228 
FLORA OF FORFARSHIRE. 
and went off in the direction the young ones had taken, pro- 
bably to ascertain whether they were safe. During this mo- 
mentary absence, I drew from my gun the small shot with 
which I had been firing at ducks during the morning, and 
which, I was well aware, would avail me nothing against so 
large and powerful a creature, and replaced it with ball. The 
bear, meanwhile, had advanced and retreated two or three 
times, apparently more furious than ever ; halting at each 
interval within a shorter and shorter distance of me, always 
raising herself on her hind legs, and growling a horrible de- 
fiance, and at length approaching to within the length of my 
gun from me. Now was my time to fire : but judge of my 
alarm and mortification when I found that my gun would not 
go off! The morning had been wet, and the damp had com- 
municated to the powder. My only resource was to plant 
myself firm and stationary, in the hope of disabling the bear 
by a blow on her head with the butt end of my gun, when she 
should throw herself on me to seize me. She had gone and 
returned ten or a dozen times, her rage apparently increasing 
with her additional confidence, and I momentarily expected 
to find myself in her gripe, when the dogs belonging to the 
brigade made their appearance ; but, on beholding the bear, 
they fled with all possible speed. The horsemen were just 
behind, but such was the surprise and alarm of the whole 
party, that though there were several hunters, and at least 
half-a-dozen guns among them, the bear made her escape un- 
hurt, passing one of the horsemen (whose gun, like mine, 
missed fire), and apparently intimidated by the number of 
the party. For the future, I took care to keep my gun in 
better order, but I found, by future experience, that the best 
mode of getting rid of the bears when attacked by them, was 
to rattle my vasculum, or specimen box, when they immedi- 
ately decamp. This is the animal described by Lewis and 
Clark in their Travels on the Missouri, and so much dreaded 
by the Indians. My adventure with the bear did not, how- 
ever, prevent my accomplishing the collecting of the Junger- 
inannia. It is No. 17 of the ‘ American Mosses.’ ” 
The American Mosses, Musci Americani , referred to 
above, is a collection made during this expedition, and pub- 
lished in two quarto volumes. This valuable work, together 
with his admirable collections, and what he had previously 
proved himself capable of accomplishing, induced Sir W. J. 
Hooker and Dr Graham to make arrangements for sending 
