POLAR OR WHITE BEAR. 2/ 



was intersected by numerous little channels and much rough ice 

 left aground by the tide. This seemed to embarrass her very 

 much, as the cubs could not jump over the channels. The old 

 bear became very anxious and uneasy at our approach ; but she 

 showed great patience and forbearance with her cubs, always 

 waiting, after she had jumped over a channel, until they swam 

 across, and affectionately assisting them to scramble up the steep 

 sides of the rocky places. Nevertheless, the mixture of sticky mud 

 with rough ice and half-frozen water soon reduced the unhappy 

 cubs to a pitiable state of distress, and we heard them growling 

 plaintively, as if they were upbraiding their mother for dragging 

 them through such a disagreeable place. The delay was fatal to 

 the old bear. After she was dispatched, and the cubs, which were 

 about the size of colly dogs, bound together by a cord, they began 

 a furious combat with one another, and rolled about in the mud, 

 biting, struggling, and roaring until quite exhausted. Here I am 

 sorry to have to record the most horrid case of filial ingratitude 

 that ever fell under my observation. Without doubt the mother 

 had sacrificed her life for her cubs. She could have escaped with- 

 out difficulty if she had not so magnanimously remained to help 

 them. When, however, we proceeded to open the carcass of the 

 old bear for the purpose of skinning her, the two young demons of 

 cubs, having by this time settled their differences with each other, 

 began to devour their unfortunate and too devoted parent, and 

 actually made a hearty meal off her. When we had finished skin- 

 ning her, the cubs sat down upon the skin, and resolutely refused 

 to leave it ; so we dragged the skin, with the little animals upon 

 it, like a sledge, to the boat. After another tussle with them, in 

 the course of which they severely bit and scratched some of the 

 men, we got them tied down under the thwarts of the boat, and 

 conveyed them on board the sloop." 



