The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-03-16
POLAR BEARS

AS'"t " " DOTR uUOunutng IN tHe most usefu
; ana amusing Information:
:. In the caves of the rocks, or in the hollow,
OF the ice, dwells the most formidable of Arcti,
quadrupeds, the Greenland or Polar Bear
lhls fierce tyrant of the cliffs and SHOWS of the
north unites the strength of the lion with the
untameable fierceness Of the hyena A lono
shaggy covering of white soft hair and copi
Gus supply of fat enables him to defy the win.
ter OF this rigorous climate. Under the heat
OF Britain he suffers the most painful sensations
remnant saw one, over whom it was necessary
from Tune to time to pour large pailfuls OF
water. Another, kept for some years by Pro-
lessor jameson, evidently suffered severely
| rom the heat of an Edinburgh summer. The
haunt OF the Dear is'on the dreary Arctic shores
or on mountains of ice sometimes two hundred
niiles from land yet he is not, strictly speak
ing, amphlblous He cannot remain under
water above few moments, and he reaches
MS maritime stations only by swimming from
one Ice fragment to another. Mr. Scoresby
MINUS the swimming reach to three or four
niiles; yet FAIRY found one in the centre Of
barroW's Strait where it was 30 miles across;
ms bear prowls continually for his prey,
which consists chiefly of the smaller cetace and
OF seals, which, unable TO contend with hin.
shun their fate by keeping strict watch, and
PiungIng into the depths of the waters With
the walrus he holds dreadful and doubtful en-.
counters; and that powerful animal, with his
enormous tusks frequently beats him off With
great damage. The whale he dares not attack.
but watches anxiously for the huge carcass in
dead state, which affords him prolonged
and delicious feast he scents il at the distance
OF miles All these sources of supply being
prec1rlous, he is sometimes left for weeks with
out food, and the fury of his hunger then be-
comes tremendous. AT such periods man.
viewed by him always as his prey, Is attacked
with peculiar ferceness
( The annals of the north are filled with ac-
counts of the most perlous and fatal conflicts
OF the Polar Bear. The first and one of the
most traglcal, was sustained by Birentz and
Heemskerke, in 1896, during their 7oyage for
the discovery OF the north east passage. Hav-
ing anchored at an island near the strait of
Waygatz, two of the sailors landed and were
walking on shore, when one of them felt him
self closely Rugged from behind. Thinking
this iroc of one of his companions, he called
out IN corresponding tone, " Who's there
Fray stand off" His comrade looked. and
screamed out, A bear; A bear = then run
ming to the ship, alarmed the crew with loud
! cries. The sailors ran to the spot armed with
pixies and muskets On their approach the
bear very coolly quilted the manged corpse,
sPrang upon another sailor, carried him off, and
Plunging his teeth into his body began drink
ing his blood at long draughts. Hereupon the
whole OF that crew struck with terror, turned
t3eir backs, and fed precipitatey to the shin shin
other, unable to feel much satisfaction with
their own prowess. Three stood forth, under
taking to aVenge the fate of their cohntrymen.
and TO secure for them the rites ofburia.. They
advanced and fired at first from SO respectful
distance that they all missed The pursor then
! pOu - r.
ions, and, taking close aim, pierced the mon
ster's skull Immediately below the eve. The
bear, however, merely lifted his head, and ad-
vanced upon them, holding still in his mouth
the victim whom he was devouring; but see
ing him soon stagger, the three rushed on with
sabre and bayonet, and soon dispatched him
They collected and bestowed decent sepulchre
on the mang led limbs of their comrades while
the skin of the animal, thirteen feet long, be-
came the prize Of the sailor who had fred the
successful shot.
| The history of whale fishers records num-
Der of remarkable escapes from the bear. A
Dutch Captain, Jonge KEGS, in 1868, under
| took, with two canoes TO attack one, and with
lance gave him so dreadful a wound in the
belly, that his immediate death seemed newt
able. Anxious, therefore, not to iujure the skin
KEGS merely followed the animal close, till he
should drop down dead. The BEAR however,
having climbed a little rock, made a spring
| from the distance of twenty -four feet upon the
captain, who, taken completely by surprise,
lost hold of the lance, and they fell beneath
the assallant, who placing both paws on his
breast, opened two rows of tremendous teeth,
and paused for moment as if to show him all
the horrors of his situation. At this critical
instant, sailor rushed forward with only a
scoop, succeeded iE alarming the monster, who
made off, leaving the captain without the
| slightest injury.
In 1888, Capt Cook, of the Archangel when
near tho coast of Sptzbergen, found himself
suddenly between the paws of a bear He in
stantly called on the surgeon, who accompanied
him, to fire, which the latter did with such
admirable prompttude and precision, that he
shot the beast through the head, and delivered
the captain, MIR. Hawkins of the Everthrope,
IN July, 1915, having pursued and twice struck
a large bear, had raised his lance for a third
blow, when the animal sprang forward, seized
him by tho thigh, and threw him over his head
into the water. Fortunately it used this advan-
tage only to effect its own escape.
Captain Scoresby mentions boats crew
which attacked a bear in the Spitsbergen sea
but the animal having succeeded in climbing
the sides of the boat, all the sailors threw
| themselves for safety into the water, where
|
ed trumphantly, and took possession of the
barge, where it sat quietly till it was shot by
another party The same writer mentions the
ingenious contrivance of sailor, who being
pursued by one of these creatures, threw down
successfully his hat, jacket, handkerchief, and
every other article in his possession, when the
brute pausing at each, gave the sailor always a
certain advantage, and enabled him finally to
to regain the vessel.
Though the voracity OF the bear is such that
he has been known to feed on his own Species
| yet maternal tenderness is as conspicuous in
the female as in other inhabitants Of the frozen
regions. There is no exertion which she will
not make for the supply of her progeny A
she bear, with her two cubs, being pursued by
some sailors across field of ice, and finding
that neither by example, nor by peculiar
voice and action, she could urge them to the
requisite speed, applied her paws and pitched
them alternately forward Tho little creatures
themselves, as she came up, threw themselves
before her to receive the impulse, and thus
both she and they effected their escape.