New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-06-02
A Bear Hunt in the Pyrenees.

The following account of the tragical incl
dents of d bear hunt in the Spanish Pyrenees is
translated from the Journal de Chosseurs:
A Accompany of hunters, of Bagneros- de- Luchon
and its vicinity, was organized under the direc-
ton Mr.. Thorn, the Mayor of Luchon, to under
take the grand hunt that is made there every
year in Autumn It was in the wild forests
which lie adjacent to the little Spanish town of
Venasque that this hunt took place this year.
1t was on Wednesday, the 9TH of October. th at
the little caravan, composed of nine or ten hunt
ers, and similar number of traqueurs, to beat
up the game, put itself in motion After hav-
ing crossed the harbor of Venasques, the party
| took the direction Of the Baths, at which they
had resolved to pitch their head quarters. In
front, the opposite side, the Esouerro rises in
a quarter known as the Litarota This place
had been already indicated as affording excel
lent chances for sport; the presence of bears
/ there had even been ascertained; Spanish
woodman had unexpectedly fallen in with one
of the denizens of these savage retreats; the
bear, disturbed from his rest, seized him by the
thigh with his terrible jaws, and tore him ter
ribly. The poor woodman, as he narrated the
story himself, while showing his yet scarcely
healed wound, said he gave himself for lost; (;
but the animal, whether from that repugnance
mingled with fear which inclines all lower crea-
lures to flee from man, spontaneously aban-
doned him, and quietly regained the depths of
| the forest.
| On Thursday morning the alcalde of Venas-
| que, and three or four of the principal citizens
| of the town, paid the French the compliment of
coming and joining them, and the field Of hunt
ers, taking advantage of the fine Autumna
| morning, started; some to organize the bdttue,
and others to take possession Of their posts. AT
the very entrance of the track the first bear was
started. One of the traqueuTs, named 0ustalet,
from Bagneres-d -Luchon, had the opportunity
Of shooting at him as he started, and almost
close to the muzzle; but, whether the shot was
deadly aimed, or whether the animal was only
slightly wounded. he rapidly made off, and was
not slow in disappearing in direction opposite
| to that in which the hunters were posted. Incl
dents which Immediately superyened, however,
did not allow of his track being followed
The buttue was continued for some time with
out leading to any results The tragueurs, hav-
ing already gone over the whole of the ground
assigned to them, had begun to despair Of any
sport for that day, when all of sudden bear
of formidable size rose in the very middle OF
them. After having remained long time i'm
movable, in spite of the noise of all sorts which
had been making around him. he at last decided
on quitting his retreat. Shot at Immediately
by Spanish traqueur, he was reached by a
shot which went through his foot, His wound
too slight to arrest his progress, was, neverthe
less sufficiently telling 10 loTCe llIn 10 ueSceuu
to the less elevated regions of the mountains.
The hunters, marshaled on the edge of a vas
glade, saw him at distance Hunters anG
tfaqueurs at once rushed down from the SUNNI
of the Esquerrero, and following the traces o
blood, which served to guide them, they al
soon found themselves met at the foot Of a noun
tain 1t was evident that the bear, finding him
self wounded, had sought refuge in some thicl
clumps of hazels. separated here and there BY
| 1itt1a 1a1a oui hnrlnriurr lr,a oh II
clivity ON the road to France and the torrent o
Essera. Here another brush was to take place
The place, very much confined, was Immediately
surrounded by the hunters, and the agile ira
queurS, with the intrepid Oustalet at their head
plunged into the thicket. A low growing sool
revealed the presence of the bear. Pursued
into his last asylum, and again started by
fresh shot which gave him another wound, h
resumed his painful march. He was then seen
now making his appearance in the narrow glade
which separated the hazel elumps, now yiolentl
forcing passage for himself through the clumI
interviewer with shrubs
/, Although hard pressed, the animal at bay
nevertheless, hesitated to show himself openl,
He seemed to dread the open spaces by whiC
r he was surrounded. Three times did Brui
await the approach and fire of the tYaqueur
. him down. However, in another instant, force
= to leave the thieket which had served to shelte
r him, he was about to become q mark for a doze
" rifles pointed at him. Suddenly shot wa
J, heard, and Immediately afterwards cry Of dis
tress. A man was engaged in a struggle wit
= the bear. The prudent distrnst of the anim'
}, had compelled the traqueats to follow him ste
by step. The indefatgable oustalet had bee
: the most ardent in this perilous pursuit Itws
l, he who had first started the animal; it was
on who had first wounded him at this last star
he had scarcely lost sight of him single il
i slant, notwithstanding the infinite difficulties
od the ground
Unfortunately, carried away by his impet
~ Gus enthusiasm, the courageous hunter HI
slightly diverged from the track, and had pr
: ceeded few steps too far, when suddenly
'x found himself in the presence Of o bear, rig
opposite and below the redoubtable wound