A LUXURIOUS BEAR. 403 
the Bear was gone and his chain broken. The pilot, who had been relieved a few minutes 
before, now led me forward to inspect his caboose, which was surrounded by the 
passengers and deck hands, all in fits of laughtei. 
I could not make out the reason of it at first, until one of the bystanders pulled a 
corner of the blanket of the pilot’s bed, when, to my surprise, the jerk was answered by 
an indolent growl. My friend Bruin having got drenched by the shower, had broken his 
chain in disgust, and actually found his way to the pilot’s bed, clambered into it, and 
rolled himself carefully between the blankets. The good-humoured pilot was not in the 
least angry, but, on the contrary, highly amused, replyi ing to my apologies as I kicked out 
his strange bed-fellow, ‘Oh! never mind, mister ; why, what’s the hindrance to the 
blankets being dried again ?’” 
The same animal had contracted a strong friendship with a little antelope which was 
a fellow-voyager with himself ; and on one occasion performed a most chivalrous service 
in behalf of its defenceless little friend. 
As the antelope was being led through the streets, towards the vessel, a large mastiff 
flew at it, and was with diffic ulty kept at bay by the voice and stick of the person who 
was leading the terrified little creature. Mr. Palliser, who was following with the Bear, 
rushed to the rescue, but was outrun by the Bear, who dashed boldly forward and closed 
with the assailant in a moment. A fierce combat ensued, in which the Bear refrained at 
first from using his teeth or claws, and contented himself with seizing the mastiff in his 
powerful arms, “and flinging him on his back with such violence that it rolled over and over 
on the around, The dog, cheered by the voice of its master, succeeded at last in giving 
the Bear a tolerably sharp grip between its teeth. Incensed by the pain, Bruin lost his 
temper, and seizing the dog in his arms, squeezed the breath nearly out of its body, and 
was preparing to use its teeth, when the dog, which was rapidly choking under the terrible 
pressure of the Bear’s arms, contrived to extricate itself by a sudden struggle, and ran 
away with piteous howls, leaving the Bear master of the field. 
The length of a well-grown adult male is rather more than eight feet six inches, and 
the girth round the body is equal to the length. The weight of such an animal is rather 
more than eight hundred pounds. Specimens still larger are sometimes killed, but the 
average weight aud dimensions are as given above. 
The powerful claws of this animal are employed not only for combat, but in digging 
up the earth for various purposes, such as the search after various roots and bulbs, “and 
the interment of some large animal which they have killed. The instinct for burying 
their prey is so largely developed in these creatures that they have more than once been 
deceived by the craft of a hunter, who, when resistance or escape was impracticable, has 
simulated death in order to disarm the wrath of the terrible animal, Thinking the man 
to be dead, and not being irritated by wounds, the Bear proceeds to scratch a pit in the 
earth, and to drag the unresisting prey into the hollow, and to cover him carefully with 
grass and leaves, pressing them well down, so as to conceal him effectually. Satisfied 
with its precaution, the Bear betakes itself to rest, and the buried hunter seizes the 
opportunity of sipping quietly away while the animal is engaged in repose. 
Several Grizzly Bears have been brought to this country, and have attracted great 
attention by their amusing and playful habits. A further interest attaches to them from 
the fact that two of them underwent a surgical operation while under the influence of 
chloroform. Bears are subject to ophthalmia, especially when in confinement, and are 
often totally deprived of sight by this disease. Until the discovery of the anesthetic 
powers of chloroform, the poor animals were doomed to hopeless blindness, but at the 
present day, the Bear is rendered as quiet and harmless as a guinea-pig under the 
influence of this potent vapour. 
In order to place the sponge that contained the chloroform fairly under the animal’s 
nostrils, it was necessary to bring its head close to the bars of the cage, an operation which 
was with difficulty effected by the united efforts of four strong men. The sponge was 
then aflixed to its snout, and in a very short time the animal was lying on the floor of its 
cage, without sense or motion. The door was then opened, and the Bear’s head being laid 
on a plank outside the cage, the operator speedily removed the obstacle. The animal was 
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