THE POLAR BEAR, 36/ 



Carcase frigatC;, which went out some years ago to 

 make discoveries towards the North Pole, was lock- 

 ed in the ice, early one morning the man at the 

 mast-head srave notice that three Bears were making 

 their way very fast over the Frozen Ocean, and 

 were directing their course towards the ship. They 

 had, no doabt, been invited by the scent of sonit; 

 blubber of a Sea-horse that the crew had killed a 

 few days before ; which had been set on fire, and 

 was burning on tlie ice at the time of their approach^ 

 They proved to be a she Bear and her two cubs ; 

 but the cubs were nearly as large as the dam. They 

 ran eagerly to the fire ; and drew out of the flames 

 part of the flesh of the Sea horse, that remained 

 unconsumed, and ate it voraciously. The crew from 

 the ships thitew great lumps of the flesh of the Sea. 

 horse, which they had still remaining, upon the ice. 

 These the old Bear fetched away singly, laid every 

 lump before her cubs as she brought it, and divid- 

 ing it gave to each a share, reserving but a small 

 portion to herself. As she was fetching away the 

 last piece, the sailors levelled tlieir muskets at the 

 cubs, and shot them both dead ; and in l:er retreat, 

 they wounded the dam, but not mortally. It woukl 

 have drav/n tears of pity from any but unfeeling 

 minds, to have marked the affectionate concern ex- 

 pressed by this poor beast in the last moir.enrs of 

 her expiring young. Tliough she was herself dread- 

 fully wounded, and could but just crawl to the place 

 where they lay, she carried the lump of flesh she 

 had fetched av/ay, as bhe had done others before ; 

 tore it in pieces, and laid it before them : and when 



