62 
Bears VENERAT= 
Ep In AMERICA. 
CHAsE. 
BRO: WAN iB EAR. 
Grizzly Bears. Thefe are called by the Germans Silber-var, or 
the Silver-bear, from the mixture of white hairs. ‘Thefe are found 
in Europe, and the very northern parts of North America, as high as 
lat. 70; where a hill is called after them, Grizzle Bear Hill, and where 
they breed in caverns*. The ground in this neighborhood is in all 
parts turned by them in fearch ie the hoards farmed by the Ground 
Squirrels for winter provifion. 
All thefe varieties form but one fpecies. “They are granivorous 
and carnivorous, both in Europe and America; and I believe, accord- 
ing to their refpective palates or habits, one may be deemed a va- 
riety which prefers the vegetable food; another may be diftinguifhed 
from its preference of animal food. Mr. Graham affures me, that 
the brown Bears, in the inland parts of Hud/on’s Bay, make great ha- 
vock among the Buffaloes: are very large, and very dangerous when 
they are attacked and wounded. 
In all favage nations the Bear has been an object of veneration. 
Among the dmericans a feaft is made in honor of each that is killed. 
The head of the beaft is painted with al) colors, and placed on an 
elevated place, where it receives the refpects of all the guefts, who 
celebrate in fongs the praifes of the Bear. They cut the body in 
pieces, and regale on it, and conclude the ceremony ft. 
The chafe of thefe animals is a matter of the firft importance, and 
never undertaken without abundance of ceremony. <A principal 
warrior firft gives a general invitation to all the hunters. This is 
followed by a moft ferious faft of eight days, a total abftinence 
from all kinds of food ; notwithftanding which, they pafs the day in 
continual fong. ‘This they do to invoke the fpirits of the woods to 
direct them to the place where there are abundance of bears. They 
even cut the flefh in divers parts of their bodies, to render the fpirits 
more propitious. They alfo addrefs themfelves to the mazes of the 
beafts flain in preceding chafes, as if it were to direct them in their 
dreams to plenty of game. One dreamer alone cannot determine 
* Mr. Samuel Hearne. + Charlevoix, Nouv. Fr. V+ 443. 
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