THE BEAU. 389 



luxurious here. Their fat also, which still pre- 

 serves a certain degree of fluidity, is supposed to 

 be an efficacious remedy in white or indolent 

 tumours, though probably very little superior to 

 hog's-lard. 



The white Greenland bear differs greatly, both 

 in figure and dimensions, from those already de- 

 scribed ; and though it preserves in general the 

 external form of its more southern kindred, yet 

 it grows to above three times the size. The 

 brown bear is seldom above six feet long; the 

 white bear is often known from twelve to thirteen. 

 The brown bear is made rather stronger and 

 sturdy, like the mastiff; the Greenland bear, 

 though covered with very long hair, and appa- 

 rently bulky, is nevertheless more slender, both 

 as to the head, neck, and body, and more inclin- 

 ing to the shape of the greyhound. In short, all 

 the variations of its figure and its colour seem to 

 proceed from the coldness of the climate where it 

 resides, and the nature of the food it is supplied 

 with. 



The white bear seems the only animal that, by 

 being placed in the coldest climate, grows larger 

 than those that live in the temperate zones. All 

 other species of animated nature diminish as they 

 approach the poles, and seem contracted in their 

 size by the rigours of the ambient atmosphere ; 

 but the bear, being unmolested in these desolate 

 climates, and meeting no animal but what he can 

 easily conquer, finding also a sufficient supply of 

 fishy provisions, he grows to an enormous size ; 

 and as the lion is the tyrant of an African forest, 



