390 THE BEAR. 



so the bear remains undisputed master of the icy 

 mountains in Spitzbergen and Greenland. When 

 our mariners land upon those shores, in such parts 

 as have not been frequented before, the white 

 bears come down to view them with an awkward 

 curiosity : they approach slowly, seeming unde- 

 termined whether to advance or retreat ; and 

 being naturally a timorous animal, they are only 

 urged on by the "conscious experience of their 

 former victories ; however, when they are shot at, 

 or wounded, they endeavour to fly, or, finding 

 that impracticable, they make a fierce and des- 

 perate resistance till they die. As they live upon 

 fish and seals, their flesh is too strong for food, 

 and the captors have nothing but the skin to re- 

 ward them for the dangers incurred in the engage- 

 ment. 



The number of these animals that are found 

 about the north pole, if we consider the scarcity 

 there of all other terrestrial creatures, is very 

 amazing. They are not only seen at land, but 

 often on ice-floats several leagues at sea. They 

 are often transported in this manner to the very 

 shores of Iceland, where they no sooner land but 

 all the natives are in arms to receive them. It 

 often happens, that when a Greenlander and his 

 wife are paddling out at sea, by coming too near 

 an ice-float, a white bear unexpectedly jumps 

 into their boat, and if he does not overset it, sits 

 calmly where he first came down, and like a pas- 

 senger suffers himself to be rowed along. It is 

 probable the poor little Greenlander is not very 

 fond of his new guest; however, he makes a 



