350 A BEAR. 
April 16. To-day the salting continues. The men 
call it our spring-seed sowing. On board the Rescue, 
a party are at work preparing for the return to her. 
The ice-cutting machine proves a failure. 
" This afternoon a solitary snow-bunting was seen 
flitting around our vessel. The last time we saw this 
little animal was at Griffith's Island, in the midst of 
the terrible storm which we were sharing with our 
English brethren. Goodsir saw the same bird on the 
13th, in latitude 54° ; but he was not at Winter Island 
till the 27th. Since then, the little family have made 
their migratory journey, and are now on their way 
again to these Polar seas. They breed seldom or 
never south of 62°, and linger late among the North- 
ern snows. This poor little wanderer was an estray 
from his fellows. He paused at the treasures which 
surrounded our ship, refreshed himself from our dirt 
pile, and then flew away again on his weary journey. 
"Aj^ril 17. A memorable day. We put out our 
cabin lamps, and are henceforward content with day- 
light, like the rest of the world. Our latitude is 69° 
52' ; our longitude, 63° 03^ 
"This afternoon, while walking deck, this endless 
deck, with Murdaugh, we discovered a bear walking 
tranquilly alongside, nearly within gunshot. We 
have lost so many opportunities by the bustle and 
ignorance of a universal chase, that I crawled out to 
attack him alone. To my sorrow, the brute, who 
had been gazing at the ship dog-fashion and curious, 
turned tail. He was out of range for my carbine, but 
I gave him the ball as he ran in his right hind-quarter. 
He fell at once, and I thought him secure ; but rising 
instantly, he turned upon his wounded haunch, and, 
very much as a dog does at a bee-sting, bit spasmodi- 
