ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 
abeve me, and were fiercely look- 
ing round them. As both my guns 
were discharged, the ramrod of 
my rifle broken by loading in too 
great haste the last time, and as I 
had left my shot and ball-bag be- 
longing to the other in the boat, I 
freely confess that I felt myself in 
a very unpleasant situation. But 
as no time was to be lost, I darted 
into the woods and instantly Joad- 
ed my double-barrel with powder 
only ; that I might singe their whis- 
‘kers at least, if I were attacked ; 
for the rifle-balls were too large, 
Having loaded my rifle also with as 
auch expedition as a broken rod 
would permit, I returned to my for- 
mer post. The bears having ad- 
vanced a few yards, were at the 
edge of the woods, and the old one 
was looking sternly at me, The 
danger of firing at her I knew was 
great, asshe was seconded by a cub 
of eighteen months; but I could 
mot resist the temptation. She pre- 
sented a fair broadside to me; I for- 
tunately sent my ball through her 
heart, and dropped her; but get- 
ting up again, she ran some yards 
into the woods; where J soon found 
her dead, without her cub. 
** The captain, bis man, and Jack 
coming up, I was informed that 
Jack could not get a shot at the 
black bear, but had shot one of 
those white ones which first passed 
me; thar the beast had landed on 
this side of the river, and had gone 
upon a small barren hill some little 
distance within the woods, and there 
died; that they were going after 
her, but thought it best to come 
immediately to my assistance, when 
they heard me fire so often. 
** Leaving them to skin this bear, 
I advanced higher up the river, un- 
til 1 came opposite to a beautiful 
A87 . 
cataract, and to the end of a small. ' 
woody island which lies near the > 
south shore. There] sat down up= ; 
on some bare rocks, to contemplate - 
the scene before me, and to observe 
the manceuvres of the bears;_ num- 
bers of which were then in sight. 
“The cataract is formed by the ri- 
ver being confined between two 
elevated points, with a flat rock ex= » 
tended across the bed of it; the 
perpendicular fall of which is eight » 
feet ; from whence there was a gra- 
dual descent for about forty yards, 
with several rude cubical rocks 
standing upon it. These made a 
most complete and magnificent cas- 
cade ; far superior to the best arti- 
ficial one I eversaw. Immediately 
beneath was a deep pool; and the 
river widened in a circular form, > 
into a spacious bason of three hun- . 
dred yards diameter, which, taking 
a short turn below, 
circular pond. . The water being 
Jow, there was a space of some yards 
between it and the woods; some 
parts were composed of fragments 
of rocks; others, of gravel, sand, 
or flat rocks, with bushes of alder 
growing in their interstices. The 
whole was surrounded by small de= : 
tached hills, covered with spruces » 
and firs, interspersed with larches,’ | 
birches, and aspin, forming a pleas= * 
ing landscape; a drawing of which 
I greatly regretted that [ was not 
able to take. In the lower part of | 
the pool were several island-rocks, 
from one or two yatds over, with » 
salmon innumerable, continually 
leaping into the air: which hadat- . 
tracted a great concourse of bears. | 
Some of them were diving after the 
fish; and I often observed them to 
get upon a rock, from whence they © 
would take a bigh leap, fall head 
foremost into the water, dive to the 
Hh4 bottom, 
resembled 2 - 
