210 XBW LAND. 



Later in the afternoon, as we were boring ourselves a way 

 through the ice, we saw a bear stealing on a seal which was lying 

 on a large floe beside us. He probably thought we were a rival, 

 and that he had better be quick ; but in his haste he frightened 

 the seal into the water. Disgusted at this turn of affairs, he 

 jumped in too, and we steered after both of them with a band of 

 shooters on the forecastle, ready to fire. When the bear saw this, 

 he turned and swam towards the ship, doubtless meaning to do 

 battle with this intruder on his preserves, but when he got nearer, 

 he probably thought that we did look rather too gigantic, for he 



THE PEARY KELIEF EXPEDITION SHIP ' DIANA,' 1899. (See p. 200.) 



suddenly changed his tactics and swam away as hard as he could 

 go, the water seething under his strokes. At last, when he thought 

 he was really in a tight corner, he resorted to the bear's usual 

 trick he dived; but when his huge skull rose again above the 

 surface, we were within range, and the bullets whistled round him. 

 Many of them did not carry as straight as they might have done, 

 although he was struck now and again a sensation which was not 

 at all to his taste apparently, for he scrambled on to a floe and 

 took up his position there, determined to conquer or to die. 



It was to be the latter. I stood amidships, whence I could get 

 good aim, let drive, and dropped him. We then lay in to the floe, 



