54 
POL AR WH AR. 
far as navigators have penetrated; in the ifland of Spitzbergen, and 
within Baffin’s Bay; in Greenland and Hudfon’s Bay; in Terra di Labra- 
dor *; and, by accident, wafted from Greenland, on iflands of ice, to 
Iceland and Newfoundland. t perhaps attends the courfe of the 
Arétic circle along the vaft regions of America; but it is un- 
known in the groupes of iflands between that continent and 4fa; 
neither is it found on the Tchuktki Nofs, or the Great Cape, which 
juts into the fea north of Kamt/chatka+. None are ever {een in that 
country. But they are frequent on all the coafts of the Frozen Ocean, 
from the mouth of the O4 f, eaftward; and abound moft about the 
eftuaries of the Fenefei and Lena. They appear about thofe favage 
tracts, and abound in the unfrequented iflands of Nova Zembla, 
Cherry, and Spitzberge, where they find winter quarters undifturbed 
by mankind. The fpecies is happily unkrown along the fhores of 
the White fea, and thofe of Lapland and Norway. Poffibly even 
thofe rigorous climates may be too mild for animals that affect the 
utmoft feverity of the Arétic zone. They never are feen farther 
fouth in Silirta than Mangefea, nor wander into the woody parts, 
unlefs by accident in great mitts. 
They are fometimes brought alive into England. One which I faw 
was always in motion, reitlefs, and furious, roaring in a loud aad hoarfe 
tone; and fo impatient of warmth, that the keeper was obliged to 
pour on it frequently pailfuls of water. In a ftate of nature, and in 
places little vifited by mankind, they are ot dreadful ferocity. In 
Spitzbergen, and the other places annually frequented by the human 
race, they dread its power, having experienced its fuperiority, and 
fhun the conflict: yet even in thofe countries prove tremendous 
enemies, if attacked or provoked. 
Barentz, in his voyages in fearch of a north-eaft paffaze to China, 
had fatal proofs of their rage and intrepidity on the ifland of Nova 
Zembla: his feamen were frequently attacked, and fome of them 
* Phil. Tranf. \xiv. 377. + Muller, Pref, xxv. t Purchas’s Pilgrims, 
iii. 805. 
_Jilled. 
