Butte record., 1854-09-23
BEAR HUNTING IN RUSSIA.

SINGULAR INSTINCT OF TIE BEAR.
Everybody knows that the bear sleeps
or dozes all through the winter months,
eating nothing, but sucking his paws
with a low moaning sound Then is
the time when, if you be at St Peters
burgh, you Will be invited, as we were,
TO join many such expeditions. The
various hunting clubs Of that capital
employ peasants to discover the retreat
of the animal when this is reported to
be found, the party start, and the same
peasants proceed to rouse the bear with
shouts and blows-for the danger is not
so great until his blood is actually drawn.
Then most extraordinary fact has been
observed, which is this: If twenty ri
fes be fired at him simultaneously. and
only one ball touches him, he seems to
be guided by some mysterious instinct to
the very person among the whole party
who has aimed that ball Four or five
out of twenty can verify the experiment
by agreeing that they al ne shall fire,
and only one again out Of their number
loading with ball, the other three o,
four burning powder. The rest must
reserve their charges for the sake of
security, and must be prepared to
knock the bear over in the midst of his
rush. 1t then becomes evident whose
shot has told, if the bear be hit at all
and if he be, it will be found that he
will make no mistake himself about the
individual to whom he ows his wound.
In such cases his charge is exceedingly
rapid-far more rapid than is generally
supposed for it is imagined that there
is quite contrast between the slowness,
or, at least, the sluggishness of the BEARS
movement, and the almost winged spring
or bound of some other wild beasts Of
the larger class. 1t would be better for
any one belonging to hunting party,
such as that of which we speak, not to
reckon too confidently on this presumed
inferiority of the bear. While we were
at st. Petersburg, an English gentle
man had fearful occasion to learn the
brute's agility. He had gone, about
the end of December, with a company
of about tenor dozen, to hunt bears in
Finland for few weeks. One morn
the sportsman received word from Ma
jik that fine specimen was Illuminating
in the dell or rather clear wood OF fir
trees, and thither our hunters repaired
The quarry was soon reused reused
from those sad and solitary meditations
in which he would have passed the win
ter. Finding, after he had made few
shambling PAGES, that there was round
him distant ring Of men, he halted,
and doubtingly eyed the array. Wish
ing to make surer shot, the sportsmen
called to each other, and slightly mar
rowed the diameter of their circle, all
advancing few steps simultaneously
towards the centre. 1t was at this mo-
ment that three or four guns rose to as
many shoulders the English gentleman
to whom we refer was among those who
fred. For about ten seconds, it seemed
uncertain whether any of the shots had
taken effect, so perfectly still stood the
bear. Then, suddenly uttering strange
sound, he rushed straight towards that
one individual, whom we Will call Mr..
Horner, quite disregarding and disdaln-
ing the rest of the field. Hastily dis
charging his other barrel, the hunter, OF
course, turned and fed Ae may re-
mark, that after the bear is killed, it is
generally ascertainable, by the position
of the leaden messengers in his body,
and by his own place in the field, from
what direction they must have come,
and who, therefore, were the successful
marksmen. In the present case, from
the strength and velocity of the bears
charge, an inexperienced spectator
would have certainly concluded that no
wound had been yet Inflicted. The fact
was otherwise. Both the barrels of the
man, now running for his life, had been
well and truly aimed, and the Wild beast,
which seemed to have wings, so rapid
was his course, was bearing at that mo-
meni. nevertheless, two balls in his body,