SAILING IN ICE. 345 



in some manner the monotony of the situation, Back had permitted the seamen 

 to go on the floe alongside and amuse themselves with various amusements, 

 chief of which was the appropriate though rather rough game of baiting the 

 bear. On the 11th the game was played in earnest. George Green, the ice 

 mate, called down from the crow's-nest the electrifying words, " A bear in 

 sight ! " " The alarm being immediately given, the men ran helter-skelter 

 to the ship, headed by a bull-dog belonging to the sergeant of marines, 

 which was first on board. Every one below hearing the rush flew on deck, 

 and learning the cause, seized the first gun at hand to prepare for the 

 attack. Meantime the noble animal — a fine Polar bear — nothing startled 

 by the hubbub which might well have frightened a legion of his kindred 

 away, approached with deliberate steps nearer and nearer. His gait was 

 loose and rolling, as if weak from hunger, for he rather drew than lifted his 

 huge limbs over the rugged surface ; and still as he advanced, he now raised 

 his black nose and sniffed, and now paused, as appetite or fear prevailed. 

 At length he took courage and followed up the scent ; till at the distance of 

 about fifty paces from the ship, he stood like a target to receive the balls 

 which were soon showered upon him. He fell, but recovering his legs, 

 limped with what strength was left a few paces off. Then all hurried to 

 pursue. One grasped a handspike, another poised a lance, a third, more 

 heedless, rushed on with a mere stick to give the coup de grdce. The more 

 prudent, however, retained their guns, and a few more shots terminated the 

 sufferings of poor Bruin." The animal was found to be seven feet long from 

 the snout to the tail, and five feet in girth round the middle. 



On the 16th September a breeze sprang up from south by west. The 

 sails were set, and the ship began to forge ahead slowly through the ice, 

 " It was indeed singular," says Back, " to behold the vast ship gliding along 

 without any perceptible water." Considerable progress was made toward 

 the land in the neighbourhood of Cape Comfort ; but the wind changing to 

 the east, the compacted ice around the ship and the ship itself, were carried 

 along toward the west. On the morning of the 18th, Back found that he 

 had been driven three or four miles past Cape Comfort, and at the same 

 time had been set considerably nearer the coast, which had a most forbid- 

 ding appearance. To the north it presented a towering and perpendicular 

 front, rent into fissures, or jagged with , splintery ridges, all deeply black, 

 whilst toward the south it receded in round backed hills entirely covered 

 with snow, except where sharp-angled rocks cropped out. Toward the west 

 the land gradually declined with long slopes and wide valleys to Cape By lot. 

 At midnight the ice began again to drift slowly westward, and on the morn- 

 ing of the 19th sail was set to make the most of the wind which fiow blew 

 from the south. If it would only veer round four points to the westward ! 

 Next morning, instead of changing to the desired quarter, the wind drew to 

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