men rushed up, very scantily 

 clothed, to see what was the matter. Vigorous measures 

 were adopted to expel the intruders, and there was desperate 

 chasing round the deck with broomsticks, &c. Many of 

 them retreated into holes and corners, and two hours elapsed 

 before they were all driven out ; but though the chase was 

 hot, it was cold enough work for the half-clad men. 



Sailors use quaint expressions. They describe the nightly 

 foraging expeditions as " sorties : " they point out to me the 

 various corners between decks where the " ice corrodes," 

 i.e. the moisture condenses and forms frost ; a ramble over 

 the ice is called "a bit of a peruse." I presume this in- 

 dignity is offered to the word perambulation. 



There was a very sudden call " to arms " this evening. 

 Whether sleeping, prosing, or schooling, every one flew out 

 upon the ice on the instant, as if the magazine or the boiler 

 was on the point of explosion. The alarm of " A bear close- 

 to, fighting with the dogs," was the cause. The luckless 

 beast had approached within 25 yards of the ship ere the 

 quartermaster's eye detected his indistinct outline against 

 the snow; so silently had he crept up that he was within 10 

 yards of some of the dogs. A shout started them up, and 

 they at once flew round the bear and embarrassed his retreat. 

 In crossing some very thin ice he broke through, and there 

 I found him surrounded by yelping dogs. Poor fellow ! 

 Hobson, Young, and Petersen had each lodged a bullet in 

 him ; but these only seemed to increase his rage. He suc- 

 ceeded in getting out of the water, when, fearing harm to the 

 numerous bystanders and dogs, or that he might escape, I 

 fired, and luckily the bullet passed through his brain. He 



