Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-08
THE POLAR BEAR,
4 Rank Coward When Brought Face
to Face With Men.


From the London Field.
The character of the polar bear Is a Gu
rious mixture of cowardice and daring
for it will fly at the sight of man, but will
often come close up to the huts and some
times even try to enter them.
When met with in the water bears are
killed with harpoons. On receiving the
first wound the animal utters loud roars,
seizes the weapon with It's teeth, pulls It
out of the injured part and hurls it far
away. Sometimes, but by no means inva-
riably, 1t will turn upon it's assaiIant
Quickly it receives another spear or bird
arrow from second kayak man, against
whom it turns after treating his weapon
in the same manner and sometimes break
ing it, and in this way the struggle Is
continued until the bear is overcome. The
most important precautionary rule which
the hunters have to observe is. when dur
ing the fight the apimal has diyed TO
keep sharp lookout down into the water
in order that 1t may not come up unawares
right under q kayak. Its white CLEAN can
always be seen when it approaches the
surface, and there is time to get away If
1t be coming too near. When bear is
encountered in the water amid some
what scattered ice it's capture is consid-
cred certainty, for although an excel
lent swimmer, it cannot get away from a
they are seldom seen, the Greenlanders
appear to be afraid of them but such is
far from being the case in the Julianshaab
district, where, in the water, at apy rate
they are considered as much less danger.
Gus than the walrus or the hooded seal
The food of bears consists mainly of
seals, which, however they cannot seize
in the water, but only when lying on shore
or on Ice, but the seal, when in such
positions, is extremely watchful and wary
the stalk is often fruitless, and the bear
Is obliged more frequently than suits it
to depart with an empty stomach Car
rion they take at any time In summer
they rob birds nests of eggs and. Young
ones and appear to be partial also to ber-
ries. Probably. too, they live upon sea
Ing Oh the water According to Brehm.
their ordinary food is fish, and thew even
capture salmon in the sea. This however.
l have never had confirmed by the Green
landers' who all consider that the bears
powers of swimming would not be equal
to 1t. According to the same authority.
neither reindeer. foxes nor birds are safe
from the polar bear, but this 1 think, is a
mistake. Nature has intended that II
should seek its prey In the water and on
the ice rather than on the land.
When really hungry there are few things
which bear will reject, down to old skin
garments and tarred ropes ends, which
may sometimes be found In Its stomach.
1t Is under such circumstance that it
ventures close to the huts and devours
whatever 1t can find, sometimes attempting
to enter. In the winter Of 1867 a bear
was shot at Godhaven with the whole Of
the fore part OF the body in an OIL cask,
which 1t was licking. In the Julianshaab
district It is not unusual for these animals
to visit the Oreenlanders' provision stores
where they keep their dried seals flesh.
&C, tear the stones away from the en-
trance and clear the place completely out.