34 
THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
on these expeditions. The following anecdote was related 
to me by Mr. Garberg, at Gefle. Of the truth of the story, 
which occurred near to that place, that gentleman did not 
seem to entertain a doubt. 
About twenty years ago, during a very severe winter, 
and when there were known to be many Wolves roaming 
about the country, a Captain Nordenalder, together with 
several companions, started off on an excursion similar to 
those I have been describing. 
The party were provided with a large sledge, such as are 
used in Sweden to convey coke to the furnaces, a pig, and 
an ample supply of guns, ammunition, &c. They drove 
on to a great piece of water which was then frozen over, in 
the vicinity of Forsbacka, and at no great distance from 
the town of Gefle. Here they began to pinch the ears, 
&c. of the pig, who of course squeaked out tremendously. 
This, as they anticipated, soon drew a multitude of fam- 
ished Wolves about their sledge. When these had ap- 
proached within range, the party opened a fire upon them, 
and destroyed or mutilated several of the number. All 
the animals that were either killed or wounded were 
quickly torn to pieces and devoured by their companions. 
This, as I have observed, is said invariably to be the case, 
if there be many congregated together. 
The blood with which the ravenous beasts had now glut- 
ted themselves, instead of satiating their hunger, only 
served to make them more savage and ferocious than be- 
fore; for, in spite of the fire kept up by the party, they 
advanced close to the sledge with the apparent intention of 
making an instant attack. To preserve their lives, there- 
fore, the Captain and his friends threw the pig on the ice; 
this, which was quickly devoured by the Wolves, had the 
effect, for the moment, of diverting their fury to another 
object. 
Whilst this was going forward, the horse, driven to des- 
peration by the near approach of the ferocious animals, 
struggled and plunged so violently, that he broke the shafts 
to pieces: being thus disengaged from the vehicle, the poor 
animal galloped off, and, as the story goes, succeeded in 
making good his escape. 
When the pig was devoured, which was probably hardly 
the work of a minute, the Wolves again threatened to 
attack the party ; and as the destruction of a few out of so 
immense a drove as was then assembled, only served to 
render the survivors more blood-thirsty, the Captain and 
his friends now turned their sledge bottom up, and thus 
took refuge beneath its friendly shelter. 
In this situation, it is said, they remained for many 
hours, the Wolves in that while making repeated attempts 
to get at them, by tearing the sledge with their teeth. At 
length, however, assistance arrived, and they were then, 
to their great joy, relieved from their most perilous situ- 
ation. 
Captain Eurenius, when he was quite a boy, in com- 
pany with a brother who was younger than himself, once 
went on a similar expedition to those of which I have been 
speaking. 
It was in the depth of winter , w the cold at the time being 
very severe, when these striplings proceeded in their 
sledge to an inlet of the Wenern, which was then sheeted 
with ice, and which was known to be much frequented by 
Wolves. 
They had a pig along with them, as usual, who, by the 
application of a corking-pin, they soon caused to open his 
pipes in such a manner that he might have been heard at 
two or three miles distance. These cries soon attracted 
the Wolves to the spot: when they had approached to 
within a short distance of the sledge, Captain Eurenius dis- 
charged his piece, and severely wounded, as he supposed, 
one of the number. 
The report of the gun, however, caused the horse to 
take fright, when capsizing the sledge, and smashing the 
shafts to pieces, he went off at full gallop, with the latter 
dangling at his heels. 
The Captain and his brother were now in a rather awk- 
ward predicament : they had, besides, lost their ammuni- 
tion, and had only one loaded gun left. Leaving the pig 
in the sledge to its fate, they therefore faced towards their 
home, from which they were distant several miles, at their 
best pace. In this while, as it may be supposed, they cast 
many an anxious look behind, to see if the Wolves were in 
pursuit. 
These fears, however, were at length relieved; for, after 
proceeding some way, they met their father and a posse of 
people advancing to their assistance ; these had seen the 
horse come galloping home with the broken shafts; when, 
knowing the nature of the service on which these two ad- 
venturers had been engaged, as well as the direction they 
had taken, they lost no time in hastening towards the spot. 
The meeting was a joyful one; the father being not a little 
delighted thus to find his sons in safety. 
The whole party then repaired to the scene of action: 
here they found the pig had been taken from the sledge 
and devoured. This also seemed to have been the fate of 
a wolf, — the same, it was supposed, that Captain E. fired’ 
at; for some pieces of skin, and bones, of one of those 
ferocious apimals, were found near to the spot. 
During severe weather, when Wolves are famishing with 
hunger, their natural timidity, as I have said, forsakes 
them, and then they oftentimes conduct their attacks in the 
most daring manner. Among several instances of the kind 
which have come to my knowledge, I select the following: 
