352 BEAR-HUNT. 



than to the information she brought, and the united 

 forces of Esquimaux and Whites turned out in pursuit 

 of the hirsute quadruped. 



The brute was discovered on a huge mass of ice, 

 which, with others, had grounded at some distance from 

 the beach ; one party started in the " Logan " to cut 

 off his retreat by sea ; another, which I joined, made 

 for the summit of the bank, which we hoped he would 

 endeavour to ascend, first blood was drawn by our 

 party ; a ball from my fowling-piece struck him in the 

 shoulder, and he fell for an instant on the ice and 

 began to suck his paw, which made us think it was 

 there he had been wounded. Speedily rising, he ran 

 on along the hummock, taking to the water and 

 climbing the sides of the masses of ice with the 

 utmost indifference and ease. Our hunters (Indians 

 are always excellent marksmen) now paid him some 

 attention ; they hit him several times, but did not 

 succeed in turning him : he attempted at last to swim 

 to seaward, and would doubtless have succeeded, but 

 for a new opponent. One of the Esquimaux, 

 launching his kiak, followed the bear, and at close 

 proximity discharged arrow after arrow into his body. 

 This was the most exciting part of the hunt. Each 

 time that an arrow pierced its body the poor animal 

 seized the missile, if within reach, in its teeth, and 



