Evening journal., 1904-09-07

Catch and Worry the Seals.
When a winter is unusually severe
in Baffin Land and Labrador the polar
bears wander or among the ice foes in
greater numbers than usual in quest OF
seals, upon which they chiefly feed,
and on these occasions the crews Of
the Newfoundland sealing feet have
many encounters with these monsters
When be is well fed the polar bear is
easily worsted, but If hungry he fights
with fury. Hence encounters with
bears are not sought unless rifemen
are included in the party, but some
times there is no alternative. On one
occasion several men armed only with
seal clubs had to fight an old male
bear.
One man thought he saw a seal be-
hind a hummock and started of after
it. a second following him. Just as the
FIRST topped the hummock he raised his
club and struck. when to his horror he
found he had hit polar bear over the
snout. The bear turned on him with
an angry growl and would have dis
membered him with a single stroke II
the second man had not got In and hit
him on the snout also. This blow half
stunned him. and he fell backward
into small hole Of water.
STILL though dazed. he struggled to
get out, and so there was nothing for
it but to fight him, and this the men
did successfully, the whole seven join
ing in the struggle. Yet he broke one
mans ankle. lacerated another's thigh
and splintered the arm Of third man
before he gave in. His skin and fat
weighed 400 pounds and his carcass
probably as much more, so that he was
as bulky as a small horse.
On another occasion there was fierce
fight, within full view Of a ships crew,
between a bear and six men. Bruin
had been asleep for the night on a
small pan OF ice and was awakened
In the early morning by the sound OF
the steamers whistle, blown to call
her crew to their days toll. The bear,
aroused from slumber, raised himself
on his hind paws with a mighty growl,
as If in challenge to the ship. His de-
flance was accepted in this sense by
six young seamen. who promptly made
at him with only their clubs.
The bear was unable to leave the
small pan he was on, owing to six
enemies assailing him, and so he had
to fight it out there. He made a game
defense, too, Notwithstanding all at
tacks Of his adversaries. One OF these
J struck at him with a club, but he
reared up, caught 1t in his mouth and
jerked It from the owners hand, and,
shaking It as a terrier would a rat
hurriedly banged the owner with II
and felled him senseless with a blow
over the head The other assailants
he kept of also in the same way, and
IL was not till a man came from the
ship with a rife and put four bullets
J through him that he showed any weak
aning. At last he became dazed, and
a well directed blow on the snoui
stunned him, while a shower more ap
parently killed him.
A rope was lashed around his body
and he was swung up by the ships
winch to be got on board, but just al
he came over the rail the rope broke
and he disappeared from view in the
water. The cold bath revived him
for in about i've minutes he was seer
TO emerge In a blowhole in a foe, and
after two OF three painful attempts
laboriously climbed on to a high pan
N.1. 80
after him, and he was stunned. stabbed
to the heart and then dragged to th'
ship to be skinned. He was nearly
nine feet long and twelve feet in lar
gest girth, and was altogether a for
midable adversary.
Z Men who go TO the seal fisheries To-
S the sport or experience as passenger
! in the ships OF the feet usually derivi
their keenest enjoyment from stalking
= polar bears, as 1t is quite a novel form
Of big game hunting. The scene is thi
great floating ice field, and from hum
mock to hummock and berg TO berl
the hunter will dog his prey until {
? lucky shot will enable him to brinl
, down the victim.
Sealing captains will never let thei
guests go off unattended on such a mis-
sion. but send couple Of expert rifle
men with them. as at times Mr.. an,
Mrs. Bear and their offspring may b.
at home on the foe, and they would b.
rather too formidable a combination
for the inexperienced hunter.
The Eskimo OF Greenland and Bafii
Land are notable bear hunters. TIL
Eskimos have trained their dogs to rul
i the creatures down and torment then
$ until they can come up themselves ant
give the quietus with lance or gun. TIL
daring OF the Eskimo hunters is great
and they will attack. the infur'atei
bear the moment they come withil
r striking range.
In northern Labrador they are ais
to be got in goodly numbers. One see
son a Newfoundland fishing skippe
n found two OF them entangled in hi
4 nets in O'Brien harbor. at the entranc
e TO Ungava bay, and was able to XII
g them with but little trouble. Anothe
e skipper sighted a third and sent tw
s men in a boat after him. but their frs
e shot only wounded the brute, and h
= made back at them, upset and tor
] apart their boat and badly gashed ON
OF the men before the schooner ra
il down and poured whole battery G
II bullets into him.
s The Hudson Bay company's factor
d are alwavg keen TO secure skins OF thI