The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-30
4 Tr.xse Bear Fight.

n Tragic Bear Fight.
We transhte from the Quebec Ca~odia,s, the fol-
lowing account OF a fearful encounter with bear,
In which the unfortunate hunter lost his hfe:--
A most psiDfu occurrence has just spread sort
Of panic IN the parish OF 81. Raymond. A man has
het n torn 10 pieces by bear. This animal on the
night Of Sunday, thu 18th of May, had killed and
carried "a cow b. ion stDg TO man Of the name OF
Mionael Cantin. On the morrow experienced
bunfer in that region, named James CaDfin, whose
aim for forty years had brought down bea 8, moose
and other large game Of the forest without number,
prepared means To put an end 70 this ferocious
brute. II was sundown before these were compiet-
ed, and be bad not time to go for bis son to assist
him 10 the hunt. The bear came, according TO Gus
tom, to iced upon the prey be bad secreted; ana
the Inhabitants Of the village heard the dring OF q
gun. Fifteen minutes later aootoer gun was heard,
the resort sounding a. IL near the woods; and, as
the night closing, third report was heard COM
ing from within the forest; then all was silent.
Tie people gathered together 70 meet The hunter
story OF bis encounter with the bear But the night
has begun. and he does not come. The hopes OF his
friends turn to fear, and they resolve TO y u hls
assistance. They start With lanterns and proceed to
the edge Of the for here their cries and dis ,hage
OF ire arms remain unanswered. They enter the
wood and scour 10 IN various directions, but without
seeing or bearing any thing. Then they turn home
WARD, sAd and dispirised, to resume the search at
dawn the DsXt DAY.
More than forty persons, who had been sum.
moned in the course Of the night, met at daybreak
on the morrow, at the spot whence the report Of
the hunters first shot bad proceeded bloody
track led them on through the forest; and many
who were following It came to the bear, which they
found lying dead IN u clump Of bushes near
swamp, but DO hunter was to be found. They con-
tiDued on their way, still keeping to the traces Of
b ood on the ground, which extended beyold
the spot where lay the ANIMAL until In the midst of
dense thcket they stumbled upon the uufor
tunste Cantin. The soil trampled and torn up tao
bushes broken and down trodden the trunks of
10 l1p a n nv the lpav nm 10
face OF the earth CORY with tie blood that had been
shed and the mut'laied limbs of the deceased
everything told Of a long and desperate conflict
waged hand to hand between the unfortunate hunter
From AL that could be gathered on the subject, Il
is suJmised that the horrible tagedy took place In
The following manner Cantin's first shot had
w0uDoed the bear severely, and driven him to the
woods. The hunter followed ia pursuit, and fred
second time but from the rear, as in the 6rst 10.
stance. Still, this could not have been mortal
wound. Then It is supposed that the bear, fuding
he was bein followed up closely, aud urged on by
fear and rage plunged deeper Into the forest where
at length, he laid down to recruit his strength, or
perbaI to die after the custom Of his species the
members Of which usually SEX some retired spot to
breathe their last. Accordingly, the monster Sc
lected the depsest thicket to be found in the woods
Animated by that noble ambition Of the hunter
who thinks he Is sure Of hs game, and is DESTROYS
Of adding another TO his numerous exploits, Cantn
persevefed in the chase, notwithstanding the
Increasing darkness around HIM. Still, il must
have been sufficiently light for him to distinguish
the CORY track of the besr but 1t is highly proba-
bic that he stumbled suddenly upon him in his
secure retreat, and then, in his rage, the animal
regained his strength for while, aud rising con.
fronted his pursuer, before he could escape. Still
CaniiD must have had time to fire third shot, but
SO hurriedly that his aim could not tel efiectaally,
the ball being found IN his neck. Then he I'M.
doubtedly dubbed his gun and beat the ANIMAL on
the head until the weapon fell shattered from his
grasp to the ground, where it was discovere by
his friends. The man and the brute must have
minated 80 fatally. But disarmed, without Q
knife, and having nothing but his stout arm to
oppose the fury of the bear, the brave fellows
courage could not save him from the tragic end he
When bear engages in fight, he rises, and, sit
ting bis launches strikes his paws like monkey,
but uses his claws in addition ike cat, while his
enormous muscles indicate strength that Is almost
inconceivable. His claws, projected with terrible
power, tear and carry away every thing they fall
upon. From these poor Cantin received several
terrific blows before he succumbed, the marks Of
which made the blood run cold in those who looked
upon his corpse. His hands were torn BY the claws
and partly deyoured by the animals teeth. The
hair OF his head and the scalp hung in pieces about
his face, md his right thigh was literally mangled
into mibce meat He must have been still con-
lending against the bear, when the brute, with
fearful instinct, directing his blows against the
mans head, fixed his murderous claws In his face;
OF, by blow Of his Iigh paw, he literally stripped
penetrated Immediately beneath the left eye, aud
torn away the cartilage OF the nose, without, how
ever injuring the eye itself.
This terrific blow doubtlessly threw Cantin to the
grol nd, when the bear left him and eaed to die
few reds from the scene of the conflict. Tia
wound was not mortal and Cantin survived il seve-
raj hours. The blood which deluged his knee show
ed that he had sat down to let it flow. II may be
that at that very moment he heard without being
able to reply to them the cries Of the party who sal
lied in quest Of hm at night. Exhausted at length,
by the hemoIrhaRe, he seemed to have laid himself
down gently on his right side, perhaps to make his
face and limbs less painful But possessing his
consciousness STILL be consefated his last moments
to God in prayer. he was found with clasped hands,
and holding Dis blue bonnet. Honest and strictly
pious, the last thoughts of that unfortunate man
were worthy his whole life. He leaves a discon.
solate widow and four children to lament his un.
timely and awful charlottesville (N. " Northern
Gazette.