they suffer in their passage thither* they 
make dreadful ravages among the cattle? 
but are soon dispatched by the inhabi¬ 
tants, who rise in a body as soon as they 
learn that one of them has approached 
their shores. 
That these animals are possessed of 
considerable sagacity, is evident from the 
account we have given of their combats 
with the walrus, and may be farther elu¬ 
cidated by the following fact: The Cap¬ 
tain wounded one in the side, and im¬ 
mediately the animal, as if conscious of 
the styptic nature of snow, covered the 
wound with it, and made off. We did 
not perceive any blood in its tract. 
The sight of the bear is rather defec¬ 
tive, but their senses of smelling and 
hearing are very acute, and compensate 
for any feebleness in the other. 
Some writers have affirmed, that Polar 
bears lie in a state of torpor through the 
l5ng winter night, and appear only with 
