Year: 1865

Along the shores of distant Greenland, ;,
and among the yawniug ice caverns that
resound with roar Of the Arctic tides, the
white bear roams in kiugly majesty, gazing
with quiet curiosity upon any vessel that
passes its quiet retreat, and lighting despe-
ratcly when attacked BY venturesome mar
iners.


The cool impudence of this animal is
sometimes evinced III remarkable manner.
| have seen it enter q hut occupied by q
group of unarmed seamcn, and, after delib-
erately surveying them for Il few moments,
snatch from the hand of one, a seal, which
had lately been captured, and walked off
with it's prize in the most uncOucerned man
ner that can be imagined.


On another occasion, while boats crew,
belonging to the ship St. George, were pass
ing an ice-feld, white bear Of huge di-
mensiohs made its appearance, and sprang
INTO the little craft. capsizing it at once, and
severely injuring the man amid-ships, who
was with much difficulty rescued by his
companions, after they had saved them
selves 10y crawling out Of the water upon a
berg. Bruin, in the meantime, scrambled
upon one of the drifting masses, where he
remained in an attitude Of dignifed compo.
sure, watching the men as they exerted
selves to secure their shattered boat, until
the current carried him into fog bank that
bid the group from his sight. Tho crew
were picked up few hours afterward by
their own ship, but many weeks elapsed
before the injured seaman recovered the
use of his limbs.


The food of the white bear is chiefly de-
rived from fish, seals and dead whales but,
as may well he supposed. it cannot always
obtain food 10 satisfy" its voracious appe-
tite; in fact, it is sometimes in furnishing
condition, and when such is the case it. is
really formidable animal. twill not then
hesitate to attack dozen armed men, and
is ready TO engage in battle with tho larg.
est whale that careers through the northern
seas.


At daylight, on the morning of the 25th
of August, 1854, while the ship Norman, a
surveying craft, was lying becalmed near
the western edge of one of those extensive
Hoes that are so frequently encountered in
the Arctic Ocean, the watch on deck were
suddenly startled by savage grow! which
seemed to proceed from no great distance
OIL the weather bow. Almost at the same
instant we heard ALOUD ripping of water,
followed by noise like the rushing Of steam
from a pipe and springing to the rail, we
beheld scene that was well calculated to
excite our interest and curiosity.


large white bear, that could not have
measured less than twelve feet in length, but
which was very gaunt aud lean, had made
its way to the edge of a block of
ice, about ten fathoms from the bark, where
it stood glaring with a hungry expression
of ferocty upon a huge bull whale, that
was leisurely rolling along toward the same
berg, evidently unconscious of the presence
of the beast / say Unconscious" because
the bear was directly ahead of the monster,
and the leviathan, owing to the position of
IFS eyes, cannot see any object before il in a
straight line.


1t continued, therefore, to approach its
enemy until il was about iathOm from the
spot occupied by the animal, when il
turned little to one side-probably with
the intention of changing its course-and
for the first time saw the bear. At the
same moment the latter, with deep growl,
threw itself toward the whale, but only to
receive from the great, barnaclcd head OF
the monster tremendous blow, that sent
the pugnacioua beast sharling with rage
and pain against the jagged edge of the ice.


Perceivins that the formidable battering-
ram which had already given him sulli.
cient notice of ito strength and power,
was still moving toward him, probably
with the Intention Of squeezing him
10 death against the frozen drift,
Bruin now dashed TO one side, quickly
attacking his antagonist upon the flank, fas-
tened his claws and teeth in tue rough hump
Of the gigantic swimmer. But the old king OF
tho sea seemed not at all inclined 10 submit