i 4 NATURAL HI S TOR Y of NO R WA Y. 



which he feldom fails to do. So the all-wife God has ordered it, 

 that in fbme meafure the very fiercer!: creatures fhall be under a 

 fear for mankind *. 

 The Bears It has never been known, that a Bear hurts any child ; his 

 feeding. ° f food in neceflity is roots, grafs, and greens, and particularly the 

 Angelica or Quanne, which grows here, and the Multebcer, 

 Tyttebcer, Brambcer and Ronnebcer, when he can lay hold or 

 reach them, on the extremity of the bufh ; and tho' he fometimes 

 tumbles down in the attempt, he breaks off the branches. How- 

 ever, what fuits his palate beft is animal food ; the flefh of fheep, 

 goats, cows and horfes ; which laft, as I have before obferved, 

 often conquer him. 



His attack is made with his fore-paws, and he ufes not his 

 mouth till he is mafter of the creature, and then he fucks the 

 blood, and afterwards drags the carcafe to his den: if the road 

 to this be up hill, or through bufhes, that he cannot drag the 

 prey eafily along, he then has been feen to take the whole car- 

 cafe in his fore-paws, walking on his hind legs only. He has 

 been feen alio going upright, on plain ground, hugging the 

 whole body of a large animal ; from which, among other things, 

 you may judge of his great ftrength. 



He does not lay hold of any ftrange dead carcafe, like the 

 Wolf, but chufes to be butcher to himfelf, where he is to eat. 

 He does not bite and tear like the wolf, and is not near fb 

 much dreaded. He matters the wolf, and corrects him; and 

 therefore that creature does not like to ftay in his neighbour- 

 hood. I was told from Bordne in Rogfund, that an old Grafs- 

 bear was many years known to follow the herds like their guard, 

 and flood often tamely by, as the maid was milking; and always 

 drove the wolf away. He did no hurt to any, only in Autumn, 

 when he was almoft going to look for his den, he would take a 

 kid or a fheep, as if, per contra&um taciturn, accorderade 

 lummer's wages ; but I doubt if there are many of his kind 

 that ufe that difcretion. They fay, however, for certain, that in 

 his proper jurifdi&ion, or the place where he ufually refides, he 

 will take but one piece from a man. 



* 5 Tis faid, that the African lions are fometimes in fuch a temper, that the fhep- 

 herdefs may hunt them, and drive them about with a flick. _ J'ay lu dans quelques 

 defcriptions de cepays-cy, que les femmes peuvent fe familiarifer avec le lion. fans 

 danger, & qu'en prenant un baton & l'appellant Tahanne, ce^qui fignifie cocu, ou 

 de quelque autre nom femblable, elles luy font perdre fa ferocite, &c. II eft poffible, 

 que cela arrive lorfque ces animaux ont bien repu, car alors perdent leur courage. Shaw 

 Voyages du Levant, T. I. p. 316. 



