400 THE GERMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



able cii^cumstances) ; it is surpassed by neither the Hon 

 nor the tiger in point of strength, and is quite as dan- 

 gerous. But the cold zone in which it hves' cools its 

 blood; it is wary and mistrustful. The contradictory 

 reports of their courage shows that one must never judge 

 one specimen by another, but that each individual is 

 guided by its need of food at the moment. 



It lives chiefly on seals, watching for them through the 

 ice-fissures, and falls upon them whilst sunning them- 

 selves, with all the cunning of the tiger, and the same 

 stealthy step. It also pursues the seal even when diving, 

 for it is a powerful swimmer, and only the reindeer excels 

 it in speed. Over jagged rocky declivities it climbs with 

 cat-like dexterity. The roughness of its soles, its claws, 

 and hairy paws, insure its safety equally on smooth or 

 sloping ice-surfaces. Payer skinned the hind-feet of a 

 bear we had killed, carefully cleaned them from all fat, 

 rubbed them with alum, and wore them himself — they 

 were beautiful warm stockings, for the bear had good 

 soles. Unfortunately they were lost in a fire on board 

 during the winter. 



As the seals remain chiefly among the pack-ice, or on 

 its outer edge, so also the bear during the summer is a 

 frequent visitor. It follows the soal-hunters step for step, 

 in order to devour the skinned animals, or when revelling 

 in excess swims to the carcase of a whale. The bear 

 kills its prey before eating it, although it likes to play 

 with it first. It rides on the floes in the Arctic current 

 down to Iceland. It is often seen miles from land, and 



^ The most northerly point at which a bear has been met with Is 

 81° 30' N. Lat. It was killed by some of Parry's men on the pack- 

 ice. 



