NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY, i 5 



Of this creature's prudence and difcretion, they give innumer-P' udence and 

 able inftances : among many, this feems to me moft Angular and 

 moft credible ; out of the whole flock of cows, he picks out that 

 which hath the bell round her neck, which, by running, generally 

 gives the fignal of danger. At this bell he is mightily offended, 

 he tears it off, and if it is not a caft bell, but a hammer'd 

 one, he'll ftrike it fb flat, with his paw, that it fhall never fpeak 

 or vex him again. He will fire off a gun, when he has taken it 

 from the huntfman ; and he fhews a great deal of cunning in 

 laving his life, when fet upon by two or three huntfmen 

 together. 



When the firft has miffed his aim, or flightly wounded him, 

 he then lays hold of the unarmed man, and hugs him, retreat- 

 ing upon his hind legs as far as he can ; knowing very well 

 the others will not fhoot him, for fear of fhooting their compa- 

 nion j he then throws himfelf down a bank, a hill, or into a 

 ditch, and there leaves the man, dead or alive; fometimes it kills 

 both. If he finds himfelf mortally wounded, then he endeavours 

 to rob the huntfman of his hide, which he knows he comes for, 

 and therefore lays hold of a very large ftone, and if there be a 

 deep water near him, he plunges himfelf into it. 



Bears are like wife good fwimmers ; they often go into the 

 rivers, and catch filh : their broad paws are very fit to row with. 



I fhall not determine whether it is poflible, that the white 

 Bears, feen in Finmarck, according to Hr. J. Rami, his account, 

 are of Greenland extraction ; or on the poffibility of their ever 

 having fwam over the fea fuch a great way, his clumfy body 

 growing tired fwimming crofs a water of a league ; and if he 

 fees a boat by the way, he will go after it, if it be only to 

 reft himfelf; if he gets in, he will fit in the ftern quite quiet 

 and peaceable; the farmer however does not care to let him in, 

 if he can play his oars faft enough ; but if he has an ax in the 

 boat, the Bear's paws are fure to fmart, or pay for it, as'foon- as 

 he touches the veffel. 



Soon after Michaelmas the Bear feeks his den, which is his winter r* 

 Winter quarters* this he finds under feme mountain, where the' 

 rocks hangs over, or in feme natural cavern. Here he makes 

 himfelf a large and foft bed of mofs leaves, and the like. He- 

 hides the opening with branches and boughs of trees, and lets- 

 it fnow up, fo that he is not eafily found, but by thofe that 

 are taught, or have thoroughly learnt, his cuftoms. In his den 

 he ffiafl be taken, fometimes for a week, with a heavy fleep, 

 that by fhooting at him, and even wounding him, he'll hardly 



awake j 



'treat. 



