VOYAGE TO SPITZBERGEN. 63 



walrus, and conclude with describing a few of the 

 birds. Afterwards I shall give a short history of 

 its discovery ; and then pursue the account of our 

 voyage. 



The Ursus tnaritimus, or Polar bear, may with 

 great propriety be termed the sovereign of the land 

 animals of Spitzbergen, or even of the Arctic circle. 

 Unlike the lion of Africa, his dominion is not con- 

 fined solely to the land ; for, by means of the ice, he 

 extends his ravages far from any continent, and dis- 

 putes the supremacy of the ocean with the walrus 

 himself, even in his own element! Here, says the 

 poet just quoted, 



-" The shapeless bear, 



With dangling ice all horrid, stalks forlorn ; 

 Slow pac'd, and sourer as the storms increase, 

 He makes his bed beneath the inclement drift, 

 And, with stern patience, scorning weak complaint, 

 Hardens his heart against assailing want." 



The Polar bear is the largest of the species, and 

 has frequently been found of an immense size. 

 Barentz killed one thirteen feet in length, and it 

 is asserted they have been found of a much larger 

 size, but not on equally good authority. The one 

 which Captain Phipps describes was only seven 

 feet one inch long, and the largest we got on 

 board did not exceed seven feet six inches ; though 



