232 BIG GAME OF NOETH AMERICA. 



Lockwood, in May, 1882, noticed Bear-tracks going north- 

 eastward on the north coast of Greenland, in 83° 3' north — 

 the highest latitude in which signs of this animal have ever 

 been seen. They are not vicious except when wounded, 

 and will invariably take to water when alarmed, if there be 

 any in the vicinity. If the Bear succeeds in reaching the 

 water, the hunter's opportunity is usually lost. Even a 

 telling shot will avail him nothing, for should he succeed 

 in killing the Bear, he can rarely recover the carcass from 

 among the floating ice. The Bear, not being able to remain 

 long under the water, alternately dives and reappears on 

 the surface of the water in order to evade the hunter. 



While at Cape Sabine, in latitude 74° 32' north, 19° west, 

 after our party had made the perilous journey, reaching the 

 farthest north, and had returned in the hope that a relief 

 party would be awaiting us, our scanty remnant of food 

 was stored away in a rude stone house. We experienced 

 continued annoyance from Bears .breaking into our meat- 

 house while we . were asleep, and stealing what little . meat 

 we had. 



On April 11th, Sergeant Brainard, one of our party, had 

 occasion to visit Cemetery Ridge, a place a short distance 

 back of our camp, where our dead comrades were buried. 

 Returning, he was surprised by a Bear advancing toward 

 him. Being unarmed, he hurried to camp, and being 

 already sadly reduced by hard work, "starvation, and ex- 

 posure, fell exhausted in the tent, exclaiming, "A bear! a 

 bear!" 



We were elated at this prospect of obtaining food. 

 Lieutenant Kislingbury, Jens Christiansen, an Eskimo, and 

 myself seized the guns and started in the direction indi- 

 cated by Brainard. We had gone but a few hundred 

 yards when Kislingbury, weak from want of food, became 

 exhausted, and gave up the chase. Jens and I continued, 

 fully determined upon giving Bruin a hard task to save his 

 life, should we come within rifle range. We moved briskly 

 forward, scanning the ice-fields closely and eagerly, fearing 

 lest he should discover us first, and thereby evade our attack. 



