BEAES GEEASE. 99 



19^/i. — The storm continues with unabated 

 force, and we have some di£B.culty in keeping 

 the sloop from being dragged from her anchor 

 by the heavy pieces of ice which are driven 

 against her by the wind and current. It is 

 much too stormy for boat work, so we set the 

 hands to cut up the blubber of the bear and 

 the nine walruses last killed. The skin of the 

 Polar bear is very thin, and it is consequently 

 very dif&cult to divide it from the fat without 

 slicing or injuring the skin : the fat or blubber 

 lies in a layer precisely like that of the seal 

 and the walrus ; it is about intermediate in 

 quality between the two latter, and is put into 

 the casks amongst the rest. This bear was 

 neither very large nor very fat, and only yielded 

 about one hundred pounds of blubber ; but an 

 old male bear in high condition sometimes 

 affords upwards of four times that quantity. 



I believe the fat of TJrsus maritimius is not 

 suitable for the manufacture of " bears' 

 grease; " probably it has a tendency to turn 

 the hair white. 



A heavy fall of snow commenced in the 

 evening, and continued during the night. 



20th. — Gale a good deal moderated, and clear. 

 Got out both boats and coasted about the lee 



h2 



