Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-04-25
with a Grizzly Bear.

A California letter ia the Helenu South
ern Shiel,.,' IAN Arkansas paper.) relates the
following adventure Of the writer and his
companion, who were out alone looking for
new gold diggings:
We Travelled The third day until near dark,
and although we passed number OF ra-
vines that looked as if they contained gold,
still we pushed on, determined 10 make all
tile headway possible this day. About snn>
set. we encamped under the shelter of n
large oak tree, and commenced preparation
for our supper, which we cooked and DIS
patched in very short time, having eat
nothing since morning. Having made our
bed we were about lying down, when my
companion, who had been looking stead
fasty at the brush for some time, about
lwenty yards behind us, whispered to me,
"There's a grizzly bear in The brush.
Al first / did not believe he was serious,
thinking that he merely wished to see how
would act; but when | turned my head, l
saw the reality. There. within twenty
yards, stood huge grizzly bear, with eyes
like two lamps, gluring on us. In the mind
of every miner, one fact with regard 10
grizzly bear, is firmly impressed, that is,
that the only saiey is in climbing Tree.
Flight is out of the question; bear can
outrun the swiftest runner Crossing rivers
is useless; bear will take 20 the water
like a spaniel; So that the tree, and
the tree alone, is the Only security.
Fortunately for us, we were encamped
under large tree, one of the arms OF which
hung within seven feel of The ground
On this cast my eye. and telling my
companion 10 follow, made spring and
succeeded i'll catching 1t, and twisting my
legs OH to it. then got into the fork, and
turning round, found The bearh had advanced
TO within ten yards of us, and my COM
panion was swinging 10 and fro, unable 10
get his feet up. In moment l was out on
the limb again. and, bending down. caught
him by the trowsers and pulled hun up, just
as the bear got to the tree. We could easily
perceive the rage and disappointment OF
grizzly, when he saw us safely seated in the
fork of the tree. He gave a loud growi,
and after walking five or six times round
the trunk, stood on his hind legs. and gave
it a most terrific hug. While eating our
supper we had few drops of rain, OF which
we thought nothing, as it wanted no more
than month of the rainy season. How
ever, it hogan TO come down now in torrents,
and continued so for four hours, without one
fair moment. Our situation now was any
and trowsers on, sitting in the fork of Tree
drenched to the skin, and gizz y bear wait
ing for us below. We continued so until
daylight. when The bear GOT up and walked
slowly away towards The brush. looking hack
at US every moment. Al last he disappear
ed, and when we thought we had gwen him
sufficien; lime to come lacktf he Intended,
we stole s,ealthlIy down the tree, and hav-
ing rolled up our blankets, run Tor our lives,
leaving behind us provisions, cooking uten-
sis. and every thing except bedding and a
small bag of -four, which grasped in my
hand while starting. We continued run
ming for four hours, until we We're certain
we were out of the reach OF his bearship,
and then had 10 lie down from exhaustion.
After resting for some time, we made fire,
and -four being the only food we had, cook
ed some doueh-balls over the burning sticks,
and washed them down with water. The
second night we arrived safe at the Old
Bar, and registered n vow never TO 60 pro-
specIing again.