28o THE BEAR FAMILY 



what exaggerated, and that the fatalities resulted from 

 the bears being slightly wounded by small-calibre rifles 

 which could not be quickly reloaded. 



Mr. Tinsley says on this point: "When the stations 

 for the Hudson Bay Company were established, the 

 diaries of the men there often referred to the fright 

 of attacks by polar-bears. Many a navigator in the 

 Arctic seas has been clawed and chewed to death by 

 polar-bears. But for nearly a century the polar-bear 

 has not been regarded as so very fierce, and nowadays 

 it is looked upon as a cowardly beast. Association 

 with armed men has modified the polar-bear's disposi- 

 tion."* 



The following story illustrates the chase: "A party 

 from the Isabella, including a number of Esquimaux and 

 myself, were walking on the ice a short distance from 

 the ship, when, rounding a hummock, we unexpectedly 

 discovered a short distance from us a large bear quietly 

 feeding. We would have returned to the ship without 

 disturbing it, as we were armed with only one rifle and 

 a few spears carried by the natives, had not one of the 

 several dogs that were with us announced their pres- 

 ence by a loud bark. The bear, as soon as it saw the 

 intruders, began to advance slowly toward us, but was 

 met by the dogs, who attacked the animal vigorously, 

 but with little effect. He shook them off, and after in- 

 juring three of them so badly that they had to be killed, 

 he continued to advance. We discharged the rifle and 

 then fled to the ship, where we armed ourselves and 

 came out to look after the bear, which had disappeared 

 behind one of the numerous hummocks by which we 



* Grizzly- Bear Lore. 



