My Big Bear of Shuyak 



made arrangements with my natives to return some 

 months later and collect all the bones, for I decided 

 to present the entire skeleton to the National 

 Museum. 



It was six o'clock when we again made a start. 

 I had a deep sense of satisfaction as I lay lazily 

 back in the baidarka with the large skin at my 

 feet, only occasionally taking the paddle, for it had 

 been a hard trip, and I felt unlike exerting myself. 

 We camped that night in a hunting barabara which 

 belonged to Nikolai, and was most picturesquely 

 situated on a small island. 



My natives were extremely fond of bear meat, 

 and they sat long into the night gorging them- 

 selves. Each one would dig into the kettle with 

 his fork, and bringing out a big chunk would 

 crowd as much as possible into his mouth, and 

 holding it there with his teeth would cut off with 

 his hunting knife a liberal portion, which he would 

 swallow after a munch or two. 



I had tried to eat Kadiak bear before, but it has 

 rather a bitter taste, and this one was too tough 

 to be appetizing. The flesh of the bears which we 

 had killed on the Alaska Peninsula was excellent 

 and without this strong gamy flavor.* 



*The true Kadiak bear is found only on the Kadiak Islands 

 and not on the mainland. 



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