The Shasta courier., 1866-01-13
COU RIER.
An Ocean Combat.

Along the shores of distant Greenland and
among the yawning ice caverns which re-
sound with the roar of the Arctic tides, the
white bear rooms in kingly majesty, gazing
with quiet curiosity upon any vessel that may
pass its retreat, and fighting desperately
| when attacked by venturesome mariners.
| The cool impudence of this animal is some
times evinced in a remarkable manner. |
have seen it enter hut occupied by unarmed
seamen, and after deliberately surveying
| tqem for few moments, snatch from the
hand of one seal which had lately been
captured, and walk off with the prize in the
most unconcerned manner imaginable.
On another occasion, while boats crew
belonging to the ship ST. George were passing
an ice field, white bear of huge dimensions
suddenly sprang into the little craft, capsiz-
ing it at once and severely injuring the man
amidships. who was with much difficulty
rescued by his companions. Bruin, in the
meantime had scrambled upon one of the
drifting masses, where he remained in an
attitude Of dignifed composure. The crew
were picked up few hours afterward by
their own ship.
The food of the white bear is chiefly fish,
seals, and dead whales, but, as may be sup
posed, it cannot always obtain enough to
satisfy its voraclous appetite; in fact, it is
sometimes in q famishing condition. and
when such is the case, it is really formida
| BILE animal. 1t will not then hesitate to at
tack a dozen armed men, and is ready to
engage in battle with the largest whale that
careers the northern seas.
AT daylight ON the morning Of the 25th of
August, 1854, while the ship Norman, sur.
veying craft, was lying becalmed near the
western edge of one of those extensive foes
that are so frequently encountered in the
Arctic Ocean, the watch on deck were sud
denly startled by savage growl which
seemed to proceed from no great distance off
the weather bow. Almost at the same
instant we heard the loud ripping Of water,
followed by a noise like the rushing of steam
| from q pipe; and springing to the rail, we
beheld q scene we'll calculated to excite
interest. A large white bear, that would not
| have measured less than twelve feet in len 9Th,
| but which was very lean and gaunt, had made
its way to the edge of block of ice about
| fifteen fathoms from the bark, where it stood
| glaring with a hungry expression of ferocity
upon huge bull whale that was leisurely
rolling toward the same berg evidently un-
conscious of the proximity of the beast. | say
unconscious, because the bear was directly
owing to the position of its eyes, cannot see
any object before it in straight line 1t
continued, therefore, to approach its enemy
until it was within q fathom of the spot
occupied by the animal when it turned
little to one side, and for the first time saw
the bear. At the same moment the latter
with deep growl threw itself on the whale.
but only to receive from the great barnacled
head of the monster tremendous blow,
which sent the pugnacious beast snarling
with rage and pain against the ragged edge
of the ice.
Perceivng that the formidable battering
ram which had already given him sufficient
notice Of its power was still moving toward
him, probably with the intention of squeez
ing him to death against the frozen drift,
Bruin dashed to one side, and attacking his
antagonist on the flank, fastened his jaws and
teeth on the rough hump Of the gigantic
| swimmer. But the old kingof the sea seemed
not at all inclined to submit to this treatment.
and he surged heavily from side to side,
! fiercely lashing the water with his fukes and
using other endeavors to dislodge his adyer.
| sary.
But the bear still clung to him with
| tenacious grasp, until the enraged bull, evil
IDENTIFY losing all patience, tried the effect Of
a cold water bath upon his enemy Down
went his great head and up went his fiukes,
as he dove into the liquid chambers of the
sea and a moment afterward Bruin rose to
the surface putting, snarling and growing
with disappointed rage.
BY this time the Norman was alive with
grinning spectators. All hands were now of
the opinion that the combat was finished.
that the bear had enough of the fight and
/ 4 L. +I,a Ill,
yersary would not again rise to renew the
combat. Bruin was now swimming toward
the berg, as though anxious to get out of the
water as soon as possible, when suddenly the
surface of the sea in the vicinity of the bear
was agitated by number of little ripples,
then followed a roaring noise, and the next
moment the poor animal was tossed about
fifteen feet into the air, as the great head of
its mighty antagonist uprising from the deep
struck the under portion of its body.
.'Ay. ay, now, but that's too bad, cried
an old sheet anchor man.
- think it serves him right" said the
corporal; he's land -lubber. and therefore
| had no business to interfere with that hump
| backed tar. that's in his own element
As the bear came down after being thus
numerically tossed, the whale received him
upon its fukes. and sent him flying upward
again and although by this time it must
have been considerably injured, yet when it
| struck the water it made another flank attack
upon the monster, this time drawing itself
upon the back of its adversary, and planted
its claws and teeth in the hlabber, to which
it clang tenacously. Plunging from side to
side. the bull rs before. exerted itself to
dislodge the beast, but without success; and
the captain of the Norman was remarking to
his first lieutenant that he believed he would
be obliged to try the effect Of another cold
bath. when the old sea king suddenly rushed
backward, paused one momeut and then
preached nearly its full length out of water.
It was truly grand and awful spectacle
the huge, dark body of that mighty leyiathan
| towering high in air, where it remained pois.
ed for an instant exposed to the view of every
man. and then fell back into the water with
a crash equal to the din of broadside. A
great cloud Of spray enveloped the whale as
il struck the sea, and the vessel tremhled