ft
P i l l
81
awake Snd what is moft furprizing is, that he will lyfe thfere
the whole Winter without eating or drinking ; and yet, ac-
cording to all accounts, when he goes out in the'Spring of the
year, he is found to he fetteft : according to the conattfonflkyieg,
he has fuck’d his paws, of held them to bis mouth y het fiteics
them till they make a white froth, which makes them fete and
tender j fc that, in the spring, when
hear to tread upon a ftone j he is at this - feafeu lapse^ and
about for feme time j and of this the huntlmen takes advantage.
His ftomach is alio fick at ,this feafon, and drawn rqi bf hfs
, long fading ; and to cure it, he looks out for an antYhillock,
of which he {wallows up the whole j this Icowers his infide,-. and
cleanfes and {Lengthens his ftomach. As long as the Bear'lies in
his den or hole, he is the property of the proprietor of the wood,
according to the Norway law, p. 83 a. When the Lrthefrs go
Bear hunting, out a Bear-fhooting, they go commonly two o f three in company',
that they nay aflift one another, if they mils their aim> they
force him, and tire him, firft with their finall dogs, which are
broke or brought up to that {port ; and of this kind he is moft
afraid, for they cap. run under his belly, ! and will day hoM? of
bis genitals ; larger dogs he lays hold of at once, and tears them
to pieces« But when the little ones have tired him, witfetheir
running and jumping about him, he then gets up to the fide of
a tree, or rock, and lets hisback againft it, and tears up the ftoncs
and earth, and throws feme at one, and feme at another, to defend
bimfelf. A t this time if is that the markfman is to give him
a bailor two with his rifled gun: if he receives it in hischeft,
or under the fhoulder, or in his ear, he falls : but any other
wound makes him the fiercer, and he will fly upon the fhooter,
who mUft defend himfelf, as well as he can, with his empty gun,
in which he ought to have a bayonet fixed, as is cuftomary in
Switzerland and Tyrol, to keep him off.
If the Ihooter orhuntlman wants this, and have not a lecond
at hand to fend another ball at him, he has nothing to defend
himfelf with, but his knife, which is like a dagger, and hangs
by a brafs chain, always on the fide of a Norwegian farmer ; this
he takes crols ways ip his hand, to run down the Bears opened
throat. If he does not fijcceed in this, his life is loft* the Bear
fleas his Ikin pff, and pulls the hair, and flelh. over his head and
ears, face and all.
*- Concerning; this, Ql, Berrjchius has given us his judicious thoughts,
vß ammalibus hyeme fopitis.
in oratione
,Sbme-
Sometimes, however, .ifee Beat is . contented with, beating his
..copquir’^sepwpy'^i^aés\ pwws,;• dikke feems.to be deadband
when! he perceives, that, he draws no more breath* he’ ll leave him J
fojpptimes thatwayLa life is feved. If the farmer conquers, which
generally happens,; be then fleas the Bear, and fixes up the head*
psS a trophy of - yiéfery, énd proof of his courage* on his houfe.
I have j femetimés feea farmetis höufes*' ornamented with three o£
fopr at pr time- 'A Ifidejs'ssfll fell for- or fix rixdöU.arsi
They fay the flelh does not taft© badly, bat ’tis rather too much
like liver, excepting when it is lalted; a fine fat Bear ham is
generally commended, and dobs a haft as much honour, at a wedding,
ask give!plepfumandTatis&étiontetheguéftsf.. I
$ É C T. VIIL
The Wolf, uiven, which is otherwife called Varg, alias Graa^The wdlfi
beep, ,is pow become the pfegue and ferment lof ttiis/caditry.
Ip former, times it'is- pot known that a W!olf ever ivas feen in,
the diocefe of Bergen. Filefield was-then the bound of this creature’s
devaftations ; he never pafled that mountain, till about the
year 1 7 18, or a t ,the end of the fell war, at which time the
ponies marched j and all mdntter of neceflaries of life were
trapfpprted pver that mounts®. in,the Wintef, and thelnlatiable
Wolf ^Ifewed; the i feint of the «previfien. By that means this
drpwn ever'tbofef:mountains, and paw we are
no where fecure, except on the iftnnds: for the VWnters -are. not
near fe fliarp (as I ha^e before obfcrvbd.) Near the fea it is much
milder than ellewhere, and > feldom fe fevere as to freeze.over the
water to the iflands, with ice enough for them to g© upon.
. The Weif is Ib^ d ' not unlike to a large dog, but!its-teeth
and daws are much ftronger : they are in dolour commonly grey;
but in the mountains, in Winter white; they have five or fix
young, at a time ; and we fet ourfelves moft earneftly to deftrop
them. The! eld ones are very carelefs,, and don’ t feek for fafe
places in the woods* to! .hi<fe the®ifelves, as the bear does j but *
run about in flocks on thefmountains, and barren places f . The woiPs fooA
Wolf’s proper food or fubfiftence is prey of all filch creatures as
he can conquer, even dogs ; for in hard Winters he will run into
tfle, farmers yards after» and fometimes devour them at the kennel,
* Bear’s flelh js reckbnea one'ef the greateff ratifies apiong the Chinefe- Accortkng
to Pere iu Halde’s account, the emperor wiH fend '50 or 100 leagues ifito Tattary, to
fetch them, againft a great entertamtjient. O, i.*...»«.
S Hr, C. X.innse»is is, af another; (opinion, according to ms rauna S^eaa, p. 5.
where, hie fays,, Aat tlw Wolf’s proper habitation is ki woods. .Habitat hodie vulg^is
in mvisv ante 20aiiiiOssraiius animal 5ft Suecia. - . - i , 4:
P a r t II. FF