ENORMOUS BEAR-SKIN. 149 



We were in the habit of bartering for skins of the 

 fox, sable, and others as they offered, and had 

 pui'chased a few at different villages as we passed. 

 Upon the shed or stage I have above noticed was a 

 magnificent white bear-skin of an enormous size ; on 

 my requiring to see it, four men lifted it off the 

 scaffold with difficulty and placed it upon the snow ; 

 true the skull and paws had been retained, and the 

 skin was what is technically termed " green," that is, 

 moist as when taken off the carcase, and it was also 

 hard frozen ; but an idea of its great size may 

 nevertheless be formed from its weight. I endea- 

 vom'ed to purchase it, but thought I saw a disposition 

 to extortion, which I would not encourage, and 

 therefore refused the price demanded. Such skins 

 are valuable to these people, as these animals rarely 

 appear so low down on the coast of the Frozen Sea. 

 They are attacked without hesitation, frequently by 

 single individuals, and sanguinary contests are the 

 result. We met one man who was said to have 

 encountered a huge and savage bear with only a 

 species of large dagger-knife, and to have succeeded 

 in despatching it. He was frightfully injm'ed in the 

 contest on his breast ; five huge scars caused by the 

 claws of his adversary were visible ; a terrible seam 

 appeared on one side of his face, and he was, more- 



