The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1850-09-14
The Grizzly Bear Of California.
BY THE REV. W. COTTON.

Inc Grizzly Bear VI Calf0rnla.
by THE REV. W. COTTON.
The grizzly bear is the most formula
bic and ierocious animal in California;;
and yet, with all this ieroclty OF DISPOSE.
ton, rarely attacks man uness surprised
or molested. The fellow never lies in
wait for bis victim. II the hunter IN
vades his retreat or disputes his path he
will fight, but otherwise contents himself
with the immunity which he finds in the
wildness Of his home and the savage gran
deur OF his nature. II is never safe to at
tack him with one rife; for if you fail 10
hit him iaa vital part, he is on you in
the twinkling OF an eye. Your only pos
sibllty of escape isu near tree, too
slender Tor his giant grasp, and hen
there is something extremely awkward
in being on the top of tree with such
savage monster at its root. How long he
will remain there you cannot tell; it may
be day. and it may be week. Your
antagonist is too shrewd TO hand You up
your rife or let you come down. to get il.
You are bis prisoner, more safely lodged
than in dungeon, and he will set you
at liberty when it suits him. He sleeps
not hirselt at his post day and night his
great flashing eyes are fastened upon you
The Tyre OF Orpheus may have lulled to
sleep the sentinel of Hades, but its magic
tones have never char med TO slumber the
sentinel of the California forest.
The full grown California bear meas
ures from eight 10 ten feet in length, and
four or five IN girth. His strength is ire
mendous his embrace death. Had the
priest OF Apollo fallen into his folds, he
would have persisted without any Of
those protracted agoaies which the sym.
pathetic muse has walled round the
world. Nature has thrown over hin: a
Coat OF mail, soft indeed, but impervious
to the storm and the arrow Of the Indian.
The fur which is OF dark brown color,
Is nearly span long, and when the ami
NAL is enraged each particular hair stands
on end His food in the summer is chief
ly berries, but he will now and then, OF
some OF his feast days slaughter bullock.
In winter he lives on acorns, which
abound in these forests. He is an excel
lent climber. and will ascend large oak
with the rapidlty Of a lar up the shrouds
Of ship. In procuring his acorns,
when on Tree, he does not mani fest his
usual cunning. Instead Of threshlng
them down like the Indian, he selects a
we'll stocked limb, throws himself upon
its extremity, and there hangs swinging
and jerking till the limb gives way, and
down they come, branch, acorns and
bear together. On these acorns he be-
comes extremely fat, yielding ten or fl
teen gallons of oil, which is said TO be
sufficiently pungent and nutritive as a
tonic to tuft statues marble head.
The she bear has one popularity that
must puzzle even the philosophical inqu,-
rer. As soon as she discovers herself
with young, she ceases TO roam the lor-
est, and modestly retires from the pres
ence OF others, to some secluded grotto.
There she remains, while her male
companion, with consideration that docs
honor to his sex, brings her food. She
reappears al length with her twin cubs,
and wo to the luckless wight who should
attempt to iniure or modest them. They
are guarded by an affection and terocry
with which it would be madness to trihe.
For them she hunts the berries and dis
lodges the acorns Her maternal care
is beautiful trait in her savage nature
and
"Siines like good deed in naughty world
A. c. BULLlrr, Esq, one oil the editors
Of the Picayune, and OF the Washington
Republic. and who is now on visit to
Europe, is spoken OF IN the New Orleans
papers as candidate to fill the vacancy
III the House of Representatives. eccaslon-
ed by the resignation OF Mr.. Conrad.
DESCENDANTS OF LAFAYETTE Among
tho passengers IN the Steamship Atlantic
are son and daughter OF Gen. Lafayette,
who assisted us in our revolutionary
struggle. Mr.. E. D. Lafayette is the
son. The name OF the daughter is Mad
o,,o 10 Tso,erip Her husha nd "a with