The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-09-18
st. JOhnsbury, Vt. September IS, lS47

: lfthe bear is very large one two or three
more persons will throw their lassoes on him,
because an old bear will be very apt to take
the lassO in his mouth and bite it of, or
bring such n strain on it as would break
it,
The bear being we'll secured, with three or
four lassoes on him, the horses nrchng their
necks and snoring with pride, walk away
with the savage animal, which is rearing,
plunging and growing. Each motion from
the direction in which it is tho intention of
his captors TO carry him is checked by the
horsemon, on the opposite side; and if the in
tenton is not to kill him at once, but TO make
him fast alive, for the purpose of batting him
next day with bull, then the most danger
Gus part of the business has yet TO be per-
formed, which is that ofmaking the bear fast
alive, in such manner as is least likely to
iniure him or affect his agility for the ensuing
combat with his savage antagonist
When it is the intention to keep the bear
alive for the purpose Of baiting him, they
take him as near to an oak or some other
sturdy tree as they can well get hm--thcn
two horsemen try 10 get their lassoes over
his head and one arm, and other two lasso
each one n leg. These latter horsemen then
drag the bear, going on opposite sides of the
tree, until they get his after parts close up to
the tree, with leg on each side oft
All four horsemen now keep tight strain
with three turns round the loggerhead of
each saddle, turning their horses so as TO
face the bear and hold back, n position
which all the Californian horses are well ac-
customed to, and in which they hold the
greatest strain. There must now be man
on foot, who takes good strong lasso, and
makes one end fast to one of the bears legs
Just above the nncle, in such 4 manner that
it will not jam or draw tight around the leg.
lie then leads the same lasso to the other leg,
and makes it fast after the same manner, and
so keeps on from leg To leg, until he has eight
or ten turns. lie then takes the Iassoes
which the two hinder horscmen have fast to
the bears legs, and casts them loose. The
bear being now well secured, with the tree
between his legs, and the lasso behind the
tree, the forward lassoes are taken off by
Stacking them with long poles, pushing the
sliding parts with the ends of the poles
This is a dangerous piece of work, and the
lassoes nrc sometimes left on the bear
When this is the case, he invariably takes
them offhimselG though they are seldom of
any service atterward on account of their be-
ing generally bitten to pieces.
The bear is now left with all his body per-
fectly free, so that he can move round and
round the tree. Care is always taken not TO
irritate him unnecessarily, because it often
happens that these lerocious animals die
with rage and sometimes water is thrown
on him to freshen him,-though as this is
sometimes trouble and consequently contra
ry to the inclinatIons OF these people, it is
seldom done.
This method ofhunting the bear is one of
the noblest diversions with which | am ac-
quainted. There is no cruelty annexed
TO it, so far the catching is concerned
The cruelty consists in the batting the ami
NAL, of which shall give description here
after; bur there is something extraordinarily
grand in this exercise, which requires cour-
age, skill and activity. Ii requires an extra
ordinary degree ofcourage for naan TO ride
up beside n savage monster like the grisly
bear of this country, which is nearly as nc
tive as n monkey and whose strength is en-
ornous. Should lasso happen TO break,
which is often the case, the bear invariably
attacks the horse: and it requires very often
the most skilful horseInansbip to prevent the |
horse or its rider from being injured. IL re-
quires also great skill to know when to tight ,
en- the lasso, and to what degree, TO prevent
it from being snapped bytoo sudden a strain.
The rider must have his eye constantly on
that of the bear, and watch his very mo-
ton.
Sometimes, either through fear, careless
ness or inadvertence, a man may let go his |
lasso. In this case, another, if the bear takes
off, (Which he is likely to do will 30 as hard
as his horse can run, and without stopping
his speed will stoop from his saddle and pick |
the end of the lasso from the ground, and
taking two or three turns round the logger |
head of his saddle and checking his horses
rein, again detain the bear.
In short, from the moment person arrives
at the spot fixed upon to lay wait for the
bears coming to the bait until he is fast TO
tree or killed, lie feels himself elateG. E.v-
cry motion of those noble animals, the hors
es, which seem as though they were doubly
proud when they feel the strain of the lasso
from tie saddle, and appear to take as much
delight in the sport us the riders themselves.
is grand beyond my power of descrpliolI.-
A bear hunt in this country surpases every
thing of the kind on horseback that ever ell
Their saw or read or heard tell of,
In night skirmish the asso is danger
Gus article. A Californian will iasso man
and drag him off his horse and choke him in
one minute; and without getting off his horse,
he will take his lasso off the neck of his van
quished foe, and in two minutes will he pre-
pared for another ! have seen man do
this when fighting the wild indians; and Il
man pursued by two others with brace of
pistols each, would stand II better chance oil
saving his life than man pursued 10y one
Californian within lassoing distance; because
the party pursued by those with tho pistols
might dodge and destroy the aim of his pur-
suers, but he who should be pursued by the
Californian with his lasso, would have no
means of escape, because the lasso when
thrown at any thing that is running, is ms
true in the hands of a Californian ms rifle
ball from good nnrksman's steady aim
Letter from .Lonterey
IRISH TWINS. An old, ragged, red-taced,
iorlorl looking Irish woman accosted us WIN:
"Plaize sur, for the luv of heaven, give me a
4 4 NJ ~