206 Sketch of the Life of Mr. David Douglas, 



" Friday the 27tli. My last guide went out at midnight in 

 " search of trout, and brought me home a small one, which served 

 " for breakfast. Two hours before daylight he rushed in with 

 " great marks of terror uttering a shriek which made me spring 

 " to my feet, as I concluded that my enemies of yesterday had 

 " tracked out my retreat. • He, however, gave me to understand, 

 " by gesture that he had been attacked by a grizly bear. I 

 " signed to him to wait till daylight, when I would go out and 

 " look for, and perhaps, kill the creature. A little before sunrise, 

 " Bruin had the boldness to pay us a visit, accompanied by two 

 " cubs, one of last year's brood, and one of this ; but as I could 

 '' not consistently with safety receive these guests before daylight, 

 " I had all my articles deposited in the saddle-bags, and driven 

 " upon one horse to a mile distant from the camp, when I returned 

 " mounted upon the animal, Mr. McLoughlin had given me, and 

 " which stands fire remarkably well, and found the bear and her 

 " two young ones feeding on acorns under the shade of a large oak. 

 " I allowed the horse to walk within twenty yards, when all three 

 " stood up and growled at me. I levelled my gun at the heart of 

 " the old one, but as she was protecting her young by keeping 

 " them right under her, the shot entered the palate of one of 

 " these, coming out at the back of the head, when it instantly fell. 

 " A second shot hit the mother on the chest as she stood up with 

 *' the remaining cub under her belly, on which abandoning it, she 

 " fled to an adjoining hummock of wood. The wound must have 

 " been mortal, as these animals never leave their cubs until they 

 '' themselves are on the point of sinking. With the carcase of 

 " the young bear I paid my last guide, who seemed highly to prize 

 " the reward, and then abandoned the chase, deeming it only pru- 

 " dent, after what happened yesterday, to retrace my steps towards 

 " the camp of my friends. So I returned crossing the river two 

 " miles lower down than formerly, and halted at night in a low 

 " point of wood near a small stream. 



" Saturday and Sunday, the 28th, and 29th. Both these days 

 " being very rainy, as the day before also was, and having very 

 " little clothing, I made all the exertion in my power to reach 

 " Mr. McLeod's encampment near the sea. It was impossible to 

 " keep myself dry, and the poor horses were so fatigued that I 

 " was obliged to walk all the way and lead my own by the bridle, 

 " the road becoming continually worse and worse from the floods 



