CHASE AFTEE " BRUIN. 351 



comprehension, and a ready talent for mimicry was 

 displayed. Writing puzzled our friends wonderfully, 

 a number of tliem sat in our tent watching me as I 

 wrote, looking alternately at the characters, my pen, 

 fingers, and face, as if to seek the clue to the mystery 

 by their connection. We pushed on along the shore 

 of the island for some time on the 9th, but were 

 much encumbered by the heavy ice, and finally 

 becoming completely checked by it, landed, and 

 encamped anew. On nearing the shore we saw a 

 huge bear trot off from the beach ; our hunters went 

 in chase, but without seeing him, and we gave up 

 all hope of Bruin's reappearance. A number of the 

 Esquimaux, of both sexes, joined us here, and were 

 friendly as ever : they had predicted that we should 

 not be able to proceed any further at present, and a 

 view of the sea to the north and east too truly con- 

 firmed their statement. Ice rugged, massive and 

 compact, lay like a forest of crystal pinnacles close 

 down upon, and arovmd the islands, extending to 

 seaward, far as the vision ranged. In the afternoon 

 an Esquimaux woman joined us who had seen the 

 bear on the top of the island, and in her fright had 

 taken to the soft mud banks, through which she had 

 trudged middle deep. She was in a pretty pickle ; 

 but we un gallantly paid less attention to her condition 



