FEROCITY OP THE BEAR EXAGGERATED. 123 



Scoresby relates an amusing case of a bear climb- 

 ing into a boat and sitting coolly inside of it, while 

 the crew, whom he had ejected, hung on outside un- 

 til another boat's crew came up and dispatched him 

 as he sat inoffensively in the stern. This story, I 

 have no doubt, is true enough, but, upon the whole, 

 I must say that I think the Polar bear affords less 

 sport, and may be killed with less danger, than al- 

 most any large wild animal with which I am ac- 

 quainted. He is generally found either in the wa- 

 ter or among loose ice, and, as he can not swim 

 nearly so fast as a boat can be rowed, he is com- 

 pletely at your mercy, and you have only to select 

 your own distance and shoot him through the head. 

 Even if attacked on land, I conceive that a cool fel- 

 low with a gun runs very little risk, because, al- 

 though the bear's speed far exceeds that of a man, 

 still he is so heavy in his motions that he ought to 

 be killed or disabled by the first shot at close quar- 

 ters. They are sometimes killed with the lance in 

 the water ; but it is as well to make use of fire- 

 arms, if they are at hand, as I have heard of acci- 

 dents happening while attacking bears with the 

 spear. 



I have read many accounts of the same nature as 

 the above absurdity relating to the awful courage, 

 ferocity, and invulnerability of the grizzly bear of 

 the Rocky Mountains, but, without having seen the 1 ! 

 latter animal at all, I feel perfectly certain that he 

 is not a bit more courageous, ferocious, or invul- 



