THE WHITE BEAR. 
29 
On what kind of food does this animal live ? } 
He lives on fish, and seals, which he catches himself. 1 
He also eats the flesh of dead whales, which happen to 
float on shore, or which he finds by swimming out to sea. ; 
Does he live in the water, or on the land ? 
This animal lives chiefly on the land, or on the ice. > 
But he is an excellent swimmer, and often ventures off > 
to sea, and dives down into the water, to catch fish. / 
Where is the White. Bear the king of beasts 1 
The White Bear is the king of beasts in the cold, and 
dreary country where he lives. In that desolate region, 
there is no other animal which is a match for him, and ; 
he is therefore the king of beasts in Greenland and Lap- ) 
land. 
What is the difference between the White Bear and the black bear ? / 
The White Bear, besides the difference in color, is a \ 
very different animal from the black bear. The White 
Bear lives entirely on fish and flesh, and never eats 
fruits, or other vegetables, while the black bear lives 
chiefly on fruits and nuts, and never eats flesh, unless 
when he is pressed with hunger. The head and neck 
of the White Bear are longer and not so thick in propor- < 
tion, as those of the black bear. The White Bear is a \ 
much larger, and more ferocious animal, than the black ] 
bear. j 
In what does the White Bear differ from all other animals ? 
The White Bear seems to increase in size and strength 
in proportion to the coldness of the country where he 
lives, while man, and all other animals, except this, de- ' 
crease in size by living in extreme cold. In this respect, 
the White Bear differs from all other animals. 
The White Bear, although so fierce and cruel, when 
provoked, does not, like the tiger, always kill whatever 
comes in his way. It seems from the following story, 
that when people are kind to him, he sometimes lets 
them go away unhurt. Dr. Goldsmith says, it often 
happens, that when a Greenlander and his wife are pad¬ 
dling out at sea, by coming too near an ice cake on 
which there is a White Bear, that the animal suddenly 
jumps into their boat, and if he does not overset it, sits \ 
calmly and quietly down, and suffers himself to be rowed 
along. It. is probable, that the poorlittle Greenlander is 
not very fond of his new passenger, but as he cannot get 
rid of him, he rows him safely on shore, when the huge 
beast, if he is not very hungry, steps out of the boat, 
and without paying any thing for his passage, walks 
calmly away. 
In Greenland, where the White Bear lives, the people 
are few in number, and are, at the same time, small and 
weak. Would it not seem, therefore, that Divine Prov¬ 
idence, in placing so huge an animal among them, as 
5 
this, had a particular design in making him peaceable, 
and easily avoided, except when attacked 1 Was the 
White Bear as destructive in his disposition as the tiger, 
he would soon destroy all the people in the country 
where he lives. But instead of this, he seldom or never 
attacks people, except when he is provoked, or pressed 
with hunger. Let 11 s, then, admire the mercy of the 
Creator towards these poor Greenlanders, in his having 
made the White Bear, with so mild and peaceable a 
temper. 
ANECDOTE II. 
The following story is told by Captain Scoresby, who 
saw what he states, himself. It is interesting, because 
it shows the instinctive curiosity of the Bear, the exer¬ 
cise of which, saved the sailor from destruction. 
In the year 1820, the men on board a whaling ship, 
on the coast of Greenland, saw a large White Bear, a 
good way from them, on the ice. One of the sailors hap¬ 
pening at that time to have his courage raised high by a 
dram of spirits, declared that he would go and attack the 
ferocious beast with a whaling lance. (The whaling 
lance is a large, sharp pointed instrument, with a long 
wooden handle, used in destroying whales.) The other 
sailors tried to prevent him from going on so danger¬ 
ous an errand. But in spite of every thing they could 
say to him, he would go, and having taken the lance in 
his hand, proceeded on his way. After a tiresome walk 
of a mile and a half, over the ice, the foolish sailor found 
himself in front of the enemy he went to attack. The 
Bear did not seem the least afraid of the man, or of his 
lance, but stood and faced him, and seemed to dare him 
to the attack. The man pointed his lance, as though 
he was going to give him a thrust, but the Bear stood 
unmoved ; and by showing him his monstrous teeth, let 
him know that he had better keep his distance. Itwas 
now that the sailor saw his folly, as well as his danger, 
for the animal looked so large and terrible, that he did 
not dare to attack him, and the poor fellow found that 
his knees began to tremble with fear. But knowing that 
his fellow sailors would laugh at him, as a coward, if 
he came back without having a battle, be stood still,not 
knowing what to do. The Bear, who had also stood still, 
now began t?T step towards him, and as he came near, 
all the sailor’s bravery, just at the moment when he 
most wanted it, forsook him. He said to himself, trem¬ 
bling with fear, “ if this terrible beast will let me go this 
time, he maybe sure that I will always keep out of his 
way, if I can.” He then turned around, and began to 
run, but the Bear did not like to part with him so soon, 
and so proceeded after him. The sailor soon found that 
his enemy had a swifter foot on the ice than he had, and 
that he should soon be overtaken. Finding that his 
