THE AECTIO BEAR. 469 



bear marks of ilie battle fought under sucli circumstances. 

 Head wounds excepted, a shot will sometimes take away 

 all power of resistance in the strangest manner. Meetings 

 with bears are attended by very different results. It often 

 happens that a party of sledge travellers, under peculiar 

 circumstances, and with but little time to spare, pass 

 one, or more of them, sometimes but a few steps off, 

 when they cause no other feeling than that of curiosity 

 and astonishment. 



Krauschner, the engineer, was the snow-purveyor for 

 the kitchen, and had to go twice a day with bis sledge to 

 the neighbouring glacier. Once a bear attached himself 

 to him. He walked with dignified steps as an escort 

 behind the sledge, and not until the engineer had reached 

 the ship did our shout of alarm make him aware of the 

 presence of his somewhat doubtful friend. 



On the whole, the flesh of the bear (particularly that 

 of the old animals) is far inferior to that of the brown 

 bear. It is coarse and tough, and tastes more or less of 

 train oil. Barentz and many others maintain that the 

 liver is prejudicial to health. The flesh, however, we 

 have always found wholesome, and the Esquimaux west 

 of Davis Straits give it to their dogs. 



Sometimes, on our sledge journeys, we were surprised 

 in the tent ; but we never set a thorough watch, chiefly 

 because we none of us really slept, and a large creature 

 like that could not approach without a slight rustle. 



A tent is to a bear thoroughly unintelligible, and an 

 object alike of mistrust and curiosity. One of Kane's 

 companions, who was roused by the growling of a bear 

 and the appearance of its head through the aperture of 

 tbe tent, bad the presence of mind to put a lighted box of 



