312 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
two cubs, but the latter were nearly as large as the dam. They 
ran eagerly to the fire, and drew out from the flames part of the 
flesh of the walrus which remained unconsumed, and ate it vo¬ 
raciously. The crew from the ship threw great pieces of the 
flesh, which they had still left upon the ice, which the old bear 
carried away singly, laid every piece before her cubs, and divid¬ 
ing them gave each a share, reserving but a small portion to 
herself. As she was carrying away the last piece, they levelled 
their muskets at the cubs, and shot them both dead, and in her 
retreat, they wounded the dam, but not mortally 
It would have drawn tears of pity from any but unfeeling 
hearts, to have marked the affectionate concern manifested by 
this poor beast in the last moments of her expiring young. 
Though she was sorely wounded and could but just crawl to the 
place where they lay, she carried the lump of flesh she had 
fetched away, as she had done the others before, tore it in pieces, 
and laid it down before them, and when she saw they refused to 
eat, she laid her paws first upon one and then upon the other, 
and endeavoured to raise them up. All the while it was piteous 
to hear her moan. When she found she could not stir them, 
she went off, and when at some distance, looked back and moaned, 
and that not availing to entice them away, she returned and 
smelling around them began to lick their wounds. She went 
off a second time as before, and having crawled a few paces, 
looked again behind her, and for some time stood moaning. 
But still her cubs not rising to follow her she returned to them 
igain, and with signs of inexpressible fondness, went round first 
ane and then the other, pawing them and moaning: finding at 
last they were cold and lifeless, she raised her head towards the 
ship and growled her resentment at the murderers, which they 
returned with a volley of musket balls, she fell between her cubs, 
and died licking their wounds. 
A few years ago when one of the Davis’ Strait whalers, was 
closely beset among the ice to the south west, or on the coast of 
Labrador, a bear that had for some time been near the ship, 
at length became so bold as to approach alongside, probably 
tempted by the offal of the provision thrown overboard by the 
