THE POLAR BEAR. 145 



The bear, far from being intimidated, set up the most dreadful 

 yells, and ran along the ice directly for the boat. Before it could 

 reach it, a second shot was fired, by which it was again wounded. 

 This served only to increase its fury. It presently swam to the 

 boat, and, attempting to board, reached its fore-paw upon the 

 gunnel ; but one of the crew, having a hatchet, cut it off. The 

 animal, however, still continued to swim after them until they 

 arrived at the ship, although several shots were fired, which also 

 took effect. But on reaching the ship, it immediately ascended 

 the deck. The crew having then fled into the shrouds, it was 

 pursuing them thither, when a shot at last laid it dead. Such an 

 instance of ferocious resolution is not, perhaps, to be found in 

 any other of the quadruped race. It will not, indeed, hesitate to 

 attack a party of armed men, and has scarcely ever been known 

 to retreat at the sight of any danger. 



The attachment of this animal to its young, is not less remark- 

 able than its determined courage. The white bear will rather die 

 than desert its offspring. When wounded and dying, it embraces 

 its cubs to the very last moment of its existence, and when by 

 any means deprived of them, bemoans the loss with the most 

 piteous cries. 



The sagacity evinced by these quadrupeds in searching for 

 prey, is particularly worthy of attention. The Hon. Robert 

 Boyle informs us, upon the authority of a friend, that the smell 

 of the white bears about Greenland, notwithstanding the severity 

 of the climate, is extremely acute ; and that sometimes when the 

 fishermen have left the carcass of a whale floating on the sea, 

 three or four leagues from the shore, whence it could not he 

 seen, these animals will stand at the brink of the water, and, 

 raising themselves on their hind-legs, loudly snuff in the air, and 

 drive it, as it were, against their snouts with their fore-paws, and 

 when satisfied what point the odour comes from, they will plunge 

 into the sea, and swim directly towards the carcass. 



The flesh of this animal is white, and tastes like mutton : its 

 fat is melted into train-oil ; and from the feet an oil is extracted, 

 which is of considerable use in medicine. Thus we see that 

 Providence has ordained that the white bear, although placed in 

 the icy solitudes of the polar regions, should yield its tribute of 

 utility to human industry and enterprise. 



They feed on fish, seals, and the carcasses of whales. They 

 sometimes attack the moose, with which they have terrible con- 

 flicts ; but the large teeth of that animal give it so great an ad- 

 vantage that the bear is often worsted. The white bear inhabits 

 only the coldest regions, and is seldom found on this side of the 

 polar circle, unless when driven thither on the fields of ice by 



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