ihot. T his done; they kneel or lie down, as the circum-
dances o f the cover req u ire ; and,' with their bear-fpears' b y
their fide, wait for their game. Thefe precautions, which
are chiefly taken, in order to make fure o f their mark, are,
on feveral accounts, h ig h ly expedient. For, in the fird
place, ammunition is fo dear at Kamtfchatka, that the price
o f a bear w ill not purchafe more o f it than is fnfficient to
load a muiket four or five times; and, what is more material,
i f the bear be not rendered incapable o f purfuit by the
fird ihot, the confequences are often fatal. He immediately
makes toward the place from whence the noife and fmoke
ilfue, and attacks his adverfaries w ith great fu ry . It is im-
poflible for them to reload, as the animal is feldom at more
than twelve or fifteen yards didance, when he is fired a t : fo
that, i f h e does not fall, they immediately put themfelves
in a pofture to receive him upon their fpears; and their
fafety greatly depends on their g iv in g him a mortal dab, as
he fird comes upon the.m. I f he parries the thrud (which,
b y the extraordinary drength and agility o f their paws, they
are often enabled to do), and thereby breaks in upon his
adverfaries, the conflidfc becomes very unequal, and it is
w e ll i f the life o f one o f the party alone fufiice to pay the
forfeit.
There are two feafons o f the year when this diverfion, or
occupation, as it may be rather called, is more particularly
dangerous : in the fpring, when the bears fird come forth,
after having fubfided, as is Univerfally aliened here, on
fu ck in g their paws through the winter; and efpecially i f
the frod happen to be fevere; and the ice not to be broken
up in the lake at that time, by which means they are deprived
o f their ordinary and expedted food. Under thefe
circumdances, they foon become exceedingly familhed, and
4 fierce
fierce and favage in proportion. T h e y w ill purfue the n a tives
by the fcen t; and, as they now prowl about out o f
their ufual tracks, frequently come upon them un awa re s;
and when this happens, as the Kamtfchadales have not the
fmalled notion o f fhooting flying, nor even at an animal
running, or in any way except with their piece on a red,
the bear-hunters often fall a facrifice to their hunger. T he
other feafon in w hich it is dangerous to come in their way,
is at the time o f their copulation, which is generally about
this time o f the year.
. An extraordinary indance o f natural adedlion in thefe
animals hath been already mentioned. T he chace affords a
variety o f a fimilar nature, and not lefs affedling ; many o f
which were related to me. T he Kamtfchadales derive great
advantage in hunting, from this circumdance. T h e y never
venture to fire upon a youn g bear, when the mother is n e a r :
for, i f the cub drop, fhe becomes enraged to a degree little
ihort o f madne fs; and i f fhe get fight o f the enemy, w ill
only quit her revenge w ith her life. On the contrary, i f
the dam be ihot, the cubs w ill not leave her fide, even a fter
fhe has been dead a long tim e ; but continue about her,
ihewin g, by a variety o f a deeding adtions and geflures, marks
o f the deeped afflidtion, and thus become an eaiy prey to the
hunters.
Nor is the fagacity o f the bears, i f the Kamtfchadales are
to be credited, lefs extraordinary, or lefs worthy to be remarked,
than their natural affedtion. O f this they have a
thoufand dories to relate. I ihall content m y fe lf with mentioning
one indance, which the natives fpeak o f as a well-
kn own fad t; and that is, the dratagem they have recourfe
to, in order to catch the bareins, which are confiderably
R r a too