74 A BEAR-FIGHT. Chap. VI. 



CHAPTER VI. 



A bear-fight — An ice-nip — Strong gales, rapid drift — Breaking up 

 of the ice — Hanging on to floe-edge — The arctic bear — An ice 

 tournament — Escape out of the pack — A storm in the pack — 

 Description of the escape. 



<)th March. — A bear was seen this morning, but as he was 

 going away from us, the dogs were brought out in the hope 

 that they might keep him at bay until the sportsmen came 

 up. It was very pretty to see them take up the scent, and 

 the moment they caught sight of him they set off at full 

 speed. Bruin had seen them first, and increased his pace 

 to a clumsy gallop, yet the dogs were soon around him : he 

 seemed to care but little about them, steadily making off 

 and following the trending of a recently frozen crack in 

 search of clear water, evidently aware that his persecutors 

 would not follow him there. 



After five hours all returned on board again ; out of the 

 ten dogs four were wounded by his claws, — skin-deep only, — 

 but one of the wounds was seven inches in length, as if 

 made with a sharp knife ; this was sewed up, the others were 

 merely trimmed, and nature I am informed will do all the 

 rest. It is really wonderful what cures nature and instinct 

 effect : notwithstanding the extreme cold, no external dress- 

 ings are applied, because the animal must not be prevented 

 from licking its wound. Petersen says this bear must be 

 very thin, else he could not run so fast. I think it very 

 probable also that he has been hunted before, and that fear 

 lent him wings. A black whale has been seen. 



nth. — Two small seals, free from taint, were shot y ester- 



