rom the flames part of the flesh of the sea-horse that
remained unconsumed, and ate it voraciously.

The crew of the ship threw great lumps of the flesh they had still left
upon the ice, which the old bear fetched away singly, laying every
piece before the cubs as she brought it, and, dividing it, gave each a
share, reserving but a small portion to herself. As she was fetching
away the last piece, they levelled their muskets at the cubs, and shot
them both dead, at the same time wounding the dam in her retreat, but
not mortally. It would have drawn tears of pity from any but the most
unfeeling, to have marked the affectionate concern expressed by this
poor animal, in the dying moments of her expiring young. Though she was
sorely wounded, and could but just crawl to the place where they lay,
she carried the lump of flesh she had just fetched away, as she had
done the others, tore it in pieces, and laid it down before them. When
she saw they refused to eat, she laid her paws first upon the one, then
upon the other, and endeavored to raise them up, making, at the same
time, the most pitiable moans.

Finding she could not stir them, she went off, and, when she had got to
some distance, looked back, and moaned; and that not availing to entice
them away, she returned, and, smelling round them, began to lick their
wounds. She went off a second time, as before, and having crawled a few
paces, looked again behind her, and for some time stood moaning. But
still her cubs not rising to follow, she returned to them anew, and,
with signs of inexpressible fondness, went round, pawing them
successively. Finding, at last, that they were cold and lifeless, she
raised her head towards the ship, and growled a curse upon the
destroyers, which they returned with a volley of musket-balls. She fell
between her cubs, and died licking their wounds.

The polar bears are remarkably sagacious, as the following instances
may prove. Those in Kamtschatka are said to have recourse to a singular
stratagem, in order to catch the _bareins_, which are much too swift
of foot for them. These animals keep together in large herds; they
frequent mostly the low grounds, and love to browse at the base of
rocks and precipices. The bear hunts them by scent, till he comes in
sight, when he advances warily, keeping above them, and concealing
himself among the rocks, as he makes his approach, till he gets
immediately over them, and near enough for his purpose. He th