fjgi. 0)1 the instinct of animals. 9* 



off. The animal still, however, continued to swim 

 after them till they arrived at the ship ; and several 

 fhots were fired at it, which also took effect ; but, on 

 reaching the fliip, it immediately ascended the deck ; 

 and the crew having fled into the fhrowds, it was pur- 

 suing them thither, when a (hot from one of them laid 

 it dead on the deck. 



When its young is attacked, it becomes uncommonly 

 furious in their defence, and If they fliould be wound- 

 ed, it seems to suffer more for the pain they feel than 

 its own. The following is a well authenticated fact. 

 While a frigate that was some years ago on a voy- 

 age for discoveries towards the North Pole, 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 direct- 

 ing their course towards the fhip. They had been in- 

 vited by the scent of some blubber of a sea-horse the 

 crew had killed some days before, which had been set 

 on fire, and was burning on the ice at the time of 

 their approach. They proved to be a fhe bear and 

 two cubs ; but the cubs were nearly as large as the 

 dam. They ran eagerly to the fire, and drew out 

 from the flames, part of the flefli of the sea-horse that 

 remained unconsumed, and eat it voraciously. The 

 crew, from the ship threw great lumps of the sea- 

 liorse which they had still left, upon the ice, which 

 the old bear fetched away singly, laid every lump be- 

 fore her cubs as flie brought it, and dividing it, gave 

 •ach a ihare, reserving but a fhort portion for herself. 



As llie was fetching av/ay the last piece, they levelled 

 their muflicts at the cubs, and (hot them bothulead, 



