120 ADVENTURES IN THE NORTHERN SEAS. 



seals, he scrambled out quite coolly, and began to 

 shake the wet from his shaggy coat like a New- 

 foundland dog; the instant he concluded this op- 

 eration I fired, and smashed the joint of one of his 

 shoulders. He fell on his face on the ice growling 

 savagely and biting at the wound. According to 

 a preconcerted arrangement, I instantly sprang out 

 on the ice and ran toward the bear, while the boat 

 started to meet him in case he should take to the 

 water. While I was running the bear got to his 

 feet, and at first seemed inclined to fight it out, as 

 he advanced a few steps to meet me, growling most 

 horribly and showing his teeth, but on my ap- 

 proaching a little nearer he seemed to think discre- 

 tion the better part of valor, for he fairly lost heart 

 and scuffled precipitately into the sea. I then shot 

 him through the brains as he swam away, and the 

 boat coming up immediately, they got a noose round 

 his neck and towed him up to the ice. He was so 

 large and heavy that we had to fix the ice-anchor 

 and drag him up with block and tackle, as if he 

 had been a walrus. This was an enormous old 

 jnale bear, and measured upward of eight feet in 

 length, almost as much in circumference, and 4£ 

 feet high at the shoulder; his fore paws were 34 

 inches in circumference, and had very long, sharp, 

 and powerful nails ; his hair was beautifully thick, 

 long, and white, and hung several inches over his 

 feet. He was in very high condition, and produced 

 nearly 400 lbs. of fat ; his skin weighed upward of 



