138 THE INHABITANTS OF THE SEA. 
tated, threw up his head, and seemed half inclined to turn round 
and be off; but the agreeable 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 muskets. 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 merci- 
less paws! The second and third ball left 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; and he would most cer- 
tainly have inflicted a serious wound, had it not been for the 
prompt assistance of two or three of his shipmates who had 
followed him. The animal was by no means one of the largest 
of his species, being only six feet in length, and three feet four 
inches in height. His stomach was quite empty, with the 
exception of a garter, such as is used by Greenland sailors to tie 
up their boat stockings. In his left side there-was a cicatrised 
wound of considerable magnitude. From what we saw of the 
activity and ferociousness of this animal, added to the well- 
known strength of his species, we readily gave credit to the 
accounts of Barentz and other early visitors to these regions ; 
and it may be considered a fortunate circumstance for the hero 
of the Nile and Trafalgar that a natural barrier was interposed 
between him and the object of his chase, when in his youth he 
ventured alone over the ice in these regions in pursuit of such 
formidable game.” 
The ferocious white bear, the enemy and the dread of all 
other animals that come within its reach, is exceedingly tender 
‘and affectionate to its young, of which the following anecdote 
affords a striking and interesting example. While the “ Carcase” 
was locked in the ice, early one morning the man at the mast- 
head gave notice that three bears were making their way very 
fast over the frozen ocean, and were directing their course to- 
wards the ship. They had no doubt been invited by the scent 
