178 TEN YEAES IN SWEDEN. 



direction, or rather by Ms doubling in the same manner as a 

 hare, for as long as he goes in a straight line, he has no in- 

 tention of lying down." The man now leaves the track, 

 and commences an extended circle round the suspected 

 part of the forest. Should he succeed in completing this 

 without again meeting with the track, he knows, of course, to 

 a certainty that the bear is within it ; but if, on the contrary, 

 he finds the animal has proceeded beyond his intended 

 circle, he commences another ring, and so on till he is 

 certain that the bear has not gone on. This is often a long 

 and troublesome occupation, requiring great patience and 

 silence, but one of all others particularly suited to the north, 

 ern peasant. As soon as the bear is ringed, he may be said 

 to be as good as killed, for although he may be disturbed 

 from some cause or other, and travel further in search of 

 another ide, he is now well and carefully watched. 



If any English sportsman is in the neighbourhood, the 

 peasant will gladly sell the bear, with the chance of killing it, 

 to him for probably from 5 to 10. (I never bought such a 

 chance myself, but reckoning the skin at 50 rqr., and the 

 meat, say 500 Ib. the general weight of a full-grown bear 

 at 3d. per Ib., this would be, probably, about its full value.) 

 Of course, now the man who has bought the bear has only 

 to find and kill him, and this I fancy, with the assistance of 

 these peasants, is no very difficult task. 



I am not about to enter into a description either of 

 the habit or the chase of this animal, for if I did, I must 

 borrow all from books. Any one who wishes to know 

 more on this subject may consult the fountain head, Mr. 

 Lloyd's "Northern Field Sports," and here he will find 

 full information. All I can say to him is this, that I 

 believe a man who really meant business, would not have 

 much trouble in killing four or five bears up in North Werm- 

 land or Dalecarlia (if he behaved liberally to the peasants) 

 in the course of any winter, and I think he might reckon, 

 that with one thing and another, every bear, if he wished to 

 kill it for himself single-handed, would cost him 20. 



I believe Mr. Lloyd rarely used a rifle. A double-bar- 



