HIS FEROCITY EXAGGERATED. 125 



I conceive that a cool fellow with a gun runs 

 very little risk, because, although the bear's 

 speed far exceeds that of a man, still he is so 

 heavy in his motions that he ought to be killed 

 or disabled by the first shot at close quarters. 

 They are sometimes killed with the lance in 

 the water, but it is as well to make use of fire- 

 arms, if they are at hand, as I have heard of 

 accidents happening while attacking bears with 

 the spear. 



I have read many accounts of the same 

 nature as the above absurdity relating to the 

 awful courage, ferocity, and invulnerability of 

 the grizzly bear of the Rocky Mountains, but 

 without having seen the latter animal at all, 

 I feel perfectly certain that he is not a bit 

 more courageous, ferocious, or invulnerable, 

 than the polar bear, or than most other large 

 carnivorous wild animals; and not nearly so 

 much so as either the black rhinoceros or the 

 African buffalo. 



It was late before I returned to the sloop, 

 which had sailed several miles up the fiord to 

 meet us. Lord David had also just come on 

 board, and after talking over the day's adven- 

 tures as usual, we turned in for the night. 



2^rd. — We had only been in bed two hours, 



