THE BROWN BEAR. 



refufed in the time of plenty. They often ileal filh from the ColTacks, 

 although a woman is left to watch them, but they never offer her any 

 violence. 



Many devices, for killing Bears, were pra&ifed by the inhabitants of 

 Kamtfchatka, before they knew the ufe of firearms. The following are 

 ingenious, and, we trull, will prove entertaining. Having found the Bear's 

 habitation, they cut feveral billets of wood, with which they blocked up 

 the entrance of the den ; the Bear, to prevent his being fhut up, never 

 failed to draw thefe in. More billets were then introduced in the fame place, 

 and thefe, in their turn, were drawn in by the Bear, till, at length, by 

 frequent repetition of this procedure, he was fo flraitened in his den, that he 

 could fcarcely turn himfelf ; the hunters then dug down from above, and 

 difpatched him with their fpears. The Koreki ufe other methods to catch 

 the Bear : for this purpofe, they fingle out a tree which is crooked above, to 

 which they fallen a noofe, and place a proper bait behind it ; which the 

 animal endeavouring to feize, is held faft by the head or paw. Heavy logs 

 of wood are fometimes placed in fuch fituations, as to fall with the ilightell 

 touch, and cruih the Bear, as he palfes under them. Sometimes they place a 

 board, with many iron hooks driven into it, in the Bear's track, and near this 

 board they place fomething which will eafily fall down, in fuch a fituation 

 that the Bear muft touch it as he paffes by ; terrified by its fall, the Bear 

 runs with great force on the board, and, finding one paw wounded and 

 detained by the hooks, he endeavours to liberate himfelf, by flriking the 

 board with the other ; but, inftead of fucceeding in his attempt, this paw 

 likewife foon becomes entangled by the hooks, and increafes his difficulties. 

 In this flate of embarrafiment, he raifes himfelf up on his hind legs, which 

 caufes the board to rife before his eyes, and perplexes him in fuch a manner, 

 that he prefently becomes furious, and beats himfelf to death. The people, 

 who live about the rivers Lena and Hinu, make ufe of a very lingular 

 method to catch Bears. A noofe is faflened to the end of a large log of 

 wood, which they place in the Bear's track, or at the entrance into his 

 den ; when the Bear finds himfelf entangled in the noofe, and that the log 

 of wood, which is faflened to it, interrupts his walking, he takes it up, and 



