THE BEAR. 



437 



meet him. But notwithstanding the fierce- 

 ness of this animal, the natives of those coun- 

 tries where it is found hunt it with great per- 

 severance and alacrity. The least dangerous 

 method of taking it is by intoxicating it, by 

 throwing brandy upon honey, which it seems 

 to be chiefly fond of, and seeks for in the hol- 

 low of trees. In Canada, where the BLACK 

 BEARS are very common, and where their dens 

 are made in trees that are hollow towards the 

 top, they are taken by setting fire to their re- 

 treats, which are often above thirty feet from 

 the ground. The old one is generally seen 

 first to issue from her den, and is shot by the 

 hunters. The young ones as they descend are 

 caught in a noose, and are either kept, or kill- 

 ed for provision. Their paws are said to be 

 a great delicacy, and their hams are well 

 enough known at the tables of the luxurious 

 here. Their fat also, which still preserves a 

 certain degree of fluidity, is supposed to be an 

 efficacious remedy in white or indolent tu- 

 mors, though probably very little superior to 

 hog's lard. 



The WHITE GREENLAND BEAR differs greatly, 

 both in figure and dimensions, from those al- 

 ready described ; and though it preserves in 

 general the external form of its more southern 

 kindred, yet it grows to above three times the 

 size. The brown bear is seldom above six 

 feet long ; the white bear is often known from 

 twelve to thirteen. The brown bear is made 

 rather strong and sturdy, like the mastiff; the 

 Greenland bear, though covered with very 

 long hair, and apparently bulky, is neverthe- 

 less more slender, both as to the head, neck, 

 and body, and more inclining to the shape of 

 the grayhound. In short, all the variations of 

 its figure and its colour, seem to proceed from 

 the coldness of the climate where it resides, 

 and the nature of the food it is supplied with. 



The white bear seems the only animal that, 

 by being placed in the coldest climate, grows 

 larger than those that live in the temperate 

 zones. All other species of animated nature 

 diminish as they approach the poles, and ss'em 

 contracted in their size by the rigours of the 

 ambient atmosphere ; but the bear, being un- 

 molested in these desolate climates, and meet- 

 ing no animal but what he can easily conquer, 

 finding also a sufficient supply of fishy provi- 

 sions, grows to an enormous size ; and as the 



lion is the tyrant of an African forest, so the 

 bear remains undisputed master of the icy 

 mountains in Spitzbergen and Greenland. 

 When our mariners land upon those shores, in 

 such parts as have not been frequented before, 

 the white bears corne down to view them with 

 an awkward curiosity ; they approach slowly, 

 seeming undetermined whether to advance or 

 retreat, and being naturally a timorous ani- 

 mal, they are only urged on by the conscious 

 experience of their former victories ; however, 

 when they are shot at, or wounded, they en- 

 deavour to fly, or, finding that impracticable, 

 they make a fierce and desperate resistance 

 till they die. As they live upon fish and seals, 

 their flesh is too strong for food, and the cap- 

 tors have nothing but the skin to reward 

 them for the dangers incurred in the engage- 

 ment. 



The number of these animals that are found 

 about the north pole, if we consider the 

 scarcity there of all other terrestrial crea- 

 tures, is very amazing. They are not only 

 seen at land, but often on ice-floats, several 

 leagues at sea. They are often transported in 

 this manner to the very shores of Iceland, 

 where they no sooner land, but all the natives 

 are in arms to receive them. It often happens, 

 that when a Greenlander and his wife are pad- 

 dling out at sea, by coming too near an ice- 

 float, a white bear unexpectedly jumps into 

 their boat, and if he does not overset it, sits 

 calmly where he first came down, and, like a 

 passenger, suffers himself to be rowed along. 

 It is probable the poor little Greenlander is 

 not very fond of his new guest ; however, he 

 makes a virtue of necessity, and hospitably 

 rows him to shore. 



As this animal lives chiefly upon fish, seals, 

 and dead whales, it seldom removes far from 

 the shore. When forced by hunger, it often 

 ventures into the deep, swims after seals, and 

 devours whatever it can seize ; it is, however, 

 but a bad swimmer, and is often hunted in 

 this manner by boats till it is fatigued, and at 

 last destroyed. It often happens that a bat- 

 tle ensues between a bear and a morse or a 

 whale ; but as the latter are more expert in 

 their own element, they generally prove vic- 

 torious. However, when the bear can find a 

 young whale, it repays him for the danger he 

 incurs of meeting with the parent. 

 3T* 



