Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1867-10-04
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Life at the North Pole.

4
The bears wandering continually during
the night must needs have hard struggle
to live. During the summer, the seals
who furnish their only subsistence, crawl
up on the ice, and are there easily caught; |
but in the winter they only resort TO the
cracks to breathe, and in doing so barely
put their noses above water, SO that they
are captured with difficulty. Driven to
desperation, by hunger, the bears will
sometimes invade the haunts of men, in
search of food which their quick sense has
detected.
/ had an adventure about this time,
which shows that the Polar bear is not so
ferocious as is generally supposed; indeed
they have never been known TO attack
man except when hotly pursued and driven
to close quarters Strolling one day,
along the shore, l was observing with in
terest the effect of the recent spring tide.
upon the ice-foot, when rounding point Of
land I suddenly found myself confronted
in the faint moonlight by an enormous
bear. He had just sprung down from the
land-ice and was meeting me at a full trot.
We caught sight of each at the same in
slant. Being without rife or other means
of defence, wheeled suddenly toward the
ship with, fancy, much the same refec-
tions about discretion and valor as those
which crossed the mind of old Jack Fal-
staff vixen the Douglass set upon him
but finding, after few lengthy strides
that was not gobbled up, I looked back
over my shoulder, when, as much to my
surprise as qualification, saw the bear
tearing away toward the open water with
celerity which left no doubt as to the
state of his mind. l suppose it would be
difficult to determine which was the most
frightened-the bear or I.
The troops of foxes about us were quite
tame; but they have been cured Of their
familiarity by the lessons learned of the
hunters, and have to be approached with
adroitness. Of both the blue and white
varieties had living specimens in my
cabin. These two varieties Of the fox
Notwithstanding their m any points ofresem
biance, are evidently distinct species.
have not known them TO mix, the coat o
each preserving its distinctive hue, that 0
the blue fox varying merely in distinctly,
shade while the white changes only from
pure white TO slightly yellowish tinge
Their skins are much sought after by tn
/ trappers of South Greenland, where th
animals are rare, for the fur commands
fabulous price in the Copenhagen marke
The tough, nearly hairless hides of til
Great Sea Lions, which are about an inc
thick, had singularly ironplated loo
about them, peculiarly suggestive of de
fence, while their huge tusks, which the
brandished with an appearance of strength
that their awkwardness did not diminish
looked very formidable weapons of offens
if applied to boats planking or the hu
man ribs, if one should happen to fin
himself foundering in the sea among tn
thick skinned brutes. To complete th
hideousness of a facial expression with th
tusks rendered formidable enough in az
pearance, nature had endowed them wit
fiat noses, which were covered all over wit
| stiff whiskers, looking much like porcupin
t quills, and extending up to the edge of
pair of Gaping nostrils. The use of thes
whiskers is as obscure as that of the tusk
though it is probable that the latter ma
1 be as well weapons of offense and defens
= as well as for the more useful purpose I
d grubbing up from the bottom of the 81
4 the mullocks which constitute their prime
r pie food. There were two old bulls in IL
n herd who appeared to be dividing the
p time between sleeping and jamming the
tusks into each others faces, although the
n appeared to treat the matter with perfe
Indifference, as they did not appear
make any impression on each others thi
# hides. As we approached these fellows.
l. neither of which could have been less tn,
sixteen feet long, nor smaller in girth tn
l. hogshead-raised their heads and aft
'e taking leisurely survey Of US, seemed
'e think US unworthy of further notice; a
l. then punching each other again in the f,
Il, fell asleep once more.-Dr. Hayes OPP
II. Polar Sea.