LABRADOR JOURNAL 235 



my ritle, and fearing I might be tempted to fire 

 them, and afterward have my retreat disputed, 

 or be attacked by one or more enraged bears im- 

 mediately after I had tired a shot, when I should 

 have nothing to defend myself with but the 

 powder only, Avhieh was in my other gun, I 

 thought it was most prudent to retiu'n to the boat 

 and get a fresh supply of annnunition. When I 

 got down, I not only found myself very much 

 fatigued, but the day was much spent, and we had 

 as much other work to do, as the remainder of it 

 was competent to. The Shalloway likewise was 

 left in so exposed a situation, that she might eas- 

 ilv be driven from her anchors, if it came on to 

 blow strong; I therefore altered my intention, 

 and waited the return of the other three people. 

 It was not long before they came down; for they 

 were not able to skin the bear. Although his 

 body was afloat in the water, which was about 

 four feet deep, and nothing but his head rested 

 upon a flat rock, yet they could not lift even that 

 up. It was with the utmost exertion of their 

 united strength, that they could heave him off the 

 rock with assistance of leavers; nor could thev 

 cant him on his back, after he w^as wholly atloat, 

 in order to skin him in the watei*; much less were 

 thev able to draw him on shore. V\'v iiidgcd liim 

 to })e as much as twelve hniidrcd pounds weight; 

 nor c(juld Ik- well be h*ss than tlial, as lie stood 

 six feet high, as his carcass was as big as the 

 largest ox I ever saw. Fiudinu llieuisclves foiled 

 in every other attem])t, a1 Iciiglli tli<'.\- lied wind- 



