The Sun.
London, England, 1824-12-02 00:00:00

BEAR HUNTING in HUNGARY and BOHEMIA,

In tin' more remote and less cultivated districts
of Hungary and Bohemia, the brown or black bear is in winter
the terror of the shepherds; and hunting him is almost as fa-
vourite a pastime with the people In those countries, as bull-
lighting with the inhabitants of Portugal or Spain. It is early
in the spring that the bears generally do most mischief, when
the hard frost has straitened them for several weeks of their
forest prey ; they then make " raids," by broad day-light, into
the hamlets and villages; and it is not at all uncommon for a
peasant, returning from his labour in the field, to find a furred
and whiskered marauder in possession of his hut, and ransack.
ing it, from the meal chest to the corner cupboard, in quest of
provision. If tracked with hounds, which is easy at this season,
because his footsteps in the snow betray him, the bear retreats,
but by no means in disorder, or with any especial celerity,
stopping now and then to discuss any over troublesome as.
gallant, which he doeS with as much coolness and method as a
poulterer would truss a chicken ; when pressed with fire-arms,
or in danger from numbers, he rolls himself over at hazard
among the rocks and precipices ; and unless the first bullet
which strikes him should be mortal, there is an end of the chase
generally for that day. In the summer, however, when the
bear is less ferocious, there are two modes (without either dogs
or fire-arms) of hunting him, both of which are sufficiently
verting, and both require great bodily activity, joined to courage
and
and presence of mind. At this time the animal feeds a good
deal upon grain and vegetable, and is frequently seen in wood
paths, and. even open roads ; if you stand aside,give the pas
in these encounters, he seldom molests you ; but if wounded or
affronted, the aggressor has work enough upon his hands. For
the chase, the villagers go out in parties of 3 or 4 together, each
man armed with a small axe made in the manner nearly of the
American tomahawk; and the first work is to beat the places
where a bear is likely to be found, or to lay a bait for him, con.
misting of a dead sheep, near which they wait until he is at-
tracted by the smell. When Bruin appears, the hunter who is
to make the attack (having grappling hooks fitted to his knees
in order to climb more easily) advances boldly within fifty or
sixty yards, and commences the quarrel by throwing a stone;
this done, be makes for a tree which he has selected, and then,
according to agreement with his companions, the affair be-
comes a tragedy, or is to terminate as a farce. As soon as the
bear finds himself struck, he starts, at a smart trot, in pursuit
of his molester; seldom offering to meddle with any one else
unless his vengeance is interfered with ; and when he reaches
the tree, he straightway
begins to ascend, with as much expe.
dition as his habitual grnviti of movement will permit. This
Is the moment, if the game is to die, at which the forester be.
gins to bestir himself. Seated among the lowest and strongest
branches of the tree, he rapidly cuts away with his axe any
small twigs which might impede the full sweep and play of his
arm ; then takings firm hold with his left hand twisted in the
boughs, with his weapon in the right, he awaits the approach
of the enemy. The bear, by the help of his strong claws climbs
slowly up the. trunk of the tree ; but these dig so deep some.
timesinto the bark, that lie finds it difficult to draw them out
again. This gives the man full time, who waits steadily till the
foremost fore paw comes within his reach, when, with one vi-
gorous blow of the axe, he either strikes it off, or mutilates it
so us to stop all chance of limiter progress. The position here
for striking is so favourable, and habit makes the hunters so
expert, that many of them, in twenty blows, would not miss
once dividing the paw, bone and all entirely ; but whether this
be done or not, the stroke is usually fatal to the animal, who
falls to the ground, and is dispatched while still stunned with
the force of his descent. Sometimes he remains clinging with
his second paw to the tree; but in that case, the second paw
is immediately cut off likewise, when of necessity he rolls over
backwards, anti remains at the mercy ot' the hunters.
In the second manner of summer hunting, the bear fre-
quently does not die ; and it Is followed by the shepherds, with
no other arms than their crooks, reinforced, perhaps, by a few
hedge-stakes, or an occasional volley of stones. For the pur-
pose of this chase, when the beast approaches a flock of sheep,
us keepers immediately face him ; and one, having commenced
hostilities by throwing his stone, takes to his post of security,
the tree; this time, however, instead of using his axe, he
merely gets astride upon the largest and lowest bough that he
can find, and in that posture awaits the combat, which becomes
highly ludicrous and entertaining. The bear, swarming up
the trunk of the tree by the help of his claws, arrives easily
enough at the branch in which the hunter sits, but by this time
the latter has retired perhaps a couple of yards from the
stem ; and, when it becomes necessary to walk along to
get at hint, instead of climbing, the matter changes some.
thing of position. If the bough is large, the pursuer com-
monly. gets upon it, and advances, its well as lie may,
holding by some of the upper ones, towards his foe ; but
the other still getting backward, where the branch is weaker,
keeps, with the most perfect security, within three feet of his
head. A burlesque kind of dialogue then commences, in
which the hunter invites the bear to approach, offers to shake
think of' backin
hands with him, promises a loaf' of bread, &c.; but in the
p
mean time, the latter, who dislikes the narrow tooting, and
moreover feels the brunch bend under him, remains somewhat
embarrassed as to the disposal of his own
person, and begins to
Ite b g ecomes perfectly harmless, for, to descend the trunk, as he
in again towards the trunk of the tree. Here
must go backwards, is a more tedious operation than ascending
Was; and in the mean time the hunter, sliding out to the ex.
treinity of his branch, drops off'
holding by both hands, into
the arms of his comrades below. The joke then ends with a
'hower of stones, or of lighte.d firebrands, at the bear, who sits
discomfited in the tree very much at a loss what course to pursue.
It' enraged too far, however, he will sometimes roll his body up,
and so cast himself down headlong with what fortune he may;
in which case, should he alight not seriously hurt, his tor.
mentors hnd it convenient to disperse as quickly as P°ssihie•

The Earl of nurrrninnos, late Governor of
Dominica, has, we understand, left that Island,
on his return to England. An Act unanimously
passed the House of Assembly previous to his
Lordship's departure, declaring that no future
Governor shall be allowed a salary of more than
3,0001. per annum, being a reduction of one-
fourth.--(,g
rincent Gazelle.)