344 A JOURNEY TO THE 



inhabit, differs widely from the more mild climates. In 

 Summer they proul about in search of berries, ^c. and as the 

 Winter approaches, retire to their dens, which are always 

 under-ground ; and generally, if not always, on the side of a 

 small hillock. The Bears that inhabit the Southern parts of 

 America are said to take up their Winter abode in hollow trees ; 

 but I never saw any trees in my Northern travels, that could 

 afford any such shelter. 



The places of retreat of those Bears that burrow under- 

 ground are easily discovered in Winter, by the rime that hangs 

 about the mouth of the den ; for let the snow be ever so deep, 

 the heat and breath of the animal prevents the mouth of 

 the den from being entirely closed up. They generally retire 

 to their Winter quarters before the snow is of any considerable 

 depth, and never come abroad again (unless disturbed) till 

 the thaws are considerable, which in those high latitudes is 

 seldom till the latter end of March, or the beginning of April ; 

 so that the few Black Bears that inhabit those cold regions 

 may be said to subsist for four months at least without food. 

 I have been present at the killing [of^ two of them in Winter ; 

 and the Northern Indian method is similar to that said to be 

 in use among the Kamtschatkans ; for they always blocked up 

 the mouth of the den with logs of wood, then broke open the 

 top of it, and killed the animal either with a spear or a gun ; 

 but the latter method is reckoned both cowardly and wasteful, 

 as it is not possible for the Bear either to make its escape, or 

 to do the Indians the least injury. [370] Sometimes they put 

 a snare about the Bear's neck, and draw up his head close to 

 the hole, and kill him with a hatchet. Though those animals 

 are but scarce to the North of Churchill, yet they are so 

 numerous between York Fort and Cumberland House, that in 

 one thousand seven hundred and seventy-four I saw eleven 

 killed in the course of one day's journey, but their flesh was 

 abominable. This was in the month of June, long before any 

 fruit was ripe, for the want of which they then fed entirely on 



