At this time they are always very lean; as they do not le until the ground is covered with snow.

ty. Barentz, in ina, had the most ova Zembla: they », carrying them off in the sight of their

ging to a ship in the Whale-fishery shot at a Bear at a little distance, and wounded it. The animal immediately set up a dreadful howl, and ran along the ice towards the boat. Before he reached it, a second shot was fired, which hit him. This served but to increase his fury. He presently swam to the boat, and, in attempting to get on board, placed one ut a sailor, having a hatchet in his wever, still continued to swim after ip; and several shots were fired at reaching the ship, he immediately rew, having fled into the shrouds, he en a shot laid him dead upon the deck. Animals consist of Seals, Fish, and the en on land they prey on Deer and other t various kinds of berries, which they ing story of the sagacity of these animals Iserted from the works of the Hon. Robert tain told me that the White Bears in or hstanding the coldness of the climate, have that sometimes, when the fisherman had disWhale, and left it floating on the waves, three the shore, whence it could not be seen, these as near the water as they could, and raising

eat with great moderation. The master of the feast touches nothing; but is employed in relating to the guests ancient tales of feats in former chases; and fresh invocations to the manes of the deceased Bears conclude the whole.

They then sally forth, equipped as if for war, and painted black; and they proceed on their way in a direct line, not allowing rivers, marshes, nor any other impediments to stop their course, and driving before them all the beasts they find. When they arrive at the huntingground, they surround as large a space as they can; and then contract their circle, searching at the same time every hollow tree, and every place capable of being the retreat of a Bear: and they continue the same practice till the chase is expired.

As soon as a Bear is killed, a hunter puts into his mouth a lighted pipe of tobacco, and blowing into it, fills the throat with the smoke, conjuring the spirit of the animal not to resent what they are about to do to its body, nor to render their future chases unsuccessful. As the beast makes no reply, they cut out the string of the tongue, and throw it into the fire. If it crackle and shrivel up, (which it is almost sure to do,) they accept this as a good omen; if not, they consider that the spirit of the beast is not appeased, and that the chase of the next year will be unfortunate.

The flesh of the American Bear is said to taste like pork. Dr. Brickell ate some at a planter's house in North Carolina, and mistook it for excellent pork; but such are the prejudices to which mankind are subject, that the next day, being undeceived, and invited to partake of a similar dish, he felt so much disgust that he was not able to taste it.

THE WHITE, OR POLAR BEAR.

THE WHITE BEAR.

The length of this animal is sometimes nearly twelve feet. It differs from the Common Bear in having its head and neck of a more lengthened form, and the body longer in proportion to its bulk. The ears and eyes are small; and the teeth extremely large. The hair is long, coarse, and white; and its limbs of great strength. The tips of the nose and claws are perfectly black.

The immense numbers of these animals, in the

polar regions, are truly astonishing. They are not only seen on the

THE WHITE, OR POLAR BEAR.

235

land, but often on ice-floats several leagues at sea. They are sometimes transported in this manner to the very shores of Iceland; where they no sooner land, than all the natives are in arms to receive them. It occasionally happens, that when a Greenlander and his wife are paddling out at sea, by coming too near an ice-float, a White Bear anexpectedly jumps into their boat; and if he does not overset it, sits calm where he first alighted, and like a passenger suffers himself to be rowed along. It is probable that the Greenlander is never very fond of his unwieldly guest: however, he makes a virtue of necessity, and hospitably rows him to shore.

The Polar Bears are animals of tremendons ferocity. Barentz, in his voyage in search of a North East Passage to China, had the most horrid proofs of their ferocity in the island of Nova Zembla: they attacked his seamen, seizing them in their mouths, carrying them off with the utmost ease, and devouring them even in the sight of their comrades.

Not many years ago, the crew of a boat belonging to a ship in the Whale-fishery shot at

a Bear at a little distance, and wounded it. The animal immediately set up a dreadful howl, and ran along the ice towards the boat. Before he reached it, a second shot was fired, which hit him. This served but to increase his fury. He presently swam to the boat, and, in attempting to get on board, placed one

of his fore feet upon the gunnel; but a sailor, having a hatchet in his hand, cut it off. The animal, however, still continued to swim after them till they arrived at the ship; and several shots were fired at him, which took effect: but on reaching the ship, he immediately ascended the deck; and the crew, having fled into the shrouds, he was pursuing them thither, when a shot laid him dead upon the deck. The usual food of these animals consist of Seals, Fish, and the carcasses of Whales; but when on land they prey on Deer and other animals. They likewise eat various kinds of berries, which they happen to find. The following story of the sagacity of these animals in searching for prey, is inserted from the works of the Hon. Robert Boyle: "An old sea captain told me that the White Bears in or about Greenland, notwithstanding the coldness of the climate, have an excellent nose; and that sometimes, when the fisherman had dismissed the carcass of a Whale, and left it floating on the waves, three or four leagues from the shore, whence it could not be seen, these animals would stand as near the water as they could, and raising

themselves on their hind legs, would loudly snuff in the air, and, with the paws of their fore-legs, drive it as it were against their snouts;

and when they were satisfied whence the odor came, would cast themselves into the sea, and swim directly towards the Whale."

During the summer, these animals reside chiefly on the ice-islands; and frequently swim from one to another. They lodge in dens formed in the vast masses of ice; and on these they breed, producing about two young-ones at a birth. About the end of March they bring these out, and immediately bend their course towards the sea.

When the masses of ice are detached by strong winds or currents, the Bears often allow themselves to be carried along with them; and as they can neither regain the land, nor abandon the ice on which they are embarked, they often perish in the open sea. The affection between the parent and the young is so great, that they will sooner die than desert each other in distress. "While the Carcase Frigate, which went out some years ago to make discoveries towards the North Pole, was locked in the ice, early one morning the man at the mast-head gave notice that three Bears were making their way very fast over the frozen ocean, and were directing their course towards the ship. They had, no doubt, been invited by the scent of some blubber of a Walrus that the crew had killed a few days before; which had been set on fire, and was burning on the ice at the time of their approach. They proved to be a she Bear and her two cubs; but the cubs were nearly as large as the dam. They ran eagerly to the fire, and drew out of the flames part of the flesh of the Walrus, that remained unconsumed, and ate it voraciously. The crew from the ship threw upon the ice great lumps of the flesh of the Sea-Horse, which they had still remaining. These the old Bear fetched away singly, laid every lump before her cubs as she brought it, and dividing it, gave to each a share, reserving but a small portion to herself. As she was fetching away the last piece, the sailors levelled their muskets at the cubs, and shot them both dead; and in her retreat