KILL THE BEAR. 121 



the boat started to meet him in case he should 

 take to the water: while I was running the 

 bear got to his feet, and, at first, seemed in 

 clined to fight it out, as he advanced a few 

 steps to meet me, growling most horribly and 

 showing his teeth, but on my approaching a 

 little nearer he seemed to think discretion the 

 better part of valour, for he fairly lost heart 

 and scuffled precipitately into the sea. I then 

 shot him through the brains as he swam away, 

 and the boat coming up immediately, they got 

 a noose round his neck and towed him up to 

 the ice. He was so large and heavy that we 

 had to fix the ice-anchor and drag him up with 

 block-and-tackle, as if he had been a walrus. 

 This was an enormous old male bear, and 

 measured upwards of eight feet in length, 

 almost as much in circumference, and 4^ feet 

 high at the shoulder; his forepaws were 34 

 inches in circumference, and had very long, 

 sharp, and powerful nails ; his hair was beauti 

 fully thick, long, and white, and hung several 

 inches over his feet. He was in very high 

 condition and produced nearly 400 Ibs. of fat ; 

 his skin weighed upwards of 100 Ibs., and the 

 entire carcass of the animal cannot have been 

 less than 1200 Ibs. 



