THE POLAR BEAR. 



Thefe animals feed on feals, fifli, and the carcafes of whales, which 

 naturally give their flefh a ftrong, fifliy flavour; notwithstanding which ? 

 Captain Cook fays, it is infinitely fuperior to that of the Sea-Horfe, which 

 is often eaten by our failors, in preference to their falted provilions. The 

 fat is melted for train oil : the liver is very unwholefome : three of Barentz's 

 failors became dangeroufly ill, after eating fome of it boiled (a). They are 

 very fond of dead human bodies, which they will fcratch out of the ground, 

 after they have been buried, and devour them greedily ; they delight in 

 human blood, and will attack companies of armed men, and even fvvim 

 towards fmall velTels at fea, and attempt to board them ; they likewife eat 

 birds and their eggs. Their moll formidable enemy is the Morle, with 

 which they have terrible engagements, and are generally overpowered by the 

 vail teeth of their adverfary. 



In the inhofpitable regions about the north pole, where there is ftich a 

 fcarcity of every other terreftrial animal, the White Bears are found in great 

 abundance ; as their principal food is fifli, they feldom remove very far from 

 the fliore ; when provilions run Ihort, they will fometimes venture into the 

 deep, in fearch of feals, which they devour, if they can catch them. 



The White Bear is often feen on ice-floats, feveral leagues from the 

 land ; in this manner, they are tranfported to the Ihores of Iceland, where 

 they meet with a rough reception from the natives, who generally quickly 

 deflroy them. For this purpofe, they make ufe of fpears; and although 

 a Bear will turn upon his purfuer, yet they have plenty of time to 

 difpatch him, by throwing a glove in his way, which never fails to 

 excite his attention fo much, that he will not llir, till he has turned 

 every finger of it inlide out ; which takes him fome time to execute, 

 as he is not very dexterous with his paws, and gives his purfuer an 

 opportunity of killing him, or making his efcape. The Bear, however, is 

 feldom fuffered to get away, as government gives a reward, of ten dollars, 

 for every Bear that is killed, and purchafes the hide of the perfon who kills 

 him(.B). In thefe excurfions, it fometimes happens, that they meet with a 



(a) Pennant. , (b) Horrebow's Iceland. 



