HUNTING THE POLAR BEAR. 99 



immediately over the heads of the sleepers, wnen he Jet it fall on 

 one of the old animals, which was instantly killed. The other 

 walrus, with its cubs, rolled into the water, but the young one of 

 the murdered female remained by its dam, anc on this helpless 

 creature the Bear rushed, thus killing two animals at once." 



The ferocity of this kind of Bear is equal to its cunning. A 

 few years since, the crew of a boat belonging to a ship in the 

 whale-fishery, shot at a Bear at a short distance, and wounded it. 

 The animal immediately set up the most dreadful yells, and ran 

 along the ice towards the boat. Before it reached it, a second 

 shot was fired, and hit it. This served to increase its fury. It 

 presently swam to the boat ; and in attempting to get on board, 

 reached its fore foot upon the gunnel : but one of the crew having 

 a hatchet, cut it off. The animal still, however, continued to 

 Jvvim after them till they arrived at the ship ; and several shots 

 were fired at it, which also took effect : but on reaching the ship, 

 it immediately ascended the deck ; and the crew having fled into 

 the shrouds, it was pursuing them thither, when a shot from one 

 of them laid it dead on the deck. 



From its great size and strength, the polar bear is, under all 

 circumstances, a powerful animal ; but upon the ice it is pecu- 

 liarly at home, and the danger of attacking him there is much 

 greater than anywhere else. The following anecdote, recorded 

 in his " Narrative of a Voyage to Greenland," by Scoresby, whose 

 writings have thrown so much valuable light upon the economy 

 of the Polar seas, will afford some idea of the cc. iduct of the beai 

 on the ice. 



In the summer of 1820, " the ship, a Hull whaler, was moored 

 to a piece of ice, on which, at a considerable distance, a large bear 

 was observed prowling about for prey. One of the ship's com 

 pany, emboldened by an artificial courage, derived from the free 

 use of rum, which, in his economy, he had stored for special 

 occasions, undertook to pursue and attack the bear that was withia 

 view. Armed only with a whale-lance, he, resolutely, and against 

 all persuasion, set out on his adventurous exploit. A fatiguing 

 journey of about half a league, over a yieldirg surface of snow 



