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testing this kind of beai-ljuiitiiig, but I have sufficient faith in the pos- 

 siltility of its success, to attempt it should a chance present itself. How- 

 ever, all things considered, in an encounter with a bear, I should prefer 

 a double-bai-relled shot-gun or a repeating rifle. Sometimes, however, 

 without firearms very clean certain work has been done, even on land, 

 in conflict with a bear. In this connection I shall tell you a story, as 

 nearly as I can recollect it, relating to the killing of a large bear by the 

 late Mr. Billings — the founder of the Billings family here — in the year 

 1825 or 182G, or eai-liei-, somewhere between Sparks street and the 

 Rideau Bivei'. INIr. Billings, accompanied by one of his men, was on 

 his way home, either from the older village of Hull or " The Point," 

 for even Bytown was then unknown, when they encountered a large 

 bear in their path. The animal sat up and apparently disputed the 

 pass. JMr. Billings cut a good hardwood pole about ten feet long, one 

 end of which he sharpened with the axe. This lance-like weapon he 

 handed to his ass'stant and instructed him to walk quietly up and 

 make a strong, quick thrust at the breast of the bear with the .sharp 

 end. This was done, upon which the bear grasped the pole with both 

 fore paws, and palled upon it suddenly and with such force as drew the 

 weapon further into the wound. Just at this crisis of a flairs ]Mr. Bill- 

 ings quickly stepped forward and finished the business with a few 

 blows of his axe. In illustration of the danger to be apprehended from 

 a wounded bear, I shall relate an incident which came under my own 

 observation about the time when I first went on the w^ar-path with a 

 muzzle-loading flint lock. A man named Daniel Hannegan, who then 

 lived in the village of Richmond, went out one evening in the month of 

 August, 1839, accompanied by a young man named Robert Scanley, and 

 .set a gun in a field of oats on the outskirts of the village. Having 

 completed their arrangements, the hunters climbed to the roof of a barn 

 in the centre of the field to await the result. Shortly before sunset the 

 bear came in, and walked straight aci'oss the line in front of the muzzle. 

 The gun went off and .'-.ent two one-ounce bullets through the body of 

 the animal, a little too low, however, to drop him in his tracks. The 

 wounded animal made slowly for the woods, followed by the men. 

 When Hannegan, with a reserve gun, got close enough, he fired a sec- 

 ond shot and wounded the beast again, and was advancing close up to 



