18 THE WHITE BEAR. 



very easily irritated, and at that time its resentment is 

 furious, and often capriciously exerted. 



THE WHITE, OR GREAT POLAR BEAR. 



THIS species has a peculiar long head and neck, and its 

 limbs are of prodigious size and strength. Its body frequently 

 measures thirteen feet in length, and it is the only animal 

 that arrives at a superior magnitude in the arctic regions, 

 where it seems to reign without a rival. 



The white bear lives on fish, seals, and the dead 

 bodies of whales, or even on the corpses of men, which it 

 disinters. Sometimes it will attack a party of armed 

 men, and even board small vessels. The mutual affection 

 that subsists between the female and her young, has been 

 frequently exemplfied in the most affecting trials : they will 

 rather die than desert each other. 



When our mariners land upon the shores of Greenland, 

 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 undetermined 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 rinding that im- 

 practicable, they make a fierce and desperate resistance 

 till they die. 



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 passenger 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 virtue of necessity, 

 and hospitably rows him to shore. 



During summer they take up their residence on large 

 islands of ice. When these pieces of ice are detached by 

 strong winds or currents, the bears allow themselves to be 

 carried with them, and often perish in the open sea. Those 

 which arrive on these fragments of ice upon the coasts 

 of Iceland or Norway are almost famished, from the length 

 of their voyage, and are of course extremely voracious. 

 The flesh of this creature is white, and is said to taste like 

 mutton. The fat is melted for train-oil ; and that of the 

 feet is used in medicine. 



