STORY OF A BEAR. 



were so infatuated as to make a regular practice 

 of so obligingly committing suicide after the 

 manner of the ancient Romans, my friend re 

 plied rather indignantly, &quot; Oh ! there is no 

 doubt about it, for I have seen lots of the 

 weapons they use myself! ! ! &quot; Of course I 

 could not civilly express any further doubt of 

 the entire veracity of the story; but I must 

 confess that my subsequent experience in Spitz- 

 bergen has no way tended to confirm my belief 

 in this very remarkable statement. 



Scoresby relates an amusing case of a bear 

 climbing into a boat and sitting coolly inside of 

 it, while the crew whom he had ejected hung 

 on outside until another boat s crew came up 

 and despatched him as he sat inoffensively 

 in the stern. This story I have no doubt is 

 true enough, but upon the whole I must say 

 that I think the polar bear affords less sport, 

 and may be killed with less danger, than 

 almost any large wild animal with which I am 

 acquainted. He is generally found either in the 

 water, or amongst loose ice, and as he cannot 

 swim nearly so fast as a boat can be rowed, he 

 is completely at your mercy, and you have only 

 to select your own distance and shoot him 

 through the head. Even if attacked on land, 



