GRISLY BEAR. 6$ 



had seated themselves in the twiUght by a fire, and 

 were busy in preparing their supper, when a large 

 grisly bear sprang over their canoe, which was tilted 

 behind them, and seizing one of the party by the 

 shoulder, carried him off. The rest fled in terror, with 

 the exception of a Melif, named Bourasso^, who, grasp- 

 ing his gun, followed the bear as he was retreating 

 leisurely with its prey. He called to his unfortunate 

 comrade, that he was afraid of hitting him if he fired 

 at the bear ; but the latter intreated him to do so im- 

 mediately, as the bear was squeezing him to death. On 

 this he took a deliberate aim: his shot, providentially, 

 entered the body of the animal, which instantly dropped 

 its prey to pursue its new adversary : he escaped, how- 

 ever, with difficulty, and the bear ultimately retreated 

 to a thicket, where it was supposed to have died; but 

 this fact was not ascertained. The man who was rescued, 

 had his arm fractured, and was otherwise severely bitten, 

 although he finally recovered." 



The manners of these bears have been thus described 

 by Mr. Drummond, who frequently met them in his 

 excursions over the Rocky ^Mountains, when attached to 

 the northern expeditions. In these unfrequented so- 

 litudes it would often happen, that, in turning the point 

 of a rock, or sharp angle of a valley, our traveller would 

 suddenly come upon one or more of them. On such 

 occasions they reared on their hind legs, and made a loud 

 noise, like a person breathing quick, but much harsher. 

 Mr. Drummond, without attempting to molest them, 

 kept his ground ; while the bears, on their part, after at- 

 tentively regarding their intruder for some time, gene- 

 rally wheeled round and galloped off; though, from their 

 known disposition, there is little doubt but he would have 

 been torn in pieces had he lost his presence of mind, and 

 attempted to fly. On other occasions, when he discovered 

 them from a distance, he generally frightened them away 

 by beating on a large tin box, in which he carried his 

 plants. He never saw more than four together ; and 

 they were generally single, or in pairs. On one occasion 



