VI BETTER FORTUNES WITH GREAT BEARS 115 



with his pack and be photographed. On placing the skull 

 and skin on the scales, we found the total weight to be 148 

 lbs., and I sympathised with Nicolai when he subsequently 

 remarked that he hoped I should not get many more bears 

 as big as that one. Two days after we returned to the 

 scene of the kill, and, chopping up the carcass with axes, 

 weighed it carefully. The weight, including the skin, etc., 

 was 968 lbs., and allowing 40 lbs. for the entrails removed, 

 and blood lost during two days, this gives a total weight of 

 about loio lbs. I am told that my estimate, and allowance 

 of 40 lbs. for wastage, is well under the mark, but I prefer 

 to err on the right side in such matters, since it is my 

 earnest desire to get the weight of these great bears 

 definitely determined, and as nearly as possible correct. 

 There is no doubt that if this bear had been killed in the fall 

 of the year, just before holing up for the winter, when rolling 

 fat, he would have been heavier on the scales by at least 

 a hundred pounds more than was the case then, when he 

 was in very poor condition. Taking it for granted that this 

 was a fair specimen of the largest Alaskan brown bear — 

 since every one who subsequently saw the skull and skin 

 pronounced it to be so — I assume that it is very unlikely that 

 Alaska produces many bears which exceed 1 200 lbs. live 

 weight. One thing is certain, that this bear was of great 

 age, as was evident from the worn and split teeth in his 

 skull, and from the short thick coat which these brown bears 

 only assume in old age. I am therefore certain that he 

 would never have increased in measurements or weight. 



As we returned to camp on the evening of our last 

 successful hunt, my joy was great on seeing, far out in the 

 bay, what was unmistakably the good ship Alice slowly 

 beating her way towards us. She anchored near the shore 



