4 8 * 0cto=<£njjIairtJ8! ftaritirs. 



Secondly, Of Beafts 1 



The Bear, which are generally Black? 



THe Bear, they live four months in Caves, that is all 

 Winter; in the Spring they bring forth their young 

 ones, they feldome have above three Cubbs in a litter, are 

 very fat in the Fall of the Leaf with feeding upon Acorns, 

 at which time they are excellent Venifon; their Brains are 

 venomous ; They feed much upon water Plantane in the 

 Spring and Summer, and Berries, and alfo upon a mell-fifh 

 called a Horfe-foot ; and are never mankind, i.e. fierce, but 

 in rutting time, and then they walk the Country twenty, 

 thirty, fort) 7 in a company, making a hideous noife with 

 roaring, which you may hear a mile or two before they 

 come fo near to endanger the Traveller. About four 

 years fince, Acorns being very fcarce up in the Country, 

 fome numbers of them came down [14] amongft the 

 EngliJJi Plantations, which generally are by the Sea fide; 



1 Compare the account given in the Voyages, pp. 82-95, which is much fuller ; 

 as also New-England's Prospedt, chap. vi. 



2 " Most fierce in strawberry-time ; at which time they have young ones ; at 

 which time, likewise, they will go upright, like a man, and climb trees, and swim 

 to the islands : which if the Indians see, there will be more sportful bear-baiting 

 than Paris garden can afford ; for, seeing the bears take water, an Indian will 

 leap after him; where they go to water-cuffs for bloody noses and scratched sides. 

 In the end, the man gets the victory; riding the bear over the watery plain, till 

 he can bear him no longer. . . . There would be more of them, if it were not for 

 the wolves which devour them. A kennel of those ravening runagadoes, setting 

 upon a poor, single bear, will tear him as a dog will tear a kid." — Neiu-Eng. 

 Prospefl, I. c, which see farther; and also Josselyn's Voyages, pp. 91-2. 



