4 8 
Secondly, Of Beafts. 1 
The Bear, which are generally Black? 
He Bear, they live four months in Caves, that is all 
X Winter; in the Spring they bring forth their young 
ones, they feldome have above three Cubbs in a litter, are 
very fat in the Fall of the Leaf with feeding upon Acorns, 
at which time they are excellent Venifon ; their Brains are 
venomous; They feed much upon water Plantane in the 
Spring and Summer, and Berries, and alfo upon a fhell-fifh 
called a Horfe-foot ; and are never mankind, i.e. fierce, but 
in rutting time, and then they walk the Country twenty, 
thirty, forty in a company, making a hideous noife with 
roaring, which you may hear a mile or two before they 
come fo near to endanger the Traveller. About four 
years fince, Acorns being very fcarce up in the Country, 
fome numbers of them came down [14] amongft the 
Englifli Plantations, which generally are by the Sea lide; 
1 Compare the account given in the Voyages, pp. 82-95, which is much fuller; 
as also New-England's Prospect, chap. vi. 
2 "Most fierce in strawberry-time; at which time they have young ones; at 
which time, likewise, they will go upright, like a man, and climb trees, and swim 
to the islands : which if the Indians see, there will be more sportful bear-baiting 
than Paris garden can afford ; for, seeing the bears take water, an Indian will 
leap after him ; where they go to water-cuffs for bloody noses and scratched sides. 
In the end, the man gets the victory; riding the bear over the watery plain, till 
he can bear him no longer. . . . There would be more of them, if it were not for 
the wolves which devour them. A kennel of those ravening runagadoes, setting 
upon a poor, single bear, will tear him as a dog will tear a kid." — Nevj-Eng. 
Prospcfi, I. c, which see farther; and also Josselyn's Voyages, pp. 91-2. 
