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P L A T E XXIX.
THE DEATH OF THE BEAR.
IN the preceding Plalc llie bear is seen running from liis pursuers; lie is now
e x l i i l j i l od aL l)ay, and in llial erccl posilion \\hicli lie assumes when closely
fiillowcd. His characteristic marks are by this means fully displayed ; Lhey, as
well as iiis sable coal of bair, have been already noticed ; llie laller, though as
long as that of Lh<; European bruin, is not balf so thick. A full grown bear
wlien standing upright may measure about five feel; ihcy are very broad for
their length, and their strcngtli is jirodigiou.s.
Hears are granivorous, bul have a strong propensity to suck the blood of such
animals as unhappily fall within their brutal gri])e. When first born they arc
said to be iiiis-shaped : the natives indeed have an opinion that in their pristine
s l a t e lhey are noihing more than clots of blood wliicli the mother by cherishing
])rings to life, and forms after her own image. Perhaps were we to visit the old
l a d y immedialely after her uccouchcyneuf, we should iind the young to be as
pcrfect as those of other animals: this, liowcver, would be a dangerous sort of
inspeclion ; and as few might wish to investigate the subject inider such disadvantages,
we must judge for oiir.sclves, taking nature in general for our guide.
i t has often been in my way to see the operations of bears, and I am confident
thai no animals exist more cruel, more fierce, nor more implacable than
they are! Such as have suffered under their brutality, have in all instances
w i t h i n niy knowledge, borne tlie proofs of having undergone the most dilatory
torments. Some have had the bones macerated with little breaking of the
s k h i ; others have bad the flesh sucked away into long fibrous remnanis, and in
one instance the most horrid brutality was displayed.
"While stationed at Dacca, I went with a par l y several limes to the great house
a t Tergoiig. distant about five miles from ihe town. 1 had on several occasions
seen liears among tin: wild mango topes, and did not consider them as being so
dangerous, until one it a y , a.s T wa.s returning with a friend from hunting some
hog-deer, we heard a most himcutable outcry in the cover through which we
b a d to pass.
Having our spears, and being provided with guns, wc alighted, not doubling
but a leopard had attacked some poor wood cutter. We luet a woman whose
fears had deprived her of specch, and whose senses were just flitting. She,
however, collected herself siifliciently lo pronounce the word bunloo, which
signifies a bear. She led us wi t h caution, to a spot not more than fifty yards
distant, where we found her husband extended on the ground, iiis hands and
feet, as I before observed, sucked and chewed into a perfect pulp, ihe teguments
o f the limbs in general drawn from under the skin, and the skull mostly laid
bare ; the skin of it luniging down in long strij)s; obviously eflected by their
talons. What was most wonderful was, that the unhappy man retained his senses
.«ufliciently to describe that he had been attacked by several bears, the woman
said seven, one of which had embraced him while the others clawed him about
the head, and bit at his arms, and legs, seemingly in competition for the booty.
VVe conveyed the wretched objcct to the house, where, in a few hours, death
r e l i e v ed him from a state, in which no human being coidd ailord the smallest
assistance !
W h i l e (piesting for game of various kinds, whether for the chase or the gun,
1 have repeatedly fallen in with bears; luckily without any damage to myself
o r attendants. On one occasion I l>egan to feel something very l ike apprehension,
on seeing a bear rise on his hind legs about ten yards from me. A dog wsis
b a r k i n g at him, and a gentleman who was with mc, and who had never seen a
b e a r before, was very iinjiruflently about lo shoot at him with small shol. He
was with difliculty prevailed u|)on lo desist from his rash intention; which
would, if carried into execution, most certainly havc'been attended with unp
l e a s a n t consequences ; for we coultl not hope lo escape without experiencing
h ow vehemently bears express themselves when wounded. The same gentleman
happened afterwards to see the ))ody of the poor woodcutter al 'hrgong; when
h e congralulilted himself on being attentive to my solicitation : 1 believe it
would have taken something beyond the common powers ol rhetoric, tu persuade
him after that time lo have any dealings with bears.
I W i