408 Ak ERIC AN BEAR. 
' 
ter of the feast alone touches nothing"; but is em« 
ployed in relating to the guests antient tales of the 
wonderful feats in former chases ; and fresh invo- 
cations to the manes of the deceased bears conclude 
the whole. 
ec They then sally forth amidst the acclamations 
of the village ; equipped as if for war, and paint- 
ed black. Every able hunter is on a level with a 
great warrior ; but he must have killed his dozen 
great beasts before his character is established ; 
after which his alliance is as much courted as that 
of the most valiant captain. They now proceed 
on their way in a direct line ; neither rivers, 
marshes, nor any other impediments, stop their 
course ; driving before them all the beasts they 
find. When they arrive at the hunting ground, 
they surround as large a space as they can with 
their company ; and then contract their circle, 
searching at the same time every hollow tree, and 
every place fit for the retreat of a bear ; and they 
continue the same practice till the time of the chase 
is expired. 
“ As soon as a bear is killed, a hunter puts into 
liis mouth a lighted pipe of tobacco, and blowing 
into it fills the throat with the smoke, conjuring 
the spirit of the animal not to resent what they are 
goingto do to its body, nor to render their future 
chases unsuccessful. As the beast makes no re- 
ply, they cut out the string of the tongue, and 
throw it into the fire. If it crackles and shrivels 
up, (which it is almost sure to do,} they accept it 
as a good omen ; if not they consider that the spi- 
rit of the beast is not appeased, and that the chase 
of the next year will be unfortunate. 
“ The hunters live well during the chase, ou 
provisions which they bring with them. They re- 
turn home with great pride and self complacency ; 
for, to kill a bear, forms the character of a com- 
