ACCOUNT OP ANIMALS. 



i 



417 



few horses to be found, farther north than latitude 

 fiftv four or five. 



There are three kinds of bears, the grey, the 

 brown or chocolate coloured, and those which 

 are perfectly black. The grey bears, which are 

 by far the largest, are about the size of a common 

 cow ; and are remarkably strong built, and very 

 ferocious. They attack human beings, as well 

 as ail kinds of beasts, that fall in their way ; and 

 in their terrible paws, the resistance, even of the 

 male bulfaloe, weighing fourteen or fifteen hun- 

 dred pounds, is utterly vain. Three or four of 

 the Natives join together whenever they attempt 

 to hunt them, and each man is well armed, with 

 a musket and a long spear. 



The grey bears differ but little in shape, from 

 those of a smaller kind and of a different colour. 

 Their heads are rather shorter, in proportion to 

 their bodies, their noses are less pointed; and 

 they are more stoutly built. Their colour is a 

 beautiful lively silver grey. Their flesh has not 

 so good a flavour as that of the black bear, it 

 being more rank. The natives, formerly, made 

 use of their skins for beds ; but now, they always 

 exchange them with us, for blankets, &c. 



The grey, in common with the other kinds of 

 bears, pass the winter months, without taking any 

 kind of nourishment. Their retreats are by the 

 sides of the roots of large trees, that, have fallen 



