A JOURNEY TO THE 
heat and breath of the animal prevents the mouth 
of the den from being entirely clofed up. They 
generally retire to their Winter quarters before 
the fnow is of any confiderable depth, and never 
come abroad again (unlefs difturbed) till the 
thaws are confiderable, which in thofe high lati- 
tudes is feldom till the latter end of March or the 
beginning of April; fo that the few Black Bears 
that inhabit thofe cold regions may be faid to — 
fubfift for four months at leaft without food. I 
have been prefent at the killing two of them in 
Winter; andthe Northern Indian method is fimi- © 
lar to that faid to be in ufe among the Kamtfchat- 
kans; for they always blocked up the mouth of 
the den with logs of wood, then broke open the 
top of it, and killed the animal either with a 
fpear or a gun; but the latter method is reck- 
oned both cowardly and wafteful, as it is not 
poflible for the Bear either-to make its efcape, or 
to do the Indians the leaft injurv. Sometimes 
they put a fnare about the Bear’s neck, and draw 
up his head clofe to the hole, and kill him witha © 
hatchet. Though thofe animals are but fcarce to 
the North of Churchill, yet they are fo-nume- 
rous between York Fort and Cumberland Houfe, 
that in one thoufand feven hundred and feventy- | 
four I faw eleven killed in the courfe of oneday’s | 
journey, but their flefh was abominable. This 
was in the month of June, Jong before any fruit 
was ripe, for the want of which they then fed ~ 
entirely on water infects, which in fome of the 
lakes 
