76 A BEAR SHOT. 



these animals possess a very keen scent, and are 

 invariably attracted by burnt animal matter. 

 About midnight we had the satisfaction of seeing 

 one of them drag his huge carcass out of the 

 water, and slowly make his way towards us. The 

 sight of the tall masts of the ships appeared to 

 alarm him a little at first, for he occasionally 

 hesitated, threw up his head, and seemed half 

 inclined to turn round and be off ; but the agree- 

 able odour of the burnt blubber was evidently 

 so grateful to his olfactory nerves and empty 

 stomach that it overcame every repugnance, and 

 gradually brought him within range of our mus- 

 kets. On receiving the first shot, he sprang 

 round, uttered a terrific growl, and half raised 

 himself upon his hind legs, as if in expectation 

 of seizing the object that had caused him such 

 excruciating pain ; and woe to any human being 

 who had at that moment been within reach of 

 his merciless paws. The second and third balls 

 laid him writhing upon the ice, and the mate 

 of the Dorothea jumped out of the vessel and 

 endeavoured to despatch him with the butt 

 end of a musket ; but it unfortunately broke 

 short off and, for a moment, left him at the mercy 

 of his formidable antagonist, who showed, by 

 turning sharply upon his assailant and seizing him 

 by the thigh, that he was not yet mastered ; 



