nd and to think, how comfortable I was. I
had, however, some causes for anxiety. How should I protect myself if
attacked either by savages or wild beasts? how should I procure food,
and how should I defend my feet when all my bandages were worn-out,
should I not succeed in finding my friends? The most pressing matter
was how to procure food.

Suddenly I recollected that I had once put a couple of fish-hooks in a
pocket-book which I carried with me. I could not sleep till I had
pulled it out and ascertained that they were there. A rod I should have
no difficulty in forming; but how to make a line was the puzzle. At
last I remembered that my jacket was sewn together with very coarse
strong thread, and I thought that I could manufacture a line out of it.
Having come to this satisfactory conclusion, I again went to sleep.

I had but a short time closed my eyes, when once more I was awoke by a
noise, as if something was scratching on the outside of the tree in
which I lay. What could it be? The scratching continued, and then
there was a snuffing sound, as if a snout was smelling about in the
neighbourhood. The noises were suspicious and somewhat alarming. I did
not like to move to ascertain what caused them, but I could not help
dreading that they were made by some wandering bear who had smelt me
out, and was now trying to get a nearer inspection of me. The
scratching and the snuffing continued, and then I was certain that the
creature, whatever it was, was climbing up on the trunk. It had done
so, but it tumbled off again. Soon, however, it came close up to me. I
could contain myself no longer. I wished to ascertain the worst. I
gently slid off the piece of bark above my head and sat upright. I
speedily, though, popped down again. My worst suspicions were
confirmed. It was a bear, and very likely the same bear from whom I had
escaped the day before. The moment he saw me he poked his snout over my
narrow bed-place, but I was too far down for him to get at me,
notwithstanding all the efforts he made to effect that object. Still it
was not pleasant to have such a watcher over my couch, as I could not
help dreading that he might possibly get his claws in and pull me out,
and that at all events the moment I sat upright he would give me an
embrace, but anything but a friendly one. The moon came out and shone
on his bearish eyes, and I saw him licking his jaws in anticipation of
his expected repast. The ver