Mar. 1858. A BEAK-FIGHT. 93 



CHAPTEE VI. 



A bear- fight — An ice-nip — Strong~gales, rapid drift — The ' Fox ' 

 breaks out of the pack — Hanging on to floe-edge — The Arctic 

 bear — An ice tournament — The ' Fox ' in peril — A storm in 



» 



the pack — Escape from the pack. 



%th March. — A bear was seen this morning ; but 

 as he was going away from us, the dogs were 

 brought out in the hope that they might keep 

 him at bay until the sportsmen came up. It 

 was very pretty to see them take up the scent, 

 the moment they caught sight of him they set 

 off at full speed. Bruin had seen them first, 

 and increased his pace to a clumsy gallop, yet 

 the dogs were soon around him ; he seemed to 

 care but little about them, steadily making off 

 and following the trending of a recently frozen 

 crack in search of clear water, evidently aware 

 that his persecutors would not follow him 

 there. 



After five hours all returned on board again ; 

 out of the ten dogs four were wounded by his 

 claws, — skin deep only, — but one of the wounds 

 was seven inches in length, as if made with a 

 sharp knife ! this was sewed up, the others 

 were merely trimmed, and nature I am informed 



