480 SCIPIO AND THE BEAR. 



braces it with its fore legs, and scratches the bark with its teeth and claws 

 for several minutes in continuance. Its jaws clash against each other, 

 until a mass of foam runs down on both sides of the mouth. After this 

 it continues its rambles. 



In various portions of our country, many of our woodsmen and hunt- 

 ers who have seen the Bear performing the singular operation just de- 

 scribed, imagine that it does so for the purpose of leaving behind it an 

 indication of its size and power. They measure the height at which the 

 scratches are made, and in this manner can, in fact, form an estimate of 

 the magnitude of the individual. My own opinion, however, is different. 

 / It seems to me that the Bear scratches the trees, not for the purpose of) 



shewing its size or its strength, but merely for that of sharpening its teeth 

 |and claws, to enable it better to encounter a rival of its own species du- j 

 ring the amatory season. The Wild Boar of Europe clashes its tusks 

 and scrapes the earth with its feet, and the Deer rubs its antlers against 

 the lower part of the stems of young trees or bushes, for the same purpose. 



Being one night sleeping in the house of a friend, I was wakened by 

 a Negro servant bearing a light, who gave me a note, which he said his 

 master had just received. I ran my eye over the paper, and found it to 

 be a communication from a neighbour, requesting my friend and myself 

 to join him as soon as possible, and assist in killing some Bears at that 

 moment engaged in destroying his corn. I was not long in dressing, you 

 may be assured, and, on entering the parlour, found my friend equipt 

 and only waiting for some bullets, which a Negro was employed in cast- 

 ing. The overseer's horn was heard calling up the Negroes from their 

 different cabins. Some were already engaged in saddling our horses, 

 whilst others were gathering all the cur-dogs of the plantation. All was 

 bustle. Before half an hour had elapsed, four stout Negro men, armed 

 with axes and knives, and mounted on strong nags of their own (for you 

 must know, kind reader, that many of our slaves rear horses, cattle, pigs 

 and poultry, which are exclusively their own property), were following us 

 at a round gallop through the woods, as we made directly for the neigh- 

 bour's plantation, a little more than five miles off. 



The night was none of the most favourable, a drizzling rain rendering 

 the atmosphere thick and rather sultry ; but as we were well acquainted 

 with the course, we soon reached the house, where the owner was wait- 

 ing our arrival. There were now three of us armed with guns, half a 

 dozen servants, and a good pack of dogs of all kinds. We jogged on to- 



