194 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



she disappeared, leaving her fleecy cub paddling about 

 on the surface. 



Though the engine of our boat had been stopped, the 

 momentum carried us on rapidly past the little swimmer, 

 which was about the size of a half -grown sheep. As we 

 passed, Con. seized master bruin and endeavored to 

 land him on board, but in this he, perhaps fortunately, 

 failed, and was prevented from pursuing his ambition by 

 the sudden appearance from the deep of the enraged 

 mother, who, with a roar, made a plunge for the stern of 

 the boat, where the doctor was seated, and seized the 

 gunwale in what were afterwards described as her 

 " devilish-looking jaws." 



To say that this sudden turn of events was a surprise 

 to us all but feebly describes the expressions depicted 

 upon the faces of our party. With the other occupants 

 and the engines between us and the bear, Mac. and I 

 were unable to fire a shot. Con. came to the rescue, and 

 with several desperate thrusts of the iron-pointed gaff 

 he persuaded the bear to release her hold, when with the 

 engine again running, a separation was effected, but not 

 before we had learned an interesting lesson regarding the 

 habits of the polar bear. 



As a matter of discretion, the lesson of experience, 

 the boat was now kept at a safe distance from the bears. 

 Several shots were fired, one or two slight wounds 

 being inflicted on the mother, but as fast as the little 

 one could travel, though no faster, they maintained a 

 steady course for the nearest point of land. Apparently 

 nothing would induce the mother bear to forsake her 

 little one, and though wounded herself, her whole 

 anxiety seemed to be for her offspring. Sometimes she 



