68 VOYAGE TO SriTZBERGEN. 



they suffer in their passage thither, they make 

 dreadful ravages among the cattle, but are soon dis- 

 patched by the inhabitants, who rise in a body as 

 soon as they learn that one of them has approached 

 their shores. The government of Iceland encou- 

 rages the destruction of these animals, by paying 

 a premium of ten dollars for every bear that is kill- 

 ed. 



That these animals are possessed of consider- 

 able sagacity is evident from the account we 

 have given of their combats with the walrus, and 

 may be farther elucidated by the following fact :— 

 The Captain wounded one in the side, and im- 

 mediately the animal, as if conscious of the styptic 

 nature of snow, covered the wound with it, and 

 made off. We did not perceive any blood in its 

 tract. 



The sight of the bear is rather defective, but its 

 senses of smelling and hearing are very acute, and 

 compensate for any feebleness in the other. 



Some writers have affirmed that Polar bears lie 

 in a state of torpor through the long winter night, 

 and appear only with the return of the sun ; but 

 this is denied by Fabricius, who says, they are equal- 

 ly on the hunt summer and winter.* 



" Tarn brumali, quam ucstivo tempore occurrit extra praedans. 

 Fab. loc. eit. 



