that its pace is
equal to a horse's gallop. It is remarkably sagacious, and often defeats
the stratagems practised for its capture. A female with two cubs was
pursued across a field of ice by a party of sailors; at first she urged
the young ones to increase their speed, by running in front of them,
turning round, and evincing, by gesture and voice, great anxiety for
their progress; but finding that their pursuers gained upon them, she
alternately carried, pushed, or pitched them forwards, until she
effected their escape. The cubs seemed to arrange themselves for the
throw, and when thus sent forwards some yards in advance, ran on till
she again came up to them, when they alternately placed themselves
before her.

A she-bear and two large cubs, being attracted by the scent of some
blubber, proceeding from a seahorse, which had been set on fire, and was
burning on the ice, ran eagerly towards it, dragged some pieces out of
the flames, and eat them with great voracity. The sailors threw them
some lumps still left in their possession, which the old bear took away
and laid before her cubs, reserving only a small piece for herself. As
they were eating the last piece, the men shot the cubs, and wounded the
mother. Her distress was most painful to behold, and, though wounded,
she crawled to the spot where they lay, tore the piece of flesh into
pieces, and put some before each. Finding they did not eat, she tried
to raise them, making piteous moans all the time. She then went to some
distance, looked back and moaned, and this failing to entice them, she
returned and licked their wounds. She did this a second time, and still
finding that the cubs did not follow, she went round and pawed them with
great tenderness. Being at last convinced that they were lifeless, she
raised her head towards the ship, and, by a growl, seemed to reproach
their destroyers. They returned this with a volley of musket balls;[1]
she fell between her cubs, and died licking their wounds.

[Illustration: THE BEAR AND HER CUBS.--Page 54.]

The black bear of Canada is a formidable creature, and Dr. Richardson
contradicts the assertion that it is not swift of foot; he says that it
soon outstrips the swiftest runner, and adds, that it climbs as well, if
not better than a cat. It feeds on berries, eggs, and roots; but
although it does not seek flesh, it does not refuse it when offered. A
young bear of this kind roughly handled a Canadian settler, who, being a