174 
A VOYAGE TO SPITZBEBGEN. 
compared with the vast hulk of its parent; it hardly 
equals in size a spaniel puppy of a few days old. 
The hear of the Arctic regions does not hug like 
other bears, but bites at his opponent; and he declines 
to eat his captive until life is quite extinct. Like a 
cat, he plays with the victim. Amongst the Eskimo 
of Greenland he plays strange pranks, often creeping 
upon the hunter whilst busily flencing a seal, and 
tapping him on the shoulder with his powerful paw. 
Then it is the unfortunate man’s cue to “ feign dead,” 
so that when the Brownie retreats a few paces to enjoy 
the prospect of his intended meal, the gun can be got 
ready before he returns again to the attack. 
Byers has not been idle. On the open water near 
the ship he has watched for a narwhal, and without 
much difficulty has fired the harpoon right through 
the “fish.” It has no horn, and the men are hard to 
satisfy respecting this peculiarity in the individual 
captured. The oil is abundant, however, and this is 
some compensation in settling the obscure question as 
to the want of a horn; had it been a female there 
would have been no question raised. 
The wind shifting brings down the ice upon us, 
and the threatened danger fills us with apprehen¬ 
sion for the safety of the ship. Some smaller bits of 
ice come crunching and grating against her sides* 
